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Generating coreboot support logs and sending them for verification purposes

Intro

  • PLATFORM_IP used as example is 192.168.0.100
  • PLATFORM_SERIAL_DEVICE used as example is /dev/ttyUSB0

Requirements

  • OS with cbmem and dmesg installed on the target board (cbmem installation instruction)
  • Coreboot gerrit account: https://review.coreboot.org/
  • Possibility to login to root user on the target board via SSH or enabled coreboot boot logs redirection to the serial console
  • Git (type on target deviceapt-get install git -y to install git on it)
  • Internet connection

Common steps for every log generation process

  1. Build coreboot ROM.

    It's important to not delete the ROM image, because script used to generate support logs requires that image. Default directory of built ROM image is coreboot/build/.

  2. Flash your device with flashrom.

    If you have flashrom installed on your OS you can jump to Flashing firmware with flashrom section of instruction linked above.

  3. Enter to the coreboot directory.

    It's important to run script from that directory, because it's root directory for coreboot scripts. If you try to run script from another directory there is a good chance that an error will be displayed and you will be prompted to change the directory to the correct one.

  4. Choose one of the methods shown in sections below and generate coreboot support logs.

    board_status.sh is responsible for required logs collecting. It's placed in coreboot/util/board_status directory. But don't enter there. You have to stay in coreboot directory.

    Sending logs for verification is descibred in Generating logs and sending them for verification section.

Generating logs with SSH usage

Run board_status.sh script with -r option:

./util/board_status/board_status.sh -r <PLATFORM_IP>

Eg.: 

./util/board_status/board_status.sh -r 192.168.0.100

You will be requested to enter root user password many times. It is uncomfortable for a longer period of time. To avoid this requirement follow those steps

After finishing that process information where logs were saved may be shown. Example output: 

output files are in /tmp/coreboot_board_status.XM0Q6Hn6/pcengines/alix2d/4.6-1329-g5bceca1c530c/2017-09-05T08_27_51Z
Generating logs and sending them for verification

To generate logs and then send them to coreboot supported boards repository add -u option:

./util/board_status/board_status.sh -r <PLATFORM_IP> -u

Eg.: 

./util/board_status/board_status.sh -r 192.168.0.100 -u
Logs will be sent to the https://review.coreboot.org/cgit/board-status.git/ repository automatically.

If you have no SSH key added correctly to coreboot gerrit you will be prompted to enter your user name and HTTP password. To generate temporary HTTP password enter to the settings of your coreboot gerrit account, select HTTP Password section and click on Generate Password button. Generated password will appear next to the Password cell. You can use that password to upload support logs with board_status.sh script.

Generating logs with serial console

There is a possibility to get logs with serial port: 

sudo ./util/board_status/board_status.sh -s <PLATFORM_SERIAL_DEVICE>

Eg.: 

sudo ./util/board_status/board_status.sh -s /dev/ttyUSB0
That method is not as comfortable as SSH. Sometimes problems with logs formatting may occur. What is more you have to press Enter when you log to the OS, because first phase of logs collecting ends when grub starts. Second phase of logs collecting start after pressing Enter.

Generating logs using earlier built ROM image

If you have ROM image built earlier you can set custom directory to ROM image (default directory is coreboot/build/). To do that use -i option:

./util/board_status/board_status.sh -i <DIRECTORY_TO_ROM_IMAGE> -r <PLATFORM_IP>
Eg.:

./util/board_status/board_status.sh -i /tmp/coreboot.rom -r 192.168.0.100

Enabling the possibility to SSH login without entering user password

On master device:

  1. Generate public/private rsa key pair: 
    ssh-keygen -t rsa

  2. Send generated public id via SSH: 

    ssh-copy-id root@<PLATFORM_IP>
    Eg.: 
    ssh-copy-id root@192.168.0.100

    and enter the correct user password.

    If the following error message appears: 

    bash: .ssh/authorized_keys: No such file or directory

    That means you have to create .ssh folder. To do this type: 

    cd
mkdir .ssh
    If there were no errors you should be able to connect to your target device via SSH without entering user password.

    Eg.:

    arek@kal:~$ ssh root@192.168.0.100
Linux voyage 3.10.11 #2 SMP Thu Sep 7 11:36:30 UTC 2017 i586

The programs included with the Debian GNU/Linux system are free software;
the exact distribution terms for each program are described in the
individual files in /usr/share/doc/*/copyright.

Debian GNU/Linux comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extent
permitted by applicable law.
__  __
\ \/ /___ __  __ ___  ___  ___    Useful Commands:
\  // _ \\ \/ /,-_ |/ _ |/ -_)     remountrw - mount disk as read-write
\/ \___/ \  / \___,\_  |\___|     remountro - mount disk as read-only
      _/_/        _'_|          remove.docs - remove all docs and manpages
{ V o y a g e } - L i n u x
      < http://linux.voyage.hk >   Version: 0.9.2 (Build Date 20131219)

Last login: Tue Sep 12 10:16:21 2017 from 192.168.0.108
root@voyage:~#