Bootcode.bin-only boot mode, latest version?

Question

I've been booting a couple of old Pi2 v1.1 (armv7) hosts using the bootcode.bin method to run freebsd from usb mechanical hard disks.

The hardware documentation page link for the "latest" bootcode.bin for this purpose appears to be at least a couple years old, placed on Github under the handle popcornmix. The URL is

formatting link

Does anybody know of a more recent version of the file? Recent boot attempts have failed to find the USB disk, but the disk and SATA-to_USB adapter are recognized without a problem on both FreeBSD and RasPiOS Bookworm, suggesting both are ok.

At this point the machine falls into a loop of netboot attempts. Alternatively, is there some way to break out of the netboot loop via the serial console? That might let me look around.

Thanks for reading,

bob prohaska

Theo · Accepted Answer

That's the official repo so I don't think you'll find a newer version.

Do you have the other files on the USB disc, ie start*.elf, fixup*.dat, etc?

Did you try another USB disc, in case there's something about this particular one the bootloader doesn't like? On PCs it's not unknown for them to refuse to boot certain USB devices. Kernels have more flexibility to work around strange implementation quirks than firmware does.

Theo

bp · Answer

Ok, thank you. I thought as much but don't follow the Pi forums well and hoped I'd missed something.

Maybe it's significant that both red and green LEDs stay on while the Pi attempts netboot?

The microSD has bootcode.bin and timeout, with a directory named "unused" containing other leftover files. The USB drive contains a normal complement of FreeBSD boot files, starting with u-boot. This setup worked until last night, when the FreeBSD system crashed with nothing on the serial console and declined to reboot via plug- pulling.

I don't have one handy, but maybe that's a necessary step I'd hoped to avoid. If I put a RasPiOS microSD in and apply power, the card boots and can read the USB disk. If I plug the USB disk into either FreeBSD or Bookworm the disk is recognized and smartctl reports "passed" for the health check.

On PCs it's not unknown for

Are they known to suddenly stop booting a formerly bootable device?

Repartitioning and re-copying bootcode.bin to the microSD worked without errors but still won't boot. Thanks for writing,

bob prohaska

Bootcode.bin-only boot mode, latest version?

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