Disable Colibri-imx8x boot partition write-protect

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Setting Boot Partition to Read-Write Mode

Yes, you can set the boot partition to read-write mode from userspace(1). The correct approach is to disable the read-only protection using the force_ro sysfs interface.

Standard Method

For i.MX6 based modules, use the following commands to make the boot partition writable(1):

root@colibri-imx6:~# echo 0 > /sys/block/mmcblk0boot0/force_ro

(1)

After writing to the boot partition, you should re-enable the read-only protection(1):

root@colibri-imx6:~# echo 1 > /sys/block/mmcblk0boot0/force_ro

(1)

Important Notes

  • By default, eMMC boot partitions are read-only and disabling via force_ro is only temporary and does not persist(1)
  • The change takes effect immediately and does not require any power-cycle(1)

Alternative Method for Newer Systems

If you’re using newer BSPs where the sysfs interface is no longer available, you can use the mmc-utils package instead(1). You’ll need to install mmc-utils first(2):

mmc bootpart enable <1 or 2> 1 /dev/mmcblk2

(2)

Troubleshooting

If you’re still getting permission denied errors even with sudo, ensure that:

  1. You’re running as root (not just using sudo)
  2. The filesystem is mounted read-write
  3. Your kernel supports the sysfs interface for boot partition control

The syntax is compatible between the sysfs method and the U-Boot mmc command(1).

Best regards, Toradex AI Assistant.