Toradex Easy Installer support for UBIFS filesystem for blockdevs

Technical Support
,
1

Dear Toradex Developer Community,

the target is to program a board with an external SD card as mmcblk1, using a custom image including a filesystem_type=ubifs, which is documented here in TEZI image.json docs.

But using Toradex Easy Installer v2.0b6, in the step “Creating filesystem (ubifs)”, I see the error “Unknown file system type”, as you can see in the attachment

211104_ubifs_TEZI_Unknown_FS_type_Capture
211104_ubifs_TEZI_Unknown_FS_type_Capture802×640 100 KB
.

"blockdevs": [
        {
            "name": "mmcblk0",
            "partitions": [...]
        },
        {
            "name": "mmcblk0boot0",
            [...]
        },
        {
            "name": "mmcblk1",
            "partitions": [
                {
                    "partition_size_nominal": 512,
                    "want_maximised": true,
                    "content": {
                        "filesystem_type": "ubifs",
                        "filelist": [...]
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    ]

Do you have ideas about the Toradex Easy Installer support for other “flash-friendly” file system formats like this UBI already documented or others like BTRFS? The only alternative I see out of the box is using raw/dd as a work around.

Thanks for the help and best regards,

ldvp

2

Hi @ldvp

the target is to program a board with an external SD card as mmcblk1, using a custom image including a filesystem_type=ubifs

Why do you want to use UBIFS? Usually this is only for Nand Flash.

Do you have ideas about the Toradex Easy Installer support for other “flash-friendly” file system formats like this UBI already documented or others like BTRFS? The only alternative I see out of the box is using raw/dd as a work around

Colibri iMX6ULL is using Nand Flash, maybe you can check do documentation there to see how is it done.

Best regards,
Jaski

3

Hi @jaski.tx,
thanks for your answer, the suggestion and the question. My further observations are below the quoted text.
Best regards,
ldvp

Why do you want to use UBIFS? Usually this is only for Nand Flash.

We are using different SD cards (with NAND flash) and have observed different performances using different filesystems, including FAT (typical factory default), ext4, BTRFS. Some FS have support for advanced features like compression. UBIFS is often mentioned as interesting option (example link here and here). UBIFS is documented as filesystem type option in Toradex Easy Installer configuration file (image.json).

4

You are welcome.

Ok, so you want to flash on SD Card using Toradex Easy Installer? This is not possible. The image can only be flashed on the SoM Internal Flash, however you can boot from a SD card with Kernel and rootfs. U-Boot must be placed into the internal Flash.

Best regards,
Jaski

1 Like
5

Dear @jaski.tx, you are right, I forgot to write this: as by default, I want to flash the TorizonCore OS to the internal SoM flash (mmcblk0), but at the same time I would like to initialize (format) and copy a set of files to the SD card flash (mmcblk1), using the same “production factory flashing” via Toradex Easy Installer, which is a very good tool.

The Toradex Easy Installer documentation (link) says that different filesystem types are supported (including UBIFS).

I managed to do the internal+SD flashing with ext4+ext4 (that’s a good starting point) but not with ext4+ubifs as I wish. Trying with UBIFS, I have got the error mentioned above, correct flashing of internal flash, nothing done on external SD card.

Thanks again and best regards,
ldvp

6

Hi @lvdp

I have a question, did you manage to use UBIFS on SD card before. If yes, how did you do this?
Thanks and best regards,
Jaski

7

Hi @jaski.tx, thanks for the reply. Actually I tried a couple of filesystem types on SD card, including BTRFS, but now I have understood the key point you mentioned: UBIFS works only on “raw” flash and not on “block devices” like those exposed by firmware of SD card. Therefore my understanding is: I cannot use UBIFS on those devices. I will remain on ext4, being supported by current Toradex Easy Installer.
Thanks again and best regards,
ldvp

8

Hi @lvdp

Perfect. Thanks for your feedback.

Best regards,
Jaski