Setup TFTP Server for U-Boot

Our approach to setup a TFTP server is quite similar to other guides that you can find via Google.
Here we provide some instructions for reference.

Setup TFTP

Install TFTP packages:

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$ sudo apt-get install openbsd-inetd tftpd tftp
  • Configuration

To enable the TFTP server, edit the file /etc/inetd.conf as the root user, and locate the line that looks like the following:

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#tftp   dgram   udp     wait    root    /usr/sbin/tcpd  /usr/sbin/in.tftpd

Uncomment this line, and add the option and value -s /srv/tftp to the end of this line: 

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tftp   dgram   udp   wait   root   /usr/sbin/tcpd  /usr/sbin/in.tftpd -s /srv/tftp

Create and modify permissions on the TFTP root directory:

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$ sudo mkdir /srv/tftp
$ sudo chown -R $(whoami) /srv/tftp

Restart the TFTP Service:

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$ sudo /etc/init.d/xinetd restart

Install TFTP packages:

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$ sudo apt-get install tftp-hpa tftpd-hpa
  • Configuration

Edit the file /etc/default/tftpd-hpa as the root user, and edit the line look like this:

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TFTP_DIRECTORY="/usr/lib/tftpboot"

change the dir to /srv/tftp

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TFTP_DIRECTORY="/srv/tftp"

Create and modify permissions on the TFTP root directory:

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$ sudo mkdir /srv/tftp
$ sudo chown -R $(whoami) /srv/tftp

Restart the TFTP Services:

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$ sudo service tftpd-hpa restart

Setup For Target Device

To setup TFTP on your target device, you will need to:

  • Connect a LAN cable to your target device, and make sure your device is on same local network with your Host PC.
  • Connect a “Serial-To-USB Module” between the target device and Host PC and ensure you have done the correct setup.
  • Power-on your target device, and ensure the device has a Bootloader installed in it.

Stop U-Boot autoboot by hitting Enter or Space key at the moment you power on your target device:

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U-Boot 2015.01 (May 18 2019 - 19:31:53)

DRAM:  3.8 GiB
Relocation Offset is: d6e56000

...

gpio: pin GPIOAO_7 (gpio 7) value is 1
Hit Enter or space or Ctrl+C key to stop autoboot -- :  0 
kvim3#

Setup the ip address of the target client and TFTP host server:

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kvim3# setenv ipaddr 192.168.1.249
kvim3# setenv serverip 192.168.1.117

Save the settings:

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kvim3# saveenv
Saving Environment to aml-storage...
mmc env offset: 0x6c00000 
Writing to MMC(1)... done
kvim3#

Running saveenv will save the env values to the env partition on the eMMC. You can run defenv to restore the env to the default values.

NOTE

Please confirm that your configuration is correct.

e.g.

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kvim3#print ipaddr
ipaddr=192.168.1.249
kvim3#print serverip
serverip=192.168.1.117

Test Your TFTP Server

Make sure you have copied the testing file to the TFTF root path:

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$ ls /srv/tftp/u-boot.bin
/srv/tftp/u-boot.bin

Load a file into the 0x1080000 address:

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kvim3# tftp 1080000 u-boot.bin
Speed: 1000, full duplex
Using dwmac.ff3f0000 device
TFTP from server 192.168.1.117; our IP address is 192.168.1.249
Filename 'u-boot.bin'.
Load address: 0x1080000
Loading: #################################################################
	 #################################################################
	 ###############################################
	 2.5 MiB/s
done
Bytes transferred = 1371504 (14ed70 hex)

If everything goes well, the terminal print-out will look similar to what is shown above.

Troubleshooting

  • You might need to check the connection of your LAN cable if the terminal print-out looks like:

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    kvim3# tftp 1080000 u-boot.bin
    dwmac.ff3f0000 Waiting for PHY auto negotiation to complete......... TIMEOUT !
    dwmac.ff3f0000: No link.
    kvim3#

  • You could have entered an incorrect server IP or Error filename address if the print-out looks like:

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    kvim3#tftp 1080000 u-boot.bin
    Speed: 1000, full duplex
    Using dwmac.ff3f0000 device
    TFTP from server 192.168.1.177; our IP address is 192.168.1.249
    Filename 'u-boot.bin'.
    Load address: 0x1080000
    Loading: T T T T T T T T T T 
    Retry count exceeded; starting again
    Speed: 1000, full duplex

    In this instance, I had setup the server IP address to an incorrect one 192.168.1.177, it should be 192.168.1.117 instead.

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