Hi,

I'm new to this site but I've had a couple of APU's knocking around for about 9 months and rescued an ALIX box from a scrapheap a while ago too (branded as a Stonesoft FW-105) .  It can be frustrating using these neat little boxes due to the lack of a graphics chipset, instead (as you all know I'm sure) the whole installation of any OS needs to be done over serial.  I've researched the techniques for doing this on dozens of websites and I've ended up my own variation which I find the least complicated and thought I'd share it in case it might help someone.  These are the advantages as I see them...

• You don't need to modify the original ISO (in this example a Debian 8.5.0 netinst ISO)
• You don't even need to mount an ISO!
• Debian will automatically find the needed Realtek non-free firmware without you needing to use an unofficial ISO

So here is how I do it anyway...

p.s. typically I'm running this on a Ubuntu Desktop as root (i.e. run 'sudo su') but any Debian derivative should do, also /dev/sdb is my USB pen.

---

apt-get install mbr syslinux p7zip-full
wget http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/8.5.0/amd64/iso-cd/debian-8.5.0-amd64-netinst.iso
umount /dev/sdb*
echo -e ",16,6,*\n,,17,"|sfdisk -uM /dev/sdb
install-mbr /dev/sdb
cp debian-*-amd64-netinst.iso /dev/sdb2
mkdosfs /dev/sdb1
syslinux /dev/sdb1
mkdir -p boot; mount /dev/sdb1 boot
7z e debian-*-amd64-netinst.iso install.amd/vmlinuz install.amd/initrd.gz -oboot
wget ftp.debian.org/debian/pool/non-free/f/firmware-nonfree/firmware-realtek_0.43_all.deb -Pboot
echo -e "default vmlinuz\nappend console=ttyS0,115200n8 initrd=initrd.gz" > boot/syslinux.cfg
umount boot; rmdir boot
sync

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In english this is what that does...

1. Install packages mbr, syslinux and p7zip-full (so we can use install-mbr, syslinux and 7z respectively later on)
2. Download the Debian netinst ISO version 8.5.0 (change this URL as new versions come out)
3. Unmount any filesystems your desktop might have automatically mounted from your USB pen
4. Make a tiny bootable 16 MB partition and use the rest for a 2nd partition to hold the ISO
5. Clear away any old master boot record that might be on the USB pen
6. Copy the ISO to that 2nd partition
7. Format the 1st partition FAT16
8. Load on to the 1st partition the SYSLINUX boot loader
9. Make a temporary directory and mount the 1st partition to there
10. Extract the kernel and initial ramdisk from the ISO to the 1st partition
11. Download the non-free Realtek firmware package from Debian to the 1st partition
12. Tell SYSLINUX what to boot and console settings (change if your baud rate, etc... is different)
13. Unmount and remove the temporary partition
14. Commit any leftover data in the buffer meant for the USB pen now

When you boot this you'll get the normal Debian installer (as though it was a normal PC with graphics and you'd popped a CD in).

Unfortunately when you boot up for the first time, the Debian installer only told GRUB how to display its own menu over serial and doesn't tell it how to load the Linux kernel with the right serial settings.  So hit 'e' to edit the menu option and plop 'console=ttyS0,115200n8' at the end of the line that starts 'linux', once you're booted up and logged in you can permanently fix this with these commands...

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sed -i 's/^\(GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=\).*/\1"console=ttyS0,115200n8"/' /etc/default/grub
update-grub

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Which basically just adds the option in to a GRUB configuration file and then reloads GRUB.

If you fancy updating your firmware from your new Debian 8.5.0 system then the tool is right there in the repository and can be done this way...

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apt-get --no-install-recommends install p7zip-full flashrom
wget http://www.pcengines.ch/file/apu140405.zip
7z e apu*.zip
flashrom -p internal -c MX25L1605A/MX25L1606E -w apu*.rom

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Lastly if you want to see how hot your box is getting just do this...

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apt-get --no-install-recommends install lm-sensors
sensors

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Now in theory some of this might also work on the ALIX but I haven't tested that recently, just be sure to check baud rate and also they might not need that non-free firmware.

Also you might find this works with the Ubuntu too, but I'd recommend trying this with a Ubuntu ISO that doesn't attempt graphics (didn't Ubuntu used to have an "alternative installer"!?)

Steven

on current debian you can just copy the regular iso file to the usb stick, and it'll work on serial. hit tab over the appropriate menu option to edit, add the console=ttyS0,115200n8 and hit enter. that's it.

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VAMike - Posted Sep 16th 2016

 

on current debian you can just copy the regular iso file to the usb stick, and it'll work on serial. hit tab over the appropriate menu option to edit, add the console=ttyS0,115200n8 and hit enter. that's it.

 

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this doesn't work for me with the following setup:

• Board
  • apu1d4
• Netinst ver
  • debian-9.2.1-amd64-netinst.iso

 

When I boot here is the full text:

PC Engines APU BIOS build date: Sep  8 2014
Total memory 4096 MB
AMD G-T40E Processor
CPU MHz=1001
USB MSC blksize=512 sectors=15646720
Press F10 key now for boot menu:
drive 0x000f2ab0: PCHS=0/0/0 translation=lba LCHS=973/255/63 s=15646720
Booting from Hard Disk...

ISOLINUX 6.03 20170128 EHDD

 

if I press enter I get this message:

Undefined video mode number: 314
Press ENTER to see video modes available, SPACE to continue, or wait 30 sec

 

that's as far as I get not matter what I do. I can choose a video mode (80x25), hit SPACE, or do nothing. I get the impression it is trying to switch off console to VGA.

any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated! 

- Eric

 

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Lantizia - Posted Sep 11th 2016

 

Hi,

I'm new to this site but I've had a couple of APU's knocking around for about 9 months and rescued an ALIX box from a scrapheap a while ago too (branded as a Stonesoft FW-105) .  It can be frustrating using these neat little boxes due to the lack of a graphics chipset, instead (as you all know I'm sure) the whole installation of any OS needs to be done over serial.  I've researched the techniques for doing this on dozens of websites and I've ended up my own variation which I find the least complicated and thought I'd share it in case it might help someone.  These are the advantages as I see them...

• You don't need to modify the original ISO (in this example a Debian 8.5.0 netinst ISO)
• You don't even need to mount an ISO!
• Debian will automatically find the needed Realtek non-free firmware without you needing to use an unofficial ISO

So here is how I do it anyway...

p.s. typically I'm running this on a Ubuntu Desktop as root (i.e. run 'sudo su') but any Debian derivative should do, also /dev/sdb is my USB pen.

---

apt-get install mbr syslinux p7zip-full
wget http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/8.5.0/amd64/iso-cd/debian-8.5.0-amd64-netinst.iso
umount /dev/sdb*
echo -e ",16,6,*\n,,17,"|sfdisk -uM /dev/sdb
install-mbr /dev/sdb
cp debian-*-amd64-netinst.iso /dev/sdb2
mkdosfs /dev/sdb1
syslinux /dev/sdb1
mkdir -p boot; mount /dev/sdb1 boot
7z e debian-*-amd64-netinst.iso install.amd/vmlinuz install.amd/initrd.gz -oboot
wget ftp.debian.org/debian/pool/non-free/f/firmware-nonfree/firmware-realtek_0.43_all.deb -Pboot
echo -e "default vmlinuz\nappend console=ttyS0,115200n8 initrd=initrd.gz" > boot/syslinux.cfg
umount boot; rmdir boot
sync

---

 

Thanks for these detailed instructions, unfortunately it doesn't seem to be working with Debian 9.x :-/

Here are the details ofr my setup:

• Board
  • apu1d4
• Netinst ver
  • debian-9.2.1-amd64-netinst.iso

 

When I boot here is the full text:

PC Engines APU BIOS build date: Sep  8 2014
Total memory 4096 MB
AMD G-T40E Processor
CPU MHz=1001
USB MSC blksize=512 sectors=15646720
Press F10 key now for boot menu:
drive 0x000f2ab0: PCHS=0/0/0 translation=lba LCHS=973/255/63 s=15646720
Booting from Hard Disk...
MBR 

SYSLINUX 6.03 EDD 20150820 Copyright (C) 1994-2014 H. Peter Anvin et al
Probing EDD (edd=off to disable)... ok

It stops there. I tried adding edd=off to the end of the line in syslinux.cfg, it didn't appear to have any effect.

any ideas?

- Eric

 

 

 

For anyone still struggling with installation of Debian over serial console on APU board:

https://teklager.se/en/knowledge-base/installing-debian-over-serial-console-apu-board/

 

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TekLager - Posted 17 Hours Ago

 

For anyone still struggling onstallation of Debian over serial console on APU board:

https://teklager.se/en/knowledge-base/installing-debian-over-serial-console-apu-board/

 

 

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Thanks a lot! This was exactly what I was looking for.