Pinebook Pro dead after updating u-boot

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Pinebook Pro dead after updating u-boot - dead - 05-29-2020

I am using Manjaro and a few days ago updated u-boot to latest version. The instructions from pacman included some `dd` commands to run post install, and after running them and rebooting the machine I was no longer able to boot back up. Black screen, so I can't see any error message.

Did I brick my device? is it possible for me to fix it in any way other than full re-install of the OS?

Do I need to connect it to UART maybe to see what the error message is?

Thanks!

RE: Pinebook Pro dead after updating u-boot - Arwen - 05-29-2020

(05-29-2020, 03:54 PM)dead Wrote: ...
Did I brick my device? is it possible for me to fix it in any way other than full re-install of the OS?
...

No, you did not brick your Pinebook Pro. Worse case, it's soft bricked.
Yes, it's possible to fix without re-installing.

(05-29-2020, 03:54 PM)dead Wrote: ...
Do I need to connect it to UART maybe to see what the error message is?

Maybe.

First, try:

Power off your Pinebook Pro
Create an OS on a MicroSD card
Insert into your Pinebook Pro and power on the Pinebook Pro

If that works, you can "fix" you eMMC's U-Boot. (The exact fix is another problem... I have clear, concise backups, so easy for me...)

If that does not work, then you may have soft bricked it. That fix is more complicated. We do not have straight forward instructions on the Wiki yet. Basically you have to open the bottom, (carefully), and disable your eMMC. Boot off a MicroSD card and then re-enable your eMMC, (this is a 2 step process, power on the eMMC and make the OS see it as step 2). Whence that is done, you can fix your eMMC's U-Boot.

Sorry I can't walk you through the second fix. I'll see if I can get time this weekend to write up a Wiki page on that fix. We have a few people who have done so via various forum posts, but I don't have them handy.

RE: Pinebook Pro dead after updating u-boot - charlespine - 06-01-2020

(05-29-2020, 03:54 PM)dead Wrote: I am using Manjaro and a few days ago updated u-boot to latest version. The instructions from pacman included some `dd` commands to run post install, and after running them and rebooting the machine I was no longer able to boot back up. Black screen, so I can't see any error message.

Did I brick my device? is it possible for me to fix it in any way other than full re-install of the OS?

Do I need to connect it to UART maybe to see what the error message is?

Thanks!

Arwen is correct!

Something similar happened to me. I was able to resurrect my May 2020 Pinebook using Arwen's info plus the details here:
https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=8483&pid=54312#pid54312

I had to open up my laptop first and disable the eMMC. Then I booted of Ayufan's 0.9.14, did the 2 second switch trick, and was able to DD 0.9.14 into my eMMC. Now, everything is working well and I can also boot into other OS's using the MicroSD slot.

Charles

RE: Pinebook Pro dead after updating u-boot - mlentink - 06-11-2020

(06-01-2020, 11:32 PM)charlespine Wrote:
(05-29-2020, 03:54 PM)dead Wrote: I am using Manjaro and a few days ago updated u-boot to latest version. The instructions from pacman included some `dd` commands to run post install, and after running them and rebooting the machine I was no longer able to boot back up. Black screen, so I can't see any error message.

Did I brick my device? is it possible for me to fix it in any way other than full re-install of the OS?

Do I need to connect it to UART maybe to see what the error message is?

Thanks!

Arwen is correct!

Something similar happened to me. I was able to resurrect my May 2020 Pinebook using Arwen's info plus the details here:
https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=8483&pid=54312#pid54312

I had to open up my laptop first and disable the eMMC. Then I booted of Ayufan's 0.9.14, did the 2 second switch trick, and was able to DD 0.9.14 into my eMMC. Now, everything is working well and I can also boot into other OS's using the MicroSD slot.

Charles

Would you have used the eMMC-USB adapter if you had one? I soft-bricked my pbp and just ordered one. I can do without the pbp for a couple of weeks, as it wasn't my daily driver anyway (though with Ayufans Focal build, it sort of was becoming one, it's that good. In fact, I was flashing it to the eMMC when I must've done something wrong.

RE: Pinebook Pro dead after updating u-boot - randomuser987987 - 06-11-2020

(06-11-2020, 10:58 AM)mlentink Wrote: Would you have used the eMMC-USB adapter if you had one? I soft-bricked my pbp and just ordered one. I can do without the pbp for a couple of weeks, as it wasn't my daily driver anyway (though with Ayufans Focal build, it sort of was becoming one, it's that good. In fact, I was flashing it to the eMMC when I must've done something wrong.

I think it's not necessary to do that. With the Pinebook Pro turned off, just open the backplate, turn the switch to turn off the eMMC. (Refer to the Wiki if you have issues finding the switch, its number 24). Keep the backplate off.

Have a SD card ready with a bootable Manjaro or Debian or whatever you like and put it into the Pinebook Pro, then turn on. The device boots into the OS.

Once everything has booted cleanly turn the eMMC switch on the back in order to turn it on, effectively hot plugging it.
Then as super user (sudo) use these commands in a terminal, which are also referred in the Wiki:

Code:
echo fe330000.sdhci >/sys/bus/platform/drivers/sdhci-arasan/unbind

echo fe330000.sdhci >/sys/bus/platform/drivers/sdhci-arasan/bind

Then install whatever you want on the eMMC as usual.

RE: Pinebook Pro dead after updating u-boot - charlespine - 06-11-2020

(06-11-2020, 10:58 AM)mlentink Wrote:
(06-01-2020, 11:32 PM)charlespine Wrote:
(05-29-2020, 03:54 PM)dead Wrote: I am using Manjaro and a few days ago updated u-boot to latest version. The instructions from pacman included some `dd` commands to run post install, and after running them and rebooting the machine I was no longer able to boot back up. Black screen, so I can't see any error message.

Did I brick my device? is it possible for me to fix it in any way other than full re-install of the OS?

Do I need to connect it to UART maybe to see what the error message is?

Thanks!

Arwen is correct!

Something similar happened to me. I was able to resurrect my May 2020 Pinebook using Arwen's info plus the details here:
https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=8483&pid=54312#pid54312

I had to open up my laptop first and disable the eMMC. Then I booted of Ayufan's 0.9.14, did the 2 second switch trick, and was able to DD 0.9.14 into my eMMC. Now, everything is working well and I can also boot into other OS's using the MicroSD slot.

Charles
Would you have used the eMMC-USB adapter if you had one? I soft-bricked my pbp and just ordered one. I can do without the pbp for a couple of weeks, as it wasn't my daily driver anyway (though with Ayufans Focal build, it sort of was becoming one, it's that good. In fact, I was flashing it to the eMMC when I must've done something wrong.

I was also thinking that I would have to buy the eMMC-USB adapter. As mentioned by the last poster, it's not needed. Also, I didn't use the unbind/bind commands. I was able to detect using lsblk and then flashed to the eMMC. Since then, I've tested a wide variety of images and decided to go back to the factory PBP version of Manjaro (not the ones offered from the PBP Wiki or Manjaro site) since it's very stable. It works well after blocking a firmware update and doing some tweaks mentioned in the wiki.