Add OpenWrt support for Xiaomi "Redmi AX6000"

darksky · 2022-12-31T14:19:55.963Z

shauno100:

Is there a way i can reboot into a newly rebuilt initfamfs image which i will ensure has the kmod-mtd-rw package from the current initramfs i have running?

I am up to step 9 where i am flashing the OpenWRT U-Boot but do not want to reboot router as it will surely become bricked.

I do think you should reboot until completing the steps based on the warning in the commit message:

During the whole flash procedure, please do not reboot or power off unless requested explicitly, or you will break your device.

It's been a long time since I did something similar to this... I cannot remember exactly how I got the module to load. Is there a switch you can apply to opkg in order to force things? Alternatively, you can try to manually decompress the ipk which should only contain a single file in data.tar.gz: /lib/modules/5.15.85/mtd-rw.ko ... I think you can place it on the filesystem. You might need to run depmod -a before attempting to load it. As I said, it's been a long time since I messed with this. Maybe someone more experienced can help.

@hnyman @daniel

shauno100 · 2022-12-31T15:41:38.900Z

darksky:

It's been a long time since I did something similar to this... I cannot remember exactly how I got the module to load. Is there a switch you can apply to opkg in order to force things? Alternatively, you can try to manually decompress the ipk which should only contain a single file in data.tar.gz: /lib/modules/5.15.85/mtd-rw.ko ... I think you can place it on the filesystem. You might need to run depmod -a before attempting to load it. As I said, it's been a long time since I messed with this. Maybe someone more experienced can help.

I got there eventually, can't remember exactly what i did, but had to resort to serial UART a couple of times and rebuild firmware from source using new OpenWrt U-Boot layout. Thanks for your help.

darksky · 2022-12-31T15:43:16.766Z

Glad you're up and running.

itay · 2023-01-01T21:07:37.433Z

Hey, I am following the thread since its beginning and finally got my ax6000 lately.
Just one question for me to confirm about the partitions layouts:

previously the Openwrt support had a different layout compared to the stock one, therefore Xiaomi's recovery TFTP would not work after installing Openwrt
nowdays, if I'll flash my router from snapshots, it will still keep the stock layout meaning that the xiaomi's TFTP recovery will still work (and no need of UART in case of a soft brick)
after flashing Openwrt with stock layout, there is now a support for Openwrt's U-Boot bootloader that have alternative (and probably better) recovery compared to stock one. this is an optional step that could bring more memory to use, but it would break xiaomi's TFTP recovery (offering a different one instead).

I still want the ability to revert to stock firmware easily, so I wanted to make sure that I can compile Openwrt and flash without affecting the ability to revert to stock firmware.
Can anyone confirm that? Thank you

jav · 2023-01-01T21:17:49.795Z

If you stay with the stock image & layout (you don't change the u-boot), you can go back to stock firmware and even use Xiaomi recovery tools.

sleepyeye · 2023-01-02T06:01:02.239Z

Hello? I flashed with stock image instead of recommended one.

After flashing my redmi ax6000 become brick.

Thus, I decided to go serial to rewind the flash and I wanted to upload right flash image and run flashing through ssh using serial port.

Luckly I successfully see init boot logs and through serial port.
But some how I cannot write commands through serial port.
So I cannot login or selext uboot options.

I verified that my usb serial chip do transmit signals by checking loopback test(connect tx and rx) and its LED indicators blinks.
(Currently I am using cp2102 chip to bridge serial and usb port.)

Is there any other thing I am missing?

darksky · 2023-01-02T08:30:15.710Z

sleepyeye:

Is there any other thing I am missing?

github.com/openwrt/openwrt

uboot-mediatek: add support for Xiaomi Redmi Router AX6000

committed 03:04AM - 29 Dec 22 UTC

HZFrodo

+412 -0

U-Boot flash instructions: 0. OpenWrt U-Boot does not support stock layout, it …comes with recovery boot support, automatic tftp recovery and never blocks UART. A new flash layout is introduced, we call it OpenWrt U-Boot layout, stock flash layout and the old OpenWrt layout are not supported. During the whole flash procedure, please do not reboot or power off unless requested explicitly, or you will break your device. 1. Your device should already running OpenWrt. If not, follow the instructions to flash OpenWrt: https://github.com/openwrt/openwrt/pull/11115 2. Backup BL2 Nvram Bdata Factory and FIP in case you break something or in case you want to go back to stock firmware one day. cat /dev/mtdblock0 > /tmp/BL2.bin cat /dev/mtdblock1 > /tmp/Nvram.bin cat /dev/mtdblock2 > /tmp/Bdata.bin cat /dev/mtdblock3 > /tmp/Factory.bin cat /dev/mtdblock4 > /tmp/FIP.bin And save all whose bin files to somewhere safe. Then backup your configurations, since ubiformat for entire mtd device is required to create new ubootenv volume for OpenWrt U-Boot. 3. Run the following cmd to boot into an initramfs with the new OpenWrt U-Boot layout that expand ubi partion to the end of flash: ubiformat /dev/mtd7 -y -f /tmp/ax6000-ubootmod-initramfs-factory.ubi 4. After boot into initramfs, check mtd partion info. The ubi partion should be mtd5 root@OpenWrt:~# cat /proc/mtd dev: size erasesize name mtd0: 00100000 00020000 BL2 mtd1: 00040000 00020000 Nvram mtd2: 00040000 00020000 Bdata mtd3: 00200000 00020000 Factory mtd4: 00200000 00020000 FIP mtd5: 07a80000 00020000 ubi 5. Load kmod-mtd-rw to temporarily make the bootloader partions writable. The kmod-mtd-rw is from the feeds, it is not packed in initramfs-factory by default. To install kmod-mtd-rw via opkg: opkg update && opkg install kmod-mtd-rw Or, download kmod-mtd-rw.ipk from OpenWrt server and install it manually e.g: https://downloads.openwrt.org/snapshots/targets/mediatek/filogic/kmods/ Select your OpenWrt release version and kernel version accordingly. Load kmod-mtd-rw: insmod /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/mtd-rw.ko i_want_a_brick=1 6. Run the following cmd to clean all pending crash dumps in pstore, or OpenWrt U-Boot may boot into NAND recovery or tftp recovery. rm -f /sys/fs/pstore/* 7. Format ubi and create new ubootenv volume: ubidetach -p /dev/mtd5; ubiformat /dev/mtd5 -y; ubiattach -p /dev/mtd5 ubimkvol /dev/ubi0 -n 0 -N ubootenv -s 128KiB ubimkvol /dev/ubi0 -n 1 -N ubootenv2 -s 128KiB 8. This is optional. Skip this if you do not want to have NAND recovery boot feature offered by OpenWrt U-Boot. Don't worry, you always have automatic tftp recovery feature enabled. ubimkvol /dev/ubi0 -n 2 -N recovery -s 10MiB ubiupdatevol /dev/ubi0_2 /tmp/ax6000-ubootmod-initramfs-recovery.itb 9. Now, flash new U-Boot. Bye-bye ugly stock U-Boot. mtd write /tmp/ax6000-ubootmod-preloader.bin BL2 mtd write /tmp/ax6000-ubootmod-bl31-uboot.fip FIP 10. Flash the squashfs-sysupgrade.bin as usual: sysupgrade -n /tmp/ax6000-ubootmod-squashfs-sysupgrade.itb Enjoy! Signed-off-by: Furong Xu <xfr@outlook.com>

Your device should already running OpenWrt. If not, follow the instructions to flash OpenWrt: #11115

sleepyeye · 2023-01-02T09:35:46.156Z

Thank you for reply but can you more elaborate the answer? It is hard to catch the point that I should follow.

The situation is a little bit tricky so it makes me confused and I dont know what should I follow.
Specifically, instruction in the link kinda assumes that I can manipulate the machine somehow e.g. either ssh or serial.

But I don't have any ways to manipulate my machine.

I already followed the installation instructions but with wrong image.(stock layout version)
I realized I used wrong image after flashing.
Until flashing I manipulated it with ssh and web ui.

After flashing I couldn't access the machine with SSH since DHCP server wouldn't work.

I went with serial method to save the machine.
I could verify that my machine runs Openwrt through serial port (serial rx works) but I cannot send any signals(serial tx not works).
Thus I couldn't upload my new image or manipulate OpenWrt through serial.

jav · 2023-01-02T09:40:34.950Z

If OpenWrt is already working, you don't need to use serial. It should have default OpenWrt IP (192.168.1.1). Just configure another static IP in your computer (let's say 192.168.1.2), connect it to one of the LAN ports (the 3 ones in the middle) and you should be able to ping and ssh the router.

jamestien · 2023-01-02T13:49:32.085Z

I think after brick, you entered Xiaomi recovery method but not flashed Openwrt image, since you mention you don't have access on SSH, Serial input.

jamestien · 2023-01-02T14:03:56.408Z

sleepyeye:

Hello? I flashed with stock image instead of recommended one.

Flashed U-Boot or Openwrt image?

aeeaan · 2023-01-02T14:08:17.154Z

Double check your ground cable and make sure the serial settings are correct in your software.

[OpenWrt Wiki] Xiaomi Redmi AX6000

jamestien · 2023-01-02T14:13:14.973Z

aeeaan:

Double check your ground cable and make sure the serial settings are correct in your software.

Actually, I had same serial issue right after Xiaomi U-boot recovery, the serial input lags and became erratic until it totally stopped respond from the keyboard input.

I flashed U-boot (new layout) and installed Openwrt using SSH, but Serial input not working anymore... I even re-soldered pins on the port to make sure no loose pin, USB serial adapter is working fine with other routers.

I started thinking that @sleepyeye is getting the same scenario as mine. Lets see whats the update from him.

aeeaan · 2023-01-02T14:32:28.138Z

Actually, I had same serial issue right after Xiaomi U-boot recovery, the serial input lags and became erratic until it totally stopped respond from the keyboard input.

Ah, I haven't tried serial since I did my initial install of the original layout. I had a bunch of jumper cable extensions and didn't notice the ground came loose on one of them. It also "broke" my keyboard input. I'm glad I got the recovery image on there and that it will boot when appropriate. I briefly thought I was bricked before I discovered the recovery image was loading when I was migrating my setup.

sleepyeye · 2023-01-03T07:42:23.704Z

Instead having 192,168.x.x, the local ip was 168.254.x.x which is not assigned by the router.
As far as I know this is a fallback ip which indicates DHCP server failure.

I manually assigned 192.168.x.x to the connected interface and ping 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.31.1, 192.168.10.1 but no luck.

sleepyeye · 2023-01-03T07:43:33.919Z

Initially I flashed with initframs-factory.ubi in https://firmware-selector.openwrt.org/?version=SNAPSHOT&target=mediatek%2Ffilogic&id=xiaomi_redmi-router-ax6000-stock

sleepyeye · 2023-01-03T07:48:25.406Z

I connected jumper cables from the back thus left-right is reversed
My current connection setup is right now as follows

Pin layout
router: TX, GND, RX, VCC
CP2101: RX, GND, TX

Connections (Left board, Right CP2101)
TX<-> RX
GND<->GND
RX <-> TX

But maybe I was wrong about the GND pin position.
I'll check the ground pin once again tomorrow.
Thanks for advice.

jav · 2023-01-03T07:57:49.588Z

Please be aware that you need to assign to the PC an address from 192.168.1.x (third number needs to be 1).

Also, you can use an sniffer (tcpdump, wireshark) to check for any traffic coming from the router. That'll give you a hint of its status.

sleepyeye · 2023-01-03T07:59:59.468Z

To be more specific, I followed steps in https://github.com/openwrt/openwrt/pull/11115
almost exactly.
After I have followed step 4 (+reboot) with wrong INITRAMFS-FACTORY.UBI (link in below),
the router became brick.
(https://firmware-selector.openwrt.org/?version=SNAPSHOT&target=mediatek%2Ffilogic&id=xiaomi_redmi-router-ax6000-stock)

sleepyeye · 2023-01-03T08:02:45.174Z

Thanks, I'll check tcpdump and wireshark.