Adding new device support - Phase (2): Backup of all flash content

For Developers
1

Hallo,

How can I do backup for all flash partitions contents to tftp from the bootloader (e.g.: U-Boot)?
and consequently; how can I do restore for such backup in case of new firmware failure?

I know that I can backup all partitions from Luci - > System - > Backup / Flash Firmware, but I would like to know how to do this from bootloader (U-Boot for example). also Luci page does not contain a tool to restore all partitions back to their previous contents.

Thanks!

2

Depending on the vendor, you can or cannot do this. Some vendors lock down U-Boot and limit access o the flash chip. The same is true for the TFTP commands.

The easies way to dump the flash content (and restore it) is to run an initramfs build of OpenWrt via U-Boot. However, this only works if the boot loader allows to boot TFTP images.

That's on purpose. Writing to the flash IC is usually disabled except for the few partitions that require it. Also, it's dangerous to write to the flash IC while the file system is mounted.

Even from the console, you'll have to load the mtd-rw kernel module to enable write support. This is dangerous and I already killed a box by trying to restore a backup.

3

Let’s assume U-Boot, most (if not all) of the routers I worked on - so far - use U-Boot, also U-Boot is more common AFAIK.

I fully agree with you, my goal here is to have the standard situation where we have access to router and U-Boot is accessible

Thanks for explanation, that is the first time I know this

4

Hi @andyboeh,

Do you think the following is correct?

  1. Prepare the Environment:

    • Set up a TFTP server to serve the OpenWrt initramfs image. for more information, consult this -> Page
    • Ensure the target device is connected to the network and can communicate with the TFTP server.
    • connect your computer to router serial interface. For more details about how to connect to serial, consult this -> Page

  2. Build and Obtain the Initramfs Image:

    • Build an initramfs image for your specific target device using the OpenWrt build system.
    • Once built, obtain the initramfs image file, usually named openwrt-initramfs-*.bin.

  3. Enter U-Boot Console:

    • Power on or reset the target device.
    • Interrupt the boot process to access the U-Boot console on the serial connection.
    • This is typically achieved by pressing a specific key (e.g., Enter, Space, or Esc) during boot.

  4. Set U-Boot Environment Variables:

    • Set the necessary U-Boot environment variables to configure the TFTP boot process. Example variable values include:
      • ipaddr: IP address of the target device.
      • serverip: IP address of the TFTP server.
      • image_name: Name of the initramfs image file.

  5. Load and Boot the Initramfs Image:

    • Load the initramfs image from the TFTP server into memory: tftpboot ${loadaddr} ${image_name}

    • Boot the loaded initramfs image: Boot the loaded initramfs image: bootm ${loadaddr}

  6. Access OpenWrt Initramfs:

    • Once the device boots into OpenWrt initramfs, you will have access to the OpenWrt command-line interface.

  7. How to Dump Flash Content:

    • list all the flash blocks using command # cat /proc/mtd, foe example:
root@router:~# cat /proc/mtd
dev:    size   erasesize  name
mtd0: 00080000 00020000 "boot"
mtd1: 001a0000 00020000 "nvram"
mtd2: 00020000 00020000 "POT"
mtd3: 00060000 00020000 "POT"
mtd4: 00020000 00020000 "ML"
mtd5: 00020000 00020000 "ML"
mtd6: 00020000 00020000 "ML"
mtd7: 00020000 00020000 "ML"
mtd8: 00020000 00020000 "ML"
mtd9: 00020000 00020000 "ML"
mtd10: 00020000 00020000 "ML"
mtd11: 07c80000 00020000 "firmware"
mtd12: 0041ffe4 00020000 "linux"
mtd13: 07860000 00020000 "ubi"
root@router:~#
  • Use the appropriate commands in OpenWrt to dump the flash content to a file. For example, to dump the entire flash to a file named flash_dump.bin, you can use the dd command:
dd if=/dev/mtd0 of=/tmp/flash_dump_00.bin

repeat the commend for other flash partitions, change the source flash partition name (mtd1, mtd2, etc.) and destinations as (flash_dump_01.bin, flash_dump_02.bin, etc.).

N.B:
for NAND; you may change ‘mtd’ to ‘mtdblock’:

dd if=/dev/mtdblock0 of=/tmp/flash_dump_00.bin
  1. How to Restore Flash Content:
    • To restore the flash content from a previously dumped file, you can use the dd command in reverse:
dd if=/tmp/flash_dump_00.bin of=/dev/mtd0

N.B:
for NAND; you may change ‘mtd’ to ‘mtdblock’:

dd if=/tmp/flash_dump_00.bin of=/dev/mtdblock0

repeat the commend for other flash partitions (flash_dump_01.bin, flash_dump_02.bin, etc.), change the destination partitions name to (mtd1, mtd2, etc.)

Note: the specific commands and device-specific details may vary depending on your target device and the OpenWrt version you are using. Ensure that you refer to the appropriate documentation and resources for your specific device and version to obtain accurate command syntax and configuration details.

5

Steps 7 and 8 won't work correctly on NAND-based devices, especially the restore function will brick you router (I learned this the hard way by destroying U-Boot on the NAND. This device is now a paperweight, until I find the time to desolder the TSSOP48 chip). You have to use /dev/mtdblock* instead of /dev/mtd* to correctly access the NAND (this is due to the OOB area which you don't want/need in your dump).

6

Thanks! I adjusted the post above according to your feedback :+1::+1: