Do we need to update FIP and Preloader to update to Uboot 2026.01?

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Do we need to update the FIP and preloader files alongside the Squashfs image? I think these files are related to U-boot as of my understanding. My uboot is currently 2025.10 I am just curious of how to update that. I see that this is kinda risky, like BIOS updates: don't break what's not broken am I right?

2

Which of dozen possible ubootmod platforms you are talking?

3

mtk_uartboot can recover, if on MT (and not locked).

openwrt doesn't touch those unless you do an ubootmod.

1 Like
4

Oh, I meant the mediatek filogic 830, MT7986B DDR3 one?

5

Yeah don't wanna open that device again no brickerino plsss :frowning: it won't be bricked probably, right? Also while compiling in make menuconfig, bootloaders section, what if I remove DDR4 and other variants from there? Mine is MT7986 DDR3 one. Why all DDR3 and DDR4 are selected? Isn't that bloat?

6

well, if the code have a bug ... why wouldn't it ?
in general, no, it shouldn't.
but then again, why mess with it ? if it works, it works.

1 Like
7

Well can I ask one more thing please? Is fw_printenv not the right way anymore? On AX80 this happens. As you can see ubootenv is correct, hexdump is alright. Is fw_printenv too old tool for this job? AI basically told me "fw_printenv is bad blah blah"

root@Archer-AX80:~# hexdump -C /dev/ubi0_1 | head
00000000  13 c1 cd c6 62 6f 6f 74  5f 64 65 66 61 75 6c 74  |....boot_default|
00000010  3d 72 75 6e 20 62 6f 6f  74 63 6d 64 20 3b 20 72  |=run bootcmd ; r|
00000020  75 6e 20 62 6f 6f 74 5f  72 65 63 6f 76 65 72 79  |un boot_recovery|
00000030  20 3b 20 72 65 70 6c 61  63 65 76 6f 6c 3d 31 20  | ; replacevol=1 |
00000040  3b 20 72 75 6e 20 62 6f  6f 74 5f 74 66 74 70 5f  |; run boot_tftp_|
00000050  66 6f 72 65 76 65 72 00  62 6f 6f 74 5f 70 72 6f  |forever.boot_pro|
00000060  64 75 63 74 69 6f 6e 3d  72 75 6e 20 75 62 69 5f  |duction=run ubi_|
00000070  72 65 61 64 5f 70 72 6f  64 75 63 74 69 6f 6e 20  |read_production |
00000080  26 26 20 62 6f 6f 74 6d  20 24 6c 6f 61 64 61 64  |&& bootm $loadad|
00000090  64 72 23 24 62 6f 6f 74  63 6f 6e 66 00 62 6f 6f  |dr#$bootconf.boo|
root@Archer-AX80:~# fw_printenv
Environment does not fit into available sectors
root@Archer-AX80:~#

Also I updated to 2026.01, no worries.