I'm following the guide here: https://openwrt.org/toh/ubiquiti/unifi_6_lite#installation
Nothing obvious fails, I write the firmware to the two partitions, reboot and then I just land back in the stock firmware.
I noticed first time around I accidentally flashed the upgrade binary instead of the kernel binary.
Not sure if that would normally brick a device but if the two kernel partitions hold the stock firmware normally then I assume that I'm somehow prevented from writing to these partitions?
Is there something that might keep the flash in read only that I'm missing?
The AP is currently provisioned with a Unifi Controller. Could that prevent something?
Here is my fw_printenv output after following the instructions.
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44# ls
blebr.cert
blebr.key
cfg
openwrt-22.03.3-ramips-mt7621-ubnt_unifi-6-lite-initramfs-kernel.bin
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44# dd if=/dev/zero bs=1 count=1 of=/dev/mtdblock4
1+0 records in
1+0 records out
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44# dd if=openwrt-22.03.3-ramips-mt7621-ubnt_unifi-6-lite-initramfs-kernel.bin of=/dev/mtdblock6
11202+1 records in
11202+1 records out
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44# dd if=openwrt-22.03.3-ramips-mt7621-ubnt_unifi-6-lite-initramfs-kernel.bin of=/dev/mtdblock7
11202+1 records in
11202+1 records out
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44#
I have a similar problem.
I've tried the upgrade and kernel binary and after reboot, I just land back in the stock firmware as well. Brand new Unifi 6 lite with same firmware.
Even after following the instructions on the guide linked by @timonsku, my Unifi 6 Lite just boots back up in adoption mode (solid white LED) with the stock firmware seemingly intact.
➜ ~ scp -O ~/Downloads/openwrt-22.03.5-ramips-mt7621-ubnt_unifi-6-lite-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin ubnt@192.168.1.20:~
ubnt@192.168.1.20's password:
openwrt-22.03.5-ramips-mt7621-ubnt_unifi-6-lite-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin 100% 6913KB 5.3MB/s 00:01
➜ ~ ssh ubnt@192.168.1.20
ubnt@192.168.1.20's password:
BusyBox v1.25.1 () built-in shell (ash)
___ ___ .__________.__
| | |____ |__\_ ____/__|
| | / \| || __) | | (c) 2010-2022
| | | | \ || \ | | Ubiquiti Inc.
|______|___| /__||__/ |__|
|_/ https://www.ui.com
Welcome to UniFi U6-Lite!
********************************* NOTICE **********************************
* By logging in to, accessing, or using any Ubiquiti product, you are *
* signifying that you have read our Terms of Service (ToS) and End User *
* License Agreement (EULA), understand their terms, and agree to be *
* fully bound to them. The use of SSH (Secure Shell) can potentially *
* harm Ubiquiti devices and result in lost access to them and their data. *
* By proceeding, you acknowledge that the use of SSH to modify device(s) *
* outside of their normal operational scope, or in any manner *
* inconsistent with the ToS or EULA, will permanently and irrevocably *
* void any applicable warranty. *
***************************************************************************
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44# fw_setenv devmode TRUE
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44# fw_setenv boot_openwrt "fdt addr \$(fdtcontroladdr); fdt rm /signature; bootubnt"
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44# fw_printenv
appinitdone=true
baudrate=115200
ble_mode=serial
bootdelay=2
device_model=U6-LITE
ethaddr=d0:21:f9:42:25:78
fdtcontroladdr=8ffdd200
fw_version=9.9.9
ipaddr=192.168.1.20
is_ble_stp=true
macaddr=d0:21:f9:42:25:78
netmask=255.255.255.0
serverip=192.168.1.1
stderr=uartlite0@1e000c00
stdin=uartlite0@1e000c00
stdout=uartlite0@1e000c00
ubntaddr=850000a0
is_default=true
bootcmd=run boot_openwrt
devmode=TRUE
boot_openwrt=fdt addr $(fdtcontroladdr); fdt rm /signature; bootubnt
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44# ls
cfg
openwrt-22.03.5-ramips-mt7621-ubnt_unifi-6-lite-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44# cat /proc/mtd
dev: size erasesize name
mtd0: 00060000 00010000 "u-boot"
mtd1: 00010000 00010000 "u-boot-env"
mtd2: 00040000 00010000 "Factory"
mtd3: 00010000 00010000 "EEPROM"
mtd4: 00010000 00010000 "bs"
mtd5: 00100000 00010000 "cfg"
mtd6: 00f10000 00010000 "kernel0"
mtd7: 00f10000 00010000 "kernel1"
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44# dd if=/dev/zero bs=1 count=1 of=/dev/mtdblock4
1+0 records in
1+0 records out
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44# dd if=openwrt-22.03.5-ramips-mt7621-ubnt_unifi-6-lite-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin of=/dev/mtdblock6
13825+1 records in
13825+1 records out
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44# dd if=openwrt-22.03.5-ramips-mt7621-ubnt_unifi-6-lite-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin of=/dev/mtdblock7
13825+1 records in
13825+1 records out
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44# reboot
U6-Lite-BZ.6.2.44# Connection to 192.168.1.20 closed by remote host.
Connection to 192.168.1.20 closed.
➜ ~
Maybe try to read back from flash before reboot to verify that you've actually written openwrt to it?
Or connect console and see if there are any hints while booting. Opening the unifi 6 lite is easier than it seems. The plastic cover snaps easily off and back on to the metal base. You'll need a usb ttl adapter. And there is no pin header so you must solder to make a permanent console connection. But you don't need that for capturing a bootlog.
Interestingly enough, I was able to resolve the issue by just flashing the oldest stock firmware I could find (v5.43.19) after putting the AP into recovery mode.
After I successfully flashed the old firmware, I was able to follow the same steps and get OpenWRT to successfully flash on the AP.