Enable spi on dragonboard

following this repository:
https://github.com/96boards/documentation/blob/master/ConsumerEdition/DragonBoard-410c/Configuration/EnableSPI.md

and this thread:
http://www.96boards.org/forums/topic/how-to-enable-spi-and-access-it-in-debian-os/#gsc.tab=0

is there a way to make the changes on an already installed system? that is, to modify some kernel files without re-boot the dragonboard?

merry christmas,
Amir

Both instructions call for rebuilding the boot image and rebooting. What are you trying to achieve?

Happy Holidays

What I’m trying to achieve is having a SPI-enabled dragonboard, without re-installing the image since I already have tens of devices with an installed image.
What I’m asking is, if there’s a way to change only the kernel in these devices and by that enabling SPI?

1 Like

The kernel is ‘imaged’ into the device (i.e. built into boot.img) so if you change the kernel then you’ll have to re-image (reinstall) it. For the HiKey board, rather than fastboot flashing the boot.img to the device, an alternate way is to build the kernel as a Debian package and ‘transfer’ it to the board via scp (https://github.com/Linaro/documentation/blob/master/Reference-Platform/Releases/RPB_16.06/ConsumerEdition/HiKey/BFSDebianRPB.md). The condition is that the board will have to be flashed with an image that supports this first (e.g. from https://builds.96boards.org/releases/reference-platform/debian/hikey/16.06/), and a reboot is still required. Not sure if db410c is capable of doing this since it’s not mentioned in the build instructions (https://github.com/Linaro/documentation/blob/master/Reference-Platform/Releases/RPB_16.06/ConsumerEdition/DragonBoard-410c/BFSDebianRPB-16.06.md), and even if it is, not sure if it’s even an acceptable alternative for you. Probably not?

Once you have rebuilt the kernel and the device tree with SPI enabled, you can install the new kernel from a SD Card without changing your root file system. Copy your new kernel image onto a SDCard and plug the SDcard into the system you want to upgrade. Run the following commands:

sudo dd if=boot-db410c.img of=/dev/mmcblk0p8
sudo reboot now

The system will reboot running the new kernel. Of course I would recommend testing everything on a test system before upgrading your running production systems.