Enable full memory for 512MB Rev 2.0 Pi

I suspect it's just a logistics problem that rpi-update will fix sooner or later.

I haven't tried myself yet, but it should really just be bootcode.bin/loader.bin/start.elf that needs changed.  Probably not a good idea to use arm448_start.elf on a 256Mb board though, so it'll just be a case of identifying the board before giving you the option of what ones to pick.

I was half expecting some of the problems behind the recent posts on 512Mb doa's to be something daft like the old firmware not booting on the new board for some reason, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

Anyway, I'd definately recommend going the github route along with a self compiled kernel from the github source for a few good reasons:

1. you learn something new
2. you become independent of problems, or simply stuff like rpi-update not keeping up
3. you get to pick the bits you need - no more missing wifi drivers etc

If you try to use any of the new images on the 256MB it won't boot. Yes the process is simple, just copy whatever image you want to boot to start.elf and reboot. I only tested the 448/64MB memory split.

I've read some of the reports of issues with the 512MB, some of them smell more like a hardware/assembly issue.

If you want to do some kernel development/building I'd strongly recommend you setup your development environment in a separate Linux machine.

jamodio wrote:

 

If you want to do some kernel development/building I'd strongly recommend you setup your development environment in a separate Linux machine.

Well yes. Assuming you have one.  Kernel compiling on the Pi itself is not for those short on patience

With crosstool-ng it's a fairly painless process to setup a kernel dev environment on an x86 linux system these days.

Correct, and I confirmed it when I screwed up and via a serial console session I copied the 448 image to start.elf when I was connected to the wrong Rpi :-)

No, he says it won't boot. I take that to mean exactly what it says.

Gary Stewart wrote:

 

No, he says it won't boot. I take that to mean exactly what it says.

Well he actually said:

If you try to use any of the new images on the 256MB it won't boot.

I take that at face value. My reading of it is 'if you try to use any of the new (512Mb start.elf firmware) images in the 256Mb (physical Pi) it won't boot'

I don't believe I'm reading anything into it that isn't there ?

Lets clarify that by "new images" I meant the new ones created for the 512MB board.

The previous images for the 256MB board run OK on the 512MB, but you are not going to realize any benefits from the extra memory if you don't use one of the new kernels with the memory splits for the 512MB.

I guess that sooner or later we'll see a new distro where a 256MB image gets run first to enable running raspi-config where it can read cpuinfo and offer the option to change the memory splits now including the ones for 512MB boards.

Didn't see any comments about when such update to the distro may be available.

I can also boot the 512MB images using arm192_start.elf (512 MB version) on a 256MB Pi.

Gary Stewart wrote:

 

I can also boot the 512MB images using arm192_start.elf (512 MB version) on a 256MB Pi.

Ok, but you do realise that's a 256Mb start.elf ?  i.e. it's a 192/64 (=256) split ?  The 512Mb ones were arm256_start.elf arm384_start.elf arm448_start.elf arm496_start.elf or in other words the ones that actually require more than 256Mb.

Anyway, it's all changed now. There are (finally) no more versions of start.elf and a setting in config.txt can set the memory split, see

https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/commit/c57ea9dd367f12bf4fb41b7b86806a2dc6281176

Side note, the commit after that one https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/commit/c58f722d05cb9d9ea7d42378fdb2f1a947e6b046 I'm wondering how much ram the arm gets if you 'gpu_mem_512'.  Time to start a rumour about a 1GB ram Pi

Of course I do. Why would I use a memory size that isn't right ? And by the way, when I downloded it the start.elf file in the 512 MB images directory on github was also a copy of arm192_star.elf.

Are you aware of what GIT and github are ?

No, please enlighten me oh great and noble one. I mean yes, I have even built a few tool chains and systems (x86, ARM, PPC) from scratch using several different build systems

(crosstool, crosstool ng,  ptxdist, buildroot, linux from scratch).

So what was your point again ?

No, please enlighten me oh great and noble one. I mean yes, I have even built a few tool chains and systems (x86, ARM, PPC) from scratch using several different build systems

(crosstool, crosstool ng,  ptxdist, buildroot, linux from scratch).

So what was your point again ?

I really don't know what is your issue, but forget it. I was just asking in case you didn't know what GIT and github are.