U-Boot for the Ouya Game Console (ouya)

DISCLAMER! Moving your Ouya to use U-Boot assumes replacement of the vendor bootloader. Vendor android firmwares will no longer be able to run on the device. This replacement IS reversible.

Quick Start

  • Build U-Boot

  • Process U-Boot

  • Flashing U-Boot into the eMMC

  • Boot

  • Self Upgrading

Build U-Boot 

$exportCROSS_COMPILE=arm-none-eabi-
$makeouya_defconfig
$make

After the build succeeds, you will obtain the final u-boot-dtb-tegra.bin image, ready for further processing.

Process U-Boot

DISCLAMER! All questions related to the re-crypt work should be asked in re-crypt repo issues. NOT HERE!

re-crypt is a tool that processes the u-boot-dtb-tegra.bin binary into form usable by device. This process is required only on the first installation or to recover the device in case of a failed update.

Permanent installation can be performed either by using the nv3p protocol or by pre-loading just built U-Boot into RAM.

Processing for the NV3P protocol 

$gitclonehttps://gitlab.com/grate-driver/re-crypt.git
$cdre-crypt# place your u-boot-dtb-tegra.bin here
$./re-crypt.py--devouya

The script will produce a repart-block.bin ready to flash.

Processing for pre-loaded U-Boot

The procedure is the same, but the --split argument is used with the re-crypt.py. The script will produce bct.img and ebt.img ready to flash.

Flashing U-Boot into the eMMC

Permanent installation can be performed either by using the nv3p protocol or by pre-loading just built U-Boot into RAM. Regardless of the method bct and bootloader will end up in boot0 and boot1 partitions of eMMC.

Flashing with the NV3P protocol

DISCLAMER! All questions related to NvFlash should be asked in the proper place. NOT HERE! Flashing U-Boot will erase all eMMC, so make a backup before!

Nv3p is a custom Nvidia protocol used to recover bricked devices. Devices can enter it by pre-loading vendor bootloader with the Fusée Gelée.

With nv3p, repart-block.bin is used. It contains BCT and a bootloader in encrypted state in form, which can just be written RAW at the start of eMMC.

$./run_bootloader.sh-sT30-t./bct/ouya.bct-bandroid_bootloader.bin
$./utiils/nvflash_v1.13.87205--resume--rawdevicewrite01024repart-block.bin

When flashing is done, reboot the device.

Flashing with a pre-loaded U-Boot

U-Boot pre-loaded into RAM acts the same as when it was booted "cold". Currently U-Boot supports bootmenu entry fastboot, which allows to write a processed copy of U-Boot permanently into eMMC.

While pre-loading U-Boot, interrupt bootflow by pressing CTRL + C (USB keyboard must be plugged in before U-Boot is preloaded, else it will not work), input bootmenu from the keyboard and hit enter. The bootmenu will appear. There, select fastboot using the up and down arrows and enter key. After, on host PC, do:

$fastbootflash0.1bct.img
$fastbootflash0.2ebt.img
$fastbootreboot

Device will reboot.

Boot

To boot Linux, U-Boot will look for an extlinux.conf on eMMC. Additionally, bootmenu provides entries to mount eMMC as mass storage, fastboot, reboot, reboot RCM, poweroff, enter U-Boot console and update bootloader (check the next chapter).

Flashing repart-block.bin eliminates vendor restrictions on eMMC and allows the user to use/partition it in any way the user desires.

Self Upgrading

Place your u-boot-dtb-tegra.bin on the first partition of the USB. Enter bootmenu, choose update bootloader option with Enter and U-Boot should update itself. Once the process is completed, U-Boot will ask to press any button to reboot.