Debian: Getting Started with the PocketBeagle 2

Embedded Linux Guides
1

This is a page about BeagleBoard’s PocketBeagle 2; https://www.beagleboard.org/boards/pocketbeagle-2

Availability

Boards:

Serial Cable:

Kits:

Basic Requirements

Cross Compiler: 32bit arm-linux-gnueabi-gcc

This is a pre-built (64bit) version of GCC that runs on generic linux, sorry (32bit) x86 users, it’s time to upgrade…

Download/Extract:

#user@localhost:~$
wget -c https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/tools/crosstool/files/bin/x86_64/11.5.0/x86_64-gcc-11.5.0-nolibc-arm-linux-gnueabi.tar.xz
tar -xf x86_64-gcc-11.5.0-nolibc-arm-linux-gnueabi.tar.xz
export CC32=`pwd`/gcc-11.5.0-nolibc/arm-linux-gnueabi/bin/arm-linux-gnueabi-

Test Cross Compiler:

#user@localhost:~$
${CC32}gcc --version

#Test Output:
arm-linux-gnueabi-gcc (GCC) 11.5.0
Copyright (C) 2021 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Cross Compiler: 64bit aarch64-linux-gcc

This is a pre-built (64bit) version of GCC that runs on generic linux, sorry (32bit) x86 users, it’s time to upgrade…

Download/Extract:

#user@localhost:~$
wget -c https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/tools/crosstool/files/bin/x86_64/11.5.0/x86_64-gcc-11.5.0-nolibc-aarch64-linux.tar.xz
tar -xf x86_64-gcc-11.5.0-nolibc-aarch64-linux.tar.xz
export CC64=`pwd`/gcc-11.5.0-nolibc/aarch64-linux/bin/aarch64-linux-

Test Cross Compiler:

#user@localhost:~$
${CC64}gcc --version

#Test Output:
aarch64-linux-gcc (GCC) 11.5.0
Copyright (C) 2021 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Bootloader: TI Linux Firmware

The TI Firmwares are required for functionality of the system: https://git.ti.com/gitweb?p=processor-firmware/ti-linux-firmware.git;a=shortlog;h=refs/heads/ti-linux-firmware

Download:

#user@localhost:~$
git clone -b 11.00.08 https://github.com/beagleboard/ti-linux-firmware.git --depth=1

Bootloader: Trusted Firmware A

Trusted Firmware for A profile Arm CPUs: https://git.trustedfirmware.org/plugins/gitiles/TF-A/trusted-firmware-a.git/

Host Package Requirements

#user@localhost:~$
sudo apt update ; \
sudo apt-get install -y build-essential

Download:

#user@localhost:~$
git clone -b lts-v2.12 https://github.com/TrustedFirmware-A/trusted-firmware-a.git  --depth=1

Build:

#user@localhost:~$
make -C ./trusted-firmware-a/ -j4 CROSS_COMPILE=${CC64} PLAT=k3 ARCH=aarch64 SPD=opteed TARGET_BOARD=lite K3_USART=0x6 all

Bootloader: OP TEE

Open Portable Trusted Execution Environment (OP-TEE): https://github.com/OP-TEE/optee_os

Host Package Requirements

#user@localhost:~$
sudo apt update ; \
sudo apt-get install -y build-essential python3-cryptography ; \
sudo apt-get install -y python3-minimal python3-pyelftools

Download:

#user@localhost:~$
git clone -b 4.5.0 https://github.com/OP-TEE/optee_os.git --depth=1

Build:

#user@localhost:~$
make -C ./optee_os/ -j4 CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} CROSS_COMPILE64=${CC64} CFG_ARM64_core=y PLATFORM=k3-am62x CFG_WITH_SOFTWARE_PRNG=y CFG_CONSOLE_UART=0x6 all

Bootloader: U-Boot

Das U-Boot – the Universal Boot Loader: http://www.denx.de/wiki/U-Boot

Host Package Requirements

#user@localhost:~$
sudo apt update ; \
sudo apt-get install -y bc bison build-essential flex libgnutls28-dev ; \
sudo apt-get install -y libssl-dev python3-dev python3-jsonschema ; \
sudo apt-get install -y python3-minimal python3-setuptools python3-yaml ; \
sudo apt-get install -y swig uuid-dev yamllint

Download:

#user@localhost:~$
git clone -b v2025.04-rc5-pocketbeagle2 https://github.com/beagleboard/u-boot.git --depth=1

Configure and Build: Cortex-R4

#user@localhost:~$
make -C ./u-boot/ O=../CORTEXR CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} am6232_pocketbeagle2_r5_defconfig ; \
make -C ./u-boot/ -j4 O=../CORTEXR CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} BINMAN_INDIRS=../ti-linux-firmware/

Copy Build Objects: Cortex-R4

#user@localhost:~$
mkdir -p ./input/ ; \
cp -v ./CORTEXR/tiboot3-am62x-hs-fs-evm.bin ./input/

Configure and Build: Cortex-A53

#user@localhost:~$
make -C ./u-boot/ O=../CORTEXA CROSS_COMPILE=${CC64} am6232_pocketbeagle2_a53_defconfig ; \
make -C ./u-boot/ -j4 O=../CORTEXA CROSS_COMPILE=${CC64} BL31=../trusted-firmware-a/build/k3/lite/release/bl31.bin TEE=../optee_os/out/arm-plat-k3/core/tee-pager_v2.bin BINMAN_INDIRS=../ti-linux-firmware/

Copy Build Objects: Cortex-A53

#user@localhost:~$
cp -v ./CORTEXA/tispl.bin ./input/ ; \
cp -v ./CORTEXA/u-boot.img ./input/

Linux Kernel

This script will build the kernel, modules, device tree binaries and copy them to the deploy directory.

Download:

#user@localhost:~$
git clone https://github.com/RobertCNelson/arm64-multiplatform ./kernelbuildscripts
cd kernelbuildscripts/

For v6.14.x-arm64-k3 (6.14.x):

#user@localhost:~/kernelbuildscripts$
git checkout origin/v6.14.x-arm64-k3 -b tmp

Build:

#user@localhost:~/kernelbuildscripts$
./build_kernel.sh

Root File System

Debian 12

User Password
debian temppwd

Download:

#user@localhost:~$
wget -c https://rcn-ee.com/rootfs/eewiki/minfs/debian-12.10-minimal-arm64-2025-04-02.tar.xz

Verify:

#user@localhost:~$
sha256sum debian-12.10-minimal-arm64-2025-04-02.tar.xz

#sha256sum output:
a1195de7afdcb99c59be94571d83c651ac1c846bb97cdb24b2ff3e741b9e3b95  debian-12.10-minimal-arm64-2025-04-02.tar.xz

Extract:

#user@localhost:~$
tar xf debian-12.10-minimal-arm64-2025-04-02.tar.xz

Install Kernel and Root File System

To help new users, since the kernel version can change on a daily basis. The kernel building scripts listed on this page will now give you a hint of what kernel version was built.

-----------------------------
Script Complete
eewiki.net: [user@localhost:~$ export kernel_version=5.X.Y-Z]
-----------------------------

Copy and paste that “export kernel_version=5.X.Y-Z” exactly as shown in your own build/desktop environment and hit enter to create an environment variable to be used later.

export kernel_version=5.X.Y-Z

Create Root File System with genimage:

The genimage https://github.com/pengutronix/genimage tool is now used to generate a sdcard.img vs directly interfacing with the microSD.

Host Package Requirements

#user@localhost:~$
sudo apt update ; \
sudo apt-get install -y dosfstools genimage mtools

Create working directory for genimage:

#user@localhost:~$
sudo mkdir -p ./input/.rootfs

Copy Root File System

#user@localhost:~$
sudo tar xfvp ./debian-*-*-arm64-*/arm64-rootfs-*.tar -C ./input/.rootfs/
sync

Enable first boot customization

#user@localhost:~$
sudo cp ./input/.rootfs/etc/bbb.io/templates/sysconf.txt ./input/

Open ./input/sysconf.txt in your text editor and change any user setting.

  • user_name=
  • user_password=
  • hostname=
#user@localhost:~$
sudo nano ./input/sysconf.txt

Setup extlinux.conf

#user@localhost:~$
sudo sh -c "echo 'label Linux' > ./input/extlinux.conf"
sudo sh -c "echo '    kernel /Image.gz' >> ./input/extlinux.conf"
sudo sh -c "echo '    fdtdir /' >> ./input/extlinux.conf"
sudo sh -c "echo '    append console=ttyS2,115200n8 earlycon=ns16550a,mmio32,0x02860000 root=/dev/mmcblk1p2 ro rootfstype=ext4 rootwait net.ifnames=0' >> ./input/extlinux.conf"

Copy Kernel Image

Kernel Image:

#user@localhost:~$
sudo cp -v ./kernelbuildscripts/deploy/${kernel_version}.Image ./input/Image.gz

Copy Kernel Device Tree Binaries

#user@localhost:~$
sudo mkdir -p ./input/dtbs/
sudo tar xfv ./kernelbuildscripts/deploy/${kernel_version}-dtbs.tar.gz -C ./input/dtbs/
sudo cp -v ./input/dtbs/ti/k3-am6232-pocketbeagle2.dtb ./input/k3-am6232-pocketbeagle2.dtb

Copy Kernel Modules

#user@localhost:~$
sudo tar xfv ./kernelbuildscripts/deploy/${kernel_version}-modules.tar.gz -C ./input/.rootfs/usr/

File Systems Table (/etc/fstab)

#user@localhost:~/$
sudo sh -c "echo '/dev/mmcblk1p2  /  auto  errors=remount-ro  0  1' >> ./input/.rootfs/etc/fstab"
sudo sh -c "echo '/dev/mmcblk1p1  /boot/firmware  vfat user,uid=1000,gid=1000,defaults 0 2' >> ./input/.rootfs/etc/fstab"

Check partition size

Verify Root File partition size, this can be used to modify the seek value below for size tweaking.

#user@localhost:~$
sudo du -sh ./input/.rootfs/

Create rootfs.ext4

#user@localhost:~$
sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=./input/rootfs.ext4 bs=1 count=0 seek=1600M
sudo mkfs.ext4 -F ./input/rootfs.ext4 -d ./input/.rootfs/

Create sdcard.img with genimage

The genimage https://github.com/pengutronix/genimage tool is now used to generate a sdcard.img vs directly interfacing with the microSD.

Create genimage.cfg file

#user@localhost:~$
nano genimage.cfg

#genimage.cfg
image boot.vfat {
        vfat {
            files = {
                    "tispl.bin",
                    "u-boot.img",
                    "Image.gz",
                    "sysconf.txt",
            }
            file tiboot3.bin {
                    image = tiboot3-am62x-hs-fs-evm.bin
            }
            file ti/k3-am6232-pocketbeagle2.dtb {
                    image = k3-am6232-pocketbeagle2.dtb
            }
            file extlinux/extlinux.conf {
                    image = extlinux.conf
            }
        }
        size = 256M
}
image sdcard.img {
        hdimage {
        }
        partition u-boot {
                partition-type = 0xC
                bootable = "true"
                image = "boot.vfat"
        }
        partition rootfs {
                partition-type = 0x83
                image = "rootfs.ext4"
        }
}

Run genimage on genimage.cfg

#user@localhost:~$
sudo genimage --rootpath `mktemp` --config genimage.cfg

genimage output

sdcard.img can be flashed to a microSD using rpi-imager https://github.com/raspberrypi/rpi-imager or your favorite image writing software.

#user@localhost:~$
tree images/
images/
└── sdcard.img

1 directory, 1 file

Final Tweaks (extend rootfs partition)

Extend the rootfs partition to fill available space on drive.

Use growpart to extend a partition in a partition table

sudo growpart /dev/mmcblk1 2

voodoo@eewiki:~$ sudo growpart /dev/mmcblk1 2
CHANGED: partition=2 start=524289 old: size=3276800 end=3801088 new: size=61809630 end=62333918

First Reboot

sudo reboot

Use resize2fs to enlarge the existing filesystem

sudo resize2fs /dev/mmcblk1p2

voodoo@eewiki:~$ sudo resize2fs /dev/mmcblk1p2
resize2fs 1.47.0 (5-Feb-2023)
Filesystem at /dev/mmcblk1p2 is mounted on /; on-line resizing required
old_desc_blocks = 1, new_desc_blocks = 4
The filesystem on /dev/mmcblk1p2 is now 7726203 (4k) blocks long.

Second Reboot

This last reboot will take awhile as fsck is checking the partition on bootup.

sudo reboot

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