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List:       openbsd-arm
Subject:    RPi 4 UEFI Firmware v1.21 and EEPROM
From:       Lee Nelson <lnelson () nelnet ! org>
Date:       2020-11-17 3:33:55
Message-ID: alpine.DEB.2.22.394.2011161906250.2551 () lap01 ! localdomain
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Referring to this firmware:  https://github.com/pftf/RPi4
TLDR; v1.21 + latest EEPROM works

As many have discovered, v1.19 and v1.20 of the firmware were broken due 
to problems handling the devicetree.  I found discussion of it here: 
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/1445 and here: 
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/1489

v1.21 was released a couple days ago.  I just tested it and the problem 
has been solved.  It also works without the need for a serial console. 
The whole thing can be done from keyboard+monitor console.  This may have 
been possible in a few previous versions, but I never bothered testing it. 
I can confirm that as of at least v1.21 no serial console is necessary.

For those who land here via Google, read the directions in the page linked 
at the top.  The latest versions are found here:
https://github.com/pftf/RPi4/releases

Follow the directions up to the point of seeing the UEFI screen.  From 
there:
Device Manager -> Raspberry Pi Configuration -> Advanced Configuration:
Limit RAM to 3 GB: Disabled  (OpenBSD doesn't need this)
System Table Connection: ACPI + Devicetree

Save, Esc back to top, reset, enjoy (or curse at the next problem that 
pops up).

I have seen no difference between "Devicetree" and "ACPI + Devicetree", 
but "ACPI" without devicetree will fail.  I grabbed a dmesg from 
both and did a diff.  The only difference was memory usage. Someone 
smarter that I might confirm if ACPI is needed at all.

It is important to have the lastest RPi 4 EEPROM code.  I am using the 
version from 2020-09-14. See here: 
https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/hardware/raspberrypi/booteeprom.md

It is claimed that booting entirely from USB without the SD card is 
possible with the lastest EEPROM, but I have not tried it yet.

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