LeMaker Wiki
Summary
The LeMaker Wiki is an archive of technical notes for LeMaker boards and related software. The goal is to provide practical, reproducible steps: what to check first, what a healthy system looks like, and which internal pages to open next.
If you are starting from scratch, begin with a board-appropriate quick start and collect a short baseline report (kernel, storage layout, logs). That baseline is the fastest way to recognise when a later change has introduced a regression.
Who this is for
New board owners, developers validating images, and anyone returning to older documentation who needs a stable starting point and a recovery-minded bring-up flow.
What you’ll do
- Pick a starting page for your board or task (login, GPIO, bootloader/kernel work).
- Prepare a minimal first-boot setup so you can reproduce results.
- Capture a baseline boot report and keep it for later comparisons.
- Run verification checks after any change to storage, kernel, or networking.
- Use troubleshooting shortcuts to isolate power/storage problems early.
Start here
- Main Page — curated entry points to the most-used topics.
- Log in to the Banana Pi — login defaults and access tips.
- Banana Pi FEX Configuration — archived notes for systems using script.bin-style configuration.
Common tasks
- Flash / validate an image: verify checksum, confirm device selection, then capture a baseline boot report.
- Get access: confirm network, SSH, and (optionally) serial console so you can recover from changes.
- GPIO work: confirm pinout expectations, then test a minimal known-good example before building a larger project.
- Bootloader/kernel work: change one variable at a time and keep the last known-good combination available.
Quick checklist
- Stable PSU and cable (avoid undervoltage-induced resets).
- Known-good storage (SD/eMMC) and a reliable writer.
- Ethernet for first boot (recommended).
- Optional: USB–TTL serial adapter (3.3V) for recovery and early boot logs.
- Verified image file and checksum.
- A text file or notes area to store a baseline boot report.
Steps / guidance
- Choose your entry point. If you are unsure, start from Main Page and open the relevant board hub.
- Establish access first. Decide whether you will use local console, SSH, and/or serial console for recovery.
- Confirm storage layout.
lsblk blkid - Capture a baseline boot report.
uname -a ip a systemctl --failed journalctl -b -p err | tail -n 80 dmesg | tail -n 50 - Only then start changing one variable at a time. (Kernel/DTB, bootloader settings, network configuration, packages.)
Verification checks
Use at least two after any significant change:
uname -a
ip a
lsblk
dmesg | tail -n 50
journalctl -b -p err | tail -n 120
Troubleshooting (quick links)
- Access/login: Log in to the Banana Pi
- Boot configuration: Banana Pi FEX Configuration
- Bootloader/kernel workflow: Building U-Boot, script.bin and Linux kernel
Common mistakes
- Debugging software before swapping PSU/cable and storage when behaviour is inconsistent.
- Changing multiple variables at once (kernel + DTB + packages + network).
- Running headless without a recovery path (serial or local console).
- Not saving a baseline boot report while the system is healthy.
Related pages
Author: LeMaker Documentation Team
Last updated: 2026-01-04