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EdgeRouter EdgePoint Bootloader Firmware Update

  • Written by JohnB, 2024-10
  • Updating EdgePoint R6 units from v2.0.9-hotfix7 to v3.0.0-rc9

Updating Bootloader

  • https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/360009932554-EdgeRouter-How-to-Update-the-Bootloader for this device, the EP-R6, while https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013965454-EdgeSwitch-How-to-Update-the-Bootloader is for EdgeSwitch 48 and EdgeSwitch 24 units
  • The bootloader can only be updated from a CLI/SSH. There is no Web GUI indication that the bootloader needs updating
  • There are apparently issues with incompatibility between certain bootloader versions and certain firmware versions. It is a good practice to run the latest bootloader and the latest firmware available
  • After updating to a new firmware and logging in, the CLI will indicate that a bootloader update is available. Run add system boot-image and then reboot to apply the new bootloader and reboot
Linux nycmesh-1340-epr6 4.14.54-UBNT #1 SMP Thu Jun 15 09:00:10 UTC 2023 mips
Boot image can be upgraded to version [ e52_002_4c817 ].
Run "add system boot-image" to upgrade boot image.

ubnt@nycmesh-1340-epr6:~$ add system boot-image
Uboot version [UNKNOWN] is about to be replaced
Warning: Don't turn off the power or reboot during the upgrade!
Are you sure you want to replace old version? (Yes/No) [Yes]: yes
Preparing to upgrade...Done
Copying upgrade boot image...Done
Checking boot version: Current is UNKNOWN; new is e52_002_4c817 ...Done
Checking upgrade image...Done
Writing image...Boot image has been upgraded.
Reboot is needed in order to apply changes!
Done
Upgrade boot completed

ubnt@nycmesh-1340-epr6:~$ reboot
Proceed with reboot? [confirm][y]
  • Diagnostics: show system boot-image can display the current and newly available bootloader
ubnt@nycmesh-1340-epr6:~$ show system boot-image
The system currently has the following boot image installed:
Current boot version: UNKNOWN
Current boot md5sum : 66a2e1597e506c5ffbb4c59ebaf23f88

New uboot version is available: boot_e52_002_4c817.tar.gz
New boot md5sum : 94c3575f363a1297f875a65b338cbd42
Run "add system boot-image" to upgrade boot image.

Preparing for Firmware

  • https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/205146110-EdgeRouter-How-to-Upgrade-the-EdgeOS-Firmware
  • EP-R6 units store a cached/backup firmware in addition to the current/running/active firmware. This backup firmware is just the previous version that had been running before the last firmware update
  • Some devices apparently have issues where the backup firmware takes up too much space so any new firmware update fails
  • Remove the older secondary firmware with delete system image to make room for the new firmware. The command will ask for confirmation before proceeding
ubnt@nycmesh-731-epr6:~$ delete system image
The system currently has the following image(s) installed:

v2.0.9-hotfix.7.5622731.230615.0857 (running image) (default boot)
v2.0.9-hotfix.6.5574651.221230.1015

You are about to delete image [v2.0.9-hotfix.6.5574651.221230.1015]
Are you sure you want to delete ? (Yes/No) [Yes]:
Removing old image... Done
ubnt@nycmesh-731-epr6:~$
  • Diagnostics: Check what firmware is installed in the primary and secondary slots with show system image. This will also tell whether or not there's a new firmware that will be applied after reboot
ubnt@nycmesh-1340-epr6:~$ show system image
The system currently has the following image(s) installed:

v3.0.0-rc.9.5753457.240911.0646 (default boot)
v2.0.9-hotfix.7.5622731.230615.0857 (running image)

A reboot is needed to boot default image
  • Diagnostics: Check the overall free space on the device with show system storage and check the respective size of the system images with show system image storage. Note the 64% storage in use
ubnt@nycmesh-1340-epr6:~$ show system storage
Filesystem                Size      Used Available Use% Mounted on
ubi0_0                  214.9M    133.8M     76.4M  64% /root.dev
overlay                 214.9M    133.8M     76.4M  64% /
devtmpfs                122.9M         0    122.9M   0% /dev
tmpfs                   123.6M      4.0K    123.6M   0% /dev/shm
tmpfs                   123.6M    316.0K    123.3M   0% /run
tmpfs                     5.0M         0      5.0M   0% /run/lock
tmpfs                   123.6M         0    123.6M   0% /sys/fs/cgroup
tmpfs                   123.6M         0    123.6M   0% /run/shm
tmpfs                   123.6M         0    123.6M   0% /lib/init/rw
tmpfs                   123.6M     64.0K    123.6M   0% /var/log
tmpfs                   123.6M      4.0K    123.6M   0% /tmp
none                    123.6M    216.0K    123.4M   0% /opt/vyatta/config
tmpfs                    24.7M         0     24.7M   0% /run/user/1000
overlay                 123.6M      4.0K    123.6M   0% /opt/vyatta/config/tmp/new_config_c6697351ff4aec29cdbaabf2fbe3467c


ubnt@nycmesh-1340-epr6:~$ show system image storage
Image name                        Read-Only   Read-Write        Total
------------------------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
v2.0.9-hotfix.7.5622731.230615.0857        70060         1340        71400
v2.0.9-hotfix.4.5521907.220630.0657        69844          588        70432

Updating Firmware

  • (again) https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/205146110-EdgeRouter-How-to-Upgrade-the-EdgeOS-Firmware
  • Find the new firmware URL, for example https://community.ui.com/releases/EdgeRouter-3-0-0-rc-9/3b3e6900-c2a3-4202-93a1-18f1c4b9e483 points to https://dl.ui.com/firmwares/edgemax/v3.0.0-rc.9/ER-e50.v3.0.0-rc.9.5753457.tar
  • Download and apply the new firmware with add system image https://dl.ui.com/firmwares/edgemax/v3.0.0-rc.9/ER-e50.v3.0.0-rc.9.5753457.tar and then run show system image to verify that it was applied and will take effect at the next reboot
ubnt@nycmesh-595-epr6:~$ add system image https://dl.ui.com/firmwares/edgemax/v3.0.0-rc.9/ER-e50.v3.0.0-rc.9.5753457.tar
Trying to get upgrade file from https://dl.ui.com/firmwares/edgemax/v3.0.0-rc.9/ER-e50.v3.0.0-rc.9.5753457.tar
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed
100 70.4M  100 70.4M    0     0  4546k      0  0:00:15  0:00:15 --:--:-- 4644k
Download succeeded
Checking upgrade image...Done
Preparing to upgrade...Done
Clearing directory /var/cache/apt (1.1M)...Done
Copying upgrade image...Done
Removing old image...Done
Checking upgrade image...Done
Copying config data...Done
Finishing upgrade...Done
Upgrade completed
ubnt@nycmesh-595-epr6:~$ show system image
The system currently has the following image(s) installed:

v3.0.0-rc.9.5753457.240911.0646 (default boot)
v2.0.9-hotfix.7.5622731.230615.0857 (running image)

A reboot is needed to boot default image
  • Reboot the device to apply the new firmware
ubnt@nycmesh-155-epr6:~$ reboot
Proceed with reboot? [confirm][y]

Broadcast message from ubnt@nycmesh-155-epr6 (pts/0) (Fri Oct 25 15:24:00 2024)

The system is going down for reboot NOW!

Connection to 10.96.38.240 closed by remote host.
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