Ubuntu Server 18.04 - How to decrease boot time of the Rock Pi 4?

Thank you. I’ll do apt-update & upgrade, meanwhile can you please tell me how to run unminimize script? If it is the one that expands the image file so that there is no unallocated space on storage device, lsblk shows that it is expaned (uses full memory).

I did update/upgrade. Unfortunately it didn’t help. There is still no file called syslog.
Only things that are found:

This is strange that you don’t have /var/log/syslog file. Seems like this is imprinted in this kernel 5 image. To find unminimize script do:

find / -name unminimize

There might be no such script in this image. I’ve tried this image recently and there was missing many things. I think it would be good advice to use older image with version 4 kernel.

EDIT: unminimize script is for getting ready whole image, all files on the file system to work properly, not only expand partition. Mostly it does the two commands I’ve shown you. Additionally it installs some other packages.

Thank you. I tried 4.4 image, there are no such files there as well. Image file: rockpi-4b-ubuntu-focal-server-arm64-20220401-0346-gpt from https://github.com/radxa-build/rockpi-4b/releases/tag/main-df04b3af

This is offical Radxa 4.4 Linux for Ubuntu Server

In the attached file you can find UART logs collected during boot via Putty. UART_LOGS.zip (16.6 KB)

If Radxa minimized this version 4 image that means you need to use older, bigger image.

Seems I can’t help you with that, because I used very old image over a year ago and still it is working properly since. Updated it and everything works fine.

That’s strange that version 4 kernel image is downsized too much.

Maybe Radxa could tell more. @Stephen ? @jack ?

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7.6 seconds take place some init process as you can see in the log file. Later everything goes fine up to further 6.7-7.2 seconds which ends the log.

Nothing suspicious I can see in the log file.

Maybe NVMe is the problem that before Pi boots from it there is check for other media, which can take much time.

I have boot from microSD which redirects booting process to USB 3.0 SSD attached drive, so I have quick boot process. Also you can have newer Rock Pi which automatically boots from NVMe but it takes time. I would try to build microSD from which you will boot kernel and redirect to root file system on NVMe to boot it further.

That’s all I can help.

EDIT: For 4.4 image you need to unminimize it and update/upgrade to make syslog file visible as I remember. But if it is recent version - it may be too much minimized by Radxa. I don’t understand why Radxa is giving this kind of images.

I appreciate your help and time a lot. Thank you very much for helping this far. I will wait for more feedback from Radxa team.

The logs enumerated with time (0-7 secs) start 13 seconds after powering the board. That’s why it takes 20 seconds in case of Linux 4.4 in order to reach login screen.

I also think that maybe system looks for SD/eMMC image before NVME, but as I have read in the forum SPI flash has highest priority (and I believe SPI flash is responsible for NVME), so that is kind of strange.

By the way, my NVME is not connected through USB3, but directly through M.2. slot.

Anyway, thanks again, I will wait for Radxa’s response.

@jack Could you help please? What should be done in order to have small boot time on NVME?