IMX8M MINI - Android 11 Read file in userdata partition from uboot

[matt_frandsen]

On Android 10 I was able to access a file on the userdata partition from uboot. Specifically a binary for the M4.  We could load this file and start the M4 using bootaux.  On Android 11 I am unable to access any of the partitions except the metaData partition.  All of the other partitions return and error of ** Unrecognized filesystem type **.  Any suggestion on how to implement this functionality on Android 11?

Here is some uboot output for context:

u-boot=> mmc dev 2
switch to partitions #0, OK
mmc2(part 0) is current device
u-boot=> mmc part

Partition Map for MMC device 2 -- Partition Type: EFI

Part Start LBA End LBA Name
Attributes
Type GUID
Partition GUID
1 0x00004000 0x00005fff "dtbo_a"
attrs: 0x0000000000000000
type: b3c54657-8b47-48bc-9792-37b7c091ae69
guid: be42debe-8c9f-4d27-870e-d87068316c15
2 0x00006000 0x00007fff "dtbo_b"
attrs: 0x0000000000000000
type: b3c54657-8b47-48bc-9792-37b7c091ae69
guid: 8555f34a-6215-4cff-a6c4-17bab3635c02
3 0x00008000 0x00027fff "boot_a"
attrs: 0x0000000000000000
type: bb499290-b57e-49f6-bf41-190386693794
guid: 4bdbb360-2db5-42e9-b622-358fb5f72e53
4 0x00028000 0x00047fff "boot_b"
attrs: 0x0000000000000000
type: bb499290-b57e-49f6-bf41-190386693794
guid: 7f905ba4-93c4-4f0d-91e5-67f516e808c3
5 0x00048000 0x00067fff "vendor_boot_a"
attrs: 0x0000000000000000
type: 3930e8b2-72a7-9ea9-8c0f-817fe3d8b2da
guid: 928a20f9-fb13-4da6-adba-766a165069f5
6 0x00068000 0x00087fff "vendor_boot_b"
attrs: 0x0000000000000000
type: 3930e8b2-72a7-9ea9-8c0f-817fe3d8b2da
guid: 7c33a760-52c8-4ab6-8949-d415b3e1140c
7 0x00088000 0x00089fff "misc"
attrs: 0x0000000000000000
type: 6b2378b0-0fbc-4aa9-a4f6-4d6e17281c47
guid: cdb7b813-2388-4f31-b558-969de31f335b
8 0x0008a000 0x00091fff "metadata"
attrs: 0x0000000000000000
type: b598858a-5fe3-418e-b8c4-824b41f4adfc
guid: cae444a1-d30a-437c-baa1-a30766999524
9 0x00092000 0x000927ff "presistdata"
attrs: 0x0000000000000000
type: e99d84d7-2c1b-44cf-8c58-effae2dc2558
guid: 0e932b57-926f-44d5-ac43-569c4486726a
10 0x00093000 0x00792fff "super"
attrs: 0x0000000000000000
type: c1dedb9a-a0d3-42e4-b74d-0acf96833624
guid: e2c3a583-7745-4ae1-9e36-57da483fc527
11 0x00793000 0x019fbfff "userdata"
attrs: 0x0000000000000000
type: 0bb7e6ed-4424-49c0-9372-7fbab465ab4c
guid: 5d2e2f40-e05e-449c-90bf-da38e788f042
12 0x019fc000 0x019fc7ff "fbmisc"
attrs: 0x0000000000000000
type: ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7
guid: 1e25dcf5-7b43-4d7b-a60d-5e84906560c5
13 0x019fd000 0x019fd7ff "vbmeta_a"
attrs: 0x0000000000000000
type: 7d6ea677-fe98-4ffe-9771-f5c3ef6d282c
guid: 4d63b843-93bb-44d4-b431-83e874c3502d
14 0x019fe000 0x019fe7ff "vbmeta_b"
attrs: 0x0000000000000000
type: 7d6ea677-fe98-4ffe-9771-f5c3ef6d282c
guid: e0ed7976-de13-4173-92b3-ae3222737caf

u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:0
** Unrecognized filesystem type **
u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:1
** Unrecognized filesystem type **
u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:2
** Unrecognized filesystem type **
u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:3
** Unrecognized filesystem type **
u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:4
** Unrecognized filesystem type **
u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:5
** Unrecognized filesystem type **
u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:6
** Unrecognized filesystem type **
u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:7
** Unrecognized filesystem type **
u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:8
<DIR> 4096 .
<DIR> 4096 ..
<DIR> 16384 lost+found
<DIR> 4096 vold
<DIR> 4096 password_slots
<DIR> 4096 bootstat
<DIR> 4096 ota
<DIR> 4096 apex
<DIR> 4096 staged-install
<DIR> 4096 gsi
u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:9
** Unrecognized filesystem type **
u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:a
** Unrecognized filesystem type **
u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:b
** Unrecognized filesystem type **
u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:c
** Unrecognized filesystem type **
u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:d
** Unrecognized filesystem type **
u-boot=> ext4ls mmc 2:e
** Unrecognized filesystem type ** 

[Zhiming_Liu]

userdata  partition is under protection  from Android 11

[matt_frandsen]

We loaded your (NXP's) stock android 11 images onto and IMX8MQEVK board and again see that all of the partitions are protected except the Meta Data Partition.  We need uboot to start the m4 prior to booting the kernel, but cannot do this if uboot cannot access the file.  Can we put the file on the Meta Data partition? What other suggestions do you have?

[matt_frandsen]

Is there another partition or another way to accomplish this then? How are you handling getting the m4 code loaded and executed?

[Zhiming_Liu · Accepted solution]

You can write your bin file to metadata.We can't remove the protection mechanism.Only metadata is ext4 file system.