custom patched debian-installer netboot image required
The MNT Reform 2 with i.MX 8MQ will not work with vanilla debian-installer from debian.org. On one hand, a few kernel patches are not yet upstreamed, so a custom built kernel is needed. The bigger problem is, that the i.MX 8MQ requires memory training blobs (~57k in size) where the NXP license terms only allow distribution together with hardware from NXP. Debian does not distribute NXP products, so is not allowed to redistribute these blobs, not even in non-free. See 1035055 and https://lore.kernel.org/imx/172079266731.2928366.7031846226118749814@localhost/
You can obtain patched Debian Installer images with i.MX 8MQ Boundary Devices vendor u-boot and Synopsis DDR training blobs from https://reform.debian.net/d-i/
Bookworm kernel: https://reform.debian.net/d-i/reform-system-imx8mq.img.xz
Bookworm Backports kernel: https://reform.debian.net/d-i/reform-system-imx8mq-bpo.img.xz
The difference to vanilla d-i images are:
- i.MX 8MQ Boundary Devices vendor u-boot with non-free DDR training blobs
- Debian Linux kernel with four patches which are not upstreamed yet
- dialog asking about whether single or dual display configuration is desired
- dialog offering to flash u-boot to eMMC
The debian-installer images are generated using this script: https://salsa.debian.org/reform-team/reform-debian-installer/
Flash the image to an SD-card or a USB stick and start your MNT Reform with the SD-card or USB stick inserted. Depending on the position of the DIP switch on your module, u-boot will be loaded from eMMC or from your SD-card. The Debian installer should start and should offer you to select your language:
Select your location:
Configure the keyboard:
Configure the network by selecting either the ethernet connection or wifi. If you select wifi, then some more dialogs will allow you to enter the key for the network.
Choose a host name:
Choose a domain name:
Choose a mirror country:
Choose an archive mirror (usually deb.debian.org, the default):
Enter the http proxy if any:
Set a root password. If you enter no password at this prompt, then sudo will get installed and your user is added to the sudo group.
Choose a full name for the new user:
Choose a username for the account:
Choose a password for the new user:
Select your time zone:
Choose "Manual" as the partitioning method.
Place /boot on eMMC (/dev/mmcblk0 or card #1) and swap and / on your SSD. Make sure that there is some free space on eMMC in front of your /boot partition for u-boot.
Review your changes and write them to disk:
Participate in the package usage survey, if you like:
Select the GNOME desktop environment. KDE Plasma works as well.
Choose either single or dual display configuration:
Choose the device onto which to flash u-boot (if any):
Choose <Continue> to reboot:
Gnome Classic works fine:
And so does the regular Gnome desktop including all the animations: