# Mender U-Boot integration for Toradex SMARC i.MX8M Plus (Yocto Scarthgap)

**URL:** <https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-u-boot-integration-for-toradex-smarc-i-mx8m-plus-yocto-scarthgap/8364>\
**Category:** Yocto Project\
**Created:** [September 8, 2026, 5:19am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-u-boot-integration-for-toradex-smarc-i-mx8m-plus-yocto-scarthgap/8364 "2026-09-08T05:19:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aleena.v](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6de8d8/32.png) [@aleena.v](https://hub.mender.io/u/aleena.v)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2026, 5:19am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-u-boot-integration-for-toradex-smarc-i-mx8m-plus-yocto-scarthgap/8364/1 "2026-09-08T05:19:23Z")

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Hi all,

We’re building a PoC for A/B OTA updates using the open-source Mender client on a **Toradex SMARC i.MX8M Plus** module.

**Environment:**

- Yocto 5.0.14 (Scarthgap), official Toradex BSP (`meta-toradex-nxp`)
- Machine: `toradex-smarc-imx8mp`
- `meta-mender` (scarthgap branch) + `meta-mender-community` (scarthgap branch) added to `bblayers.conf`

**The gap:**  
`meta-mender-nxp` (inside `meta-mender-community`) doesn’t currently have a machine config or U-Boot integration for Toradex boards. The only board-specific reference in that layer targets the Olimex i.MX8MP EVB:

```auto
find meta-mender-community/meta-mender-nxp -iname "*smarc*" -o -iname "*imx8mp*"

```

returns only `olimex-imx8mp-evb` paths — nothing for Toradex/SMARC/Verdin.

We reviewed Toradex’s own boot script (their standard distro-boot script) and confirmed it has no A/B, bootcount, or rollback logic — it defaults to a single hardcoded `root_part = 2`, selected via `PARTUUID`. We’d rather not directly patch Toradex’s validated U-Boot source the way the Olimex patch does for its own board, since we don’t want to disrupt hardware init they’ve already validated.

**Questions:**

1. Has anyone integrated Mender (bootcount/A-B rollback) on a Toradex i.MX8M Plus board — SMARC or Verdin — and can share their approach?
2. Is chainloading a secondary U-Boot (to handle Mender’s logic ahead of Toradex’s own boot script) the right approach here, or is there a lighter way to inject `mender_boot_part`/bootcount handling via boot script hooks (`boot.scr`/env) without touching Toradex’s U-Boot source directly?
3. Is the Olimex `meta-mender-nxp` patch a reasonable reference for the general _pattern_ (which U-Boot config flags to enable, e.g. Boot Count Limit), even though it’s not board-specific to us?

Happy to share our findings back here once we have something working, in case it helps future Toradex i.MX8M Plus integrations.

Thanks,  
Aleena

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**Author:** ![TheYoctoJester](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/theyoctojester/32/1444_2.png) [@TheYoctoJester](https://hub.mender.io/u/TheYoctoJester)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2026, 9:22am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-u-boot-integration-for-toradex-smarc-i-mx8m-plus-yocto-scarthgap/8364/2 "2026-09-14T09:22:38Z")

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Hi @aleena.v,

There is a PR in flight for Toradex boards at [[Toradex] Verdin IMX8MM, IMX8MP & Colibri IMX8X by MuchoLucho · Pull Request #466 · mendersoftware/meta-mender-community · GitHub](https://github.com/mendersoftware/meta-mender-community/pull/466). Unfortunately its not merged…

Looking at your question, I would definitely discourage a chainloading or similar “trickery” approach. Patching the `u-boot` environments `bootcmd` logic is not exactly affecting the source verification or startup. It is literally just “what `u-boot` should do once everything is initialised”. So I would not worry too much about it.

Take a peek at the PR, I think it should give you a pretty good idea on suitable A/B injection points, and which additional configuration is needed. Feel free to ask if something is not clear.

Greetz,  
Josef

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aleena.v](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6de8d8/32.png) [@aleena.v](https://hub.mender.io/u/aleena.v)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2026, 11:04am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/mender-u-boot-integration-for-toradex-smarc-i-mx8m-plus-yocto-scarthgap/8364/3 "2026-09-14T11:04:56Z")

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Hi Josef,

Thank you for the response. I will look into the PR and get back if there’s any doubts.

Regards  
Aleena Vinod