Installation Guide

📋 Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• 📱 Banana Pi BPI-R3 Mini
• 💾 BananaWRT image files from the Releases Page
• 🔌 SSH access to the device
• 🖥️ SCP utility on your host machine
• 🔧 The device currently running stock ROM or ImmortalWRT from SPI-NAND

🚀 Installation Steps

1️⃣ Set the Boot Switch

Set the boot switch on your Banana Pi R3 Mini to boot from SPI-NAND. This is necessary for the initial flashing process.

2️⃣ Write the GPT Partition Table to eMMC

First, transfer the GPT file to the device:

scp immortalwrt-*-mediatek-filogic-bananapi_bpi-r3-mini-emmc-gpt.bin root@<device-ip>:/tmp/

⚠️ Note: Replace the * with the version you're using and <device-ip> with your device's IP address.

Then, on the device, write the partition table:

dd if=/tmp/immortalwrt-*-mediatek-filogic-bananapi_bpi-r3-mini-emmc-gpt.bin of=/dev/mmcblk0

After writing the partition table, reboot the device to ensure the changes take effect:

reboot

3️⃣ Transfer Required Files

After the device reboots, transfer the following files to your device:

scp immortalwrt-*-mediatek-filogic-bananapi_bpi-r3-mini-emmc-preloader.bin root@<device-ip>:/tmp/
scp immortalwrt-*-mediatek-filogic-bananapi_bpi-r3-mini-emmc-bl31-uboot.fip root@<device-ip>:/tmp/
scp immortalwrt-*-mediatek-filogic-bananapi_bpi-r3-mini-initramfs-recovery.itb root@<device-ip>:/tmp/
scp immortalwrt-*-mediatek-filogic-bananapi_bpi-r3-mini-squashfs-sysupgrade.itb root@<device-ip>:/tmp/

4️⃣ Flash the Firmware Files

On the device, make the mmcblk0boot0 partition writable and then write the files:

# Make the boot partition writable
echo 0 > /sys/block/mmcblk0boot0/force_ro

# Flash the preloader
dd if=/tmp/immortalwrt-*-mediatek-filogic-bananapi_bpi-r3-mini-emmc-preloader.bin of=/dev/mmcblk0boot0

# Flash the bootloader
dd if=/tmp/immortalwrt-*-mediatek-filogic-bananapi_bpi-r3-mini-emmc-bl31-uboot.fip of=/dev/mmcblk0p3

# Flash the recovery image
dd if=/tmp/immortalwrt-*-mediatek-filogic-bananapi_bpi-r3-mini-initramfs-recovery.itb of=/dev/mmcblk0p4

# Flash the system image
dd if=/tmp/immortalwrt-*-mediatek-filogic-bananapi_bpi-r3-mini-squashfs-sysupgrade.itb of=/dev/mmcblk0p5

# Ensure all data is written
sync

5️⃣ Switch to eMMC Boot and Power Up

1. 🔌 Power off the device
2. 🔄 Set the boot switch to eMMC
3. ⚡ Power on the device

Your device should now boot into BananaWRT from eMMC!

🌐 Initial Access

After installation, you can access your BananaWRT router:

• 🖥️ Web Interface: http://192.168.1.1
• 👤 Default Username: root
• 🔑 Default Password: no password (you'll be prompted to set one on first login)

💡 Tip: The LAN port is on the side closer to the USB-C power connector.

❓ Troubleshooting

If your device doesn't boot properly:

1. 🔍 Double-check that all files were transferred and flashed correctly
2. 🔄 Ensure the boot switch is set to the correct position (eMMC)
3. 🔌 Try power cycling the device
4. 🛠️ If issues persist, you may need to reflash from the beginning

📚 Next Steps

After successful installation:

1. 🔑 Set a secure password
2. ⚙️ Configure your network settings
3. 📶 Set up your modem if you have a Fibocom FM350
4. 🌡️ Configure the fan control for optimal cooling

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For additional help, visit the BananaWRT Discussions page.