To boot Linux on a Zynq-7000 over JTAG, use the debugger to load and start the boot stages and Linux images that match your board and project. A typical chain is BootROM, the First Stage Bootloader (FSBL), U-Boot, then the Linux kernel with its device tree and root filesystem. AMD’s PetaLinux guidance documents a petalinux-boot --jtag workflow, but the exact command, files, and memory setup depend on the installed release and hardware design.
What happens during a JTAG Linux boot
JTAG is the path used to deliver and run software during development; it does not replace the boot stages that establish the platform and start Linux. On Zynq-7000, AMD describes this sequence in its Basic Boot Sequence documentation:
- BootROM runs first in the application processing unit after reset. It configures the system and loads or transfers control to the FSBL.
- FSBL initializes processing-system configuration. If a bitstream is supplied, it can also program the programmable logic; it then loads the next stage and hands off. AMD describes its role in the UG821 FSBL guide.
- U-Boot can load and start the Linux kernel in the common Linux chain described by AMD’s UG821 Linux booting guide.
- Linux needs more than a kernel: it also needs a device tree and a root filesystem or RAM disk appropriate to the project.
AMD’s Bootgen User Guide says to use JTAG mode primarily for development and debug. A JTAG session is therefore useful for bringing up or debugging a design; it is distinct from configuring flash or SD as persistent boot media.
Files to prepare
For the Zynq-7000 PetaLinux JTAG flow documented in AMD’s UG1144 2021.2 reference, the listed files are:
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| File | Role in the documented flow |
|---|---|
zynq_fsbl.elf |
First Stage Bootloader for initializing the processing system and handing off to the next stage. |
u-boot.elf |
U-Boot stage that can load and start Linux. |
uImage |
Linux kernel image. |
system.dtb |
Device tree describing hardware for the kernel. |
rootfs.cpio.gz.u-boot |
Root filesystem image in the documented PetaLinux example. |
These names identify AMD’s documented PetaLinux 2021.2 example, not a guaranteed output set for every release or project. Confirm the generated artifact names and formats in your project output, and use a kernel, device tree, and root filesystem built for the target hardware. If the design requires programmable logic, check whether the project’s boot setup also needs a bitstream; the FSBL can program the PL when one is supplied.
Choose the boot workflow that fits the task
| Workflow | What it is for | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Load and run stages over JTAG | Development and debugging | Downloads and starts the FSBL, then later stages and Linux images. Exact sequence and addresses depend on the project. |
| Use U-Boot to load images | Development or booting from an available image source | U-Boot performs the image-loading and kernel-start portion; it still requires matching kernel support files. |
| Program flash or prepare SD, then reset | Persistent boot setup | Images reside on boot media rather than being supplied anew as a JTAG development session. |
AMD’s UG821 describes these broad choices as programming a boot image into flash and resetting, downloading and running FSBL followed by U-Boot and the kernel, or using U-Boot to load and run images. The right choice depends on whether you are debugging a design or establishing a repeatable boot from media.
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Using the PetaLinux JTAG command family
AMD’s UG1144 2021.2 reference documents the petalinux-boot --jtag command family and an option for specifying a custom kernel path. Treat that page as release-specific guidance: consult the equivalent reference for your installed PetaLinux release and project rather than copying a command from a different release. The cited documentation does not establish a single reproducible command transcript, address map, or complete setup for an unnamed board.
Before invoking the flow, verify that the generated FSBL, U-Boot, kernel, device tree, and root filesystem belong to the same project configuration and target. Also confirm any project-specific hardware design or memory-map requirements in the board and tool documentation. A command that starts the wrong image set can fail even when JTAG connectivity itself is working.
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JTAG availability and common failure points
Do not assume a debugger can attach at every point after reset. AMD’s UG1283 boot and configuration guidance explains that JTAG mode is primarily for development and debug; its security documentation says JTAG remains disabled while BootROM runs and is enabled afterward in non-secure mode. Secure-boot state and device configuration can therefore affect when or whether a JTAG workflow is available. Consult AMD’s Boot Time Security documentation for the security context applicable to the device.
- JTAG does not become available as expected: check the device’s boot and security configuration and the point in the boot sequence at which you are attempting access.
- FSBL starts but handoff fails: verify that the FSBL was generated for the target hardware design and that its processing-system configuration matches the board project.
- U-Boot runs but Linux does not: check that the kernel image format, device tree, and root filesystem are the ones expected by that project. A kernel alone is not a complete Linux boot set.
- The same command behaves differently on another setup: compare the board model, hardware design, generated FSBL, memory map, image formats, and PetaLinux or Vitis release before reusing commands or assumptions.
The cited material establishes stage roles and one PetaLinux artifact set, but it does not establish universal addresses or commands for every Zynq-7000 board. Keep instructions tied to the specific board and tool release.
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Scope: Zynq-7000, not every Zynq family
The filenames and PetaLinux command guidance here are for the Zynq-7000 context covered by AMD’s cited documents. Do not transfer them unchanged to Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC or another Zynq family; use the documentation and generated artifacts for that target.
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