Install QNX IFS

To manually install QNX OS, you need to copy the QNX IFS image from the microSD card to the internal storage on the board (e.g.: eMMC).

Typically, the board comes pre-installed with U-Boot. If it doesn't, you'll have to first manually install U-Boot. For information, see the steps in Use recovery mode to load the Toradex Easy Installer and Use TEZI to install image to install a Toradex Embedded Linux image in which U-Boot is included.

After the target boots, you can run U-Boot commands to load QNX IFS from microSD card, load FDT file from on-board eMMC, then use go commands to Boot QNX OS.

After QNX OS starts, if you copy QNX IFS from microSD card to on-board eMMC, then after another reset, you can boot the QNX IFS from the on-board eMMC.

Insert the microSD card to your board and power up the board. U-Boot should boot as seen from the output on your serial console.

U-Boot 2022.04-6.3.0+git.c71ae7141f30 (May 15 2023 - 16:20:01 +0000)

CPU:   NXP i.MX8QM RevB A53 at 1200 MHz at 55C

DRAM:  4 GiB
Core:  193 devices, 19 uclasses, devicetree: separate
MMC:   FSL_SDHC: 0, FSL_SDHC: 1, FSL_SDHC: 2
Loading Environment from MMC... OK
In:    serial
Out:   serial
Err:   serial
Model: Toradex 0037 Apalis iMX8QM 4GB WB IT V1.1E
Serial#: 07202018

 BuildInfo:
  - SCFW f5623878, SECO-FW c9de51c0, IMX-MKIMAGE 3bfcfccb, ATF 3c1583b
  - U-Boot 2022.04-6.3.0+git.c71ae7141f30
...

Press any key on your keyboard to cancel the auto-boot command.

Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
#

Please be aware that Run the following U-Boot commands to load and boot the QNX IFS:

# fatload mmc 0 0x9d400000 imx8qm-apalis-v1.1-ixora-v1.2.dtb
# fatload mmc 1 0x80800000 ifs-imx8qm-apalis.bin
# go 0x80800000 0x9d400000
## Starting application at 0x80800000 ...
ARM trusted firmware is enabled
...
Welcome to QNX 8.0.0 on Apalis_i.MX8QM_CPU_Board !

Starting SC resource manager ...
Starting wdtkick ...
...
Starting ADC driver (/dev/adc0/*)...
Starting shell ...
#
# uname -a
QNX localhost 8.0.0 2023/09/14-15:42:54EDT Apalis_i.MX8QM_CPU_Board aarch64le
#

Once QNX OS is running, you can test it by executing any shell commands, or any commands residing within the OS image, such as uname, pidin, mount, etc.

To copy QNX IFS to on-board eMMC, you will need to mount the microSD card and the eMMC partitions, then copy the QNX IFS from the microSD card to on-board eMMC:
```
# mount -t dos /dev/sd0t12 /sd
# mount -t dos /dev/emmc0t12 /emmc
# cp /sd/ifs-imx8qm-apalis.bin /emmc/
# umount /sd
# umount /emmc
# shutdown
                
```
After you reset your board, you can load the QNX IFS from the on-board eMMC rather than the microSD card. You use the following U-Boot commands to load and boot QNX OS from the eMMC:
```
# fatload mmc 0 0x9d400000 imx8qm-apalis-v1.1-ixora-v1.2.dtb
# fatload mmc 0 0x80800000 ifs-imx8qm-apalis.bin
# go 0x80800000 0x9d400000
                
```
You can retrieve board device tree files from eMMC after QNX OS is running. Below is an example to retrieve imx8qm-apalis-v1.1-ixora-v1.2.dtb from eMMC and copy it to microSD card:
```
# mount -t dos /dev/sd0t12 /sd
# mount -t dos /dev/emmc0t12 /emmc
# cp /emmc/imx8qm-apalis-v1.1-ixora-v1.2.dtb /sd/
# umount /sd
# umount /emmc
                
```

Page updated: October 24, 2025