Cannot boot due to image validation problems when running "west debug"

RE: Cannot boot due to image validation problems when running "west debug"

Vidar Berg — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:21:44 GMT

Thanks for the feedback. I provided a link to this thread in my bug report so the developers can see it. Regarding the attach option, maybe you've seen it already, but this is also possible to do via the extension through this button:

[quote userid="89447" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/120845/cannot-boot-due-to-image-validation-problems-when-running-west-debug/532614"]And what if I were debugging an application that crashed quickly after starting? In that case I guess I would have to add a sleep at the beginning of "main".[/quote]

Is it that it is not breaking on main()? I guess you could add a breakpoint for it with 'b main' and then do a reset 'mon reset 0'. Disabling CONFIG_RESET_ON_FATAL_ERROR in the project configuration can also make it easier to catch a crash since it will prevent the device from potentially entering a boot loop.

RE: Cannot boot due to image validation problems when running "west debug"

Burt — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 13:27:06 GMT

Thanks, Vidar, I will throw my 2 cents, "simpleton" recommendation in for good, clear documentation for the "west attach" approach. I have been using that over the last couple of days, and very happy with it. And what if I were debugging an application that crashed quickly after starting? In that case I guess I would have to add a sleep at the beginning of "main".

Burt

RE: Cannot boot due to image validation problems when running "west debug"

Vidar Berg — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 06:27:04 GMT

Hi Burt,

I'm sorry to hear that you had to spend time to figure out this problem. I agree that this limitation needs to either be fixed or clearly documented. The issue is that the debugger loads the unsigned .elf file while only the .hex and .bin files are signed. I've raised a ticket in our internal bug tracker so the team can figure out the best way to address this. I will update this thread when I know more.

RE: Cannot boot due to image validation problems when running "west debug"

Burt — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 09:31:43 GMT

Okay, I found case 334803, where Vidar indicates that the trick is to use west attach to a board that has been flashed with the code to be debugged. And then I read about gdb's monitor reset command. So the steps are west attach followed by break main followed by continue. That will put me at main(), which is what I am accustomed to. This is really nice. Please give me a time frame where I can expect to see this spelled out clearly in the documentation: a few good hints can save developers like myself lots of time. Some of us prefer to use command line tools until/unless we need an enhanced user experience available with VS Code. Well mostly enhanced--I can't say that the required backtick ` before a gdb command is at all pleasurable.

Burt Silverman

RE: Cannot boot due to image validation problems when running "west debug"

Burt — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 17:31:00 GMT

I am working on Linux. Also, back to the first case where I do not try anything with CONFIG_BOOT_VALIDATE_SLOT0=n, once the board gets stuck unable to find a bootable image, it is stuck that way with respect to a power on reset. I have to reflash the board to have it come up (without starting west debug, of course).