ΒΆ Full Backup of Unitree Go2 using Ubuntu [USB]
Making a full backup is an important step, and I don't recommend skipping it. The most crucial partitions are:
- pre-uboot.img (has some device-specific sensitive data like MAC addresses)
- uni.img (contains RSA device-specific keys used for MCU communication)
Other partitions are common among all Go2's and could be found on the Yandex drive. However, having a full backup guarantees complete software recovery.
To proceed with backup, install the necessary build dependencies. Open a terminal and run:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y git libudev-dev libusb-1.0-0-dev dh-autoreconfThis command installs git for cloning the repository, libudev-dev and libusb-1.0-0-dev for USB communication, and dh-autoreconf for building the tool. Clone the official rkdeveloptool GitHub repository (for 20.04):
git clone https://github.com/rockchip-linux/rkdeveloptool.gitIf you have an Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 use this fork instead:
git clone https://github.com/wing-kit/rkdeveloptool Navigate into the cloned directory:
cd rkdeveloptoolCompile rkdeveloptool from source:
autoreconf -i
./configure
makeOnce the build process is complete, install rkdeveloptool:
sudo make installTo ensure rkdeveloptool was installed correctly, you can run:
rkdeveloptool -hThis command should display the help information for rkdeveloptool, indicating successful installation.
First, let's remove the top cover from the robot. Please refer to video of disassembly of Go2
So, depending on the purchase day of the Go2, some folks have stated that the Loader mode didn't work for them (locked in UBOOT). For that, use MaskRom mode. MaskRom is more low-level and should work in any case, but it requires MiniLoaderAll.bin to be downloaded to RAM first.
To enter Loader mode, first connect a USB Type-C cable from the device to the PC. Then, press and hold the upper button on the mainboard while turning on the Go2. The robot should not stand up after this action.
check it by running:
sudo rkdeveloptool ldYou should see the USB device detected in 'Loader' mode
If the LOADER device didint appear, try loading into MASKROM mode. otherwise just skip this step directly to checking the partitions.To enter MaskRom mode, first connect a USB Type-C cable from the device to the PC. Then, press and hold the middle button on the mainboard while turning on the Go2. The robot should not stand up after this action.
check it by running:
sudo rkdeveloptool ldIn order to proceed in MaskRom mode a special bootloader should be downloaded (skip this if in Loader mode):
sudo rkdeveloptool db MiniLoaderAll.binCheck the partitions
sudo rkdeveloptool pptThe next step involves dumping the firmware. It turns out that the original U-Boot has a reading limit of up to 32 MB, and all bytes beyond that are replaced with 0xCC. Fortunately, the U-Boot bootloader itself is within the 32 MB limit. Therefore, we should first save the original U-Boot and then replace it with the patched version, allowing us to dump other partitions.
Ok, lets dump the factory U-boot, we'll need it later:
sudo rkdeveloptool rl 0x4000 0x2000 uboot_factory.imgDownload a patched uboot
Now, flash the patched u-boot to the dog
sudo rkdeveloptool wl 0x4000 uboot_patched.imgAfter that we would need to reboot a dog and get to Loader or MaskRom state again (don't forget about MiniLoaderAll.bin for Maskrom), while pressing the corresponding button on the motherboard, execute:
sudo rkdeveloptool rdGreat! Now we can read other partitions! Lets save them all:
sudo rkdeveloptool rl 0x00 0x4000 pre_uboot.img
sudo rkdeveloptool rl 0x6000 0x2000 misc.img
sudo rkdeveloptool rl 0x8000 0x1000 uni.img
sudo rkdeveloptool rl 0x9000 0x20000 boot.img
sudo rkdeveloptool rl 0x29000 0x40000 recovery.img
sudo rkdeveloptool rl 0x69000 0x10000 backup.img
sudo rkdeveloptool rl 0x79000 0x5500000 rootfs.img
sudo rkdeveloptool rl 0x5579000 0x1DC3000 userdata.imgAt that point it would be great to open the files in GHEX editor and visually check that the whole file doesn't consists of '0xCC'. If GHEX gets very slow opening large img files, try "hexedit".
Return the factory u-boot back:
sudo rkdeveloptool wl 0x4000 uboot_factory.img!!!Keep that dump in a safe place, it will help restore the dog if something goes wrong!!!
For reference, the size for each partition img should be as follows. Note rootfs.img is over 45GB and userdata.img is almost 16GB. A full backup may take over 1 hour. Please make sure the Go2 battery is fully charged. Also keep in mind the Go2 will crouch down and stand up during the backup process, so make sure to use a high-quality long USB-C cable that allows movement of the Go2. It may be a good idea to tape the cable to the Go2 body, avoid putting too much strain on the USB-C port. One owner reported his port has been damaged from repeated use.
33,554,432 backup.img
67,108,864 boot.img
4,194,304 misc.img
8,388,608 pre_uboot.img
134,217,728 recovery.img
45,634,027,520 rootfs.img
4,194,304 uboot_factory
2,097,152 uni.img
15,978,201,088 userdata.imgIt is possible to backup your Go2 running Ubuntu Live CD/USB (if Ubuntu OS isn't available) which doesn't install any new OS on the computer. Just make sure to install gcc, make, etc before compile rkdeveloptool. Also make sure to connect a large external hard drive to save the dump imgs, as Ubuntu may not recognize certain internal hard drives on the computer.