Linux News - Page 356 of 457 - CNX Software

December 16, 2014December 17, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

U-Boot and Linux Source Code for ODROID-C1 Board Has Been Released

Hardkernel ODROID-C1 board, a more powerful $35 alternative to the Raspberry Pi, garnered a lot of attention when it was announced last week. At the time source code was not available, but as scheduled, U-boot and Linux source code is now available, and the full Android SDL should be released on February 2015. Instructions to get the code, and build both Linux and U-boot are available on ODROID-C1 Wiki, and I’ve just given a try to Linux instructions myself to see if I would encounter any issues in Ubuntu 14.04. Download Linaro GCC 4.7 toolchain from Linaro or Odroid website. Install the toolchain. They install it on /opt/toolchain, but instead I’ve installed in ~/opt/toochain, so I don’t need superuser permissions: mkdir -p ~/opt/toolchains tar xvf gcc-linaro-arm-linux-gnueabihf-4.7-2013.04-20130415_linux.tar.bz2 -C ~/opt/toolchains/ Add the following lines to ~/.bashrc export ARCH=arm export CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf- export PATH=~/opt/toolchains/gcc-linaro-arm-linux-gnueabihf-4.7-2013.04-20130415_linux/bin:$PATH To apply change, log out and log in, or run: […]

December 14, 2014April 19, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 18 Comments

ODROID-XU3 Lite Board Ubuntu Review – Setup, Usability, and Performance

After testing ODROID-XU3 Lite with Android 4.4, and finding a workaround to some HDMI issues, I could finally try out Ubuntu, or rather Lubuntu with LXDE instead of Unity, in Hardkernel low cost octa-core development board. I’ll start this review by explaining how to install and setup Lubuntu on the board, followed by running various program to test the system usability as a desktop computer with LibreOffice, Chromium, XBMC, and 3D graphics, and finally run some performance tests with Phoronix Test Suit, build the Linux kernel natively, and transcode a video with avconf. Setting Up Ubuntu on ODROID-XU3 Lite All firmware images for ODROID development boards, can be found on odroid.in website, and if you want Ubuntu 14.04 image, go to ubuntu_14.04lts folder, to select the latest firmware file for your board. The latest image for ODROID-XU3 (Lite) is currently ubuntu-14.04.1lts-lubuntu-odroid-xu3-20141105.img.xz, it’s the same for micro SD card or eMMC […]

December 13, 2014February 13, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

How to Modify HDMI Output Parameters in Linux for ODROID-XU3 (Lite) Development Board

Good news, I’ve finally managed to make HDMI output in my ODROID-XU3 Lite development board work with the Ubuntu image after some more tweaking. So ODROID XU3 Lite Ubuntu review is coming in the next few days. But first, I’ll explain the few steps I went through, in case others experience a similar issue. I downloaded, extracted, and flashed the latest Ubuntu image to a micro SD card with dd to give another try at running Ubuntu on my board, but no luck, I still got that black screen, albeit the system boots properly, as I got the command line using the serial console. During my Android review of ODROID-XU3 Lite, I noticed the system would always revert back to 720p60 video output, and HDMI output settings can be selected in /media/boot/boot.ini with the following content:

ODROIDXU-UBOOT-CONFIG

# U-Boot Parameters
setenv initrd_high "0xffffffff"
setenv fdt_high "0xffffffff"

# Mac address configuration
setenv macaddr "00:1e:06:61:7a:39"

#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Basic Ubuntu Setup. Don't touch unless you know what you are doing.
# --------------------------------
setenv bootrootfs "console=tty1 console=ttySAC2,115200n8 root=UUID=e139ce78-984"
                                                                                
# boot commands                                                                 
setenv bootcmd "fatload mmc 0:1 0x40008000 zImage; fatload mmc 0:1 0x42000000 u"
                                                                                
# --- Screen Configuration for HDMI --- #                                       
# ---------------------------------------                                       
# Uncomment only ONE line! Leave all commented for automatic selection.         
# Uncomment only the setenv line!                                               
# ---------------------------------------                                       
# ODROID-VU forced resolution                                                   
# setenv videoconfig "video=HDMI-A-1:1280x800@60"                               
# -----------------------------------------------                               
# 1920x1080 (1080P) with monitor provided EDID information. (1080p-edid)        
# setenv videoconfig "video=HDMI-A-1:1920x1080@60"                              
# -----------------------------------------------                               
# 1920x1080 (1080P) without monitor data using generic information (1080p-noedi)
# setenv videoconfig "drm_kms_helper.edid_firmware=edid/1920x1080.bin"          
# -----------------------------------------------                               
# 1280x720 (720P) with monitor provided EDID information. (720p-edid)           
# setenv videoconfig "video=HDMI-A-1:1280x720@60"                               
# -----------------------------------------------                               
# 1280x720 (720P) without monitor data using generic information (720p-noedid)  
# setenv videoconfig "drm_kms_helper.edid_firmware=edid/1280x720.bin" <strong>          </strong>  
# -----------------------------------------------                               
# 1024x768 without monitor data using generic information                       
# setenv videoconfig "drm_kms_helper.edid_firmware=edid/1024x768.bin"           
                                                                                
                                                                                
# final boot args                                                               
setenv bootargs "${bootrootfs} ${videoconfig} smsc95xx.macaddr=${macaddr}"      
# drm.debug=0xff                                                                
# Boot the board                                                                
boot

ODROIDXU-UBOOT-CONFIG

# U-Boot Parameters

setenv initrd_high "0xffffffff"

setenv fdt_high "0xffffffff"

# Mac address configuration

setenv macaddr "00:1e:06:61:7a:39"

#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Basic Ubuntu Setup. Don't touch unless you know what you are doing.

# --------------------------------

setenv bootrootfs "console=tty1 console=ttySAC2,115200n8 root=UUID=e139ce78-984"

# boot commands

setenv bootcmd "fatload mmc 0:1 0x40008000 zImage; fatload mmc 0:1 0x42000000 u"

# --- Screen Configuration for HDMI --- #

# ---------------------------------------

# Uncomment only ONE line! Leave all commented for automatic selection.

# Uncomment only the setenv line!

# ---------------------------------------

# ODROID-VU forced resolution

# setenv videoconfig "video=HDMI-A-1:1280x800@60"

# -----------------------------------------------

# 1920x1080 (1080P) with monitor provided EDID information. (1080p-edid)

# setenv videoconfig "video=HDMI-A-1:1920x1080@60"

# -----------------------------------------------

# 1920x1080 (1080P) without monitor data using generic information (1080p-noedi)

# setenv videoconfig "drm_kms_helper.edid_firmware=edid/1920x1080.bin"

# -----------------------------------------------

# 1280x720 (720P) with monitor provided EDID information. (720p-edid)

# setenv videoconfig "video=HDMI-A-1:1280x720@60"

# -----------------------------------------------

# 1280x720 (720P) without monitor data using generic information (720p-noedid)

# setenv videoconfig "drm_kms_helper.edid_firmware=edid/1280x720.bin" <strong> </strong>

# -----------------------------------------------

# 1024x768 without monitor data using generic information

# setenv videoconfig "drm_kms_helper.edid_firmware=edid/1024x768.bin"

# final boot args

setenv bootargs "${bootrootfs} ${videoconfig} smsc95xx.macaddr=${macaddr}"

# drm.debug=0xff

# Boot the board

boot

I actually tried a few settings in my previous attempt but unsuccessfully. Now […]

December 13, 2014December 13, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 27 Comments

WeTek Play Android & Linux DVB-S2 / DVB-C/T/T2 Receivers are Now Available for 109 Euros

I reviewed Wetek Play Android media player with a DVB-S2 tuner this summer, and although I found it pretty good for a dual core media player, and liked its PVR functions, more work was needed to fix several bugs, and improve “WeTek Theater Live TV” app. Several months later, they must consider their devices ready, as they’ve now launched their online store selling the DVB-S2 and DVB-C/T/T2 versions for 109 Euros, and a version without DVB tuner for 99 Euros, all including free shipping worldwide. Let’s remind us of the specifications: SoC – Amlogic AML8726-MX dual core Cortex A9 @ 1.5GHz with a dual core Mali-400MP GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 4 GB NAND flash + 1x micro SD slot Video Output – HDMI, AV (CVBS + R/L audio) Audio Output – HDMI, AV, and optical S/PDIF Tuners – DVB-S2, or DVB-C/DVB-T/DVB-T2 depending on model with two […]

December 12, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

PopMetal Rockchip RK3288 Development Board Features Multiple Display Interfaces (HDMI, VGA ,eDP, LVDS, MIPI), GPS and NFC Connectivity

Up to now, we’ve had mainly two development boards based on Rockchip RK3288 Cortex A17 processor: Firefly-RK3288 is a low cost development board powered by Rockchip RK3288 processor selling for as low as $140 shipped, and Radxa Rock 2, a more professional and expansive solution with dual Ethernet, 3G modem and so on. A third RK3288 board has now surfaced which offers a middle ground between Firefly and Radxa boards. PopMetal development board comes with 2GB RAM, 8GB eMMC, 5 video outputs / display interfaces namely HDMI, VGA, embedded DisplayPort (eDP), LVDS, and MIPI DSI, as well as the usual Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity, complemented with GPS and NFC. PopMetal technical specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3288 quad core ARM Cortex-A17 processor @ 1.8Ghz with ARM Mali-T764 GPU with support for OpenGL ES1.1/2.0/3.0, OpenVG 1.1, OpenCL 1.1, DirectX 11 System memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 8 GB eMMC, […]

December 11, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 24 Comments

Boot Ubuntu (Linux) or Android from an SD Card on Rockchip RK3288 Devices

There’s already a method to boot Android from an SD Card on RK3188 devices, which should work with all Rockchip RK3188 devices. Ian Morrison (Linuxium) has now provided a instructions to boot Linux or Android from a (micro) SD Card in Rockchip RK3288 based devices, leveraging work from linux-rockchip community, and especially naobsd. The Android flashing method is slightly different between RK3188 and RK3288, because most Rockchip RK3288 devices make use of eMMC flash, while older Rockchip RK3188 products feature NAND flash, and it appears Rockchip RK3xxx boot priorities (in the BootROM stored in the SoC itself) are as follows: eMMC, SD card, and NAND flash. All that means is that an updated version of the bootloader is needed which looks for a bootable SD card, and although very unlikely, your device could end up being bricked during this procedure. This is not a problem for Open Hour Chameleon since […]

December 11, 2014October 11, 2015 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

Mediatek MT8173 Quad Core big.LITTLE ARM Cortex A72/A53 Processor Code Submitted to Linux Mainline

[Update: MT8173 processor has now been announced, and it’s using Cortex A72 and A53 instead of A57/A53, as initially shown in the Linux kernel source code] Mediatek is not exactly known to compliant with open source licences, or be involved with the open source community. But the company is certainly going into the right direction with their cooperation with Google leading to source code release for Android One smartphones, and the recently launched Mediatek Labs for community projects, starting with LinkIt One IoT platform. Mediatek is also regularly submitting code to the Linux ARM Kernel mailing list, and yesterday code was submitted for Mediatek MT8173 SoC, a 64-bit ARMv8 processor with two Cortex 53 and two Cortex 57 cores in big.LITTLE configuration. As far as I know, it could be the first Mediatek SoC with “big” Cortex A57 cores. Code snippet from mt8173.dtsi related to CPU cores:

cpus {
+		#address-cells = &lt;1&gt;;
+		#size-cells = &lt;0&gt;;
+
+		cpu0: cpu@0 {
+			device_type = "cpu";
+			compatible = "arm,cortex-a53";
+			reg = &lt;0x000&gt;;
+			enable-method = "psci";
+		};
+
+		cpu1: cpu@1 {
+			device_type = "cpu";
+			compatible = "arm,cortex-a53";
+			reg = &lt;0x001&gt;;
+			enable-method = "psci";
+		};
+
+		cpu2: cpu@2 {
+			device_type = "cpu";
+			compatible = "arm,cortex-a57";
+			reg = &lt;0x100&gt;;
+			enable-method = "psci";
+		};
+
+		cpu3: cpu@3 {
+			device_type = "cpu";
+			compatible = "arm,cortex-a57";
+			reg = &lt;0x101&gt;;
+			enable-method = "psci";
+		};
+	};

cpus {

+ #address-cells = <1>;

+ #size-cells = <0>;

+ cpu0: cpu@0 {

+ device_type = "cpu";

+ compatible = "arm,cortex-a53";

+ reg = <0x000>;

+ enable-method = "psci";

+ };

+ cpu1: cpu@1 {

+ device_type = "cpu";

+ compatible = "arm,cortex-a53";

+ reg = <0x001>;

+ enable-method = "psci";

+ };

+ cpu2: cpu@2 {

+ device_type = "cpu";

+ compatible = "arm,cortex-a57";

+ reg = <0x100>;

+ enable-method = "psci";

+ };

+ cpu3: cpu@3 {

+ device_type = "cpu";

+ compatible = "arm,cortex-a57";

+ reg = <0x101>;

+ enable-method = "psci";

+ };

A short […]

December 10, 2014May 29, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Linux 3.18 Released

Linus Torvalds released Linux Kernel 3.18 last Sunday: It’s been a quiet week, and the patch from rc7 is tiny, so 3.18 is out. I’d love to say that we’ve figured out the problem that plagues 3.17 for a couple of people, but we haven’t. At the same time, there’s absolutely no point in having everybody else twiddling their thumbs when a couple of people are actively trying to bisect an older issue, so holding up the release just didn’t make sense. Especially since that would just have then held things up entirely over the holiday break. So the merge window for 3.19 is open, and DaveJ will hopefully get his bisection done (or at least narrow things down sufficiently that we have that “Ahaa” moment) over the next week. But in solidarity with Dave (and to make my life easier too 😉 let’s try to avoid introducing any _new_ […]