Re: Getting Debian running on an EfikaMX Smartbook
Hi Konstantinos, mar...@genesi-usa.com said: On Sat, 24 Mar 2012 21:50:50 +0100 Martin Lucina mar...@lucina.net wrote: It says there, right in the first post: NOTE: No 2D/3D drivers have been included, as I'm in the process of converting these to multiarch and setting up the repository for easier download via apt-get. Stay tuned. Right you are, my message was unclear, I meant 2D accelerated drivers (for video playback,etc). Using fbdev works just fine for unaccelerated 2D graphics. Can you please confirm whether or not the image efikamx-armhf-20120226.img is supposed to boot out of the box on the Smartbook? Yes that's the one. Ok, I tried this again, and it seems to boot fine. I may have been confused by the lack of any kind of feedback (black screen) while it boots, but I'm pretty sure I waited quite a while and nothing happened... I understand that there would be work and time required to get display drivers into the mainline; that's fine. But presumably at least the pre-built image above can actually be used to boot a Smartbook today? yes. I'm now dissecting this to see if I can understand the boot process enough to change the text console to tty0 so that I can see at least some feedback that the machine is booting, and then I'll try and install it to the SSD since the armhf/xfce image is *way* faster than the stock Ubuntu install. Good work! One observation: In both the text console or X, when the screen blanks the backlight does not go off... no need to apologize, ARM has only just started to gain consumer attention and some things are a bit rough and experimental, though I believe in 2-3 years time it will be as common to buy an ARM-based laptop as it is for a x86 one (fingers crossed) :) Fingers crossed indeed :-) My feeling (coming from x86) is that the major thing missing is some kind of platform standardisation so that you don't need a custom kernel and bootloader for each and every SoC. We may actually end up thanking MSFT for pushing this through in ARM, assuming they don't lock alternative OSes out in the process :-/ -- Martin Lucina http://lucina.net/ (interwebs/blogs/rants/consulting) mar...@lucina.net (smtp/xmpp/jabber/gtalk) @matolucina(twitter) -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-arm-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/20120328185233.gc32...@nodbug.moloch.sk
Re: Getting Debian running on an EfikaMX Smartbook
On Sat, 24 Mar 2012 21:50:50 +0100 Martin Lucina mar...@lucina.net wrote: It says there, right in the first post: NOTE: No 2D/3D drivers have been included, as I'm in the process of converting these to multiarch and setting up the repository for easier download via apt-get. Stay tuned. Right you are, my message was unclear, I meant 2D accelerated drivers (for video playback,etc). Using fbdev works just fine for unaccelerated 2D graphics. Can you please confirm whether or not the image efikamx-armhf-20120226.img is supposed to boot out of the box on the Smartbook? Yes that's the one. I understand that there would be work and time required to get display drivers into the mainline; that's fine. But presumably at least the pre-built image above can actually be used to boot a Smartbook today? yes. As for the installer script, I only need that if I want to rebuild/customize your image from scratch, right? or to install to the internal ssd, yes. Yes, thanks, you've certainly reassured me -- apologies if my original post was somewhat ranty, I just had the feeling I had purchased another random embedded thingy with two-year old software on it I could do nothing about :-) no need to apologize, ARM has only just started to gain consumer attention and some things are a bit rough and experimental, though I believe in 2-3 years time it will be as common to buy an ARM-based laptop as it is for a x86 one (fingers crossed) :) -- Konstantinos Margaritis mar...@genesi-usa.com -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-arm-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/20120326162105.ccd1d7c927714ec1ac9ce...@genesi-usa.com
Re: Getting Debian running on an EfikaMX Smartbook
On 24 March 2012 21:24, Martin Lucina mar...@lucina.net wrote: However, these are more or less useless to me as they appear to not come with video drivers (I'm guessing that means no kernel framebuffer drivers), and requires access to a serial console, which requires a dongle I don't have and couldn't get as the Genesi Europe shop says it's out of stock. Hi Martin, Please check again http://www.powerdeveloper.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2196 The image and the installer script *do* include 2D video drivers, just not the binary 3D GLES drivers, for which I'm working on a separate armhf repository which you'll be able to use -almost there just a couple of packages missing. This installer script is a stop-gap until we get proper mainline support for the Efika displays so that you can install Debian armhf right out of the box on your system using plain Debian Installer (hint: we have 2D working on the Smarttop right now on 3.2.x, we'll make sure Smartbooks work as well before we release the display patches. Could anyone who actually has Debian running on the SmartBook please advise how to proceed? Or have I just purchased myself an expensive paperweight? As a matter of fact I am running Debian armhf on my 2 Smartbooks and 8 Smarttops (DISCLAIMER: I work for Genesi). In fact I had to as the Efikas were the first machines running armhf almost 2 years ago :) FWIW, I'm doing most (~90%) of my actual daily usage on the efikas, and only use my PC when I need to do some long compiles. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what you can do with the system, provided you know what you can expect from the hardware and dont' start comparing it to a typical PC. Hope I have been of help, but don't hesitate to ask me anything reg. armhf on the Efikas. Regards Konstantinos -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-arm-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/CABSEVwtduqwFwoY=OGUqg1Kptj8RBXxem3S=ob3npyfkiyo...@mail.gmail.com
Re: Getting Debian running on an EfikaMX Smartbook
Hi Konstantinos, Thanks for your quick reply! mar...@genesi-usa.com said: Please check again http://www.powerdeveloper.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2196 The image and the installer script *do* include 2D video drivers, just not the binary 3D GLES drivers, for which I'm working on a separate armhf repository which you'll be able to use -almost there just a It says there, right in the first post: NOTE: No 2D/3D drivers have been included, as I'm in the process of converting these to multiarch and setting up the repository for easier download via apt-get. Stay tuned. Anyhow, this is the image that I downloaded and installed on my SD card. As I wrote in my original email, after putting the SD card in the left-side SD slot and powering on the machine I get three flashes from the CAPS LED which would appear to be U-boot starting up, then nothing. Can you please confirm whether or not the image efikamx-armhf-20120226.img is supposed to boot out of the box on the Smartbook? couple of packages missing. This installer script is a stop-gap until we get proper mainline support for the Efika displays so that you can install Debian armhf right out of the box on your system using plain Debian Installer (hint: we have 2D working on the Smarttop right now on 3.2.x, we'll make sure Smartbooks work as well before we release the display patches. I understand that there would be work and time required to get display drivers into the mainline; that's fine. But presumably at least the pre-built image above can actually be used to boot a Smartbook today? As for the installer script, I only need that if I want to rebuild/customize your image from scratch, right? As a matter of fact I am running Debian armhf on my 2 Smartbooks and 8 Smarttops (DISCLAIMER: I work for Genesi). In fact I had to as the Efikas were the first machines running armhf almost 2 years ago :) FWIW, I'm doing most (~90%) of my actual daily usage on the efikas, and only use my PC when I need to do some long compiles. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what you can do with the system, provided you know what you can expect from the hardware and dont' start comparing it to a typical PC. Sounds good -- I got it precisely as an experiment to have a small cheap netbook around to take on trips. If I'm happy with it, the other thing I'm thinking of doing is building a custom installation for my Mum, with some kind of dead simple Connect to network, read my email, browse the web type UI. And sure, I definitely don't expect an 800Mhz ARM to do what a modern normal PC can do. I do most of my dev work on a 8 year-old Panasonic W4 (1Ghz P-M, 1GB RAM). Would love to replace that but means paying and ordering from Japan, so not right now. Hope I have been of help, but don't hesitate to ask me anything reg. armhf on the Efikas. Yes, thanks, you've certainly reassured me -- apologies if my original post was somewhat ranty, I just had the feeling I had purchased another random embedded thingy with two-year old software on it I could do nothing about :-) Cheers, Martin -- Martin Lucina http://lucina.net/ (interwebs/blogs/rants/consulting) mar...@lucina.net (smtp/xmpp/jabber/gtalk) @matolucina(twitter) -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-arm-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/20120324205050.gc29...@nodbug.moloch.sk
