$30 Beelink X2 with Armbian

Just received a Beelink X2 I ordered from eBay for $29.92 with free shipping. Downloaded Armbian and flashed the image to a microSD card, rebooted and ran the nand-sata-install script. Configuring the wireless was simple and now I have a Quad Core Arm system with 1GB RAM, 2 USB 2.0 ports, a microSD slot and a free 10/100 Ethernet port. I have a CP2102 USB-TTL Board in one of the USB slots for connecting to my various Kirkwood boxes and can use the other USB and/or microSD slot for flashing images for them. The 10/100 Ethernet port allows me to keep them isolated from my network until I have a current Debian image installed. I consider this < $30 system a bargain!

Ray

rayknight Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just received a Beelink X2 I ordered from eBay for
> $29.92 with free shipping. Downloaded Armbian and
> flashed the image to a microSD card, rebooted and
> ran the nand-sata-install script.
>
Did you have to first replace the stock u-boot with a 3rd-party u-boot to support booting from an external storage?

habibie Wrote:

> Did you have to first replace the stock u-boot
> with a 3rd-party u-boot to support booting from an
> external storage?

The Allwinner H3 devices are set up to boot from microSD 1st if they find a proper u-boot on the microSD, so the image supplied by Armbian boots without any issues. Then the nand-sata-install script will set up the internal nand correctly and copy the installation from the microSD card to the NAND. It couldn't have been any simplier!

Ray

rayknight Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> habibie Wrote:
>
> > Did you have to first replace the stock u-boot
> > with a 3rd-party u-boot to support booting from
> an
> > external storage?
>
> The Allwinner H3 devices are set up to boot from
> microSD 1st if they find a proper u-boot on the
> microSD, so the image supplied by Armbian boots
> without any issues. Then the nand-sata-install
> script will set up the internal nand correctly and
> copy the installation from the microSD card to the
> NAND. It couldn't have been any simplier!
>
> Ray
>
I thought you were talking about Beelink X2 unit?

habibie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> rayknight Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > habibie Wrote:
> >
> > > Did you have to first replace the stock
> u-boot
> > > with a 3rd-party u-boot to support booting
> from
> > an
> > > external storage?
> >
> > The Allwinner H3 devices are set up to boot
> from
> > microSD 1st if they find a proper u-boot on the
> > microSD, so the image supplied by Armbian boots
> > without any issues. Then the nand-sata-install
> > script will set up the internal nand correctly
> and
> > copy the installation from the microSD card to
> the
> > NAND. It couldn't have been any simplier!
> >
> > Ray
> >
> I thought you were talking about Beelink X2 unit?

I was the Beelink X2 unit is based on the Allwinner H3 processor. Beelink X2 on linux-sunxi.org

rayknight Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> habibie Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > rayknight Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > habibie Wrote:
> > >
> > > > Did you have to first replace the stock
> > u-boot
> > > > with a 3rd-party u-boot to support booting
> > from
> > > an
> > > > external storage?
> > >
> > > The Allwinner H3 devices are set up to boot
> > from
> > > microSD 1st if they find a proper u-boot on
> the
> > > microSD, so the image supplied by Armbian
> boots
> > > without any issues. Then the
> nand-sata-install
> > > script will set up the internal nand
> correctly
> > and
> > > copy the installation from the microSD card
> to
> > the
> > > NAND. It couldn't have been any simplier!
> > >
> > > Ray
> > >
> > I thought you were talking about Beelink X2
> unit?
>
> I was the Beelink X2 unit is based on the
> Allwinner H3 processor.
> Beelink X2 on linux-sunxi.org
>
So, the stock u-boot of a Beelink X2 unit supports booting a 3rd-party OS off an external storage? Does it support a netboot too?

habibie Wrote:
> So, the stock u-boot of a Beelink X2 unit supports
> booting a 3rd-party OS off an external storage?
> Does it support a netboot too?

As I understand it this isn't a function of u-boot, the Allwinner H3 processor itself will attempt to boot from microSD before booting from the internal flash. So if there is a valid u-boot on the microSD it will boot this 1st overriding the u-boot present on the flash. The Armbian image flashed to the microSD card has a valid u-boot, therefore when it is present the Beelink X2 will boot from that microSD. Hope this explains it better!

Ray

IC.

@rayknight - glad you like the armbian image and thankyou for sharing your experience.