Debian on Chip PC LXD8941

Ok, I'll try.

this uImage should be the converted zImage 4.20.6, with the appended dtb.

cat dove-chip-lxd8941.dtb >> zImage-4.20.6-mvebu-tld-1

mkimage -A arm -O linux -T kernel -C none -a 0x00008000 -e 0x00008000 -n "Linux-4.20.6-mvebu-tld-1" -d /mnt/sdg1/boot/zImage-4.20.6-mvebu-tld-1 uImage

should the 4.12.4 rootfs work out of the box with the LXD8941?

Marvin,

> should the 4.12.4 rootfs work out of the box with
> the LXD8941?

Yes, it does.

> cat dove-chip-lxd8941.dtb >>
> zImage-4.20.6-mvebu-tld-1

That's not the correct way to make uImage. You should copy the zImage to a temporary copy and use it. In the above, you've changed the zImage-4.20.6-mvebu-tld-1 permanently.

Try restore the original zImage-4.20.6-mvebu-tld-1 from the tarball first, and then.

cp -a zImage-4.20.6-mvebu-tld-1 zImage.fdt
cat dove-chip-lxd8941.dtb >> zImage.fdt
mkimage -A arm -O linux -T kernel -C none -a 0x00008000 -e 0x00008000 -n 4.20.6-mvebu-tld-1 -d zImage.fdt uImage

-bodhi
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ok,

then I'll try the unmodified 4.12.4. first. If this works I don't have to hack around for installing the new kernel...


For my understanding: You DON'T change the zImage and effectively only attach the dtb to the uImage?

Marvin Wrote:

> For my understanding: You DON'T change the zImage
> and effectively only attach the dtb to the uImage?

For this box, you need uImage with embedded DTB, because of stock u-boot. Thus, zImage+DTB = uImage.

zImage can be used in more modern u-boot (that supports FDT therefore can process DTB), along with DTB and uInitrd, all are loaded separately.

-bodhi
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Ah!

Perfect! That was the "missing link".

I didn't know that only the uImage needs the appended dtb.

It's working now!

Thanks for your help!

ooo k...

after the first boot my USB stick seems to have died... evaluates as removable media drive now...

I hope this is a coincidence O_o

Well, so I learned I have a lot of shitty USB Drives.

Everything is working now.

Is there something I could help with? What are the challenges for getting Display, sound and mmc to work? I have relatively good hardware experience, and general Linux knowledge. I'm only new to the low level hardware description and bootloader stuff for embedded systems...

Marvin,

> Is there something I could help with? What are the
> challenges for getting Display

Display is hardest. I have been procastinating about porting the old fbdev. I was hoping I can get the new DRM to work on these Dove boxes (I have the HP T5335z) so we can track mainline Linux DRM for these boxes. But I don't have a lot of free time so I have not even connected the monitor to my box (got one sitting on the shelf) :)) Perhpaps I should just port the fbdev and be done with display.

Sound and mmc should not be too difficult, if you are willing to spend time testing my suggestion (we don't have GPL sources so it is harder to find info).

-bodhi
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Quote
Koen
The stock system doesn't offer a terminal or ssh access

If you mean the original ChipPC firmware: You can enable a console by simply opening the inbuilt text editor, open the shadow file and remove the password hash from the ubuntu user and then activate console tty1 by just editing

/etc/init/ttyS0.conf

for tty1 and save as tty1.conf

after reboot, you can just go to the terminal by ctrl-alt-1

On my LXD8941 i can launch Xterm.

So if i can help

Hi gentlemen,
I am totally new to thin clients.
Bought 3 Chip PC LXD8941 from 2nd hand shop. When it boots up it always fall back to the original configuration and only Calculator andf Text Editor apps are installed. Access to USB devices is disabled. Tried varies tricks (hit del, Esc, F2, F7.. when powering on) to get into the Bios setting but not successful. Please teach me what should be done to get to the bios setting. Thanks in advance.
CP Leung

CP Leung,

Read this thread from the 1st post. I think Koen has looked into this, and others had some idea about how to do that.

-bodhi
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Bodhi,
Thank you for the reply. Will go through the thread again.
CP