Please vote on what SD or rootfs images you want available here

I have the 3.0.42 kernel built and working very well now. The multi-boot u-boot is improved from the previous version with Linux on NAND support. I still have the last set of SD images. Those were only posted at a10linux last week, and have the bugs ironed out in them (unfortunately not as a result of any bug reports from the community). It takes no time to update the images and post them here. We need to decide what SD images to post here until full install scripts are available. Jeff has kindly offered a bit of space. But we don't want to use up a ton of bandwidth. Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu are the choices. But which versions of what was available at a10linux.org? It's up to Jeff how many I will post. They are very small now. I can post them all if you want. If you want them here then post your suggestions very soon.

Don't come back to this thread a month from now and say "I wanted Wheezy," for example, when Sid was chosen and nobody requested Wheezy. Same with all the others. You need to post now, and the final decision is up to Jeff what he is willing to host. He will need to post to this thread giving his okay. If he does not comment then I will have to assume he does not want the images posted on his site. Also please keep in mind that I'm not going to spend time continually updating SD images with new kernels, etc. That needs to be done through packages and a repository. If you want the images to get updated you need to help out by building the A10 specific pkgs and creating a repo. Nobody is doing that now. I had planned to do it at a10linux, but nobody offered to help.

Edit:

Here's the choices from what I have on my laptop:

Armv7hf Rootfs (no kernel or modules - platform independent - not specific to A10)

• Debian Sid armhf non-GUI minimal rootfs - 92MB download size
• Debian Sid armhf non-GUI server rootfs image - 184MB download size
• Debian Sid LXDE armhf rootfs image - 290MB download size
• Debian Wheezy armhf non-GUI minimal rootfs - 99MB download size
• Debian Wheezy LXDE armhf rootfs - 353MB download size
• Fedora 17 base armhf rootfs - 169 MB download size
• Fedora 17 non-GUI server armhf rootfs - 424 MB download size
• Fedora 17 LXDE armhf rootfs - 645 MB download size
• Ubuntu 12.04 LTS armhf minimal rootfs - 94 MB download size
• Ubuntu 12.04 LTS armhf rootfs with LXDE - 177 MB download size

SD images for Mele A1000/A2000 versions prior to version 1.6

• A10 Debian Sid armhf MythTV 4GB demo edition - 910MB download size
• A10 Debian Sid armhf MythTV 8GB demo edition - 910MB download size
• minimal A10 Debian Sid LXDE armhf 2GB SD card image - 299MB download size
• A10 Debian Sid armhf non-gui server 2GB SD card image - 201MB download size
• A10 Debian Wheezy LXDE armhf 2GB SD image - 363MB download size
• A10 Fedora 17 arm7hl non-gui 1GB SD image - 184MB download size
• A10 Fedora 17 arm7hl non-gui server 2GB SD image - 439MB download size
• A10 Fedora 17 LXDE arm7hl 4GB SD image - 680MB download size
• A10 Ubuntu 12.04 LTS LXDE SD card image - 545MB download size

The rootfs are already done, and are small and platform independent. I can post all of them immediately if Jeff gives his approval. The SD images are designed and recommended for Mele only due to the issues with the linux-sunxi uboot SPL. See the post below for more information about that issue. You get one choice for and against for each SD image. The Debian Sid Demo and Ubuntu already have been posted here previously. So if Jeff approves they will already be posted. My personal choice is for the Fedora 17 arm7hl non-gui server 2GB SD image. It is the best server image for A10 IMHO. My recommendation against one is Fedora 17 LXDE arm7hl 4GB SD image. The d/l size is too big for what it is, and Fedora has poor ARM multimedia support. This is not my site. Jeff has the final say on what gets posted, if anything.

Please post your choices below, one for, one against, for each forum user. Unregistered users cannot vote. When I get another device the SD images will be deleted from my laptop. You have until then to vote. Supposedly IMX6 drivers and devices are coming mid-Nov. It will take time to get that shipped. So you probably have a month or so to cast your votes. I will get the updated Debian Sid Demo and Ubuntu posted immediately if Jeff gives his approval. The SD images will under no circumstances be posted to any other sites by me. We already tried that. . . You can always mirror them if you wish.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2012 08:39AM by gnexus.

Hi gnexus,
That is great you continue your exellent work. Your images were the best I used but with only issue all are for 512MB ram.
Please consider noGUI Debian ( does not matter for me SID or Wheesy) but with support for MK802 II devices that has 1GB ram. Also for headless server would be great if you could disable mali chip to give maximum ram to system.
( and of course for MK802 devaise we need also CONFIG_USB_NET_QF9700 )
Thanks Babak

Ah ! gnexus is back to work... after bitching during two days long on this forum ;-)

Since your "images are the best", and you still have a mele,
here is what most people want: http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?6,10376

If you need pure hosting/bandwidth for images ready to be fully transfered to SD, i can provide.

And read this too:

Quote

I have no code experience and so “a fools guide to hacking Mele A2000″ would b preferable than expecting us to figure it out. On my Android phone l followed instructions to do simple things like rooting it,installing custom roms and installing Linux on it. But the information for the Mele seemed to be here,there and all over the place and made it seem a hard task

Bye.

Quote

the information for the Mele seemed to be here,there and all over the place and made it seem a hard task

That sounds exactly like the very first post to this forum. . .

Quote

a fools guide to hacking Mele A2000″ would b preferable than expecting us to figure it out

That is why build scripts, without any compilation, are needed. Jeff has always had scripts for installing Debian to Kirkwood NAND, but even after almost half a year or more there is nothing like that for Allwinner SD or NAND. Don't expect me to do anymore device specific tutorials. The web pages, forum and wiki at a10linux were lost. The only thing left is the latest set of images still on my laptop. Those are device independent armv7 rootfs images, and A10 SD images. I can u/l the rootfs, update the SD images with the latest uboot and kernel, and make a non-gui 1GB kernel. But that's about it. . .

There is plenty of tutorial info buried in this forum, and plenty of info in the archive README's.

It looks like plenty of new more powerful ARM devices will soon capable booting from SD. So if somebody does a SD script much of the code should be portable to a subsequent platform. Get hacking!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2012 08:41AM by gnexus.

Hi,
Vote for "A10 Debian Sid armhf non-gui server" with 1GB kernel.

abifar

Has any of the Allwinner A10 images working Touchscreen for tablets out of the box?
If such an image exists, i vote for it.

I'd like all of them if possible :), I can get them hosted elsewhere. If not :( then my vote is for Debian Sid armhf non-GUI server rootfs image.

I can't agree more iMX6 is looking very interesting although there no clear indication that Xorg hw acceleration is currently available. It will definitely give the Chinese SOC manufactures something to think about.

Well, unfortunately, it seems I actually spoke a bit too soon about the SD images. I should have though about the information from Henrik a bit more before posting this thread. According to Henrik Nordström (hno), the maintainer of the linux-sunxi uboot, we can't expect to boot reliably using an MMC SPL unless there is a specific MMC uboot for every different device! That creates a very big problem.The choice was from the SD images above, not others. I'm not going to create any new ones.

The images can't be assured of booting reliably on every device when using a uboot installed to the SD card. I can't assure users that my SD images will work. I'm not in the habit of releasing unreliable software. I don't want that kind of rep. So, unfortunately, I can no longer support installing uboot to the SD card for any devices other than the Mele versions 1.5 or lower.

I very strongly recommend you use the uboot on NAND. That resolves the SPL issues by avoiding any usage of a SPL.

The SD versions listed above will be for Mele A1000/A2000 versions prior to 1.6 only. You can try them on other devices, but they are not intended for usage on other devices. While the SD uboot included with the image may work for you I very strongly recommend you remove the SD card uboot and use the NAND version instead.

Quote

iMX6 is looking very interesting although there no clear indication that Xorg hw acceleration is currently available

According to the information I have read there is a NDA until mid-Nov. After that time Freescale will supposedly release video acceleration drivers for Xorg that supports most of the codecs. I don't play games so I could care less about 3-D. But if they release Xorg video acceleration drivers I definitely will be getting one or more devices to use with MythTV. If that doesn't happen, but they still have quad-core with good performance at a reasonable price, with SATA, then I will buy two to replace my Go Flex Net servers. I'm hoping to get at least 3 or 4. One or two for MythTV frontends, two for the server backends.

We have been through all this before, however, with the A10. I'm a bit more leery this time. Whoever meets the above specs first gets my support. I don't care about open source video drivers. But I want a functional uboot (at least netconsole, and preferably also SATA and USB support). That will likely remove Allwinner from any subsequent choices if they somehow manage to release a quad-core device this year, which is very unlikely at this point.

Quote

with support for MK802 II devices that has 1GB ram

Installing the uboot to NAND should resolve any issues with MK802 II or other devices that has 1GB ram. Not using an SPL avoids those issues and latest kernel is supposed to have better support for over 1GB ram. No need for a special SD version.

Quote

Also for headless server would be great if you could disable mali chip to give maximum ram to system.

I will post a non-gui kernel. You can use that with the existing images. But the SD image choices are only what is listed.

My vote:

PLEASE post A10 Ubuntu 12.04 LTS LXDE SD and A10 Fedora 17 LXDE arm7hl 4GB SD images.

These would be armhf?

PLEASE post A10 Ubuntu 12.04 LTS LXDE SD and A10 Fedora 17 LXDE arm7hl 4GB SD images.

Same as poincare, i'm not a bot, i also need bootable sd images with latest kernel and possibly working ethernet modules since i haven't been able to activate them using other images, thanks!

Hi I'm noob but i'll try to check for local webserver or other apps how as subsonic or torrents.
I own mele a2000 ver. 1.3 HMC-G32A01
Hi my votes are for:
Fedora non-gui server
Debian sid non-gui server.

------------

vote for A10 Ubuntu 12.04 LTS LXDE SD card image - with hiddev in kernel
Best,
a10ForAutomation

A10 Debian Wheezy LXDE armhf 2GB SD image

Hi,

i would love a headless Ubuntu Server LTS of any type for the MK802 1GB.

I also would offer to host the image. I have a server with some space and a lot traffic.

Contact me if you're interested.

Regards,

Pixelkalle

For: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS armhf rootfs with LXDE - 177 MB download size

I have no against. I disagree with against.

If we can arrange something I would like to have them all on my home server where I can upload using torrents only. It won't be fast. However even if 20 people are seeding it should be enough for everyone here.

If there is a image that is really popular I suppose they can be uploaded to dropbox and other cloud storages.

I'm not trying to sound butthurt or anything, but I already did offer free hosting on my dedicated server, since I mainly use CPU and have around 500GB HDD and 10 TB traffic per month spare.

But well, if nobody wants it, and you guys prefer hosting torrents which I can guarantee will have no seeders in a few weeks, then go on :P

The-Compiler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm not trying to sound butthurt or anything, but
> I already did
> offe
> r free hosting on my dedicated server, since
> I mainly use CPU and have around 500GB HDD and 10
> TB traffic per month spare.
>
> But well, if nobody wants it, and you guys prefer
> hosting torrents which I can guarantee will have
> no seeders in a few weeks, then go on :P

That would be great. However gnexus is sitting on all the files, not myself.

Hi,

I have put two images online, fully running:
- Ubuntu 12.10, 3.0.42+, latest Mali drv, xorg - base install with a simple fluxbox
- Debian Wheezy, 3.042+, headless, full network stack

(memory limit: you can always overwrite kernel cmdline with mem=1024M in the boot.cmd)
(MMC size: you can always resize the second partition)

Is there anything else?

Regards,

kirin1991 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PLEASE post A10 Ubuntu 12.04 LTS LXDE SD and A10
> Fedora 17 LXDE arm7hl 4GB SD images.
>
> Same as poincare, i'm not a bot, i also need
> bootable sd images with latest kernel and possibly
> working ethernet modules since i haven't been able
> to activate them using other images, thanks!

My vote is like poincare's too Guillaume :)
PLEASE post A10 Ubuntu 12.04/10 LTS LXDE SD and A10 Fedora 17 LXDE arm7hl 4GB SD images.
Those would be really neat...

Ubuntu 12.04 LTS armhf rootfs with LXDE - 177 MB download size
Please.

I would seed forever if a torrent is offered.
Well, not 24 hours a day. I might buy another A10 device to turn it into an BT "server". :D

------------------------------------------------------------
My A10 tablet (Point Of View [NL] ProTab2XXL 10" ICS)

is not there any link yet ? the topic was started October 28 .