Linux Kernel for Minix Neo X7

[chenac]

Hi All:


Since phjanderson post the android kernel source of Minix Neo X7, and with his great kernel compiling tool called marvin, I try to build the linux kernel for Minix Neo X7 to support Ethernet and WiFi.

Based on T428 linux configuration with default CPU/DDR speed,

Here is the kernel image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/oexklp2sj4...vin_neo_x7.img

Here is the recovery kernel image:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3a777coscj...7_recovery.img

Here is the .config and modification which I did:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/m2o6awrvg6...odified.tar.gz

To enable WiFi, please sudo insmod /lib/modules/rkwifi.ko

It is quite amazing that I could play 720p video without hardware acceleration, even some 1080p video could also play.

Thanks for all contributions from so many people. So we could run Linux on RK3188.

[dalcebolus]

Tried with linuxium files

Hi! First of all, thanks for this. I've been waiting for some good soul to step in and help with the X7.

I tried to use your kernel... loaded the RkAndroidTool.exe with files from here :
- loader: RK3188Loader(L)_V1.24.bin
- parameter: linuxium-nand-parameter
- misc: no misc, unchecked
- kernel: your linux_kernel_marvin_neo_x7.img
- boot: linuxium-boot.img
- recovery: no recovery, unchecked
- system: linuxium-ubuntu1204-desktop-rfs.img
- backup: no backup, unchecked

It boots to a minimal shell. So there is something I must be doing wrong.

Should I also burn your recovery image (linux_kernel_marvin_neo_x7_recovery.img) ? I tried but there is an error condition if I put it on the recovery partition.

INFO: Checking download data, Size (2638288)K, Checked(12016)K
ERROR: Download file failed

Perhaps it is not with the linuxium files that I should try... Total noob here. Further help kindly appreciated

Hi All:


Since phjanderson post the android kernel source of Minix Neo X7, and with his great kernel compiling tool called marvin, I try to build the linux kernel for Minix Neo X7 to support Ethernet and WiFi.

Based on T428 linux configuration with default CPU/DDR speed,

Here is the kernel image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/oexklp2sj4...vin_neo_x7.img

Here is the recovery kernel image:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3a777coscj...7_recovery.img

Here is the .config and modification which I did:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/m2o6awrvg6...odified.tar.gz

To enable WiFi, please sudo insmod /lib/modules/rkwifi.ko

It is quite amazing that I could play 720p video without hardware acceleration, even some 1080p video could also play.

Thanks for all contributions from so many people. So we could run Linux on RK3188.

[chenac]

kernel boot linux on SD Card

Hi:

This kernel is for booting Linux partition on SD card, and the partition's label should be linuxroot. I use lubuntu1304 linux image from linuxium. Sorry not to mention this in my first post.

I perfer to run Linux on SD card, because I am not sure about the lifespan of internal nand flash.

[sevo1984]

mk908 v.1

Hi All:


Since phjanderson post the android kernel source of Minix Neo X7, and with his great kernel compiling tool called marvin, I try to build the linux kernel for Minix Neo X7 to support Ethernet and WiFi.

Based on T428 linux configuration with default CPU/DDR speed,

Here is the kernel image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/oexklp2sj4...vin_neo_x7.img

Here is the recovery kernel image:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3a777coscj...7_recovery.img

Here is the .config and modification which I did:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/m2o6awrvg6...odified.tar.gz

To enable WiFi, please sudo insmod /lib/modules/rkwifi.ko

It is quite amazing that I could play 720p video without hardware acceleration, even some 1080p video could also play.

Thanks for all contributions from so many people. So we could run Linux on RK3188.

Would your recovery kernel work with mk908 v.1 (minus WiFi)?

[fr4m3]

This procedure will erase android, it's correct?
There's the possibility of dualboot and start linux from usb pendrive?
Thx in advice

[dalcebolus]

Ok, my noobness won't let me understand what you are saying right away.

Which linuxium guide should I follow? I guess I have to replace his recovery and kernel img files with yours, right?
Then I should use his lubuntu1304somethingsomething.img and 'dd' it to my sdcard instead?

Sorry for the nagging. I looked around but there is more than one linuxium guide, and old multiboot, and new multiboot, and... it's not clear to me

Hi:

This kernel is for booting Linux partition on SD card, and the partition's label should be linuxroot. I use lubuntu1304 linux image from linuxium. Sorry not to mention this in my first post.

I perfer to run Linux on SD card, because I am not sure about the lifespan of internal nand flash.

[dalcebolus]

Ok I found this guide:

https://plus.google.com/109451178006683865932/posts/ZkJteqRsesr

Swapped kernel and recovery partitions with your stuff. Flashed everything as it is shown there to the minix.

Then formatted an sdcard to ext4, labelled linuxroot, mounted and copied all from linuxium-ubuntu1304-lubuntu-desktop-rfs.img (found here: http://www.freaktab.com/showthread.p...K802IV-or-T428

The system boots, 'jumps' to the sdcard, system start goes on, it looks like everything will end well, and then I get a black screen , perhaps when it starts X.

My TV is 1080p... if that may give you a hint. But most probably it is just a case of me not finding the correct files/guide.

Ok, my noobness won't let me understand what you are saying right away.

Which linuxium guide should I follow? I guess I have to replace his recovery and kernel img files with yours, right?
Then I should use his lubuntu1304somethingsomething.img and 'dd' it to my sdcard instead?

Sorry for the nagging. I looked around but there is more than one linuxium guide, and old multiboot, and new multiboot, and... it's not clear to me

[chenac]

mini how-to

To run Linux, I used "Minix Neo X7 - Finless 1.6" ROM as the base, and flash either normal linux kernel or recovery linux kernel, and prepare a SD card with linux root.

1: The two kernels are provide for different purpose, that is
a) normal kernel is used to replace android kernel, so you will boot into linux directly, no android any more.

b) the recovery kernel is used to be placed on recovery partition, and you will boot into android first. Then use reboot app and choose "reboot to recovery" to boot linux.

2: To prepare linux root on SD card, just
sudo dd if=./linuxium-ubuntu1304-lubuntu-desktop-rfs.img of=/dev/sdx1 bs=1M , please make sure the sdx1 is right (like sdb1, sdc1 or sdd1). The side effect is that it need to resize later.

Hope this will help.

Ok I found this guide:

https://plus.google.com/109451178006683865932/posts/ZkJteqRsesr

Swapped kernel and recovery partitions with your stuff. Flashed everything as it is shown there to the minix.

Then formatted an sdcard to ext4, labelled linuxroot, mounted and copied all from linuxium-ubuntu1304-lubuntu-desktop-rfs.img (found here: http://www.freaktab.com/showthread.p...K802IV-or-T428

The system boots, 'jumps' to the sdcard, system start goes on, it looks like everything will end well, and then I get a black screen , perhaps when it starts X.

My TV is 1080p... if that may give you a hint. But most probably it is just a case of me not finding the correct files/guide.

[dalcebolus]

It finally worked. Thanks a lot! Strange though that I had to dd the system partition of Picuntu 4.5 to my SD (ubuntu 13.04 with XFCE I believe...) All the other ubuntu images caused black screens whenever X started.

Nice that I get to keep Finless 1.6. Now will look into linuxium multiboot. It'll be perfect once I set up my Neo X7 to boot to linux if an SD card or USB storage with a 'linuxroot' label is present, or straight to Android if not, without resorting to the 'reboot to recovery' thingie.
But again, thanks thanks thanks! I have Picuntu 4.5 with wifi now

To run Linux, I used "Minix Neo X7 - Finless 1.6" ROM as the base, and flash either normal linux kernel or recovery linux kernel, and prepare a SD card with linux root.

1: The two kernels are provide for different purpose, that is
a) normal kernel is used to replace android kernel, so you will boot into linux directly, no android any more.

b) the recovery kernel is used to be placed on recovery partition, and you will boot into android first. Then use reboot app and choose "reboot to recovery" to boot linux.

2: To prepare linux root on SD card, just
sudo dd if=./linuxium-ubuntu1304-lubuntu-desktop-rfs.img of=/dev/sdx1 bs=1M , please make sure the sdx1 is right (like sdb1, sdc1 or sdd1). The side effect is that it need to resize later.

Hope this will help.

[knawnd]

flashing firmware using adb via network

I wonder if there is any way to flash mentioned img files using adb via network (adb connect <device IP>)? It seems like that is the only way to access my minix neo x7 from linux PC since most of the GUI tools mentioned on the web are for windows and my device doesn't appear on the list of the devices produced by 'adb devices' when connected to PC via USB cable.
I would appreciate particular adb commands what would let me at the end to have dualboot minix neo x7 device with stock ROM and picuntu linux on sdcard.

[chenac]

I wonder if there is any way to flash mentioned img files using adb via network (adb connect <device IP>)? It seems like that is the only way to access my minix neo x7 from linux PC since most of the GUI tools mentioned on the web are for windows and my device doesn't appear on the list of the devices produced by 'adb devices' when connected to PC via USB cable.
I would appreciate particular adb commands what would let me at the end to have dualboot minix neo x7 device with stock ROM and picuntu linux on sdcard.

In Linux, put the device into bootloader mode( Use a pin to press the button on the device or run reboot bootloader in android ), and use rkflashtool(https://github.com/Galland/rkflashtool_rk3066) to read/ write the flash.

[knawnd]

In Linux, put the device into bootloader mode( Use a pin to press the button on the device or run reboot bootloader in android ), and use rkflashtool(https://github.com/Galland/rkflashtool_rk3066) to read/ write the flash.

chenac, thanks a lot for the hint! That way my linux PC is able to communicate with minix neo x7 via rkflashtool!
Thanks again!

[knawnd]

step by step guide on flashing linux on minix neo x7?

could someone, please, write step by step guide on enabling dualboot on minix neo x7? I have Finless ROM 1.6 but not sure now what images to what partitions I need to flash to have both android ROM on NAND and linux kernel on recovery partition and linux rootfs on sdcard.
On that page there are links to different files and partition images:

Loader: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B99O...F9tLVU4NWNrREk
Parameter: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B99O...HJvaTF0RTYtNkU
Kernel: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B99O...2VWa2huSUpEMnc
Boot: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B99O...2ZvSTBoU2VUZmc
Recovery: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B99O...zhVeXdoMzJ1VUU
System: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B99O...FppcHo4cXJFSEE

Is it correct that I only have to flash boot (multiboot.img) to /boot partition and linuxium-recovery-fb-fix-4-chromium-drm-hdmi-1080-boot-mk802iv-multiboot.img to /recovery partition? Do I have to flash Parameter and Loader files?

[Plokko]

To run Linux, I used "Minix Neo X7 - Finless 1.6" ROM as the base, and flash either normal linux kernel or recovery linux kernel, and prepare a SD card with linux root.

1: The two kernels are provide for different purpose, that is
a) normal kernel is used to replace android kernel, so you will boot into linux directly, no android any more.

b) the recovery kernel is used to be placed on recovery partition, and you will boot into android first. Then use reboot app and choose "reboot to recovery" to boot linux.

2: To prepare linux root on SD card, just
sudo dd if=./linuxium-ubuntu1304-lubuntu-desktop-rfs.img of=/dev/sdx1 bs=1M , please make sure the sdx1 is right (like sdb1, sdc1 or sdd1). The side effect is that it need to resize later.

Hope this will help.

Hello and thanks for the kernel, wifi and ethernet works perfectly!

I still have a major display problem:
- if i attach the neo x7 to my 22" 1080p lcd it flashes every 2 seconds (it alternates black screens from few to several seconds long)
- if i attach the x7 to the 22" with a hdmi to dvi adaptor it works (later on it may freeze but it last several minutes)
- if i attach the x7 to a 32" 1080p tv it works for some time then the tv see it as disconnected/out of sync and if it works even if the tv correctly read it as a 1980x1024 60hz input i can see only a part of the desktop.

(i tested everything (also) with the x7 original cable just to be sure)

I used the finless 1.06 rom,i tryed using your kernel or your recovery, i tried with 1080p,720p no_air,air and stock boot with the same results.

Just to be sure:

• i left checked everything (misc,kernel,system,etc.)
• changed the kernel with your kernel
• and the recovery with your recovery
• i tried the stock boot or the 1080p(finless)

If i use your recovery as kernel sometimes the monitor problem is gone but linux crashes with vga artifacts after few time.


I tried this kernel (sd card version using the same linuxium)

http://www.freaktab.com/showthread.php?6803-Linux-for-RK3188-based-TV-boxes

and (obviusly) wifi and ethernet don't work but the monitor works perfectly and it's stable.

Thanks

[chenac]

Hi Plokko:

In my Minix Neo X7, the display will flash only on the Linux start-up, and then it will become stable.

I also discover the hdmi-core.c of Marvin's rk3188-x7 is different to that of Marvin's picuntu3188.

So I recompiled a linux kernel with the hdmi-core.c of Marvin's rk3188-x7.
You may like to try:

Here is the kernel

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jmu0zqlj8hdo56k/linux_kernel_marvin_neo_x7_t428_1080p.img

Here is the recovery kernel:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yl8c1vs0114vqzn/linux_kernel_marvin_neo_x7_t428_recovery.img