Now available Ubuntu, Lubuntu or Xubuntu on the latest MK802IV or T428

[phjanderson]

I'm testing also an headless rfs with CloudnetGoCR9 and K-R42 since one week but no problems at the moment. I have build only a "minimal" kernel with 720p resolution. Eventually you can open an new thread for this topic because it could be hardware related, kernel related or also application related (I'm using postgresql, php, apache, ruby on rails, redmine, partkeepr).

Odd thing is that it only happens on large write operations, such as rebuilding the entire database from data read/processed from files. Other operations seem to run just fine. It might be related to how MySQL accesses the disk.

The sequential NAND write speed is not very great:

$ dd if=/dev/zero of=2delete bs=4M count=256 conv=sync
256+0 records in
256+0 records out
1073741824 bytes (1.1 GB) copied, 129.84 s, 8.3 MB/s

I can imagine that random writes will be even worse.


The setup is otherwise identical to a setup I'm running on a Cubox with a terribly slow single core 800mhz Arm CPU (Marvell Armada). The cubox has much and much better disk I/O though. Especially when run over SATA (it can reach 90mb/sec raw read speed and 40mb/sec when serving files with Samba over gbit). I'm running the MySQL database on the cubox from a microSD card though.

Overall things work much faster on the t428, except for the large write operations.

Perhaps I should try the same test again from a microsd card in the T428, it might be an issue between the nand driver and mysql.

[phjanderson]

Odd thing is that it only happens on large write operations, such as rebuilding the entire database from data read/processed from files. Other operations seem to run just fine. It might be related to how MySQL accesses the disk.

Mmmm, it seems to be a really strange issue with network connectivity. I'll try to figure it out...

[gen2thomas]

The sequential NAND write speed is not very great:

$ dd if=/dev/zero of=2delete bs=4M count=256 conv=sync
256+0 records in
256+0 records out
1073741824 bytes (1.1 GB) copied, 129.84 s, 8.3 MB/s

Same here for CloudenetGoCR9:

$ dd if=/dev/zero of=2delete bs=4M count=256 conv=sync
256+0 records in
256+0 records out
1073741824 bytes (1,1 GB) copied, 130,589 s, 8,2 MB/s

...and on K-R42 NAND

dd if=/dev/zero of=2delete bs=4M count=256 conv=sync
256+0 records in
256+0 records out
1073741824 bytes (1,1 GB) copied, 126,675 s, 8,5 MB/s

...but on K-R42 SD card (32GB class 6) slower

dd if=/dev/zero of=2delete bs=4M count=256 conv=sync
256+0 records in
256+0 records out
1073741824 bytes (1,1 GB) copied, 194,204 s, 5,5 MB/s

[phjanderson]

I was kind of hoping that built-in NAND would be a lot faster than a SD card, it is a bit faster but it's still pretty slow

[linuxium]

I was kind of hoping that built-in NAND would be a lot faster than a SD card, it is a bit faster but it's still pretty slow

I did some work on this earlier in the year:

- Tests predicting no/little performance improvement https://plus.google.com/109451178006...ts/hitdbEeCk3t

- Initial NAND testing https://plus.google.com/109451178006...ts/PsbQBNCbi1k and https://plus.google.com/109451178006...ts/A4qFEY1CXtA

- Benchmark nand vs sd https://plus.google.com/109451178006...ts/Svgvwhj8MJm

The key benefit of running from NAND was not performance related but the benefit of freeing up the SD card for use as additional storage.

[phjanderson]

The key benefit of running from NAND was not performance related but the benefit of freeing up the SD card for use as additional storage.

Indeed! I certainly find the NAND installation procedure easier than the SD card one. Thanks for all the hard work!

My expectations of it's capabilities as a linux platform are kind of too high. It's designed for android tablets/sticks and it does that pretty well. The chipset in my cubox, even it's CPU is so slow, is also designed for NAS purposes, so it has much better I/O and such. The cubox makes a terrible linux desktop though, the RK3188 certainly wins there with it's fast quad core CPU.

[jointherealms]

Hey, do we have a working kernel for the mk908?

btw on my tf700(asus tablet) we mount a loop image containing an armhf distro, the methods very easy, and with some modified init scripts allows you to multi boot multiple distros. Also allows a easy dual boot with Android, not sure if that would be the case here, i have little understanding of these tv sticks.

The disadvantage of this method is a reduction in IO performance, you can somewhat counteract this with with a swap partition on a class 10 microsd card.

If your running linux off an sdcard, then making a swap file on nand should help. Not sure whos doing the kernel work here, but cleancache, frontswap and zram all help with IO/ lack of ram issues.

[write-tome]

Flash Player NOT OK

Hi
I flash Your "linuxium-1080-mk802iv-nand-kernel.img" on my MK809III:

All went OK

A little slow, but OK

But .... firefox is without flash player !!!

Up to now I have done a lot of tentative but still NOT OK

Any help ?

Thanks in advance

[phjanderson]

Hey, do we have a working kernel for the mk908?

btw on my tf700(asus tablet) we mount a loop image containing an armhf distro, the methods very easy, and with some modified init scripts allows you to multi boot multiple distros. Also allows a easy dual boot with Android, not sure if that would be the case here, i have little understanding of these tv sticks.

The disadvantage of this method is a reduction in IO performance, you can somewhat counteract this with with a swap partition on a class 10 microsd card.

If your running linux off an sdcard, then making a swap file on nand should help. Not sure whos doing the kernel work here, but cleancache, frontswap and zram all help with IO/ lack of ram issues.

I think I tried this one before:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zpwebsites.linuxonandroid&hl=nl

It works but it's of limited use, for what I want to do with it.

[stranzenbach]

Questions on nand linux mk809III

Thanks to linuxium for his great work!

I have am mk809III with AP6210 wireless and i flashed ubuntu on nand with 1020p-t482-kernel using intructions above.

Some questions left:
- somehow my tv does not show the whole picture. I can not see some pixels (about 20) on top, bottom, left and right screen. Using raspberry pi there is a parameter file configuring "overscan". Something similar in linux ? (maybee xrandr?)
- if i need another flash ( lets say a new kernel) how do i get the device in flash mode since my device does not have a reset button? They spared the reset button.
- wireless and bluetooth not working. Should i have flashed 1020p-mk908IV-kernel?

Thanks for help
Eddy

[stranzenbach]

flash player

Hi
I flash Your "linuxium-1080-mk802iv-nand-kernel.img" on my MK809III:

...
But .... firefox is without flash player !!!

Tryed gnash?
apt-get install gnash

[ionutz]

mk908 got linux?

hello all sorry for bad english i come from romania. i have a mk908 and i want to run linux can i? if yes what i must to do? (post reply in english i will anderstend)

[gen2thomas]

I have am mk809III with AP6210 wireless and i flashed ubuntu on nand with 1020p-t482-kernel using intructions above.
- wireless and bluetooth not working. Should i have flashed 1020p-mk908IV-kernel?

There are some hardware descriptions for T428: http://linux-rockchip.info/mw/index.php?title=T428

It seems that you need another kernel for your AP6210 chip to get it to work.

[jointherealms]

@linuxium

I compiled a kernel from thesawolf sources for mk908 (i believe i have a v1 board, should work on a v3 also)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2x51avpm97hmos4/kernel.img Nearly everything works out of the box.

Only issue is it was intended to be an android kernel, so CONFIG_PARANOID_ANDROID_NETWORK is enabled.

To fix this just edit /etc/group and add this

inet:x:3003:*username*
net_raw:x:3004:*username*

(replace *username*)

Id like to ask if you guys have any success with hardware acceleration, seems their are a few possible projects (lime, lihybris etc)

What do you think is our best bet?

Cheers

[linuxium]

@linuxium

Id like to ask if you guys have any success with hardware acceleration, seems their are a few possible projects (lime, lihybris etc)

What do you think is our best bet?

Cheers

It is on the "to do" list once the source code has been tidied up.