Linux on Minix Neo X7

[ChaosU]

Hi guys i have this request that we could get a Linux distro to work on the Neo X7.
I request this because i have lost my faith in Android and its combatability issues, lack of respect from app designers (like netflix, hulu, NHL gamecenter, NFL fame pass and many more stream services. Just don't run like they should on RocKchip devices and the aditude is just buy something we support), some apps even have bit rate restrictions on android apps vs the browser counterparts. And in general the picture quality in the android apps is a lot worse than on IPad and browser counterparts.
That's why I wish we could get a linux distro so we can use Linux XBMC and have a real Browser for streaming services. I know i ask a lot of a cheep device! But why should we buy an Intel NUC when we have a Neo X7 and in theory they should both be able to do what I ask.

I'm not a Hacker or coder nor am i a Linux wiskid but i do hope I will be happy with my buy of the Neo X7. As the state it is now just isn't good enough because of the way Android is being controlled and handles.
I know Finless and Levy has made light years of progress in the performance and stability of the device but they will never make the streaming services apps work as great as they do in a Linux distro or in a windows HTPC, because the app developers dont give a ship about our RK3188 device.

So i pledge you all who have the ability to make this dream come true.

[Finless]

There ARE people working on this. Most I can say.

Bob

[ChaosU]

Linux on Minix Neo X7

Bumb! No one here has any news and info about the Linux for X7? All I have see is there is a Linux Picuntu and on that site states its for RK3066 Rikomagic device.
Please if you find some cool info please share and Link to info.

[knawnd]

Bumb! No one here has any news and info about the Linux for X7? All I have see is there is a Linux Picuntu and on that site states its for RK3066 Rikomagic device.

Picuntu can be installed on RK3188 as well. There is some info on the web (e.g. here but googling on "linux rk3188" should help you too). There is even a similar thread on that forum.

Please if you find some cool info please share and Link to info.

As for me I don't like Android as well. I have much more experience with Linux and it seems for me more comfortable, flexible and functional. Moreover I don't like deb-based distro and prefer rpm-based ones. So Picuntu was not desirable solution for me since it is based on deb packages format. I could run OpenSUSE 13.1 on Minix neo X7 and ALT Linux (to be more precise it is Simply Linux - ALT Linux clone for ARM architecture). The last one has larger set of apps built for ARM architecture (even firefox, thunderbird, LibreOffice and GIMP) in comparison to e.g. OpenSUSE. So I sticked to ALT linux for the time being. But because there is no support for hardware-accelerated video yet (GPU Mali 400) I was not able to watch movies and there is not flash video support yet too.
I have dualboot system: Android is in NAND and Linux kernel is in the recovery partition with root partition on the sdcard.

As far as I understand the only thing missing is linux kernel module for Mali 400. Although there is source code for Mali GPUs Kernel Device Drivers, UMP Device Drivers and DRM Device Drivers it seems like it's pretty hard to make it work all together.
So we need some guru (maybe with Minix support) to have linux kernel for this device.
I believe some day it will be possible to have fully functional linux on Minix Neo x7.

[uannight]

Picuntu can be installed on RK3188 as well. There is some info on the web (e.g. here but googling on "linux rk3188" should help you too). There is even a similar thread on that forum.


As for me I don't like Android as well. I have much more experience with Linux and it seems for me more comfortable, flexible and functional. Moreover I don't like deb-based distro and prefer rpm-based ones. So Picuntu was not desirable solution for me since it is based on deb packages format. I could run OpenSUSE 13.1 on Minix neo X7 and ALT Linux (to be more precise it is Simply Linux - ALT Linux clone for ARM architecture). The last one has larger set of apps built for ARM architecture (even firefox, thunderbird, LibreOffice and GIMP) in comparison to e.g. OpenSUSE. So I sticked to ALT linux for the time being. But because there is no support for hardware-accelerated video yet (GPU Mali 400) I was not able to watch movies and there is not flash video support yet too.
I have dualboot system: Android is in NAND and Linux kernel is in the recovery partition with root partition on the sdcard.

As far as I understand the only thing missing is linux kernel module for Mali 400. Although there is source code for Mali GPUs Kernel Device Drivers, UMP Device Drivers and DRM Device Drivers it seems like it's pretty hard to make it work all together.
So we need some guru (maybe with Minix support) to have linux kernel for this device.
I believe some day it will be possible to have fully functional linux on Minix Neo x7.

What is the kernel recovery that you use it?

I have tried with 2 different kernels from this post:

http://www.freaktab.com/showthread.php?7737-Linux-Kernel-for-Minix-Neo-X7

and i have tried with 3 differents linux from linuxium.

I am using a 16 gb microsd with an adaptor for sd-card. I am formatting the sdcard with ext4 and recording the img with dd command from linux.

With these resources I am having a totally unstable x7, normally in a few seconds (5...10...50..) my x7 stop and is powering down itself.

Can you link the kernel recovery and linux version that are you using please?

Thx!

[knawnd]

What is the kernel recovery that you use it?
I have tried with 2 different kernels from this post:
http://www.freaktab.com/showthread.p...r-Minix-Neo-X7

I use recovery kernel mentioned in that post (full link to particular kernel I use is here).

With these resources I am having a totally unstable x7, normally in a few seconds (5...10...50..) my x7 stop and is powering down itself.

There is a thread on minixforums.com about x7 instability (in particular random shutdowns).

Can you link the kernel recovery and linux version that are you using please?

both I mentioned in that post.

If you experience the same instability issues on android too and with different firmwares then I guess you faced with hardware problem.

Hope it helps!

[uannight]

Thx knawnd!!

I have the problem only with linux, android runs perfect so it's a linux problem. I will try with a different sd card maybe I have a problem with it.

[uannight]

I have tried with other sd card and i have the same random reboot

[suites]

interesting

I have tried with other sd card and i have the same random reboot

thanks looks interesting

[knawnd]

linux with android kernel

Anat (aruangra) states in that message (s)he could boot linux with android kernel and all modules were loaded successfully although (s)he hasn't tried video hardware decoding on VPU.
I couldn't run linux from sdcard with android kernel (finless_ROM_19_kernel1080oc_cpu1704_gpu600_ddr667 .img) and linuxium's xubuntu 14.04 image.