[Arm-netbook] Flash Debian and U-Boot to a PocketChip?

[Pablo Rath]

Hello Grace,

On Tue, Aug 22, 2017 at 03:16:46AM -0400, Gpast_panama via arm-netbook wrote:
> Perhaps this is better suited to a reply than a new topic, but I'm not aware of how to do that with messages in digest mode so...

This was the reason why I stopped using digest mode for this list.

> Back in July, Pablo claimed at http://lists.phcomp.co.uk/pipermail/arm-netbook/2017-July/014340.html that he had successfully managed to get Debian Stretch running from USB on the PocketChip. 

I installed Debian Stretch on my *Chip*. I don't own a PocketChip.

> Could somebody explain to a novice (i.e. me) what the steps entailed to flash u-boot and then boot Stretch are? 

Necessary steps to install on Chip like I did are at least:

1. You will need some command line basics.
2. You will need a USB TTL Serial cable (USB to serial converter
cables) providing a connection between USB and serial UART
interface to interact with Debian Installer.
3. You will need sunxi-tools (http://linux-sunxi.org/Sunxi-tools)
4. Compile mainline U-Boot (build target is "CHIP_defconfig")
5. Download hd-media tarball and CD iso (see
https://wiki.debian.org/InstallingDebianOn/Allwinner#Installing_from_a_USB_stick) 
The wiki still points to testing, but current stable (stretch) works. 
6. Prepare the USB-stick like described and leave a large space free
(without a partition)
7. put Chip into fel-mode and connect it with another
computer. Use a "special" version of U-Boot via fel
(http://linux-sunxi.org/FEL/USBBoot#Booting_U-Boot_over_USB) and
boot Debian Installer on USB. 
8. Install with Debian Installer
9. boot and see if this bug report is already fixed:
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=866521
if not you have to manually update initramfs
10. Install firmware/driver for the proprietary wifi-chip if you need
it. I don't know how to do it and can't recommend it (thread title is
liberating PocketChip). 
Or use ethernet via usb-otg and connect
through a host computer. This is what I did. 

> A description of how to flash the OS to NAND would be amazing, 

As far as I know flashing to NAND is not possible with vanilla Debian. I
asked at linxu-sunxi IRC channel and the response was to stick with
NextThings U-Boot and NextThings Kernel if you want onboard NAND.
I installed on an external USB-stick.

>but even just a brief outline of Pablo's process would be great. 

See above. I know it is a long list. The result is a device with a quite
tedious boot process (see
https://lists.debian.org/debian-arm/2017/06/msg00033.html). 
Hopefully the described steps are not to intimidating to a
novice. You can work on it step by step. If you are still willing, I am
willing to answer your questions and add details where necessary. 
I have promised to write a dedicated page on Debian Wiki but I only have a short draft (offline) and it will take some time to finish.
I recommend you start with just the Chip
(take it out of the PocketChip enclosure). Once you have Stretch up and running
you can decide and research own your own if you can make it work with
PocketChip (see my discussion with David in the July/August archives).

kind regards
Pablo