[Arm-netbook] Side-Topic: Liberating PocketCHIP

[Jean Flamelle]

On 7/6/17, Pablo <pablo at parobalth.org> wrote:
> This is a quite late reply to some Emails on this list from May. I took some
> time to research and test.
> John, do you still work on liberating Pocketchip?

Got distracted trying to install parabola on an asus c201 (nothing can
write a sane gpt header to emmc it seems). Actually learned about the
deblob scripts seeing a script use them on the chrome kernel, so I was
thinking about running deblob in a u-boot directory and seeing what
happens.

My understanding (which isn't too reliable) is that the universal in
universal bootloader is that u-boot handles some operations that would
normally be handled by linux, including passing microcode and handling
some firmware.

> Good news is that I managed to install Debian
> Stretch (current stable) with Debian Installer on a USB-stick. The CHIP
> OS based on Debian by NextThing is completely left alone.
> I plan to write a tutorial to document my approach and will put it on the
> Debian Wiki.

Yeah!

>> I knew about the wiki, then again I believe someone else was asking
>> about one earlier.
>
> Yes, it was me.

heh.. Sorry ,xD I didn't know the exact url by heart and never got
around to posting it on da list as a ref later.

> I ditched all the custom NTC stuff and went for vanilla Debian. I have
> managed to install Debian Stretch (current Stable) on a USB stick
> using Debian Installer. I am using a self-compiled mainline U-Boot via
> sunxi-fel to
> circumvent the U-Boot version on NAND provided by the manufacturer which
> can not boot from USB.

I'm not sure if you mean version "of" NAND, but otherwise it sounds
like your saying they hardcoded it not boot that way?
Feature-not-a-bug?

> I had some problems to boot the rootfs after completing installation and
> solved it with help from the debian-arm mailing list (see this thread
> for additional information:
> https://lists.debian.org/debian-arm/2017/06/msg00027.html)
> I am only using Debians main repos and connect to the Internet via
> USB-OTG with the g_ether kernel module and a network bridge on my
> desktop.

That whole thing sounds like it was painful to get operating.

> This is libre enough for me.
> I am running Chip headless via ssh and have not tested video and
> sound yet. There may be some hidden quirks I am not yet aware of but so
> far it looks good.

I would be very interested to know if GPIO functions okay like that.

kudos Pablo!