I m a rookie of Linux ,Can Gentoo be install Firefly board ?

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titanfall · Post by **titanfall** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:59 pm

A few days ago, I saw a android development board when I am viewing some prifile for my study .
It can be installed android and ubuntu system and I m interesting in it very much. It is a android board ,
why it can be installed Ubuntu system ? Is it possible to install Gentoo system ? Should I need to
understand some about android kernel ?

regards TiTanF

Post by **NeddySeagoon** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 5:14 pm

titanfall,

Gentoo can probably be installed. You don't say anything about the board.

As a rookie with Linux, you should really practice Gentoo with more mainstream hardware.
A VirtualBox install will do.

As you say its an Android board, I'm guessing its a low power ARM board.

With Gentoo, you compile everything yourself, unlike Ubuntu where the software building is done for you.
This means that you don't build on low power systems if you can help it. They lack RAM and CPU power.
Instead, you build on more powerful hardware, then run the software on your ARM target.

Your VirtualBox install can be used to build software for your android development board, and you will have practiced a Gentoo install too.

titanfall · Post by **titanfall** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 2:46 am

NeddySeagoon wrote:titanfall,

Gentoo can probably be installed. You don't say anything about the board.

As a rookie with Linux, you should really practice Gentoo with more mainstream hardware.
A VirtualBox install will do.

As you say its an Android board, I'm guessing its a low power ARM board.

With Gentoo, you compile everything yourself, unlike Ubuntu where the software building is done for you.
This means that you don't build on low power systems if you can help it. They lack RAM and CPU power.
Instead, you build on more powerful hardware, then run the software on your ARM target.

Your VirtualBox install can be used to build software for your android development board, and you will have practiced a Gentoo install too.

Thanks NeddySeagoon
That board can run Lubuntu smoothly , I think it can be handled .

Current specifications for Firefly-RK3288 board:
SoC – Rockchip 3288 quad core ARM Cortex A17 up to 1.8 GHz with Mali-T764 GPU supporting OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0 /3.0, and OpenCL 1.1
System Memory – 2G DDR3
Storage – 8GB eMMC flash + micro SD slot
Video I/O
HDMI 2.0 up to 3840×2160@60p
VGA out (D-SUB connector)
VGA in is available via the expansion headers.
LCD, MIPI and LVDS
Audio Output / Input – HDMI, optical S/PDIF, microphone header, and built-in MIC
Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, dual band 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi with external antenna, and Bluetooth 4.0
USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports, 1x micro USB OTG
Expansion Headers – 2x 38-pin headers with access to SPI, UART, EDP, ADC, GPIO, I2C, VGA=IN, LVDS, MIPI, 3.3V, 5V, and GND signals.
Power Supply – TBC
Dimensions – 118 x 83 mm

Above is configuration . I do a reseach about this board , It can be used as a mini PC . And I want to make it become my mobile mini PC to do my daily job.
It is an open hardware project , their officail profile seems to be helpfull for Rookie like me . I can study step by step follow its wiki .
Thanks NeddySeagoon again

Regards
TitanFall

Post by **NeddySeagoon** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 4:26 pm

titanfall,

That's quite a good spec for an ARM board.

A desktop Gentoo install will fit in 8G but you will need 40G to build it.
An external USB drive or root over Network File Syystem will both work.
FLASH memory can be very slow and lots of writes will wear it out.
There are anecdotes of a Gentoo build destroying small early SSDs before it was finished. Flash memory has got a lot better since then.

I know nothing of the Mali-T764 GPU. It may be it only has closed source drivers, in which case they will be tied to the kernel version.

If you have one of these devices, try it with Android and Lubuntu to set your expectations.
I still recommend that you practice a Gentoo install on a more mainstream system. Help is easier to find.
After you have made your beginners mistakes, install gentoo on your Firefly.

You can even use Lubuntu to install Gentoo.

Genone · Post by **Genone** » Wed Oct 21, 2015 1:47 pm

It's almost certainly possible to install Gentoo on it, the question is only how tricky and time-consuming it's going to be. Don't expect it to be as straightforward as a desktop install, very likely you'll have to adjust the install process quite a bit, which isn't something I'd recommend for a "Linux rookie".

KAMIKAZE_ · Post by **KAMIKAZE_** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 11:46 am

I'm also interested in this idea! Any progress so far?

Post by **NeddySeagoon** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 4:01 pm

KAMIKAZE_,

There are generic arm stages and a generic arm install guide.
You will need to customise the install to your target.
Write it up on the Wiki when its done.

The biggest issue will be the kernel. You will probably need a kernel with vendor specific patches.
That may mean an old kernel.