[Q] Kernel support for TP2 only? - Touch Pro2, Tilt 2 Android General

Had a thought....
The Glemsom autobuild kernels are made for more than just one device; this is obvious.
My question is, would removing the support for other phones like Blackstone, Diamond, etc. have better stability with the TP2? Seems logical, but as I'm no dev I can only ask.
Perhaps my brain is working just a bit TOO hard...

maff1989 said:
Had a thought....
The Glemsom autobuild kernels are made for more than just one device; this is obvious.
My question is, would removing the support for other phones like Blackstone, Diamond, etc. have better stability with the TP2? Seems logical, but as I'm no dev I can only ask.
Perhaps my brain is working just a bit TOO hard...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see how... every device has a boardfile that are specific to that device - so if what you're trying to do is prevent code from being run that is specific to other devices, the boardfiles already take care of that...

arrrghhh said:
I don't see how... every device has a boardfile that are specific to that device - so if what you're trying to do is prevent code from being run that is specific to other devices, the boardfiles already take care of that...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I figured as much.. Thanks for clarifying

Related

Introducing aWaiter

a port of aChef to C#.
well... I decided to make a port of aChef today to C# and I've done it... the speed improvement (especially when re-building the OS.nb) is superb so I figured it's definitely worth releasing; credit of course goes to Ahlok_hk of course for creating the Java applet in the first place.
other than the speed... there is no real benefit to using this over the original aChef... it does not do anything special or new, although over the weekend I will be porting this code into my ROM Kitchen pending a complete re-hash of the design and layout
Special Note:
at the request of ahlok_hk, he has asked that I not release it... therefore I have encrypted the zip folder; if you wish to use this then feel free to contact me for the file password, but please only do so if you intend to use this for internal developmental purposes.
the Java version of this application will more than suffice for general ROM Cooking.
Revised Version
New version noticeably faster; array conversions from unsigned to signed are gone... application is now much faster! (AND IT ACTUALLY WORKS!)
fixed, and released.
as an additional point; should ahlok_hk ever decide to release his source code, I will also release the source to this.
hi there... an other rom cooking kitchen is released.... "romkoch" ....
futureshock said:
hi there... an other rom cooking kitchen is released.... "romkoch" ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know... I was testing it.
So, why would ahlok_hk be opposed to this release? Just curious...
Me too, especially that you can disassemble it so easily if you really wanna get the internals.
richy240 said:
So, why would ahlok_hk be opposed to this release? Just curious...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because this is a clone copy of aChef and it is release without my prior agreement.
Totally not necessary as he could just put the code into his kitchen but not to release just another aChef.
ahlok_hk said:
Because this is a clone copy of aChef and it is release without my prior agreement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said, I passworded it, and nobody's asked me for the password yet
I've created it for the common good, I have no interest in credit whatsoever, so if you'd like me to attribute it soley to you, I'd be more than happy to; the purpose is to collaborate and work together to improve efficiency, but of course I do respect your wishes whatever they might be... I just hope that maybe you'll see that this is a good, not bad thing
piopawlu said:
Me too, especially that you can disassemble it so easily if you really wanna get the internals.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could steal something when no one see you. But it doesn't mean you should do that.
Olipro said:
As I said, I passworded it, and nobody's asked me for the password yet
I've created it for the common good, I have no interest in credit whatsoever, so if you'd like me to attribute it soley to you, I'd be more than happy to; the purpose is to collaborate and work together to improve efficiency, but of course I do respect your wishes whatever they might be... I just hope that maybe you'll see that this is a good, not bad thing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I undestand your point. Anyway thx for password protect it.
ahlok_hk said:
piopawlu said:
Me too, especially that you can disassemble it so easily if you really wanna get the internals.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could steal something when no one see you. But it doesn't mean you should do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't it pretty much what reverse engineering is about? I am not saying it's good, but in some way this is what is being done all over here.
Personally I would like to have such a tool written in pure C, so that I don't have to download 20MB or more JVM even though it might seem more portable now.
piopawlu said:
Personally I would like to have such a tool written in pure C
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do it yourself: this "tool" would be about several tens of code strings. Theory behind it described here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=1143517#post1143517 .
...more portable...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pure C is more portable than java
Finally fixed the tool in its entirety; you know it was a single typo that has kept me going for ages wondering what the hell was wrong with it... either way, new version will be uploaded shortly.
ahlok_hk said:
You could steal something when no one see you. But it doesn't mean you should do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that is very true... but if you did that, they would no longer have what you stole you would have it and they wouldn't... clearly this is not the case with software.
Des said:
pure C is more portable than java
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why I said "it might seem more portable now" Anyway, right now I see no point rewriting this as I got JDK/JRE installed for other purposes. No more about it cuz this's going a bit off the topic.
ahlok_hk said:
You could steal something when no one see you. But it doesn't mean you should do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have decompiled your software. It does not work (!) for the
athena image, because of looking at +0x208 for the MSFLSH50 magic
instead of +0x200. Is this behaviour intentional ?
piopawlu said:
Anyway, right now I see no point rewriting this as I got JDK/JRE installed for other purposes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This program should be rewritten in C and released with the source code, so everybody will benefit from a working program.
Guys, i'm really surprised by the childish things like zipping
with password and not releasing the source freely
I don't know what the hell you're talking about; it's an unprotected JAR file; port it, or learn to know what's going on
cr2 said:
I have decompiled your software. It does not work (!) for the
athena image, because of looking at +0x208 for the MSFLSH50 magic
instead of +0x200. Is this behaviour intentional ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems the tool you're talking about is specific to the Hermes format (which has 8 additional bytes every 512 bytes).
Have a look at the ImgfsTools (originally by mamaich, enhanced version by me) available here. They should do all aChef/aWaiter can do (as far as I understood aChef), but are not specific to Hermes images.
Oh, and the source code for these tools is available from me, just ask if you want it.
Cheers
Daniel
tadzio said:
Have a look at the ImgfsTools (originally by mamaich, enhanced version by me) available here. They should do all aChef/aWaiter can do (as far as I understood aChef), but are not specific to Hermes images.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The imgfstools can't load the decompression dll in wine for some reason (i don't have a computer with windows). I could have used rdmsflsh.pl, but it also needs
the decompression dll. The XPR compression from this dll seems to be irrelevant, and LZX is implemented in libmspack (cabextract).
Or course i can port the lzx decompressor code from libmspack,
but it's a pity that no ready solution already exists.
The java code may have been ok, but it does not work too.

[Q] What the difference between the Android Development and Original?

I know this seems to be prety obvious, but I didn't get it! What are the differences?
FelipeRRM said:
I know this seems to be prety obvious, but I didn't get it! What are the differences?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing right now....
However, Original is supposed to be for original development that's not just a rehash of stock firmware or apps (CM7, MIUI, etc...). However, the moderator obviously doesn't know this himself, making it just a divided forum, one with some stuff and the other with some more. There's no rhyme or reason to it.
The essential is one is original the other takes bits from others and rebuilds .
In theory that is as all seem to borrow bits .
jje
I dont get it either ... wateva ... and also not completly setisfied with this statement...
JJEgan said:
The essential is one is original the other takes bits from others and rebuilds .
In theory that is as all seem to borrow bits .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and then
Originally Posted by FelipeRRM View Post
I know this seems to be prety obvious, but I didn't get it! What are the differences?
Nothing right now....
However, Original is supposed to be for original development that's not just a rehash of stock firmware or apps (CM7, MIUI, etc...). However, the moderator obviously doesn't know this himself, making it just a divided forum, one with some stuff and the other with some more. There's no rhyme or reason to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

[Q] raw android / general software situation on the Xperia S

Hi all,
I am noob at XDA. (About myself: I am a software engineer aged 30. I have been hacking computers since I was 10.)
I am here because I am planning to buy a new Android device soon. (And unless something really revolutionary happens, I don't plan to upgrade it in the next 2 years or so, so it's a long-term decision.)
My short-list is:
- HTC One S
- Sony Xperia S
or, if everything else fails:
- Samsung Galaxy Nexus
The hardware of the One S and the Xperia S is obviously more powerful than the Galaxy Nexus; my only concern is the software side of things.
The thing is, I really don't like the customization the hardware vendors do with the software, so I want to run raw vanilla AOSP, or something very close to it.
(CM definitely qualifies.)
Also, I am sick of waiting for ages for new android versions to be ported to my device.
Obviously, Galaxy Nexus is guaranteed to be get Android upgrades first, so that's a safe choice in this respect, but since I like the hardware of Xperia S (and One S) so much, I would like to gain a better understanding the software situation of them, so I can make an informed decision about my purchase.
I am aware of the fact that Sony is actively supporting the Free Xperia Team, which is bringing CM9 to Nozomi (among other devices), but I have no information about the details of the project, or it's limitations.
So, my questions are the following:
1. What is the exact nature of the support Sony is providing to the FXP team? (HW? HW docs? Binary drivers? Driver source? Consultation?) Has this changed in any way, now that Sony Ericsson has become Sony? Was this a one-time action, or have they made any commitment about the future?
2. What does one need to build a vanilla android ROM for the S, using the AOSP sources? (Let's forget Cyanogenmod for now.) What is the status of the required device drivers?
3. What are the current obstacles, hindering the release of CM9 (or any other derivative of AOSP) for this device? As far as I know, Nozomi was released in 2012.02, ~4 months ago. ICS was released in 2011.10, ~8 months ago. Official ICS (Sony's version, with Timescape) is rolling out about now; CM9 is not yet released. I wonder what is taking so long?
(Please understand that I really, literally wonder: I am not demanding anything, and I am not trying to offend or accuse anyone; I am totally aware that I don't understand the process; I would like to have more information to understand what needs to be done. And since I am software engineer, and I am not afraid of getting my hand dirty, so eventually, I might end up helping with it...)
4. Do we have any information about Sony's plan for this device beyond ICS? Jelly Bean is coming up soon. Regardless of Sony's decision, when JB is released, I would like to run it on my device, as soon as possible. What are our prospects for porting JB to Nozomi? Is Sony going to help with porting the device drivers to the new kernel, is something like that would come up?
* * *
Thank you for explaining this:
Csillag
1) No one knows for sure, but I'm pretty sure that it's not game changing, judging by the progress me and Doomlord made on AOKP without any help from Sony (obviously).
2) You can try building Gingerbread, but no one cares, right? For ICS, see the next answer.
3) The most important problem is that we don't have the drivers/kernel sources, and there's not much motivation for building it from scratch considering the soon(ish) ICS release. There are leaks with files for so called 'brown' or developer devices, but they also don't give much because of different low-level software. So the state of things is that almost everything but wireless is working, but wireless doesn't work at all. That means data, calls and WiFi.
4) JellyBean will likely be a minor upgrade (4.1 that is) and there's nothing stopping Sony from releasing anything on the 4.x branch. When 5.0 comes, it will depend on the hardware requirements but I'd guess we're getting it too.
K900 said:
1) No one knows for sure,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is that possible?
The FXP guys (bin4ry, jerpelea, etc) are here on these forums...
... did they have to swear secrecy, even about the circumstances?
but I'm pretty sure that it's not game changing, judging by the progress me and Doomlord made on AOKP without any help from Sony (obviously).
2) You can try building Gingerbread, but no one cares, right? For ICS, see the next answer.
3) The most important problem is that we don't have the drivers/kernel sources,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean we don't have the kernel sources for ICS, right? Because for GB, we do have something, in this thread... I guess I should ask this in the relevant thread, but has anybody determined the exact differences between this source and the stock ( 2.6.35 ? ) kernel this is based on? How many non-standard drivers are there? Do they come from Sony directly, or do they come from 3rd parties? I will need to look into this...
and there's not much motivation for building it from scratch considering the soon(ish) ICS release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And according to past experience, how long does it take Sony to release the kernel for ICS, after the imminent official ICS release?
There are leaks with files for so called 'brown' or developer devices, but they also don't give much because of different low-level software. So the state of things is that almost everything but wireless is working, but wireless doesn't work at all. That means data, calls and WiFi.
4) JellyBean will likely be a minor upgrade (4.1 that is) and there's nothing stopping Sony from releasing anything on the 4.x branch. When 5.0 comes, it will depend on the hardware requirements but I'd guess we're getting it too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, that part sound good.
* * *
Thank you for explaining:
Csillag
csillag said:
How is that possible?
The FXP guys (bin4ry, jerpelea, etc) are here on these forums...
... did they have to swear secrecy, even about the circumstances?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't seen them tell anyone, and I've never seen them do anything that's not available for everyone else (thankfully).
csillag said:
You mean we don't have the kernel sources for ICS, right? Because for GB, we do have something, in this thread... I guess I should ask this in the relevant thread, but has anybody determined the exact differences between this source and the stock ( 2.6.35 ? ) kernel this is based on? How many non-standard drivers are there? Do they come from Sony directly, or do they come from 3rd parties? I will need to look into this...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are kernel sources for GB, the same ones from which the stock kernel was built. If you mean the upstream Linux kernel, it'll be a huge diff that's not so easy to port without datasheets (which we don't have) and actual understanding of how the hardware works. Speaking of drivers, I'm pretty sure you misunderstand the way Linux / Android 'drivers' work. Kernel-space drivers (modules) and userspace drivers (libraries and daemons) are two different things. They have to open source their kernels because Linus's tree ('official' Linux) is GPL, but the userspace parts are proprietary. ICS also brought many ABI changes, so just taking old libs and placing them in a new ROM often doesn't suffice.
csillag said:
And according to past experience, how long does it take Sony to release the kernel for ICS, after the imminent official ICS release?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It takes time, can't say how long really, but it shouldn't take too long because they know we want those sources.
K900 said:
I haven't seen them tell anyone, and I've never seen them do anything that's not available for everyone else (thankfully).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you seen them being explicitly asked about this?
(Because not saying anything because not being asked is completely different that refusing to reveal this info....)
There are kernel sources for GB, the same ones from which the stock kernel was built. If you mean the upstream Linux kernel,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that was what I have meant when I wrote "stock". Now I see that it was ambiguous wording...
it'll be a huge diff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's sad.
I was hoping for finding only some added drivers, plus some small configuration changes elsewhere.
that's not so easy to port without datasheets
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
obviously
(which we don't have)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We don't have it, but the "official" FreeXperia team might, or they might be able to ask for it. This is exactly the kind of information I am trying to find about their collaboration with Sony...
and actual understanding of how the hardware works. Speaking of drivers, I'm pretty sure you misunderstand the way Linux / Android 'drivers' work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, actually I get that part. (I am exclusively using Linux for about 13 years now, and I have also done some kernel hacks earlier.) But maybe my wording was ambiguous again...
Kernel-space drivers (modules) and userspace drivers (libraries and daemons) are two different things. They have to open source their kernels because Linus's tree ('official' Linux) is GPL,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that does not stop some vendors (like NVidia) to ship binary kernel modules, so I would not be too surprised to find even binary kernel modules bundled with the code. But if they are open source, that that's great.
but the userspace parts are proprietary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not know the devices require userspace parts. I was assuming that the kernel modules implement standard linux device interfaces; for example cameras are simply accessible via v4l[2], the modem is a character device, etc...
...so you say this is not the situation, and besides the kernel modules, they require custom user-space parts for operation, right?
ICS also brought many ABI changes, so just taking old libs and placing them in a new ROM often doesn't suffice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that part is clean.
It takes time, can't say how long really, but it shouldn't take too long because they know we want those sources.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, you say that it's a totally possible situation that we need to wait for several further months until we can get access to the kernel sources, and build proper CM9, right?
Unfortunately, this is exactly what I would like to avoid.
Maybe I should just stick to Galaxy Nexus, in spite of the older hardware...
Thank you for explaining:
Csillag
csillag said:
Have you seen them being explicitly asked about this?
(Because not saying anything because not being asked is completely different that refusing to reveal this info....)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They tend to ignore such questions. PM me if you want my personal opinion, I'll try to stick to the facts here.
csillag said:
Yes, that was what I have meant when I wrote "stock". Now I see that it was ambiguous wording...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nevermind.
csillag said:
That's sad.
I was hoping for finding only some added drivers, plus some small configuration changes elsewhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They add some stuff, but they also change stuff internally. Tweaks and patches and many different things to get the best performance on this specific board. CAF has a generic msm-3.0 kernel, but that's not as customized. And we're not really waiting for the kernelspace here.
csillag said:
We don't have it, but the "official" FreeXperia team might, or they might be able to ask for it. This is exactly the kind of information I am trying to find about their collaboration with Sony...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Such things are very, very strongly NDA protected. That's Qualcomm's secret sauce, and it wouldn't be secret any more if they gave datasheets to the community.
csillag said:
No, actually I get that part. (I am exclusively using Linux for about 13 years now, and I have also done some kernel hacks earlier.) But maybe my wording was ambiguous again...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nevermind
csillag said:
Well, that does not stop some vendors (like NVidia) to ship binary kernel modules, so I would not be too surprised to find even binary kernel modules bundled with the code. But if they are open source, that that's great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually what NVIDIA does is ship a GPL'ed kernel module whose only function is to set up an interface through which the userspace (libGL) can talk to the hardware. So their kernel module is open source, but all the magic happens in the proprietary userspace.
csillag said:
I did not know the devices require userspace parts. I was assuming that the kernel modules implement standard linux device interfaces; for example cameras are simply accessible via v4l[2], the modem is a character device, etc...
...so you say this is not the situation, and besides the kernel modules, they require custom user-space parts for operation, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android has a HAL of its own, so mostly it's about HAL modules, libGL and libril (Radio Interface Layer) to talk to the modem. And here is where many hardware vendors pull an NVIDIA.
csillag said:
So, you say that it's a totally possible situation that we need to wait for several further months until we can get access to the kernel sources, and build proper CM9, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the kernel isn't that much of a problem. If we have to wait for too long, we'll just take CodeAurora msm-3.0 and port it which shouldn't be too hard cause it's as generic as possible.
csillag said:
Maybe I should just stick to Galaxy Nexus, in spite of the older hardware...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want AOSP now, you should go with the GNex. But the XPS is a nice phone, and the prospects with AOSP are good. Also would be nice to have someone more experienced with Linux (I'm just a student here) on the team/forums. If you get the XPS, PM me or Doomlord and I hope you'll help get AOKP running

Official Ubuntu on prime

http://www.jonobacon.org/2012/10/26/ubuntu-core-on-the-nexus-7/
Looks like we might have a good chance at a good stable build of ubuntu.Since the nexus 7 shares almost all the main components with our prime.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
zanzee said:
http://www.jonobacon.org/2012/10/26/ubuntu-core-on-the-nexus-7/
Looks like we might have a good chance at a good stable build of ubuntu.Since the nexus 7 shares almost all the main components with our prime.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fingers crossed !!
Lilstevie has been working on a version but its very very secretive and i'm not sure he has much time to do it now.
sounds good. can't wait to have it :fingers-crossed:
that would be great to have Ubuntu running naively on the prime!!
I can't wait. Running with chroot and vnc is not the same and it gets sluggish
Danny-B- said:
Fingers crossed !!
Lilstevie has been working on a version but its very very secretive and i'm not sure he has much time to do it now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are confusing secretive with lacking in time. Some things don't get shared, because otherwise everyone bugs me about it, and the little time I do have for things ends up being eaten up by those people. Other things don't get shared because they are simply tests that may or may not even pan out.
lilstevie said:
you are confusing secretive with lacking in time. Some things don't get shared, because otherwise everyone bugs me about it, and the little time I do have for things ends up being eaten up by those people. Other things don't get shared because they are simply tests that may or may not even pan out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Naa i appreciate your busy matey, i know your at uni and doing other things its just whenever anyone asks about the Ubuntu project its usually met with silence.
I honestly think you should start your own thread about your project and update whenever you have the time etc ... i know there are some members that just want want want, but theres plenty that would support your work and be greatful that your just trying your best ... hey no one else can do it !
My comment wasnt ment to be a flame, i'm patiently waiting myself for anything you can come up with, its just sometimes i'd love to know how far your getting etc
tbh i've been desperate to get ubuntu on this thing since i bought it... now i've bought a new laptop, i barely use it anymore.
Danny-B- said:
Naa i appreciate your busy matey, i know your at uni and doing other things its just whenever anyone asks about the Ubuntu project its usually met with silence.
I honestly think you should start your own thread about your project and update whenever you have the time etc ... i know there are some members that just want want want, but theres plenty that would support your work and be greatful that your just trying your best ... hey no one else can do it !
My comment wasnt ment to be a flame, i'm patiently waiting myself for anything you can come up with, its just sometimes i'd love to know how far your getting etc
tbh i've been desperate to get ubuntu on this thing since i bought it... now i've bought a new laptop, i barely use it anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't interpret what you said as a flame, I was just "going on record" so to speak The development cycle is rather unique due to the device specificities so I have been avoiding creating a new thread so I can keep focused on that. I will be creating a thread soon(tm) for a preview build though (no eta).
lilstevie said:
I didn't interpret what you said as a flame, I was just "going on record" so to speak The development cycle is rather unique due to the device specificities so I have been avoiding creating a new thread so I can keep focused on that. I will be creating a thread soon(tm) for a preview build though (no eta).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This shouldn't be too hard I hope. Considering the prime and n7 share almost everything. The rear cam/keyboard and microsd might be issues. But the kernel may just pickup the cam/microsd.
zanzee said:
This shouldn't be too hard I hope. Considering the prime and n7 share almost everything. The rear cam/keyboard and microsd might be issues. But the kernel may just pickup the cam/microsd.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no, they are not similar devices, they share a cpu/gpu combo, that is pretty much the end of it.
One question it always bug me. When canonical first started to talk about their project some people mention it would be like an app you download out of the market. But if a new kernel is needed, that's not possible, right? The pad would even need to be unlocked.
ScriptJunkie said:
One question it always bug me. When canonical first started to talk about their project some people mention it would be like an app you download out of the market. But if a new kernel is needed, that's not possible, right? The pad would even need to be unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most likely yes. Most users looking for Ubuntu are probably unlocked considering that usually flashing anything besides an update requires unlocking.
ScriptJunkie said:
One question it always bug me. When canonical first started to talk about their project some people mention it would be like an app you download out of the market. But if a new kernel is needed, that's not possible, right? The pad would even need to be unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Canonical said no such thing, ubuntu-on-android is something entirely different to this, it works much like splashtop does on the atrix. They also never said that end users would be able to access it from the play store, it requires being integrated by OEMs.
lilstevie said:
Canonical said no such thing, ubuntu-on-android is something entirely different to this, it works much like splashtop does on the atrix. They also never said that end users would be able to access it from the play store, it requires being integrated by OEMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wasn't clear, what I meant is that after canonical's anoncement I heard rumors from random people talking about that. And that always bugged me cuz I couldn't figure out how would they pull that off. But what u said makes more sense.

Native Linux in an Atrix, possible?

My Atrix got it's case cracked and the touch-screen display died, and given I already got a replacement phone I feel a bit adventurous. I wanted to see if I could build my own computer with what remains, so I wanted to run Linux natively (no Android). Given that there's a Linux 4 Tegra from Nvidia:
Is there a chance that I could build my own distro based on that?
Should I use another kernel (like the one currently used in gingerbread or CM7)?
Please note that I'm not trying to do webtop.
I thought of building my own handheld with the Atrix, or what remains of it. So any tips on how to get started would be great.
Cheers!
wrong section
ovitz said:
wrong section
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Umm... what section would you suggest other than Q&A?
It was moved. Sorry 'bout that. I was under the impression that development questions were on the other forum...
"Android development" is in the description. I think they keep that forum just for Android-specific things, even though Android is just a flavor of linux.
tonglebeak said:
"Android development" is in the description. I think they keep that forum just for Android-specific things, even though Android is just a flavor of linux.
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You're being way too literal. It's been used for all sorts of non-Android dev multiple times. Right now, Boot2Gecko is right there. The fact of the matter is that when it pertains to dev questions, this post would most likely be answered there. I'm pretty sure it'll die here on this forum with barely any useful answer, if at all.
The development section is mostly for things that are "in progress", ie. with "something to show". Questions, discussions and ideas go elsewhere.
As for your question, I believe I've seen a thread about this already, and quite recently too.
ravilov said:
The development section is mostly for things that are "in progress", ie. with "something to show". Questions, discussions and ideas go elsewhere.
As for your question, I believe I've seen a thread about this already, and quite recently too.
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I've checked a few that I've found on the forum, but most had no answer and were about other devices. With regards to the Atrix or the Tegra, I've only found threads about webtop.
Not to argue too much about this too much, but I've seen threads that started with nothing in the dev section. Like the Kernel porting project that started as a mere placeholder for the project. Point is, I've done my research and found no pointers to the questions I have. I made it in case another dev had an idea about it. I may have missed something, but that's why I asked in the first place. If I believed I had covered all grounds by myself, I wouldn't have asked in the first place.
Lugaidster said:
I've checked a few that I've found on the forum, but most had no answer and were about other devices. With regards to the Atrix or the Tegra, I've only found threads about webtop.
Not to argue too much about this too much, but I've seen threads that started with nothing in the dev section. Like the Kernel porting project that started as a mere placeholder for the project. Point is, I've done my research and found no pointers to the questions I have. I made it in case another dev had an idea about it. I may have missed something, but that's why I asked in the first place. If I believed I had covered all grounds by myself, I wouldn't have asked in the first place.
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What you're looking to do seems similar to this question: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2110161
The difference between the webtop and a stand alone installation of Linux won't be that different, mainly it would just be where on the device the OS is installed and how video is handled. That said, I'm not sure about the kernel, specifically the video drivers, since they're intended for Android and may not be compatible with X. AFAIK, Wayland is closer to Android than X is, but Wayland isn't quite ready.
Anyway, assuming you did succeed, what you would end up with would be less like a true desktop (as you'd be pretty much locked into a specific kernel, and therefor any packages limited by it, but it doesn't invalidate the effort), and more like a persistent live CD, since the OS would be installed to an area mounted as read-only (to prevent flash wear), with access to an area that has read/write access, like in Android where you store apps and user files. Overall, it could be fun if you enjoy a challenge and aren't intimidated by soldering and using the JTAG connector.
lehjr said:
What you're looking to do seems similar to this question: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2110161
The difference between the webtop and a stand alone installation of Linux won't be that different, mainly it would just be where on the device the OS is installed and how video is handled. That said, I'm not sure about the kernel, specifically the video drivers, since they're intended for Android and may not be compatible with X. AFAIK, Wayland is closer to Android than X is, but Wayland isn't quite ready.
Anyway, assuming you did succeed, what you would end up with would be less like a true desktop (as you'd be pretty much locked into a specific kernel, and therefor any packages limited by it, but it doesn't invalidate the effort), and more like a persistent live CD, since the OS would be installed to an area mounted as read-only (to prevent flash wear), with access to an area that has read/write access, like in Android where you store apps and user files. Overall, it could be fun if you enjoy a challenge and aren't intimidated by soldering and using the JTAG connector.
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Actually, I might have to do soldering anyway. I'm not really intimidated by it and don't really care all that much for phone functionality and such. I'm not even interested all that much in X as my project is more towards transforming it into a handheld gaming (more like emu) device. I don't mind compiling software specifically for the system. The question is pretty low-level in that regard for me. I want to know if I have to do anything with regards to the kernel since it's specific to Android. Given that most emus I know that would run acceptably in a tegra 2 don't really need the GPU, I don't mind just using framebuffer so HW doesn't really interest me.
Lugaidster said:
Actually, I might have to do soldering anyway. I'm not really intimidated by it and don't really care all that much for phone functionality and such. I'm not even interested all that much in X as my project is more towards transforming it into a handheld gaming (more like emu) device. I don't mind compiling software specifically for the system. The question is pretty low-level in that regard for me. I want to know if I have to do anything with regards to the kernel since it's specific to Android. Given that most emus I know that would run acceptably in a tegra 2 don't really need the GPU, I don't mind just using framebuffer so HW doesn't really interest me.
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Unfortunately, it's going to be one of those areas where you'll have to make an educated guess, since as far as we know, no one has successfully pulled off a straight Linux implementation on the device.
That said, nVidia does have both Android and Linux images for the Ventana dev kit, so it should be possible. In my case, I would compare the source code for their Linux kernel vs the stock Linux kernel vs their closest Android kernel vs the stock Android kernel. The biggest thing is how the the device specific files translate from one kernel to another, because you'll likely need to translate the device specific files for the Atrix in the same manner. The changes may be subtle or they may be drastic. The main thing is to just be able to set the pins properly so you don't release any "magic smoke". Unfortunately, I see no source code for any of nVidia's kernels.
Anyway, that's how I would do it, but I do suspect that someone with more knowledge could find a much simpler approach and hopefully they'll chime in, but this part of the forums isn't the thriving hub of activity it used to be, so I don't know if that will happen any time soon or at all.
lehjr said:
nVidia does have both Android and Linux images for the Ventana dev kit
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Atrix is a Whistler, not a Ventana.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=33289027#post33289027
ravilov said:
Atrix is a Whistler, not a Ventana.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=33289027#post33289027
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Thanks for the heads up and the link! :highfive:

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