Until recently, installing Linux on Rockchip R3188 based TV boxes or HDMI TV dongles meant you had to flash one or more binaries to your device using various type of tools for Linux or Windows. But thanks to various members of the community, it’s now as easy as flashing an image for the Raspberry Pi, as long as you own Minix Neo X7, PQ Labs iStick A350-SSD, Radxa Rock development board, or Rikomagic MK802IV (AP6210 or 8188EU Wi-Fi module versions) thanks to images provided by Ian Morrison on G+ mini PC community that can be booted from a (micro) SD card, which the added advantage that it won’t mess with your Android installation.
You can do it whether you use a Windows or Linux PC, and it should also be possible on Mac OS X, but I don’t know the commands. Here are the steps to follow for MINIX NEO X7, other products will have the same procedure, only the filename will change:
- Download the image (linux-sdcard-minix-neo-x7.img.7z)
- Extract linux-sdcard-minix-neo-x7.img.7z using a utility that can handle this type of file, for example 7-Zip for Windows, or p7zip in Linux.
- Insert a (micro) SD card into your computer, and flash the extracted image:
- Windows – Using Win32DiskImager GUI tool
- Linux – with dd:1sudo dd if=linux-sdcard-minix-neo-x7.img of=/dev/sdX bs=4M
where ‘X’ is the disk name, and varies from system to system. It may also be like /dev/mmcblkX. Use ‘lsusb’ to find out. If you use a USB hard drive, be very careful, as you may wipe out your data if you use the wrong X.
- Once this is complete, simply insert the SD card into your device, and powered it up and it should start Linux (Ubuntu 12.04)
The login credentials are Linuxium / p. Now you’ll get a fully working system, and if you want to return back to Android simply remove the SD card.
However, you may want to complete a few more steps to take advantage of the full SD card capacity.
- Type the following in a terminal window in your mini PC:1echo -e "d\nn\np\n1\n81921\n\nw" | sudo fdisk /dev/mmcblk0
- Reboot, and type the command below to complete the partition resize:1sudo resize2fs /dev/mmcblk0p1
Mali GPU hardware acceleration can be enabled as follows:
1 | sudo mv /usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/mesa-egl /usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/xmesa-egl |
Finally, if for some reasons, you want to create a root password, you can do by typing:
1 2 | sudo su - passwd root |
Now what if you don’t own any of the devices with pre-built SD card images? You can checkout Androtab.info instructions for Radxa Rock, which will give you ideas of what you need to do to boot from SD card on your own system. This does not require internal flash at all, you could unsolder the flash, and it would still work. Have fun!
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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hi does it work for RK3066 devices?
can i try it on mk908？ mk908 and mk802iv has similiar hardware.
@Onanii
I think it only works for RK3188 devices (TBC).
@guest
Yes, you can try, there is no risk, since it won’t modify your internal flash. But once I tried MK802 IV on MK908 and it did not work (NAND flash version), so there must be some kernel differences.
I’ve tried it on an OS-TRK802Q stick(which I think has the insides of a J22), only wifi is not working. Glmark2 score is:52, glxgears fps around 62-79 FPS
The first command works for 8GB microSD card only?
I’ve tried then Minix Neo X7 version, should have tried the Mk902 IV version.
I have a tutorial and a set of benchmarks for Measy U4A dongle (RK3188) http://www.rkblog.rk.edu.pl/w/p/picuntu-and-linuxium-linux-measy-u4a-android-dongle/ and some Radxa articles are coming too.
there’s a way for dummy using chroot
The Radxa guys have uploaded both Android 4.4 and Lubuntu SD card images- http://wiki.radxa.com/Rock/SD_images
can this method applied on “MINIX NEO X7 mini” ?
If anyone is interested some additional devices include:
Tronsmart T428 –
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B99O3A0dDe67bFJBSTFqSzlxMG8
J22/CX919II –
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B99O3A0dDe67eTBRd3RXY0FpcWc
MK809III –
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B99O3A0dDe67NmIyLTl4Z3ZFRmc
Booting will give you a full Ubuntu 12.04 LTS desktop with Unity. It will not affect your installed software and there is no pre-requisite for a specific stock or custom ROM to be pre-installed. No ‘flashing’ is required as everything needed to boot is taken from the SD card so it will work even if the NAND is empty or the device is ‘bricked’.
Hey man! Is there any way to reach out to you? I need help with Ugoos UM2 i managed to boot one of your images but i cannot install anything because its old 🙁
@fathony
Based on the difference with NEO X7 (http://www.cnx-software.com/2013/08/05/minix-neo-x7mini-vs-neo-x7-android-media-players-comparison/), I’d say it should work, possibly excluding Wi-Fi (different module)
@Ian W MORRISON (Linuxium)
Presumably you can only create these images for devices you have; if people donate & send RK3188 devices, would you have time (etc) to create images for those?
@onebir
If a manufacturer donates and sends me a RK3188 or even a RK3288 device together with the Android kernel source I’ll certainly try and create an image for it.
Hi,
Great work! I have try it on my mk902ii using the MINIX NEO X7 image. It book up ok, but reported the wirelss is not ready? I have a look at the mk902ii spec and it is uses the same AP6210 (at least I think it does) as neo x7. Any idea?
@Ian W MORRISON (Linuxium)
I hope some will see that this offers a unique added value for their devices & send some your way (maybe throwing in a bit of cash with them 😉
I tried the Linux on my CX-919 ( old ? NOT : CX-919 II ) 1st I took linux-sdcard-j22.img an put it to SD card. Boots fine : but no WLAN device found in iwconfig output – so not usable at this moment. 2nd I took linux-sdcard-rkm-mk802iv-new.img to SD Boots fine & WLAN device found ! Also I hear sounds. Very nice. BUT : my TV has obviously 1920×1080 and so the buttons on the left are almost invisible. Also the panel on the top right is invisible but scrolls down if I touch the top border of the screen.… Read more »
@wkt
I don’t think you have a resolution issue, what you describe looks like “overscan”. I described it @ http://www.cnx-software.com/2010/05/30/tackling-overscan-in-media-players-and-digital-signage/
There should be settings on your television to underscan automatically, it’s not necessarily called that way.
No all TV support underscan, so you may have to modify your setting with xrandr, or edit directly a config file. I’m not sure which one it is, maybe /etc/X11/xorg.conf?
@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)
The underscan trick works on my TV from Acer via the HDMI settings built in.
Thanks for this problem solving info.
I cannot get MALi to work on CX919II no T
any idea?
Hello,
Thank you for creating this ubuntu build. It was easy to throw on the SD Card and boot up. I have a small issue though. The / filesystem is only 1.9gb and has filled up. Do you know of a way to expand it on the fly? Google results say you must boot it off a linux live CD and expand it offline.. Is it possible to maybe plug the SD Card into my laptop and expand the partition with some tool?
Thanks!
Hello,
Does it provides eth adapter support ?
@Shant
It should. Worst case, just build the kernel with the right options.
Wow I totally missed the two lines where you explained how to expand the filesystem. Sorry about that !
i tried it but my X7 will not boot from the SD card. Does anyone have an idea ?
?..or should the minix be rooted first ?
@Patrick
I’m not sure why it does not work, but it has nothing to do with Android being rooted or not, since the SD card method is supposed to work even if you don’t have NAND flash
thans for the replay… i will give it another try.
..reply offcourse
Didn’t work for me… I get the log in for one second and the screen goes black. Any ideas?
Hey, installed this on my MINIX NEO x7 mini and its working fine. why i installed this was because i wanted to run Plex Media server on it but im having truble installing it. the error i get is its wrong architecture, is ther a way to go around this?
Would you be able to use this tool to flash Minix Neo 7 img?
@RickW I have the same problem that there is barely any space left (about 150MB) when Ubuntu boots up. The SD card has 32GB. Why?
@jin
The expansion command line above is for 8GB flash I think, you’d need to adapt it to 32GB. (Line with fdisk /dev/mmcblk0)
@Joakim
Plex Media Server i386 will not work as this is an ARM architecture. I’m currently looking for ways to do the same thing, as this would be a wicked plex media server! Maybe we can use the ARM compiled NAS versions, but would have to do a manual install
Anyone can advise the latest kernel version working on this image.
It says: “The login credentials are Linuxium / p.” Sorry, but I have used the English onboard keyboard with everything like “Linuxium / p”, “Linuxium/p”, “linuxium/p” and “linuxium / p” but I always get “invalid password”. Is there any explanation, help etc.
I am a linux beginner so maybe just a hint might help! Or how to circumvent the password trouble???
Once I may be able to start linux propperly can I change it to German?
Hardware MINIX NEO X7
Walter
@Walter
The password it the letter ‘p’ in lowcase
have fun!
@Walter
OK, I think I finally understand what may have gone wrong here.
Username: linuxium
password: p
Commands are wrong for the partition resize. A spelling mistakes screws up the process:
First line (no single quote at end). Change:
echo -e “d\nn\np\n1\n81921\n\nw” | sudo fdisk /dev/mmcblk0′
to
echo -e “d\nn\np\n1\n81921\n\nw” | sudo fdisk /dev/mmcblk0
Second line(resize is spelled incorrectly). Change:
sudo reseize2fs /dev/mmcblk0p1
to
sudo resize2fs /dev/mmcblk0p1
@SirPedroEC
Thanks. I’ve corrected the typos.
how can I get the bluetooth working in RK3188 devices????
hello, i have a question about wifi on minix neo x7 under linux. i have linuxiums’ 12.10 setup from minixforums, and it running fine but i can not set wifi into access point mode. ‘sudo ip link set wlan0 up’ gives ‘RTNETLINK answers: Operation not permitted’ so is it possible to set the device as a access point/ internet share (eth0 to wlan0)? thank you
The image booted fine however any change I want to make is requiring a “root” password. Any ideas on how to remove this?
@Jason
It’s explained in the post. Create a root password.
@Minix x7, Linux x86 & 16GB SANDISK SSDcard
Hey there , I have done everything as written & my dd command under Linux reported no error… but when I introduce sdcard my device boots normally into MINIX & not UBUNTU. Also after dd my sdcard doesnt show up in nautilus & gparted identifies it as unindentified partition, is this normal?
Hi everyone. Can anybody build an img for MK908II Tronsmart device please? Morever i tried to install Kodi mediacenter but guys on kodi.tv said no ARM CPU supported yet. Any other idea? I would not like to use my Android cause it doesn’t support my IR MCE remote.
(some background info: a friend of mine has an MK908II, and he is trying to install for it, my CX919II J22 works fine)
What about kodibuntu ????
I am not sure if kodibunti supports hardwares in J22. However i was able to compiel Kodi on my TV bundle, but could able start cause desktop runs in 16bit color depth. Any idea?