Linux

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments on PicUntu 4.5 Brings Ubuntu 13.04 to RK3188 mini PCs

PicUntu 4.5 Brings Ubuntu 13.04 to RK3188 mini PCs

At the beginning of the year, PicUntu had been released for Rk3066 HDMI TV sticks, but as quad core devices  based on RK3188 became popular, work started as soon as the source code was available, and a preliminary version of Linux ran on some RK3188 devices in June.  After 4 more months  of development an installer for PicUntu 4.5 has been released to allow users to run a customized version of Ubuntu 13.04 on RK3188 HDMI TV sticks or set-top boxes such as T428 or Rikomagic MK802 IV. The installation procedure appears to be easier than earlier version, as there’s only one installer file (247 MB), and you can complete the installation to the NAND flash of your device with just 4 clicks. PicUnutu runs xfce4 desktop environment,  supports more than 200 drivers,  multiple file systems (nfs, ntfs, cramfs, cifsutils, smb…), lots of different USB devices, serial devices, GPS devices, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 19 Comments on Wizarm PVR MediaBox Features Samsung Exynos 5250 Processor

Wizarm PVR MediaBox Features Samsung Exynos 5250 Processor

Wizarm is an high-end set-top box / PVR powered by Exynos 5250 dual cortex A15 processor, with 2GB RAM, 16GB eMMC, lots of I/Os including USB 3.0 and SATA 3 support running Android 4.2, and soon Ubuntu as well. Although its main use is to handle and process media files, the device can be also used as a PC, gaming console, smart TV box, or even a development platform. Here are the specifications of the device: SoC – Samsung Exynos 5250 dual Cortex A15 up to 2GHz with Mali T-604 GPU System Memory – 2GB Storage – 16 GB eMMC. SDXC card slot, and SATA 3 connector for 2.5″ SSD or HDD I/O ports: SATA 3 USB – 2x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0 host ports Video – HDMI OUT, HDMI IN, DisplayPort Audio – LINE IN, LINE OUT, Optical out Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (dual Wi-Fi antenna)  Gigabit Ethernet […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on $27 TP-LINK TL-MR10U is an Hackable OpenWRT Wi-Fi Router with a Power Bank

$27 TP-LINK TL-MR10U is an Hackable OpenWRT Wi-Fi Router with a Power Bank

TP-Link WR703N is a cheap 802.11 b/g/n router (you can now get it for about $20) that can easily be hacked to run openWRT and for example, act as an home automation gateway, printer server and more.  But if you need a battery powered router for your application, TP-Link TL-MR10U,  based on similar hardware as TL-703WR, should be a better match as it comes with a 2600 mAh battery, and costs just about $27 on DealExtreme. Here are the specifications of the device: CPU – Atheros AR9331 CPU @ 400Mhz System Memory – 32MB RAM Storage – 4 MB Flash Connectivity: 10/100 Mbit Ethernet port 802.11 b/g/n 150Mbps 3G support via external USB dongle USB – USB 2.0 port + micro-USB port for power Misc – Serial port access Dimensions – 91mm x 43mm x 25.85mm（L x W x H） The device comes with a microUSB cable and a user’s […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments on How to Root Rockchip Devices in Linux

How to Root Rockchip Devices in Linux

Rooting methods for devices based on Rockchip RK3066 and Rk3188 are usually only provided for Windows, so if you run Linux as your main operating system, you would either need to find a Windows based devices, or run Windows in a virtual machine.  Luckily, Linux users may not have to switch to Windows anymore thanks to the instructions provided in one article that I’ll summarize below. The steps below are for Ubuntu / Debian based systems, but should be easily adaptable to other distributions. Set up ADB access to the device Install adb:

Edit/create /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules with the following line in order to let standard users connect to the device:

Make sure that the Linux user is part of group “plugdev”:

Reload of the USB access rules to get the latest one on:

Add your device USB Vendor ID to adb list. e.g.:

Restart the adb […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on ISEE IGEP COM AQUILA Powered by TI Sitara AM3354 Processor is now available for 79 Euros

ISEE IGEP COM AQUILA Powered by TI Sitara AM3354 Processor is now available for 79 Euros

Back in February, ISEE announced 2 new computers-on-module based on TI AM335x at Embedded World 2013. IGEP COM AQUILA, one of those 2 modules based on AM3354, is now available and we have a more information about software support, and baseboard availability. AQUILA specifications do not appear to have changed since the earlier announcement: Processor – Texas instruments Sitara AM3354 Cortex A8 @ 720 Mhz + PowerVR SGX GPU System memory – 256 MB DDR3 SDRAM, 303 MHz, 16-bit Storage – 128 MB SLC NAND FLASH + on-board micro-SD socket Networking – 1x Ethernet PHY Debug Interface – JTAG Sitara AM335x interfaces – USB Host/OTG, I2C, SPI, CAN, UART, LCD controller, GPIOs, etc… Power – 4V to 5,5V DC via SODIMM connector. 1x Linear 3V3@1A regulator Dimensions – 67,6mm x 26 mm (SODIMM form factor) Temperature Range – Industrial: -40 to +85 C What’s new to me, is the tiny […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments on GOsingGO GSG-TB06 Android TV Stick Features an Ethernet Port

GOsingGO GSG-TB06 Android TV Stick Features an Ethernet Port

There’s a plethora of Android HDMI TV dongles, but all of them only provide Wi-Fi connectivity, and if you need better network performance you need to add Ethernet via an USB to Ethernet dongle. There’s now another solution, that may not be very new, with GOsingGO GSG-TB06 a mini PC based on AllWinner A10 that includes an Ethernet Port. Here are the specifications of the device: SoC – Allwinners A10 @  1.0GHz System Memory – 1GB RAM Storage -4 to 32 GB flash + micro SD card slot Video output – HDMI & AV USB – 1x USB 2.0, 1x micro USB for power Connectivity – Ethernet (RJ45) + Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (AR6103) Dimensions – 105L x 37W x 15.6Hmm The device comes with a USB power adapter, an RCA (AV) cable, and a user’s manual. The manufacturer says it’s running Android 4.1. The specs are not that great, but […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 36 Comments on Radxa Rock Development Boards with Rockchip RK3188 Are Available for Developers Now

Radxa Rock Development Boards with Rockchip RK3188 Are Available for Developers Now

As previously mentioned, work was in progress to design development boards based on Rockchip processors. Radxa Rock and Radxa Rock Lite, 2 boards powered by Rockchip RK3188, are now available to early developers, and the final versions will soon be broadly available. Here are the boards specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3188 ARM Cortex-A9 quad core @ 1.6Ghz + Mali-400 MP4 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 @ 800Mhz (1GB DDR3 @ 800Mhz for Lite version) Storage – 8GB Nand Flash (4GB Nand Flash for Lite version) + micro-SD SDXC up to 128GB Video Output – HDMI 1.4 up to 1080p@60hz, andAV output Connectivity: 10/100M Ethernet port WIFI 150Mbps 802.11b/g/n with antenna Bluetooth – Bluetooth 4.0 (Not in Lite version) Audio I/O – Audio S/PDIF, headphone jack USB – 2x USB 2.0  host port, micro USB OTG Debugging – Serial Console Misc – IR sensor, power key, recovery key, reset key, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 23 Comments on SolidRun Announces Cubox-i Platform with Freescale i.MX6 for as low as $45

SolidRun Announces Cubox-i Platform with Freescale i.MX6 for as low as $45

SolidRun has been providing tiny development platform such as Cubox and Cubox Pro featuring Marvell ARM compatible processors. However, the price of those platforms are well over $100, so the company decided to provide lower cost development platforms (Cubox-i) based on Freescale i.MX6 Solo/Dual Lite/Dual/Quad that sells for $45 and up. There are four versions: Cubox-i1 – Freescale i.MX6 Solo, 512 MB RAM, 10/100M Ethernet, optional Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module. Price: $44.99 Cubox-i2 – Freescale i.MX6 Duallite, 1GB RAM, 10/100M Ethernet, optional Wi-Fi Bluetooth module. Price: $69.99 Cubox-i2Ultra – Freescale i.MX6 Dual, 1GB RAM,  Gb Ethernet (470 Mbit real), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, SATA II. Price: $94.99 Cubox-i4Pro – Freescale i.MX6 Quad, 2GB RAM, Gb Ethernet (470 Mbit real), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, SATA II. Price: $119.99 The devices measure 55mm x 55mm x 42mm. The full specifications are better seen in the comparison table found in SolidRun website. The 4 models all boot […]