Issues Installing NetBSD on a PineBook Pro
01-13-2021, 01:26 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-13-2021, 01:27 PM by ReleaseTheGeese.)
Gentlemen, an update.
I think the issue was with the microSD, so for my next attempt I used two USB memory pens, I dd'd Deb to one and just copied the NetBSD image onto the other. Then I booted Debian from its USB stick, inserted the memory stick holding the netbsd.img and flashed it to the PBP's internal nvram.
To my great delight, it worked!
A setback
Unfortunately, my only handy USB wifi caused a hang when plugged into the PBP. (sometimes when booting, other times when querying it in ifconfig) It's an Alpha AR9271 device with an Atheros chip. I decided to give up on it.
I did some digging and specifically sought a chipset that is included in the NetBSD drivers. Then I bought the cheapest USB WiFi dongle that uses it.
To my joy, when I ran ifconfig I saw this new WiFi device listed. I then set up wpa_supplicant and we were online!
A few delights
I found editing wscons.conf to set the KB layout straightforward. Also rc.conf makes it trivial to enable/disable services.
My expectation was to find a tightly integrated Unix, and that is what I've found. Indeed, the system comes with a just the sane packages I'd want, like xorg and a window manager ready to go. CVS is also something I've only heard told of in distant legend, and it comes with this OS! I suppose the aim is 'include well understood standard tools', the thought I presume being CVS is to SCM what VI is to editing.
While setting the locale by symlink isn't someting I've done in Linux, the concept makes sense. It's how services are managed by Runit in Void. It's more a case of applying what I already know of Unix to solve new (or old) problems in different ways.
I also got pkg_add running, I think it built Firefox from scratch. So I now have the WWW to explore.
Quite happy so far, the next step is getting git running, then cloning the suckless repos for st and dwm. My eventual aim is to use the system for light web browsing, ssh and scripting. I'm sure NetBSD is more than up to that.
A plea for wisdom
Thanks for your help so far. The next question on my mind is utilities to specifically control the PBP. Have you any tools or commands that control brightness and sound, also any to do battery level monitoring?
Last thing, I would like to access some local fileshares. Have you experience of NetBSD with SMB? I guess it is simply a case of installing CIFS/Samba and configuring it with an automount tool like in Linux.
I think the issue was with the microSD, so for my next attempt I used two USB memory pens, I dd'd Deb to one and just copied the NetBSD image onto the other. Then I booted Debian from its USB stick, inserted the memory stick holding the netbsd.img and flashed it to the PBP's internal nvram.
To my great delight, it worked!
A setback
Unfortunately, my only handy USB wifi caused a hang when plugged into the PBP. (sometimes when booting, other times when querying it in ifconfig) It's an Alpha AR9271 device with an Atheros chip. I decided to give up on it.
I did some digging and specifically sought a chipset that is included in the NetBSD drivers. Then I bought the cheapest USB WiFi dongle that uses it.
To my joy, when I ran ifconfig I saw this new WiFi device listed. I then set up wpa_supplicant and we were online!
A few delights
I found editing wscons.conf to set the KB layout straightforward. Also rc.conf makes it trivial to enable/disable services.
My expectation was to find a tightly integrated Unix, and that is what I've found. Indeed, the system comes with a just the sane packages I'd want, like xorg and a window manager ready to go. CVS is also something I've only heard told of in distant legend, and it comes with this OS! I suppose the aim is 'include well understood standard tools', the thought I presume being CVS is to SCM what VI is to editing.
While setting the locale by symlink isn't someting I've done in Linux, the concept makes sense. It's how services are managed by Runit in Void. It's more a case of applying what I already know of Unix to solve new (or old) problems in different ways.
I also got pkg_add running, I think it built Firefox from scratch. So I now have the WWW to explore.
Quite happy so far, the next step is getting git running, then cloning the suckless repos for st and dwm. My eventual aim is to use the system for light web browsing, ssh and scripting. I'm sure NetBSD is more than up to that.
A plea for wisdom
Thanks for your help so far. The next question on my mind is utilities to specifically control the PBP. Have you any tools or commands that control brightness and sound, also any to do battery level monitoring?
Last thing, I would like to access some local fileshares. Have you experience of NetBSD with SMB? I guess it is simply a case of installing CIFS/Samba and configuring it with an automount tool like in Linux.
