(12-28-2015, 01:41 AM)tkaiser Wrote:(12-27-2015, 09:15 PM)Kommander Wrote: with enough requests a 4gb or even 6gb version *could* be tooled, making full use of the 64bit addressing [...] PineA64 2.0
Regarding max. memory it's written in the SoC's user manual: http://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?t...d=78#pid78 (in other words: combining two 12Gb modules is the maximum. AFAIR only Samsung produces modules of this size. And that's LPDDR4 and therefore not useable with the A64. So you simply end up with 2 GB max. And if anyone starts to produce 12Gb DDR3 /DDR3L/LPDDR3 in the future you end up with 3 GB that are still within the 32 bit addressing scheme. But as already written: the difference -- for some use cases -- makes the huge virtual address space with 64 bit)
Regarding Pine64 2.0: I would believe the 'Linux experience' with the first version will prevent that automagically. Due to no central efforts to provide software there will be a huge fragmentation from the early beginnings and Linux novices will be confused if they try to follow a tutorial where's written 'do an apt-get install ...' when they would've to use pacman/yum/yast instead since they're using a different distro.
The Raspberry Pi's formula for success was simplicity, 'less is more', one single OS image that is in widespread use and concentration on the very same (already outdated) hardware so that mature software support and a community was able to evolve. Something no other vendor seems to understand (they only focus on hardware and don't realise that software is way more important).
Wow, Is all I can say. Clearly you haven't read the spec of the A64 properly and have just glossed over the particulars - I point out the following line on http://linux-sunxi.org/A64 - "Large Physical Address Extensions (LPAE)" - now if you are as well heeled as you make out you may recognise part of that acronym from the x86 family of processors. To remind you, this is Arm's explaination of the new technology - http://elinux.org/images/6/6a/Elce11_marinas.pdf.
To clarify, the A64 is able to address upto 1TB of physical memory thanks to a 40bit addressing space (provided by the LPAE extension, similar to the 36bit PAE extension on the intel processors which provided physical addressing of some 64GB of memory).
Yes, the Samsung memory IC's you mention are DDR4 and therefore incompatible, however you're telling me there is NOTHING in between (I've only just got up and haven't bothered looking tbh) we're looking for 4 to 6gb if we want to keep any price increase manageable so 2x2gb DDR3LP would do nicely, or 2x3gb DDR3LP. I'm pretty sure that both of those variants are available and with the LPAE are fully usable within a 64bit environment.
As for the linux experience issue - this is not particular to the PineA64 but an issue experienced by all Linux noobies - a simple solution to this is to provide a single distro, well named so it cannot be confused with anything else the wider open source hacking community are putting together for their own uses (I use the term hacking in it's Computer Science definition of course). That way for children & newbies using the board as an entry into computing projects etc - it's both usable and understandable, secondly for the rest of us, if we want to use a certain build of a certain distro - we can also. I refer you to Cake, preparation and it's consumption, p.568 (aka, having your caking and eating it too).
Also I think you've completely forgotten about the Android environment available also which shouldn't require anywhere as much work to turn into a perfect solution for all parties.
I agree Raspberry Pi have created a brilliant device however every issue you have pointed out is either fixable or avoidable - I'm starting to get the feeling that you're the guy that gets on a plane and constantly says in hushed monotone "it's gonna crash, it's gonna crash, it's gonna crash..." making the passengers in the back 3 rows very nervous indeed. Yes, there is plenty of room for FUBAR, however these guys are going about it *largely* the right way. I'm guessing that by the fact they're using crowd funding to secure capital this is their first major enterprise into this market and therefore they have a reasonably steep learning curve to deal with. I can appreciate the flip side view however TKaiser, can I recommend that you will endear more people to you by phrasing your criticisms with more diplomatic language, my personal recommendation would be 1. problem, 2. But, this might fix it... (possible solution(s)) 3. But if anyone else has greater knowledge, can you think of a better idea? - I assure you, you'll get invited to more parties in the long run.
(12-28-2015, 02:50 AM)tkaiser Wrote: BTW: Basic support for Aarch64 has been queued for kernel 4.6 yesterday. That means that devices based on A64, R18 or H64 (like the upcoming Orange Pi 3 or the Nobel64) might be useable when mainline kernel version is at around 4.16
Wow, a positive post - I'll ignore the implied sarcasm at the bottom and take it as a positive move and a definite step in the right direction *nods*.
Right, so 4.16 is our target for Arch64, good to know. Once the festivities are over I'm planning to dive into the BSP we have got to see how much turd polishing can be done and possibly gleam some useful information that can be applied when/if we get access to a full open source code base. I think erring on the side of caution is the better methodology here so, assuming we don't get full open source access one way or another, The best way forward to newer kernel support is a low level assembler hack. So anyone who has coded in assembler, debugged assembler or otherwise has a working knowledge of it, throw your hands in the air like ya jus' don't care - as it's definitely more than a one person job.
A working knowledge of C/C++ will be of benefit also.