The purpose of this thread is to raise awareness about the endeavour to get RetroPie support for the Rock64. tllim has already sent out sample boards to BuZz from RetroPie and he happily accepted them.  

While we keep our fingers crossed for official support, I feel it would certainly help if members of our community who are interested in using the R64 for the purpose of emulating retro games would help out making this happen. rtissera has already started tinkering and is trying to get a working build going. 

Those who are interested in helping out - let me know

I have re-compiled latest longsleep with KGDB enabled.
The kernel shows /sys/module/kgdboc/parameters/kgdboc
but I can not insert ttyS2 into it as the system claims that there is no device.
Can someone offer advice???

Given the announcement at Jide, should we continue to use RemixOS on Pine64?  It's not clear which versions of RemixOS they are abandoning (other than the PC version), and they mention supporting "enterprises" but I have no way of knowing if the Pine64 falls under that umbrella.  Do we have any word from Jide as to whether or not we'll have continued support here?

Received my Rock64 in the mail today. Didn't buy a USB wifi dongle. I want to run Android. Is there a specific USB dongle I should buy?

Hi

As I've created a thread earlier last week, I've got a working image for Pine64+ with complete mainline support:


Features
Kernel 4.14 branch, few extra patches (ethernet DTB revert and few others)
U-Boot 2017.09 branch, no external patches
NO boot0! Uses U-Boot SPL
Updates via normal debian packages for kernel (metapackage linux-image-pine64 keeps up2date kernels), no u-boot automated updates yet
Docker 17.09 branch or newer (installable via Debian package docker-ce) with Overlay2 full support
Debian Stretch with Systemd
Boot log: https://github.com/CallMeFoxie/pine64-ma...ootlog.txt

Tested on 2GB Pine64+, should work on 1GB version as well, unsure about 512MB version. Definitely would need to swap DTBs around.

Docker and Kernel are hosted on my repo (https://repo.foxiehost.eu/debian stretch main) and its key is imported to the image.
Boots via U-Boot through extlinux.conf -> ext2 partition with vmlinuz-* + fdt file -> ext4 rootfs (default 4GB, can be resized).
Kernel updates trigger extlinux.conf generator, normal kernel rules apply (keep last 2 and mark the other for removal etc).


Downloads:
[b]Base build 2017-10-15
[/b]https://repo.foxiehost.eu/pine-image/pin...015.img.xz
Kernel 4.13.6/U-Boot 2017.09


Base build 2017-08-15
https://repo.foxiehost.eu/pine-image/pin...815.img.xz
Kernel 4.13.0-rc5/U-Boot 2017.09-rc2






Source configs and scripts to build the images:
https://github.com/CallMeFoxie/pine64-mainline-project
(uses Docker to compile kernel/uboot/atf)


Known issues for latest base image:
SSH keys are not re-generated! It is suggested to delete them and ssh-keygen -t them on the first bootup. (Fixed in github already)
Fixed clock (~900MHz), no cpufreq/voltage regulation - missing kernel modules in upstream (as of 4.13.0-rc5)
No HDMI output (missing drivers)


Default config:
IP: 10.0.0.199/24, gw 10.0.0.138
SSH enabled:
Login: user pine, password pine; use sudo to get root


To do:
Fix known issues
- please use github issues for that.

Updates:
19/12/2017 - Released kernel 4.14.7 into repository, update via Apt and reboot
22/11/2017 - Released kernel 4.14.1 into repository, update via Apt and reboot
28/10/2017 - Released kernel 4.13.10 into repository, update via Apt and reboot
15/10/2017 - Released Docker-ce 17.09, update via Apt
15/10/2017 - Released new base image (*not required* to update, just rollup of kernel+base pkgs)
15/10/2017 - Released kernel 4.13.6 into repository, update via Apt and reboot
27/08/2017 - Released kernel 4.13.0-rc6 into repository, update via Apt and reboot (nothing else required)
28/08/2017 - Released kernel 4.13.0-rc7 into repository, update via Apt and reboot (rc5 should be autoremove-able)
28/08/2017 - Released Docker-ce 17.07.0-ce-rc4, update via Apt
30/08/2017 - Released Docker-ce 17.07-ce (final), update via Apt

Received my Rock64 in the mail today. Didn't buy a USB wifi dongle. I want to run Android. Is there a specific USB dongle I should buy?

Greetings;

The purpose of writing this tutorial is to provide guidance for using a serial ttl to usb bridge cable to connect the Rock64's uart (on the PI-2 bus) to a usb port on your PC or Mac, for the purpose of monitoring the boot-up process and logon from a serial terminal.

Please see this reference link:

It is important to select a bridge cable that supports at least 1.5M baud (default for Rock64 serial uart) and which has 3v3 logic ( measure the votage on the Tx pin must be no more than 3v3 !).

Most 3v3 cp2102, pl2303hx, and some ch340g chips will work.

The uart pins on the Rock64 PI-2 bus are in the same places as the RPi -- pin(6 gnd), pin(8 Tx), and pin(10 Rx).   The Tx pin of the ttl adapter goes to the Rx pin of the Rock64(10) Tx-->Rx;  and the Rx pin of the ttl adapter goes to the Tx pin of the Rock64(8) Rx-->Tx.  Connect the ground(s) together;  it is important that the ground leads are not left open.  DO NOT connect the red voltage wires anywhere.

The usb end of the ttl to usb bridge cable plugs into a usb port on your PC or Mac. Terminal software (like minicom, screen, cu, or putty) is then used on the PC or Mac to connect to the appropriate usb device.  The baud terminal settings are 1500000 8n1. 

With the serial console running you can monitor the boot-up messages on the Rock64 (or other SBC) and get diagnostic clues (if things aren't working properly) or in the case of certain procedures (like writing to the eMMC on the Rock64) you can interrupt the uboot three second timer with the serial console.

Please check out this link too, for using the PineA64 (or other SBC) as a serial console monitor:

Hi,
I'm making a cluster with three rock64.
Its work well with rock64 power supply.
Now a whant to replace these power supply by an unique one, witch can i use ?

Thanks in advance.

In this guide, I will be going through how to add USB storage to your Board: 

Confirm that the drive is recognized by Linux 

Formatting the drive for Linux use 

Mounting the Partition/FS

Setting appropriate directory and file permissions. 

Greetings,

The purpose of this post is to document the procedure for writing gnu+linux images to the eMMC module on the Rock64 board; the procedure is fairly straight-forward and is not difficult with some small planning and care. First I'll give just a little discussion of the overall theory, then list the materials that you will need, and finally we'll cover the step-by-step detail.

Theory

The overarching goal is to copy the desired image from the network directly to the eMMC module; in order to do this we need to boot-up the Rock64 board from an SD card containing a minimal gnu+linux image -- this is NOT the image that will be written to the eMMC module necessarily, it is only the image that we will use to do the work. Once the Rock64 is booted from SD card, we can then issue the command (or run the automated script) that will download the desired image from the network directly to the eMMC module; then its simply a matter of rebooting the Rock64. The interesting part of the procedure (detailed below) is that the eMMC module needs to be visible to the system AND the system has to be forced to boot from the SD card. This will be explained.

Materials Required

This procedure will require the following bill of materials: 1) Rock64 board, 2) eMMC module, 3) two pin jumper, 4) bootable SD card (gnu+linux), 5) serial console adapter cable, PC or Mac and serial terminal software like minicom, screen, or cu.  For the purposes of this tutorial we assume that you already have the Rock64 board with eMMC module installed, and that you have a bootable SD card (minimal gnu+linux image), also that the bootable SD card has the curl command utility installed.  The two pin jumper can be the standard plastic block two pin header jumper connector, or it can be a six inch jumper wire with standard header female (F-F) connectors both ends. Lastly you will need a serial console ttl to usb bridge cable adapter and serial console terminal software.  This can be any of a number of supported chipsets (cp2102, pl2303hx, ch340g). The challenge is that the standard serial console uart baud rate is 1.5M (1500000 baud, 8n1). Not all combinations of serial bridge adapters and software support 1.5M baud rate. I have tested the cp2102, the pl2303hx;  the pl2303ta does NOT work.  Minicom is the best software for serial terminal;  the reason we need a serial terminal (software and bridge cable) is that we will need to watch the boot sequence so that we can 'stop' the boot-up at the uboot three second timer (described later).

Background

In order to boot-up the Rock64 from the SD card, so that the eMMC module is also available, we have to force the boot-up with a 'jumper' using two special pins on the main board, and we also have to interrupt the boot-up (at the uboot three second timer) so that the SD card system can detect the eMMC module for writing later!  The important things to be aware of are: 1) the jumper shorts the clock signal on the eMMC module to ground (be careful, don't ESD shock it), and 2) the jumper must be removed before the SD image comes up so that the eMMC clock will be active and the linux image on the SD card will "see" the eMMC module;  failure to do this will result in not being able to write the network image to the eMMC module.  Also, if you do not have a serial console active you will not be able to see when the uboot timer is running so that you can interrupt it.  The serial console is very important because the normal display does not show boot-up messages!

Preparation steps

The preparation steps are very important and will setup things so that the main procedure will be successful. Make sure that the preparation steps run smoothly and that they can be repeated easily before moving on to the main procedure:  this is very important !

1) make sure the eMMC module is snapped in place on the Rock64 main board

2  make sure the bootable SD card is installed in the SD card slot;  this should be one of our gnu+linux images containing the curl utility tools;  again, this image is NOT copied to the eMMC and is only used to do the required work.

3)  install the jumper on the two special pins on the Rock64 main board;  these two pins are directly next to the small "recovery button" on the main board. Either a two pin plastic block jumper connector may be used, or a six inch jumper wire with F-F female header connectors on each end.

4) make certain that your serial console works!  Connect the appropriate Tx Rx and Gnd pins of the bridge adapter cable to the uart pins of the Rock64 header (see serial console tutorial) and then plug the other end (usb) into your PC or Mac;  use serial terminal software like minicom, screen, or cu to "talk" to the Rock64 board over the serial connection. While the serial console is connected and "running" boot the Rock64 board;  this is just a test of the serial console... you should see the boot-up messages flying by on the serial terminal software and when fully booted you should see a logon prompt.  Logon to the Rock64 board and then enter the command  sudo halt  and you will see the Rock64 shutdown including the shutdown message stream.

( repeat step [3] a couple of times to make sure that you understand what is happening, and that the serial console is working;  also (important) pay attention to the messages and be looking for the uboot three second timer !  This is the timer that you must interrupt (later) in order to remove the jumper at the right time.  Also, you will need a good ethernet network connection, so make certain your eth cat5 or cat6 cable is plugged into a good router connection. )

Note:  see step (7) of the main procedure (below) because the command sd2emmc.sh  script file needs to be on your SD bootable card in the rock64 home directory.   (important)

Main Procedure

These are the main steps of the procedure that will copy the desired image from the network to the eMMC module;  yes, you will need a good network connection, the faster the better.  We are assuming that the preparation steps are complete and that everything is working; if not, procede no further until the preparation steps are complete.

1)  boot-up the Rock64 (as in preparation) with the jumper in place and the serial console running and prepare to stop (interrupt) the boot-up at the uboot three second timer.  To interrupt boot at the timer, just press a key to stop the timer.

2)  To interrupt the uboot three second timer press a key and the timer will stop;  if this does not work the first time, or you miss it, just shutdown and try try again.  Once the uboot three second timer has been interruped move on to step three (3).

3)  Carefully remove the jumper from the main board;  do not short against any other pins.

4)  Continue with the boot-up by entering the command   boot

5)  Once the boot-up has completed and you have the logon prompt on the serial console, logon to the serial console and prepare to issue the curl command detailed below:

6)  First,  make sure that both of your storage devices are present.  If they are NOT present, then shutdown with  sudo halt  and start over from the beginning (by booting with the jumper in place). To see if the devices are present use the command  sudo fdisk -l

    sudo  fdisk  -l

6b) You should see two kinds of devices in the list:  
        /dev/mmcblk1xx   This is your SD card
        /dev/mmcblk0xx   This is your eMMC module

     If you do NOT see both mmcblk0 and mmcblk1 devices you must start over.  

[  Please read both step(s)  7a  and  7b  before proceding;  ]

7a)  We are now ready to copy the image from the network to the eMMC module;  it is important that you 'know' which image you want to copy from the github site;  the one listed in this example is 0.4.16 ; however, you will want the last stable release ( not pre release ).  Enter the curl command below ( or automated script which does the same thing ) and wait until it is finished;  the command copies the image directly from the network github site to the eMMC module.    (we are working on a port of the install script to automate this step, soon)

sd2emmc.sh