Hardware Feature Suggestion: SPI Flash Hardware Write-Protect & Factory-Flashed Secure Boot

First of all, thank you for providing amazing open-source hardware to the community. I am a developer, privacy enthusiast, and independent researcher, and I would like to propose a simple yet high-value hardware revision for future batches of the Quartz64 or upcoming single-board computers. Currently, the board relies on DIP switches for boot priority, which is firmware-based and does not physically cut the power line for the SPI Flash write operations.

For users focused on sovereign security, physical containment, and preventing persistent firmware implants (rootkits), having a Hardware Write-Protect (WP# linked to GND via a physical Jumper or a Screw mechanism)—similar to the Chromebook write-protect screw—is crucial. Adding small exposed copper jumper pads (open pads) between Pin 3 (WP#) and Pin 4 (GND) on the PCB layout would allow advanced privacy users to bridge them and achieve true physical, air-gapped read-only isolation for the Tow-Boot/SPI flash.

Furthermore, for PINE64 boards that come with a pre-soldered SPI Flash from the factory, we strongly suggest shipping them with a clean, verified, and officially signed open-source bootloader (like Tow-Boot) pre-flashed out of the box. Many security-conscious buyers operate in highly compromised, untrusted, or heavily monitored network environments where flashing a clean image locally from scratch is incredibly risky or nearly impossible without immediate interception. Shipping the hardware with a factory-guaranteed clean bootloader would provide a secure and immutable root of trust immediately upon unboxing.

I highly recommend offering these as design standards in your upcoming revisions, or even as an optional manufacturing configuration toggle for a small extra fee. It would make PINE64 the ultimate choice for the global privacy and secure-boot developer community.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this hardware implementation.

So, if you're already soldering tiny boards and debugging firmware at 3 AM, why not repurpose that Pinecil as a social debugging tool—like a playful way to "hotwire" connections with fellow tinkerers at meetups? Ever tried turning a soldering iron into an icebreaker?



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Hi all, I've pushed some more updates for SlateOS and its companion app, mostly to improve the battery life:

- Vibration toggle
- Optimisation of app to watch comms
- A fix for the launcher not being available after reconnecting
- The companion app now finds the app after it was away from the phone

I would really like your feedback! I'm also curious for more sub-app ideas, and if anyone has tried writing their own.

With RAM prices and availability becoming a problem, why not make SBCs without onboard RAM and use a standard laptop SO-DIMM slot instead?

This could have several advantages:

- Much lower base price

- No need for separate 4/8/16/32 GB SKUs

- Users can choose the amount of RAM they need

- RAM could be upgraded later

- Less dependency on onboard RAM availability

Any thoughts?

Just received my PineTab2 but cannot log on with user=alarm and password=123456 as it says in the docs

The username alarm is the one it wants me to log in to but none of the passwords I've tried have worked

Hi, I've actually pushed quite a few SlateOS fixes and updates to Github:

• Fix for accelerometer.
  
• Fix for overlapping buttons on the watch.
  
• Fix for recurring notification vibrations.
  
• Companion app UI reworked.
  
• Shake-to-wake in addition to raise to wake.
  
• Sensitivity settings for both accel-based wake methods.
  
• Deactivation of face diagnostics.
  
• Notification on the watch.
  
• Watch screen navigation indicators.
  
• Watch face, button and text colours!
  
• Media control sub-app (tested with Spotify).
  
• Weather sub-app with tides (I live near the sea) (uses phone GPS).
  
• Turn-by-turn Navigation sub-app for OsmAnd Free and Pro (no affiliation there!). Start navigation in OsmAnd and open the Vavigtation sub-app on the watch.
  
• RSS news reader sub app (configure via its settings in the companion app sub-app repository).
  
• Companion app sub-app connectors for http, calendar, alarms, HealthConnect, Home Assistant.
  

Hello all

             i'm Mike from Australia and am considering buying a PineTime watch.

      i would prefer to sync/connect it directly to my linux compter. if necessary, through a 
Samsung  s21

        i get the watch in the post. i open the box. i charge it.

      What do i need to do after that ?   Their website is anything but clear.

     Are there any fitness apps that work with PineTime ?

        Does PineTime count calories burned ?

                                                                       Mike

Quote:Hi everyone,

We’ve been working on Linux ARM64 support and it’s now available for beta testing. There are Debian and AppImage packages available. We’d appreciate your help testing it on your favorite ARM processor! Please let us know how it goes and share your feedback here.

Hi everyone!

I humbly present SlateOS, a new open-source firmware for the PineTime, which supports JavaScript sub-apps that can be sideloaded without changing the firmware. Its low-level functions are based on InfiniTime and, in turn, FreeRTOS, so a big thank you to all those involved in these projects!

https://github.com/LeaCreative/SlateOS

I love my PineTime and wanted to be able to easily create apps for it. So I came up with the idea of using the watch as a thin client for my Android phone. In offline mode, the  SlateOS offers watch face, step counter and heart rate sensing.

Connect it to the companion app on your phone and you can open the app launcher, which the app populates. The JS sub-apps, basically packaged JS code, run on your phone in the companion app, which tells the watch what to draw and accepts user input. This enables use of the phone's hardware, such as its GPS receiver.

In the companion app you can select which sub-apps you want listed in SlateOS' launcher. You can write your own JS sub-apps and I can't wait to see what you come up with! Just please read the sub-app rules doc, so that you'll be able to get it right.

I'd love to hear what you think about this!

Cheers,
Daniel

Hi everyone!

I humbly present SlateOS, a new open-source firmware for the PineTime, which supports Javascript sub-apps that can be sideloaded without changing the firmware. 
Its low-level functions are based on InfiniTime and in turn FreeRTOS, so a big thank you to all those involved in these projects!

https://github.com/LeaCreative/SlateOS

I love my PineTime and wanted to be able to easily create apps for it. So I came up with the idea of using the watch as a thin client for my Android phone. In offline mode, the  SlateOS offers watch face, step counter and heart rate sensing. Connect it to the companion app on your phone and you can open the app launcher, which the app populates. The JS sub-apps, basically packaged JS code, run on your phone in the companion app, which tells the watch what to draw and accepts user input. This enables use of the phone's hardware, such as its GPS receiver. In the companion app you can select which sub-apps you want listed in SlateOS' launcher. You can write your own JS sub-apps and I can't wait to see what you come up with! Just please read the sub-app rules doc, so that you'll be able to get it right.

Cheers,
Daniel
 
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