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+--- Thread: My Pinebook Pro after a month of use. (/showthread.php?tid=10817)
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My Pinebook Pro after a month of use. - Nobot - 07-23-2020
Sometimes my Pinebook works fine other times it is buggy. Not currently learning the Linux language. I am learning a new language that I can speak to other humans rather than machines. I am happy about the price I paid for the Pinebook. Overall unless you are fluent in Linux code the machine can be rather a nightmare. Occasional screen flickering. Weak or no sound output. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi sometimes works. The screen output blacks out for a few seconds and then returns all the time. My connected hard drives and flash drives do not always respond and well...If you enjoy writing Linux code this machine is probably a dream for you. For average humans this machine is somewhat a disappointment. Developers if you want a machine that introduces Linux novices to the wonderful world of Linux this machine needs lots of work. Peace.
RE: My Pinebook Pro after a month of use. - MtnSk8 - 07-24-2020
I've been using the PBP shipped with Manjaro (aka: the covid batch) and mine has worked flawlessly. I use it all day with no problems. Manjaro KDE has been very stable, no hard resets and I think I dropped to the shell once to reboot gracefully but that was one time in the month or two I've been using the PBP. A full desktop OS on a 5 volt device is exactly what I've been waiting YEARS for
I had very low expectations for the PBP as it's essentially a developer edition manufactured in the middle of a world wide pandemic and I am quite pleased with the model I received. Everything works!I think it was like '05 when Ubuntu "Dapper Drake" was released and at the time I needed to update a ppc G4 Mac. I tried the "live cd" and ended up clicking "install".
Never looked back. The notion posed by Nobot about needing to be "fluent in linux code" After 15 years running Linux boxes I'm not really "fluent in linux code" whatever that means, I have to look s#!t up like most everyone else. Not just say "Oh well I'm not fluent in linux code" , "guess I can't figure it out". sheesh
RE: My Pinebook Pro after a month of use. - rimaille - 07-24-2020
(07-23-2020, 08:12 PM)Nobot Wrote: Sometimes my Pinebook works fine other times it is buggy. Not currently learning the Linux language. I am learning a new language that I can speak to other humans rather than machines. I am happy about the price I paid for the Pinebook. Overall unless you are fluent in Linux code the machine can be rather a nightmare. Occasional screen flickering. Weak or no sound output. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi sometimes works. The screen output blacks out for a few seconds and then returns all the time. My connected hard drives and flash drives do not always respond and well...If you enjoy writing Linux code this machine is probably a dream for you. For average humans this machine is somewhat a disappointment. Developers if you want a machine that introduces Linux novices to the wonderful world of Linux this machine needs lots of work. Peace.
You clearly made the wrong choice with the pbp, and maybe digging in forums before you bought it would have show you that : pbp does not ship ready for "average human", it need to be tweaked and it's a reason i bought it, i like dirt.
There's no "linux code", as well as "windows code" or "macosx code", i suppose you're talking about shell.
For your flickering problem, try updating mesa to mesa git.
For your sound problem, it's just a matter of raising output levels in alsamixer.
Bluetooth and wifi always work for me, no tweak, stock.
Also i have no problems with usb pendrive or hdd.
I hope you'll find a notebook that suits you. Look at chinese noname notebooks, there's a loot at 200$ price range with better specs than pbp, and shipped with windows working otb.
RE: My Pinebook Pro after a month of use. - KC9UDX - 07-24-2020
I really wonder why anyone who doesn't like to play with hardware and software would buy these things. Then I remember the price. They buy it because it's "cheap" but expect it to be the same as something "not cheap".
RE: My Pinebook Pro after a month of use. - mamboman777 - 07-24-2020
(07-23-2020, 08:12 PM)Nobot Wrote: Sometimes my Pinebook works fine other times it is buggy. Not currently learning the Linux language. I am learning a new language that I can speak to other humans rather than machines. I am happy about the price I paid for the Pinebook. Overall unless you are fluent in Linux code the machine can be rather a nightmare. Occasional screen flickering. Weak or no sound output. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi sometimes works. The screen output blacks out for a few seconds and then returns all the time. My connected hard drives and flash drives do not always respond and well...If you enjoy writing Linux code this machine is probably a dream for you. For average humans this machine is somewhat a disappointment. Developers if you want a machine that introduces Linux novices to the wonderful world of Linux this machine needs lots of work. Peace.Sorry you feel that way. I understand that not knowing why something is not working how it's supposed to can be frustrating.
What software are you using? Linux comes in many different distributions, or "distros" each containing different layers of programming. Some distros may work better than others. When I got my pinebook pro it came with Debian. I've since switched to Manjaro and have found it works better and more consistently. Maybe a change of distro may help you? Do you need help figuring out how to do that?
RE: My Pinebook Pro after a month of use. - LittleWalter - 07-24-2020
(07-24-2020, 01:07 AM)MtnSk8 Wrote: I've been using the PBP shipped with Manjaro (aka: the covid batch) and mine has worked flawlessly. I use it all day with no problems. Manjaro KDE has been very stable, no hard resets and I think I dropped to the shell once to reboot gracefully but that was one time in the month or two I've been using the PBP. A full desktop OS on a 5 volt device is exactly what I've been waiting YEARS for
I think it was like '05 when Ubuntu "Dapper Drake" was released and at the time I needed to update a ppc G4 Mac. I tried the "live cd" and ended up clicking "install".
Never looked back. The notion posed by Nobot about needing to be "fluent in linux code" After 15 years running Linux boxes I'm not really "fluent in linux code" whatever that means, I have to look s#!t up like most everyone else. Not just say "Oh well I'm not fluent in linux code" , "guess I can't figure it out". sheesh
I can empathize with OP because I don't think Pine64 products, or any other SBC producer, are for the faint of heart. At the very least and the current moment, you should consider these things as hobbyist devices at the consumer level that aren't fully baked. These things aren't really meant for the casual computer user, and I wouldn't recommend it to someone expecting everything to just work like a Mac or Windows machine.
The odds of having to hit the command line/terminal are still pretty high. If you don't like thinking about shells, CLI programs, etc., these laptops probably aren't for you. Consider more baked options like those from Purism or System 76. However, those things aren't super low price like building a cheap, low-powered Linux box out of an RPi, Hardkernel, or Pine64 SBC.
It sounds like OP didn't heed the Pine64 warnings of limited support and what an effectively "all sales final" sales pitch implies. Yep, you are your own Level 1 CSR (customer service rep) for these things. There's a reason that RTFM (Read That Friendly Manual) is actually good advice a lot of time in the Linux and FOSS world. These will always be a level of DIY.
RE: My Pinebook Pro after a month of use. - Nobot - 07-24-2020
(07-23-2020, 08:12 PM)Nobot Wrote: Sometimes my Pinebook works fine other times it is buggy. Not currently learning the Linux language. I am learning a new language that I can speak to other humans rather than machines. I am happy about the price I paid for the Pinebook. Overall unless you are fluent in Linux code the machine can be rather a nightmare. Occasional screen flickering. Weak or no sound output. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi sometimes works. The screen output blacks out for a few seconds and then returns all the time. My connected hard drives and flash drives do not always respond and well...If you enjoy writing Linux code this machine is probably a dream for you. For average humans this machine is somewhat a disappointment. Developers if you want a machine that introduces Linux novices to the wonderful world of Linux this machine needs lots of work. Peace.
07/24/202
My experiences with the Pinebook Pro is obviously just my own. I have noticed though some people are not thrilled with the machine. When I could not install an upgraded OS on mine no matter what I tried the sparkle faded about the machine. I did read about the Pinebook Pro beforehand. Finding out about the blessed Linux code is for the birds imho. I could not find any concise easy to understand lexicon about it. I am not a computer geek nor do I wish to become one. To those of you who understand Linux more power to you. Imho the Pinebook Pro is more of a toy or busy box for adults. Peace.
RE: My Pinebook Pro after a month of use. - KC9UDX - 07-24-2020
Well, toy implies that it can only be used for whimsical things. That's far from the case. But it is a hobbyist machine. Not being able to use it is not the fault of the machine. It's designed for people who already know how to make such things work, not for people who know how to use computers that already work.
I don't mean this to insult you: but if you won't learn how to first use Unix / Linux, then Pine64 products are the wrong product for you. Or, you need to hire a system administrator. My wife knows very little about computers, but she is able to use NetBSD, Debian, Armbian, ChromeOS, Android, and AmigaOS on a Pinebook Pro because, and only because, I am the system administrator.
You can become a system administrator. Most of us started out with no prior knowledge. There are really good resources out there for this. Any big old Unix reference manual is good to read. I'm guessing that typing "getting started in Linux" into DuckDuckGo would give good results.
RE: My Pinebook Pro after a month of use. - Nobot - 07-24-2020
(07-24-2020, 05:41 AM)mamboman777 Wrote:(07-23-2020, 08:12 PM)Nobot Wrote: Sometimes my Pinebook works fine other times it is buggy. Not currently learning the Linux language. I am learning a new language that I can speak to other humans rather than machines. I am happy about the price I paid for the Pinebook. Overall unless you are fluent in Linux code the machine can be rather a nightmare. Occasional screen flickering. Weak or no sound output. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi sometimes works. The screen output blacks out for a few seconds and then returns all the time. My connected hard drives and flash drives do not always respond and well...If you enjoy writing Linux code this machine is probably a dream for you. For average humans this machine is somewhat a disappointment. Developers if you want a machine that introduces Linux novices to the wonderful world of Linux this machine needs lots of work. Peace.Sorry you feel that way. I understand that not knowing why something is not working how it's supposed to can be frustrating.
What software are you using? Linux comes in many different distributions, or "distros" each containing different layers of programming. Some distros may work better than others. When I got my pinebook pro it came with Debian. I've since switched to Manjaro and have found it works better and more consistently. Maybe a change of distro may help you? Do you need help figuring out how to do that?
I have the Manjaro that came installed on the machine. I did an update via the update manager. I have created a micro SD card with Manjaro Arm 20.06. When I use the micro SD card the machine works more reliably but I still have issues like freezing up and requiring a reboot. I have had zero luck installing any other listed ARM 64 Linux distribution found on the Wiki Pinebook Pro site. My machine just sits with a red light and a dark gray screen when I try. I have had success creating bootable flash drives for my desk top. The only expectation I had about the Pinebook Pro was that I would be able to install the latest OS on it without an excessive amount of pain and blood. That is it. So yes I am disappointed about that. I am willing to still try and update the OS to Manjaro 20.06 or any OS that will allow the machine to work correctly 95% of the time.
RE: My Pinebook Pro after a month of use. - moonwalkers - 07-24-2020
Well I could say I'm an experienced Linux user, but I admit I had hard time getting started with PBP too. That's not the machine's fault though, but my lack of familiarity with ARM-based systems - once I figured my way around it this kitten started purring with only an occasional hiccup related to the components that are still development-in-progress, like the graphics stack.
Is this machine perfect? By no means. Is this machine usable, given a desire to spend some time and effort learning? Abso-frigging-lutely. And spend some time and effort learning you shall have to if you get this type of hardware for a mere $200.