How to install Ubuntu to eMMC and to install KDE (Neon)

[Wizzard]

Hi, I will share my experiences with installing Ubuntu to eMMC, cause I want a fast and up to date system

1. Write Ubuntu image to SD card. I used Mate build: https://github.com/ayufan-rock64/linux-b...mhf.img.xz and decompress it using unxz and write to SD.

I RECOMMEND TO CHECK LSBLK OR GPARTED WHICH DEVICE IS YOUR SDCARD BEFORE RUNNING "DD" COMMAND!

Code:

sudo apt install gparted

Code:

unxz bionic-mate-pinebookpro-0.9.14-1159-armhf.img.xz
sudo dd if=bionic-mate-pinebookpro-0.9.14-1159-armhf.img of=/dev/mmcblk0 bs=4M status=progress

2. Boot Ubuntu from SD card.
3. Download Ubuntu image again when booted from SD or copy the downloaded file from eMMC.
4. Write Ubuntu image to emmc.

I RECOMMEND TO CHECK LSBLK OR GPARTED WHICH DEVICE IS YOUR EMMC BEFORE RUNNING "DD" COMMAND!

Code:

unxz bionic-mate-pinebookpro-0.9.14-1159-armhf.img.xz
sudo dd if=bionic-mate-pinebookpro-0.9.14-1159-armhf.img of=/dev/mmcblk1 bs=4M status=progress

5. Turn off PBP, remove SD card and turn PBP on. It should boot with Ubuntu installed.

When it does not boot, boot from SD card again and check the partitions on the eMMC in Gparted. I had the problem that boot partition was written in different fs (fat32 instead of fat16) so I needed to delete that boot partition from eMMC and to copy the boot partition from SD to eMMC in Gparted. Then it worked. I also resized the rootfs on eMMC to fill whole available space.

6. Now you have Ubuntu installed on eMMC and you can also boot from SD card, but only the same operating system. If we need also to boot other operating systems, we need to apply uboot fix. So download all the files from here https://github.com/mrfixit2001/updates_r...filesystem and run the mrfixit_update.sh script while running from eMMC. From now on you should be able to boot also other OS from SD like before.

7. Before installing KDE I suggest to enable ubuntu-backports and ubuntu-proposed repos in sources.list to get more recent packages.

My sources.list:

Code:

deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ bionic main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ bionic-security main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ bionic-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ bionic-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ bionic-proposed main restricted universe multiverse

Before installing KDE I also recommend to enable Kubuntu PPA Backports to get a little newer packages:

Code:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kubuntu-ppa/backports

Alternativelly, you can try KDE Neon packages for the newest KDE software.

Code:

sudo apt-add-repository http://archive.neon.kde.org/user
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys E6D4736255751E5D
sudo apt update

Installing KDE:

Code:

sudo apt install plasma-desktop kde-full kubuntu-full kubuntu-desktop krusader konsole plasma-nm muon kwin sddm kinfocenter systemsettings powerdevil kde-config-sddm kde-config-screenlocker kde-config-gtk-style partitionmanager libkdesu5 kubuntu-notification-helper libkf5su-bin

Optionally install Calligra Office Suite, what is KDE alternative for LibreOffice.

Code:

sudo apt install calligra

After installing you may just restart the computer and select Plasma in SDDM login screen.

To enable Netflix and Spotify in Chromium, run:

Code:

sudo install_widevine_drm.sh

Credits: @ayufan for Ubuntu builds and @Mrfixit2001 for uboot fix.

[Wizzard]

If you have any questions, feel free to discuss in this thread and I will update the first post.

[User 6582]

Thank You!! May just give this a whirl this weekend. Using MATE seems smooth, although my use is far from complete. And since my goal is to have a smooth running system that "works" without significant anomalies, I'm trying to stick with a distro that is best at it....for now. Much appreciated Wizzard!

[stamper]

Thank you very much! My pinebook didn’t boot after step 5, but my boot partition was fat16. Resizing the rootfs partition on eMMC to fill the unallocated space fixed this issue for me.

[Meatball]

Thanks wizzard for the comprehensive tutorial! Had the same problem with fat32 but easy to fix with gparted and dd the boot partition from my SD-card!

Haven't tried to boot other distros or installing kde but I must admit I like the ubuntu OS better. Easier to get mainline kernel up and running from ayufans git and performance is solid so far! 

Currently compiling nextcloud client from source since armhf version isn't available but looking good.

[Wizzard]

Easier to get mainline kernel up and running from ayufans git and performance is solid so far!

Hi, you was able to run mainline kernel in Ubuntu? If so, which one? Thanks.

[User 6582]

Thanks wizzard for the comprehensive tutorial! Had the same problem with fat32 but easy to fix with gparted and dd the boot partition from my SD-card!

Haven't tried to boot other distros or installing kde but I must admit I like the ubuntu OS better. Easier to get mainline kernel up and running from ayufans git and performance is solid so far! 

Currently compiling nextcloud client from source since armhf version isn't available but looking good.

Using the Ubuntu 18.04 available in the forum and run off a micro-SD card, has been an exceptionally pleasant affair.
Another way to run a different OS in a self contained environment, so I don't have to mess with the eMMC Debian, factory supplied OS.
Since I use Lubuntu 18.04 LTS (although not MATE) on my Linux laptop, it gives me a chance to see how the same OS'es work on the different computers....Results so far are solidly positive. Since I'm not "testing" to the limits some are, haven't found all the problems. So far there just aren't any meaningful ones...
My goal has been to use the PBP as an "everyday driver" It's proving to be highly competent :-)

[Luke]

I sometimes have the Ubuntu 18.04 + plasma act up on me and randomly crash. I have tried to trace down some obvious issue in dmesg and other logs, but found nothing.
If someone has any instight, then that would be great.

Another - minor - issue is that the battery applet doesn't work/start despite powerdevil starting up correctly.

[Wizzard]

I found another problem, seems that waking up from suspend mode stopped working. I have to turn off and on every time. Strange, because it worked before. Did not notice anything strange in dmesg either.

[Meatball]

Easier to get mainline kernel up and running from ayufans git and performance is solid so far!

Hi, you was able to run mainline kernel in Ubuntu? If so, which one? Thanks.

I just downloaded and installed the version i wanted from ayufans git (https://github.com/ayufan-rock64/linux-m...l/releases)!
In my case i went with 5.3.0-1119 and it installed without a hitch and runs smoothly so far!

---

... 

Currently compiling nextcloud client from source since armhf version isn't available but looking good.

Silly me going through the trouble of compiling from source when I could've just installed the owncloud client from the start... Well well.. 

This experience is really making me go outside of my comfort zone though!

---

I found another problem, seems that waking up from suspend mode stopped working. I have to turn off and on every time. Strange, because it worked before. Did not notice anything strange in dmesg either.

I have the problem that suspend doesn't reliably kick in when the lid closes which is quite annoying as I find the battery drained after just having the pbp on my bag for a couple of hours..
Just figured out what might be the problem when typing this.. If I close the lid when connected to a power the power settings might not be setup to suspend and pulling the plug after closing the lid could be the problem.. Will check when I get home