Official Debian support!

[kuleszdl]

@igorp I have the PBP running without said display blob already, so it is definitely not required to get the internal display working. See this thread:

https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=12534

[ryo]

A repost of what I posted earlier today, but I think this thread is more fitting.

2 days ago I started to understanding the importance of the "Software" app.
I received 3 "system updates" in a row, and a reboot was needed each time.

Now I notice my phone became suddenly much smoother than what it was before these updates.
And I didn't notice any double tap problems since then too.
On top of that, it seems to be surviving a bit longer without a charger now, I had it off-charger all morning and on idle, and it's still on 85% battery.
Before that, it'd be dead by now.

However, it seems to suddenly restart the UI after pressing the power button once, and then it'll go into the endless login loop.

[kwinz]

I am using Rock64 (rk3328) with a Ubuntu release 18.05.5 LTS from ayufan.

I was concerned not getting a Kernel update for over a year and asked if it's still safe to keep an SSH port exposed to the internet with an unpatched kernel without Kernel security backports here: https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=12652 but didn't get any replies.

On another thread some users recommended the Debian Buster based Armbian release for the Rock64.
But I later discovered that Armbian retired officail support for it here: https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?...4#pid86494

My last hope is your Debian builds. If you're also not supporting these boards I have to stop using it.

Does Pine64 commit resources for driver/Kernel development or do you just make the plain board hardware?

[ab1jx]

I think it's mostly just hardware.  If you install Daniel Thompson's Debian Bullseye it uses debootstrap so it's pulling software live from Debian.  Bullseye will be the next release, I think it has the "testing" label right now, it's not the more cutting edge sid.  Seems perfectly stable, I've got 10 days of uptime on this one.  The kernel's Manjaro I think.

Linux pbp 5.7.0-2-pinebookpro-arm64 #1 SMP PREEMPT Sun Dec 20 03:37:06 UTC 2020 aarch64 GNU/Linux

You can get debootstrap and run it yourself, I've done it a couple times, but this handles getting all the firmware and stuff.  https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=8487  Official Debian support isn't that far away, within the next couple versions probably.  Get on the Debian Arm mailing list.

[kuleszdl]

@kwinz If you don't need USB3 support you can also go with official Debian now - either the unstable/testing distribution or the stable distribution (buster) with the unstable kernel. Personally, I would discourage keeping keeping the SSH port exposed to the Internet if you are running an outdated kernel, even if the ssh server itself is regularly updated. The issue here is that there sometimes are also vulnerabilities in the TCP/IP stack of the kernel which could be exploited.

[technicalitch500]

Hello everyone,


I am very please to let you all know that many of our flagship devices, including key SBCs as well as Pinebook Pro and the Pinebook, now have official Debian support.
Download

I'm trying to install this onto my RockPro64. I'm a bot of a N00b and have tried to combine the image files but clearly doing something wrong.

I detailed my steps in the following thread over on Reddit (scroll down towards the bottom):
https://www.reddit.com/r/debian/comments...0b_please/

Very grateful if someone can help!!! Thanks

[as365n4]

Hello everyone,


I am very please to let you all know that many of our flagship devices, including key SBCs as well as Pinebook Pro and the Pinebook, now have official Debian support.
Download

I'm trying to install this onto my RockPro64. I'm a bot of a N00b and have tried to combine the image files but clearly doing something wrong.

I detailed my steps in the following thread over on Reddit (scroll down towards the bottom):
https://www.reddit.com/r/debian/comments...0b_please/

Very grateful if someone can help!!! Thanks

@technicalitch500 

A very comprehensive guide on installing Debian onto a RockPro64 can be found here --> https://www.kulesz.me/post/140-debian-de...4-install/

Ready made images of Armbian (Debian based) can be found here --> https://www.armbian.com/rockpro64/

[igorp]

On another thread some users recommended the Debian Buster based Armbian release for the Rock64.
But I later discovered that Armbian retired officail support for it here: https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?...4#pid86494

Only advanced support was changed to community supported. Armbian supported developers will not address board related bugs anymore or waste precious time for supporting users but wait that problems are fixed by someone, or not at all. Images will still be provided at least on the same technical level as others, so no worries. IMO higher due to automated testing facility, advanced features, faster download infrastructure ... which stays, even support was dropped.

[foobar]

I installed Debian to the internal MMC device of my RockPro64, but it would not boot unless I had the SD card plugged in too. The following worked for me:

Code:

apt install u-boot-rockchip
u-boot-install-rockchip /dev/mmcblk2

I don't know if it works on newer edition boards.

I also have an `/boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf` containing something like (change the root=... part to point to your root fs, not your /boot fs):

Code:

default l0
menu title Debian
prompt 0
timeout 50

label l0
menu label Debian
linux /vmlinuz
append root=/dev/mmcblk2p2
initrd /initrd.img
fdt /dtb

[igorp]

I installed Debian to the internal MMC device of my RockPro64

Stop wasting time with Debian when you have much better support here https://www.armbian.com/download/ and its still Debian. https://docs.armbian.com/#what-is-armbian


"Getting Armbian to work on the RockPro64 is a cinch. You flash the boot disk, pop it in, and boot the thing."
https://mattbernhard.medium.com/building...2b176e2f76