Arch Linux ARM root filesystem

[SKiljan]

• The image the instructions link to doesn't have a /mnt directory. Easily fixed.
  
• The image I used didn't have mkfs.vfat, quite easily fixed by installing dosfstools.
  
• Wifi isn't enabled after reboot. Given that ALARM is likely only used by advanced users this might not even be worth mentioning. 
  

I've not yet installed any GUI apps or tested audio. Looks like you've provided "pinebookpro-audio" which I imagine fixes the annoying Pinebook Pro headphone bug.

What I need to do now is get a LUKS-encrypted eMMC install. I imagine your existing eMMC instructions wouldn't need much changing, or I suppose your sdcard installation could be used to bootstrap a traditional Arch install. I'll play around.

I'm glad your distro is now linked on the wiki: https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/Pinebook_Pr..._Linux_ARM. Only nit is that the wiki's credentials are wrong.

Hey, thanks for your words and comments!

About the missing directory and dosfstools not being installed, I already self reported those issues. This will be fixed in the next root filesystem, which will be released soon.

Audio works quite well, including the headphone detection. Also check out the FAQ if you want to raise the volume a bit. Do so at your own risk, of course.

I work as closely to 'stock' Arch Linux ARM as possible. The reason for this is that any documentation found and work done for Arch Linux ARM (and often Arch Linux) will be applicable to the Pinebook Pro as well. The installation instructions I wrote are in the style of Arch Linux ARM's documentation, and should be familiar to those who work with other ARM platforms (such as the Raspberry Pi).

If Wi-Fi is not enabled, then that is probably the way it is on all supported ARM platforms. At least, until the user runs wifi-menu or enables wireless networking in some other way. If wireless networking still refuses to work, check that you do not have the Wifi Privacy switch toggled. This switch is hardware, from what I understand, so Arch Linux ARM cannot solve this for you.

For LUKS-encrypted eMMC, you are on your own in terms of what I want to achieve with the repository. It is Arch Linux ARM for just one more (un)supported device. Whatever one wants to do with or to Arch Linux ARM is out of scope.

I am happy to think with you, though. LUKS encryption should be possible, but one weakness will be the evil maid attack due to a lack of hardware protection. The kernel and initrd (or just the bootloader, if one would use LUKS encryption in the bootloader to load the kernel and initrd) will be unprotected.

To actually get LUKS encyption going with an unprotected kernel, following the instructions on the ArchWiki should get you pretty far. I would start with LUKS on a partition. A bootable microSD card will allow you to prepare everything on the Pinebook Pro itself, saving you some headaches.

Finally, the credentials on the wiki are correct. The default username and password combination is root/root, and the default normal user and password combination is alarm/alarm. Again, this is Arch Linux ARM default.