How to get started?

[Luke]

Hello,
I apologize if this has been asked, but is there a tutorial or a quick-start guide? I"m not really sure where to start.
I'm familiar with using other microprocessor based FPGA boards which require downloading a program (i.e libero) and using verilog/C. However, as far as I can tell this is not needed for the pine64...? Basically, if anyone could help me get srated, that'd be great.
Thanks

Hey there!

An official quick start guide is in the works, but for now I'll help you out as best I can. 

Useful reference page - Pine64 wiki
Helpful thread: The 6 most common reasons why Pine64 won't boot

Needed:
Pine A64 board
Power Supply (PSU and micro USB cable)
MicroSD card
HDMI cable
Input device(s) - (keyboard, mouse, remote, pointer, etc)

Firstly, be careful handling the Pine A64 board to make sure it is not subjected to electrostatic discharge. Wearing and correctly utilising a grounding strap can help to mitigate the risks of ESD. At any rate, handle the board at the edges, avoid touching components on the board, and place on a safe surface (avoid carpets and any other material that is prone electrostatic build-up).

Then you'll need a reliable 5 volt, 2 amp (or higher) power supply. This is very important. If the amperage rating of the power supply is too low, the board will not boot properly. A marginally higher voltage for the PSU is ok (such as 5.1 volts - due to the nature of the micro usb connection, a 5.1v supply can help protect slightly against voltage drops which can cause undesirable function), but a significantly higher voltage will damage the Pine A64 board and may render it inoperative.

If using a power supply with a separate micro USB cable, try to use a cable with low resistance. Cables with high resistance will cause improper function and the unit may have trouble booting up. The thicker the internal cabling, the better (i.e. AWG (American Wire Gauge) 20 is better than AWG 28).

You will also need a decent microSD card. There are many sub-standard and fake microSD cards in circulation, and using just such a card will cause issues booting up. There are ways of testing microSD cards prior to installing the operating system to make sure they are ok for use. The main one is H2testw 1.4. Another is F3.

Next, you'll want a decent HDMI cable. As with micro USB cabling, quality of HDMI cable can vary a lot, so try and go for quality rather than cheapness. If you are using a HDMI to VGA/DVI adapter, be aware that some work better than others.

Finally, you will want to have a way of controlling the on-screen cursor and of typing, thus you will need a keyboard, mouse, touchpad/trackpad, or some kind of combo device that combines these two things. 

After you have all the physical things you need, you will need to download and install the operating system to microSD card. 

For the Android image, you will need to use the PhoenixCard software. A guide to using this software can be found on the Pine64 wiki, specifically here:
http://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/PhoenixCard

Android (and other OS) images are to be found here:
http://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/Pine_A6...re_Release

There are also user-posted images on the forum, some of which allow you to circumvent use of PhoenixCard. Example:
http://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=537

Linux-based OS do not require use of PhoenixCard and can be burned using Win32 Disk Imager in Windows, or via the dd command in Unix-based systems.

Booting up the Pine A64 simply requires you to connect up the power supply via the micro USB input (you should also connect the HDMI cable and input devices, obviously).

I can only get Debian Linux to boot. none of the android Images i have tried will boot even if the burn says success. I have also tried the Ubuntu Linux Image, listed on Pine64 wiki page, and it will not boot either. I would apprechiate any help or advice you could give, thank you

please take a look at my reply to another user here. Hope this helps.