A Rant About Pine, Other Distros, & Still Trying to Get Fedora Booting From eMMC.
12-03-2021, 07:41 AM
(This post was last modified: 12-03-2021, 08:58 AM by whitecat23.
Edit Reason: typo
)
So the Linux kernel (as of 5.x) has received quite a few new bits for Rockchip devices, making it easier to install a number of distros on the RockPro64 (using official ISO installers now results in some perfectly bootable operating systems). But it's evident that depth of support isn't equal across distros: While some install and boot just fine from the system's microSD reader the very same operating system will not boot from an internal eMMC flash drive, nor from an external SSD. Conversely, other distros employing a 5.x kernel boot from all those storage mediums without any fuss; then there's that part about text not getting printed to the screen (i.e. openSUSE Leap 15.3 and Debian 11), while others have incorporated this very basic (and expected) feature as standard!
As an example, Fedora 35 is a distribution that works beautifully when installed to a microSD card, but installing it onto my eMMC, or SSD, results in several GRUB errors (i.e. "You need to load a kernel first") then going back to the boot menu. Again, everything seems to just work when Fedora is installed to an microSD card. But I need something faster.
Then there are distros I've tested that run just fine off the eMMC, like openSUSE and Debian. Unfortunately those two refuse to print any text to the screen, forcing me into an X session every time (although I can type 'blindly' into a tty session). I need to see text output. I want to see the logs scroll by. Why did they not put the effort in, when Fedora does? In my opinion, Fedora aarch64 is quite simply the best Linux I've used in my limited time with ARM64: It makes for a sane, stable, and responsive system.
Here is what seems to me a general problem: I fail to detect any overt effort on the part of Pine64 to work with distro-makers and get these extremely basic features working, across all releases. It's really looking like a fast-accumulating hodge-podge of distros which might or might not be suitable to task. Things like text console support and booting from recognized storage shoudn't be considered a luxury on any platform. The inconsistencies are staggering.
Still, I'm still hoping for some small breakthrough that'll get Fedora loading from eMMC, or USB 3.0 SSD. Any idea?
As an example, Fedora 35 is a distribution that works beautifully when installed to a microSD card, but installing it onto my eMMC, or SSD, results in several GRUB errors (i.e. "You need to load a kernel first") then going back to the boot menu. Again, everything seems to just work when Fedora is installed to an microSD card. But I need something faster.
Then there are distros I've tested that run just fine off the eMMC, like openSUSE and Debian. Unfortunately those two refuse to print any text to the screen, forcing me into an X session every time (although I can type 'blindly' into a tty session). I need to see text output. I want to see the logs scroll by. Why did they not put the effort in, when Fedora does? In my opinion, Fedora aarch64 is quite simply the best Linux I've used in my limited time with ARM64: It makes for a sane, stable, and responsive system.
Here is what seems to me a general problem: I fail to detect any overt effort on the part of Pine64 to work with distro-makers and get these extremely basic features working, across all releases. It's really looking like a fast-accumulating hodge-podge of distros which might or might not be suitable to task. Things like text console support and booting from recognized storage shoudn't be considered a luxury on any platform. The inconsistencies are staggering.
Still, I'm still hoping for some small breakthrough that'll get Fedora loading from eMMC, or USB 3.0 SSD. Any idea?
