Twister OS on PBP (2022)

[crusaderoath]

I have downloaded the TwisterOS image located here: Pinebook Pro Software Release - PINE64 and flashed it to a microSD on using DD under the included Manjaro Plasma installation. I followed the instructions and changed the armbianEnv.txt file to point at the rk3399-pinebook-pro.dtb file. I shutdown the computer and restarted with the card inserted (in the external microSD slot) and the machine will not post. The green power indicator slowly turns off and on in a continuous loop suggesting the machine is restarting after failing to boot.

Is this image not compatible with the latest release of the pinebook pro? Is there another version of the image I can/should use in its place? If this is all a moot point is there a similar flavor of linux to TwisterOS which includes wine and other arm specific versions of x86 emulation software?

[KC9UDX]

I'm pretty sure our problems with the latest Pinebooks Pro is due to Manjaru, or at least the U-boot that it comes with. I had to wipe out my eMMC before anything but Manjaru would boot from micro-sd.

[crusaderoath]

I was able to boot one of the Debian flavors (I think it was xfce4 based) but there were multiple crashed apps during startup and no wifi. As far as I know I have the latest UBoot on it, but it does complain for anything other than the BSD supported manjaro plasma install. I am currently running the xfce manjaro installed using the Manjaro Arm Flasher app.

[steeb]

It appears most of the U-Boot versions used in the majority of Pinebook Pro distros just doesn't play nice with the new hardware. Flash Tow-Boot to the SPI and you can just press Esc at boot to choose a boot device like any other PC, then you can at least see where the failure is happening.

[KC9UDX]

Until someone isolates the problem, I'm inclined to believe the hardware is not the issue. I'm pretty sure it's the U-boot that the latest Manjaru uses.

[crusaderoath]

The U-Boot loader does work with at least one flavor of debian as it stands. The Twister OS image doesnt even get that far. Just to be clear, the SPI and U-Boot is the same thing in this case right? SPI is still on the emmc storage? It isn't completely clear whether there is another storage device on the pinebook pro beyond the built-in emmc.

[wdt]

> It isn't completely clear whether there is another storage device on the pinebook pro beyond the built-in emmc.
the SPI is a 16MB chip on the mb, nothing to do with emmc
the cpu has a search order for uboot (really for idbloader), .... SPI, emmc, uSD
Once idbloader is loaded, then there is enough memory to load uboot
uboot will then alter the search path for a bootable OS
there is a button on mb to short SPI clock (which does not always work) for a bad SPI flash
(or the clock lead on the chip can be shorted when button is bad)
Do be aware that uboot for SPI is different than uboot for emmc/SD
different location (on chip) extra spacing in idbloader

[KC9UDX]

Also worth noting is that the eMMC isn't "built-in" but the SPI ROM is. The eMMC is removable.

[crusaderoath]

I attempted flashing Tow-Boot to the SPI following the rather simple instructions. It fails with an infinite loop saying there is no menu and the SPI cannot be flashed. Did the Pinebook pro undergo a significant hardware change or something since 2021? The wiki does not say anything about parts being changed. Did the manufacturer in China substitute anything which could be causing problems?

Tow-boot's last release was from 2021, is it no longer compatible with the latest hardware?

[wdt]

install mtd-utils
ls -l /dev/mtd*
mtd_debug info /dev/mtd0
If this all shows something reasonable, then the flashing utility is buggy
you could try
mtd_debug erase /dev/mtd0 0 16777216 ,,, I am assuming length is same as mine
This should take about 1/2 min
If you are sure (and brave) ,, if you have towboot FOR SPI do mtd_debug write .........
(towboot/uboot for SPI is NOT same as for emmc/SD)