Linux Images (ROCK64)

[a1w.ca]

Point about an x install may be moot, I left it running, but when It was time for amanda to back it up, it had crashed, and it is nor responding to an ssh -Y rock64@rock64 query now at 5:30 am local.  So this one isn't quite ready for prime time. I had such high hopes too.

Cheers gene83

Yes, desktop isn't ready for prime time.

Desktop is definitely ready for prime time. I've been using it daily (ayufan 0.5.15 / debian stretch minimal + xfce) for the last two months and it works just fine.

[Luke]

Point about an x install may be moot, I left it running, but when It was time for amanda to back it up, it had crashed, and it is nor responding to an ssh -Y rock64@rock64 query now at 5:30 am local.  So this one isn't quite ready for prime time. I had such high hopes too.

Cheers gene83

Yes, desktop isn't ready for prime time.

Desktop is definitely ready for prime time. I've been using it daily (ayufan 0.5.15 / debian stretch minimal + xfce) for the last two months and it works just fine.

OK, glad to hear.

[gene83]

Thats with Xfce? LXDE sure isn't, I'll switch just for grins. But apparently tasksel can't be run over an ssh -Y connection, I get the prompt back without action or error, in about 2 seconds. But I'll try it the next time I walk by its keyboard.

Thanks & cheers, gene83

[soichiro]

Dummy questions....
1- Why is there only one Linux distro that support boot from emmc?
2- Are there some technical problems and/or limitations? 
3- Is it possible to convert a Linux micro-sd boot to emmc without using the serial console?

[Luke]

Dummy questions....
1- Why is there only one Linux distro that support boot from emmc?
2- Are there some technical problems and/or limitations? 
3- Is it possible to convert a Linux micro-sd boot to emmc without using the serial console?

You can boot most most of ayufan's images (as well as LibreELEC and Lakka) from eMMC just fine. In fact, I've only heard reports that DietPi doesn't boot from eMMC. 

You can use one of the methods specified in the wiki to flash images to eMMC.

[soichiro]

Dummy questions....
1- Why is there only one Linux distro that support boot from emmc?
2- Are there some technical problems and/or limitations? 
3- Is it possible to convert a Linux micro-sd boot to emmc without using the serial console?

You can boot most most of ayufan's images (as well as LibreELEC and Lakka) from eMMC just fine. In fact, I've only heard reports that DietPi doesn't boot from eMMC. 

You can use one of the methods specified in the wiki to flash images to eMMC.

Thank you for letting me know

[thewonderer]

Can someone give any information in what is present and what is removed from the ayufan images? Not a Linux guru. My build will be really simple when my rock64 arrives. An always on NAS and some minimal interaction with a dekstop gui. Looking at getting the latest Xenial minimal image - 0.6.15 to test with and hope to max at the Gb NIC and USB3 port for data copying sometimes. I noticed ayufan as asking for feedback about 0.6.x becoming the stable build. Thanks.

[gene83]

I just this week, tried the latest 6.x.x image by adding his repo, bricked the sd card. Very noisy failed reboot.. So I've got a different version of the newest 5.x.x waiting for me to fire up dd and re-write the card. Sorry I can't be much more help than that. I've a couple days more work truing up a lathe spindle that's made out of pure unobtainium before I get back to the rock64's.

[thewonderer]

I just this week, tried the latest 6.x.x image by adding his repo, bricked the sd card. Very noisy failed reboot.. So I've got a different version of the newest 5.x.x waiting for me to fire up dd and re-write the card.  Sorry I can't be much more help than that. I've a couple days more  work truing up a lathe spindle that's made out of pure unobtainium before I get back to the rock64's.

Thanks gene83.  Haven't heard many good experiences with 0.6.xx build, so will try the 0.5 one.

Does anyone else have feedback of the 0.6xx builds?

[matteobp]

I tried both of them (0.5.15 and 0.6.13), and my use is similar to yours: use the Rock64 as NAS.
My first concern is the performance in copying to and from Rock64, using a USB 3.0 HDD.
The performance of 0.5.15 is poor, so I'm testing 0.6.13. So far the latest test with kernel 4.15.0 gives me a real write speed of about 40MB/s and a read speed of about 47MB/s.
I don't remember the speed with kernel 4.4.x.
I installed XFCE as desktop environment, although I'm used to managing it remotely with putty. However, if necessary, you can use xrdp to connect remotely with Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection.
About the stability, I have had no problems at the moment, although the NAS is not always on. I use it only for testing purposes.