https://forum.pine64.org/ Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:15:10 +0000 MyBB https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20244 Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:00:51 +0000 qingss0]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20244         I bought a crashed second-hand Pinebook Pro for a rock-bottom price.After some thinking and several attempts, I finally managed to get Kali Linux up and running properly on my Pinebook Pro.

What worked for me:

• Switched to USTC (University of Science and Technology of China) mirrors
  
• Used a command to bypass the command-not-found hook error.
  

        Feels great to see  apt-update  complete without segmentation faults or decompression errors. The Pinebook Pro is finally usable with Kali!]]>         I bought a crashed second-hand Pinebook Pro for a rock-bottom price.After some thinking and several attempts, I finally managed to get Kali Linux up and running properly on my Pinebook Pro.

What worked for me:

• Switched to USTC (University of Science and Technology of China) mirrors
  
• Used a command to bypass the command-not-found hook error.
  

        Feels great to see  apt-update  complete without segmentation faults or decompression errors. The Pinebook Pro is finally usable with Kali!]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20243 Sat, 04 Apr 2026 13:30:31 +0000 RicTor]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20243
I have been investigating and think I have found what  is happening - hence how to trigger charging. But I don't know why! 

Anyone else have the problem?

Are there any experts here who know the power / charging system? I can use help understanding the  schematic...]]>
I have been investigating and think I have found what  is happening - hence how to trigger charging. But I don't know why! 

Anyone else have the problem?

Are there any experts here who know the power / charging system? I can use help understanding the  schematic...]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20201 Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:49:09 +0000 RicTor]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20201
But the PBP now will not switch on. I have checked all connections, ribbons etc. All look OK.

Can anyone help me with tests to find the problem? Email would be very useful.]]>
But the PBP now will not switch on. I have checked all connections, ribbons etc. All look OK.

Can anyone help me with tests to find the problem? Email would be very useful.]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20124 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 05:55:59 +0000 qingss0]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20124 I’ve been having a bit of a struggle with my Pinebook Pro and could really use some advice. Here’s what happened:

When I got the device here in China, the previous owner had already messed up the system on the EMMC. I downloaded a Kali image, booted from the TF card, and tried to write it to the EMMC—but the process kept freezing with a blinking red light.

A friend here suggested ditching Kali for Debian, so I DD’d Armbian straight to the EMMC. That didn’t boot either, and later even my TF card with Kali wouldn’t boot. I realized I was locked out.

After some searching, I tried DietPi. It actually worked! I got in that night. But the next day, while trying to install xfce4, a package failed and broke apt. I managed a rough fix with some help (thanks DeepSeek), but on the next try, another package failed.

With no spare TF card around, I tried to manually fix apt… and ended up breaking glibc. Now the screen stays blank on boot.

I thought making a new TF card would save me, but the Pinebook won’t boot from it anymore—it just goes to the broken EMMC. I’m pretty stuck at this point.

Has anyone dealt with something like this? Any way to force TF card boot or recover the EMMC? I’d really appreciate any tips!]]> I’ve been having a bit of a struggle with my Pinebook Pro and could really use some advice. Here’s what happened:

When I got the device here in China, the previous owner had already messed up the system on the EMMC. I downloaded a Kali image, booted from the TF card, and tried to write it to the EMMC—but the process kept freezing with a blinking red light.

A friend here suggested ditching Kali for Debian, so I DD’d Armbian straight to the EMMC. That didn’t boot either, and later even my TF card with Kali wouldn’t boot. I realized I was locked out.

After some searching, I tried DietPi. It actually worked! I got in that night. But the next day, while trying to install xfce4, a package failed and broke apt. I managed a rough fix with some help (thanks DeepSeek), but on the next try, another package failed.

With no spare TF card around, I tried to manually fix apt… and ended up breaking glibc. Now the screen stays blank on boot.

I thought making a new TF card would save me, but the Pinebook won’t boot from it anymore—it just goes to the broken EMMC. I’m pretty stuck at this point.

Has anyone dealt with something like this? Any way to force TF card boot or recover the EMMC? I’d really appreciate any tips!]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20071 Sat, 08 Nov 2025 15:22:19 +0000 rfm83]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20071 For anybody in Southern California, local pick up in Thousand Oaks, CA.
Send me a direct message if you are interested.
Thanks.]]> For anybody in Southern California, local pick up in Thousand Oaks, CA.
Send me a direct message if you are interested.
Thanks.]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20064 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 08:25:14 +0000 wangyukunshan]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20064 https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20055 Thu, 23 Oct 2025 15:42:53 +0000 jceaser]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20055
Any problems I should look out for or other friendly advice anyone wants to give?

(I also got the audio-serial adapter to debug things when it DOES go wrong)]]>
Any problems I should look out for or other friendly advice anyone wants to give?

(I also got the audio-serial adapter to debug things when it DOES go wrong)]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20023 Wed, 01 Oct 2025 08:17:51 +0000 biketool]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=20023 Now though the regular from fully off boot activators (USB power or power button) but a good smack on my hand and the boot process starts.  I have to guess there is a loose ribbon cable somewhere, any ideas what the issue is?]]> Now though the regular from fully off boot activators (USB power or power button) but a good smack on my hand and the boot process starts.  I have to guess there is a loose ribbon cable somewhere, any ideas what the issue is?]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19921 Thu, 24 Jul 2025 09:37:13 +0000 meghancordo]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19921 I bought the new Pinebook Pro back in August. A few days ago, while browsing the internet with Firefox on the standard Manjaro installation (no recent updates), I closed the lid to say goodbye to someone and forgot to charge it.

The next day, it wouldn’t turn on at all. I tried various key combinations in case it was a screen brightness issue, but I figured the battery must be drained. I charged it with the supplied charger all day, and the blinking red light indicated it was charging, but it never turned steady. Still, the laptop wouldn’t power on.

The following day, I charged it all day using USB-C, thinking the charger might not be working properly, but the same blinking red light persisted. The laptop remains unresponsive. I even tried USB booting with Tails, but nothing happened.

Today, I'm planning to open it up to check if anything has come loose.

Any suggestion is appreciated!]]> I bought the new Pinebook Pro back in August. A few days ago, while browsing the internet with Firefox on the standard Manjaro installation (no recent updates), I closed the lid to say goodbye to someone and forgot to charge it.

The next day, it wouldn’t turn on at all. I tried various key combinations in case it was a screen brightness issue, but I figured the battery must be drained. I charged it with the supplied charger all day, and the blinking red light indicated it was charging, but it never turned steady. Still, the laptop wouldn’t power on.

The following day, I charged it all day using USB-C, thinking the charger might not be working properly, but the same blinking red light persisted. The laptop remains unresponsive. I even tried USB booting with Tails, but nothing happened.

Today, I'm planning to open it up to check if anything has come loose.

Any suggestion is appreciated!]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19916 Tue, 22 Jul 2025 11:27:25 +0000 Karsten1]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19916 I got my Pinebook Pro out of the cupboard again after a few years. Since the updates didn't go through, I decided to update it with a current Manjaro via the SSD card and then wanted to write the system to the eMMC.
It seemed as if everything had been transferred cleanly to the eMMC. Finally I entered "sync" and wanted to reboot.

Since then nothing works anymore. Pressing the start button shows no reaction. Even flipping the internal switch to start manually via the SD card was unsuccessful.

The system is completely dead.

A question for you: Is there anyone here who can reflash the eMMC for me? Or can I order an eMMC including operating system somewhere?

best regards
Karsten]]> I got my Pinebook Pro out of the cupboard again after a few years. Since the updates didn't go through, I decided to update it with a current Manjaro via the SSD card and then wanted to write the system to the eMMC.
It seemed as if everything had been transferred cleanly to the eMMC. Finally I entered "sync" and wanted to reboot.

Since then nothing works anymore. Pressing the start button shows no reaction. Even flipping the internal switch to start manually via the SD card was unsuccessful.

The system is completely dead.

A question for you: Is there anyone here who can reflash the eMMC for me? Or can I order an eMMC including operating system somewhere?

best regards
Karsten]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19901 Sun, 13 Jul 2025 09:23:30 +0000 Atton]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19901 https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19877 Sat, 28 Jun 2025 07:25:01 +0000 Www]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19877
I want to use the pinebook or tab to print to printer, but also looking at bulk scanning with features like paperport.  I know they are linux machines, but can they handel this? I have epson and brother gear.

I don't want to connect through the network and Internet, but through usb or wifi direct.

Thanks.]]>
I want to use the pinebook or tab to print to printer, but also looking at bulk scanning with features like paperport.  I know they are linux machines, but can they handel this? I have epson and brother gear.

I don't want to connect through the network and Internet, but through usb or wifi direct.

Thanks.]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19876 Sat, 28 Jun 2025 07:04:27 +0000 Www]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19876
Can you browse with a full Internet browser allowing you to backup current session tabs list, boomarks, history and saved pages?

With absolute privacy?]]>
Can you browse with a full Internet browser allowing you to backup current session tabs list, boomarks, history and saved pages?

With absolute privacy?]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19875 Sat, 28 Jun 2025 06:55:18 +0000 Www]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19875
Hi, I am interested in setting up privacy machines to backup data to optical bluray ray and dvd?  How doab,e is this on Pinebook Pro and pinebook and tabs?]]>
Hi, I am interested in setting up privacy machines to backup data to optical bluray ray and dvd?  How doab,e is this on Pinebook Pro and pinebook and tabs?]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19866 Fri, 20 Jun 2025 09:00:55 +0000 ksosn]]> https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19866
I'm relatively new to the community here, as I received my first and, so far, only Pine64 product roughly a year ago, even though I've been reading the blog for much longer.

It's the PBP, and I've been using it as my only laptop.

It's really good for what it is: being small, light, having a long battery life (for light tasks), it is entirely silent, it looks and feels like a premium product.
The RAM capacity and CPU performance are limited, but it's good enough. All demanding tasks I want to do can wait for the moment when I get to my desk and boot up my desktop PC.
My laptop's role is mainly displaying PDFs, static websites, running a text editor, running GIMP, compiling small programs, letting me SSH into other machines.
As for the future: the machine serves its role well, and this isn't going to change, so even though I would like my next laptop to also be a small, light, fanless Pine64 product, I wouldn't want to buy it until 2030. Also, given that performance is not very important, I think that the increase between RK3399 and RK3588 is relatively insignificant, and Pine64 either way should wait for new, more promising hardware to become available before beginning work on a new iteration of the Pinebook.]]>
I'm relatively new to the community here, as I received my first and, so far, only Pine64 product roughly a year ago, even though I've been reading the blog for much longer.

It's the PBP, and I've been using it as my only laptop.

It's really good for what it is: being small, light, having a long battery life (for light tasks), it is entirely silent, it looks and feels like a premium product.
The RAM capacity and CPU performance are limited, but it's good enough. All demanding tasks I want to do can wait for the moment when I get to my desk and boot up my desktop PC.
My laptop's role is mainly displaying PDFs, static websites, running a text editor, running GIMP, compiling small programs, letting me SSH into other machines.
As for the future: the machine serves its role well, and this isn't going to change, so even though I would like my next laptop to also be a small, light, fanless Pine64 product, I wouldn't want to buy it until 2030. Also, given that performance is not very important, I think that the increase between RK3399 and RK3588 is relatively insignificant, and Pine64 either way should wait for new, more promising hardware to become available before beginning work on a new iteration of the Pinebook.]]>