[hertog666]

In this thread, I would like to keep a progress report about my porting attempts, to port Linux to my (and probably any other WM8650 netbook)

On my first Google quest, i've stumbled upon some M009S (I Believe!) Kernel and U-Boot sources and as we all know the M009S uses a WM8650 .

URL and of course the source of my information

Currently I'm downloading the sources, and im gonna exam them tomorrow. I hope to get some insides in the U-Boot bootloader, so I can get started to get this port underway (after I received my device of course )

The project has in it current state NO name, and no webpage / twitter account or what so ever. Suggestions for a project name are always welcome and any updates will be posted in this thread!

If you want to be contribute / help in any way, just send me a private message (that way I can keep things organized, me lieks organized stuff )

This post has been edited by hertog666: 16 August 2011 - 05:24 PM

[hertog666]

reserved post #1

HARDWARE LIST!

This post has been edited by hertog666: 27 August 2011 - 03:30 AM

[hertog666]

reserved post #2

SOFTWARE RELEASES

TIPS & TRICKS

LCD Brightness

echo % > /sys/class/backlight/pwm-backlight.0/brightness

So for example you want your LCD brightness set to 70% you need enter this code

echo 70 > /sys/class/backlight/pwm-backlight.0/brightness

This post has been edited by hertog666: 15 December 2011 - 07:04 PM

[wicknix]

I thought about this also, but have grown to like android on my 7" wm8650 netbook. However the wm8505 7" netbooks have a slew of different linux distro's running. I'd think using the information for those would make life a lot easier. Tons of info here: http://devio.us/~nex...wforum.php?id=4

Cheers.

[hertog666]

Thanks for URL wicknix. I've quickly read some of the info and its sure makes my life a lot easier. You are my hero of the day wicknix!

[hertog666]

As a status update; I've just been going through some of the docs wicknix posted... Its a nice startingpoint and it provided me with some idea's about how to get it up and running. The kernel sources i've found contained some binary blob drivers (How I hate that!)... So i'm probably tighted to the Android Kernel (aka Linux kernel 2.6.23), unless i can get my hand on some docs about the WM8650 so the drivers can be written or get WonderMedia that they open there sources.. (probably never gonna happen)

Status update 2; I'm been getting my tool-chain compiler up and running, so I can start compiling a test kernel and start testing my kernel after I received my device (or sooner if I find a emulator) and get some stuff I like operational (like FUSE) and get rid of some unnecessary kernel modules (like MEGARAID support for example)

Status update 3; i've just started compiling my test kernel.

In my first testing kernel I've only enabled FUSE and enables more bluetooth drivers to be compiled.

Now it's just waiting until I get my device.

This post has been edited by hertog666: 17 August 2011 - 04:15 PM

[ukclear]

Ill be very interested to hear how you get on with this port hertog666, I have been playing around with DSL and Puppy linux on old Pentium 2 laptops with 128mb ram recently and it surprising what can be achieved with a small amount of ram and 'slow' cpu with the right software.
I think these 7 inch netbooks with a proper linux install where programs are running in native code rather than the Dalvik VM will be quick little netbook if a lightweight windowing manager such as JWM was used http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JWM

[hertog666]

Indeed ukclear, JWM or something else like Fluxbox, OpenBox or a full fleged desktop environment like Enlightenment or Gnome/KDE. Im also interested in how powerfull the hardware really is and how good Linux will really run on it. That's something only time can tell.

Statusupdate; If been reading up today about how to create a base system, so we have something to work with and not just a kernel thats loads (and wont do anything else). So I hope i have something compiled in a few days, so stay tuned!

Statusupdate 2; I've just finished building a testing base system! Testing Time! =D (to bad I dont have my device yet )

This post has been edited by hertog666: 21 August 2011 - 04:32 AM

[hertog666]

Pure for stats and info I would like the post following stats... My compiled base system in size is 49 Megs, and my kernel is 3.2 Megs. So this means, for a minimum install running of a SD card you will only need 64 megs

My base system involves a 'standard' emdebian (Lenny aka oldstable) base system and I added tools for WiFi and Bluetooth. This excludes X.org (or any other X Windows System Server) and an WM / desktop environment.

On another note, I would like your opinion about a name for this project. I came up with 2 names.

* WonderLinux (referring to the WonderMedia cpu)
* WMLinux (also same reason)

Any other suggestions are always welcome.

This post has been edited by hertog666: 21 August 2011 - 04:21 PM

[boertjeg]

I'm gonna follow this thread!!
Wow, a linux system in your pocket would be awesome for 60 dollars. Only bluetooth support exited me but this has potential for much more.
I would be happy to test things when they are ready to be tested and dont blow my WoderMedia up...
If this is going to work i would call it: Miraclinux (just kidding)
My tablet cant wait for this to be tested

I hope yours is arriving soon..

[hertog666]

A few moments ago, i found something that would totally help this project, a guy named Alexey Charkov has been hacking away to the official kernel source to get WM8505 and WM8650 support in the official kernel! This would help some much cuz, then it will make my life a bit simpler and make this project more upgradable . And ofcourse I already started compiling this kernel as well, just do a comparison which kernel is at the moment better, the one I found with drivers made by WonderMedia or Alexey's sources.

Besides, this there is no statusupdate cuz I still haven't received my device yet


And ofcourse a URL to Alexey his project!

[seba1978]

For what it's worth, the regular Debian build that jacob put together for the Eken M001 works more or less on the Eken M009s, which is also based on a Wondermedia 8650. I'm having issues with the touchscreen though, but this should not be a problem for a netbook

[seba1978]

Sorry, I'm refering to this thread: http://www.slatedroi...-the-eken-m001/
Jacob's using the Android kernel, until Alexey and Gus' kernel get ready :-)

[ukclear]

seba1978, on 24 August 2011 - 07:33 PM, said:

For what it's worth, the regular Debian build that jacob put together for the Eken M001 works more or less on the Eken M009s, which is also based on a Wondermedia 8650. I'm having issues with the touchscreen though, but this should not be a problem for a netbook

Well as the ROM for the Eken M009s worked on my WM8650 netbook then perhaps the Eken M001 debian build may work as well. Ill test it at the weekend

[seba1978]

Yeah most probably... You'll have to replace the kernel and modules with the netbook's ones, but it should work. I've finally fixed the touchscreen issue on the M009s, which involved modifying the evdev X11 driver, but you shouldn't need to go there.

[ukclear]

seba1978, on 26 August 2011 - 05:51 AM, said:

Yeah most probably... You'll have to replace the kernel and modules with the netbook's ones, but it should work. I've finally fixed the touchscreen issue on the M009s, which involved modifying the evdev X11 driver, but you shouldn't need to go there.

Sorry for being a newb but how do i replace the kernel and module files with the correct ones to get the debian to boot? I have now have a setup an SD card with the eken m001 debian build but my netbook does not even attempt to boot off the SD card when its inserted. I tried renaming the script folder to FirmwareInstall inline with how the WM8650 firmware was setup but not still booting it up from SD-card.
Is there any chance you could zip up your script folder for you have working for debian on your Eken M009 and uploading it to megaupload.com so i can put it on my SD card and see if it boots my netbook?
thanks

[hertog666]

ukclear, on 26 August 2011 - 07:06 AM, said:

Sorry for being a newb but how do i replace the kernel and module files with the correct ones to get the debian to boot? I have now have a setup an SD card with the eken m001 debian build but my netbook does not even attempt to boot off the SD card when its inserted. I tried renaming the script folder to FirmwareInstall inline with how the WM8650 firmware was setup but not still booting it up from SD-card.
Is there any chance you could zip up your script folder for you have working for debian on your Eken M009 and uploading it to megaupload.com so i can put it on my SD card and see if it boots my netbook?
thanks

UkClear,

There is way for booting debian in this case... You need to partition your in 2 partitions on your SD card, 1 FAT or FAT32 and another EXT2 or EXT3. The FAT partition should be about 30 Megs in size, and the EXT2/EXT3 the rest of the SD card. On the FAT partition you place 1 directory called script, inside this directory there is a kernel (most likely called uImage (or uzImage) and some script files). Your base system goes on the EXT2/EXT3 partition. And then just put the SD card in you device and your done Please press power button now

this is kinda of the "for dummies" installation guide. What this does is the following;

U-boot (the bootloader Android uses) is searching on the SD card for a directory called script, if it exist, it will execute the script files inside the directory script. Normally the script directory is meant for updating the device but because the you can do pretty much everything in those scripts, this trick is mostly used for booting an other OS on the device.

[ukclear]

hertog666, on 27 August 2011 - 03:26 AM, said:

UkClear,

There is way for booting debian in this case... You need to partition your in 2 partitions on your SD card, 1 FAT or FAT32 and another EXT2 or EXT3. The FAT partition should be about 30 Megs in size, and the EXT2/EXT3 the rest of the SD card. On the FAT partition you place 1 directory called script, inside this directory there is a kernel (most likely called uImage (or uzImage) and some script files). Your base system goes on the EXT2/EXT3 partition. And then just put the SD card in you device and your done Please press power button now

this is kinda of the "for dummies" installation guide. What this does is the following;

U-boot (the bootloader Android uses) is searching on the SD card for a directory called script, if it exist, it will execute the script files inside the directory script. Normally the script directory is meant for updating the device but because the you can do pretty much everything in those scripts, this trick is mostly used for booting an other OS on the device.

Yes this is how i have my SD-card setup. But the Eken M001 debian build wouldnt even try to boot off my SD-Card. I tried copying the UImage file off a Eken m009 firmware over the one that came with the Eken M001 debian build. but is still didnt try to boot. I also tried renaming the 'script' folder to 'FirmwareInstall' as thats what the folder was called on the M009 firmware but still wont even attempt to boot of sd-card

FYI by netbook does boot of sd-card if the stock M009 firmware is put on a SD-card

[hertog666]

Ukclear, can you give me a link the M009 firmware you are referring to ? Then I can find out what is missing / went wrong.

[seba1978]

@ukclear: is it a M009 or M009s ? If the later, the uboot script must be renamed from scriptcmd to wmt_scriptmd.
What I've done for the M009s:
- Install Android from the Uberoid build (but the original M009s ROM should also do)
- Installed jacob's 2 partitions on my SDcard
- Copied uzimage.bin from the Uberoid ROM to the root of the SDcard
- Copied modules from the Uberoid ROM (in rootfs.tgz:/lib/modules) to the ext2 partition of the SD card
- Created a file called cmd.fromsd in the root of the sdcard's fat partition with this script:
display init force
mmcinit 0
fatload mmc 0 0 uzImage.bin
setenv bootargs 'mem=214M root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 noinitrd rw rootfstype=ext2 console=ttyS0,115200n8 rootdelay=10'
bootm 0
- created the wmt_scriptcmd file on the root of the SDcard with "mkimage -A arm -O linux -T script -C gzip -a 1 -e 0 -n "script image" -d cmd.fromsd wmt_scriptcmd"
- fiddled with Debian/X11/evdev a bit to support the touchscreen