05:02 <edolnx> naobsd, Already tried booting a system using the existing kernel and a USB device. The kernel appears to panic, because it just stops spitting out boot messages at about the time it needs a rootfs. Just unpacked the initramfs from Android, trying to figure out what magic it's doing and how to adapt that to pivot_root to my USB drive

05:06 <edolnx> just adding a new root= kernel command line to the params file was not enough. It looks like the android initramdisk doesn't support pivot root and the init process is some binary. Sigh.

05:07 <naobsd> why do you use android initramfs? if you want linux, just use linux initramfs

05:08 <naobsd> android kernel is linux but android userland(initramfs/rootfs/etc) is not linux distro

05:08 <edolnx> The initramfs images I have are for a different kernel. Haven't built one by hand in a very long time

05:09 <edolnx> I guess I can try the default debian one. It might work.

06:14 <edolnx> Well, partial success. Stripping the kernel modules out of the Debian 8 default initrd worked, but due to systemd weirdness neither the serial console was found (no ttyS2) and the Ethernet network didn't come up (probably not eth0). Going to try and compile kmscon to get a console on the HDMI interface and make a few other changes.

06:17 <naobsd> serial console on android kernel should be ttyFIQ0

06:18 <naobsd> I don't know systemd works with android kernel

06:19 <edolnx> naobsd, Ah! I'll give that a shot. The params file said ttyS2 on mine, and that works for getting the boot and kernel messages but systemd didn't make a ttyS2 device to put a console on

06:20 <naobsd> oh I forgot it's rk3368... sure, it's ttyS2 on rk3368

06:21 <naobsd> ttyFIQ0 is for rk3288 and older

06:25 <edolnx> Yeah, I'm betting this is just some systemd weirdness in device naming.

06:45 <edolnx> bah! I can't cross-compile kmscon, so I'll just install a basic lxde environment and see if that helps

07:39 <topi`> edolnx: I have a SATA disk on my Rock2 and I just set up root=/dev/sda2 in the boot params and voila, it boots from the disk

07:39 <topi`> it might be that for USB disks, you need rootwait argument

07:39 <topi`> oh and btw, the rk3288 cpu's are pretty *fast* :)

07:40 <edolnx> good to know!

07:40 <topi`> naobsd: systemd might not work with Android kernels, since it needs a couple of special things enabled (especially the Cgroups)

07:41 <edolnx> I've got two geekbox devices on backorder and a cubieboard 4 "in the mail" - maybe I'll add a Rock2 to that list

07:41 <topi`> I've tried to get systemd working on an old 3.4 kernel, and it was very difficult, despite the fact that 3.4 alraedy supports Cgroups

07:41 <topi`> edolnx: the Rock2 is a very decent board, and you can order even a 4GB ram variant

07:42 <edolnx> That's exciting

07:42 <topi`> however, I want an Aarch64 board

07:42 <topi`> I have some stuff that won't work on 32 bits at all, or with some fixes

07:43 <edolnx> topi`, Well, my MK68 is now booting Linux - just can't login :D

07:43 <topi`> and mmap() is a wonderful tool for a programmer, but that might fail when moving the software to a 32-bit platform

07:43 <edolnx> bummer, the 4GB rock2 is sold out

07:43 <naobsd> what's "won't work on 32 bits"?

07:43 <topi`> naobsd: some server software mainly

07:44 <topi`> e.g. Riak's port of LevelDB relies on 64bit constructs and fails miserably on a 32bit platform

07:44 <topi`> and I want that LevelDB to create my own "private" AWS S3 service

07:45 <topi`> the guys don't even want to fix it, because they consider 32-bit platforms "legacy"

07:46 <topi`> so I stopped asking and tried to find out cheap 64-bit solutions instead

07:46 <topi`> the idea is to create the Cheapest possible AWS S3 compatible service. I am using 1TB 2.5" disks

07:47 <topi`> another reason for not using Intel is just pure paranoia. Everybody knows Intel's RNG is crippled to let NSA in.

07:48 <topi`> but I'd eat my hat if Intel will be able to sell Bay Trails cheaper than the RK3368 which is a dirt cheap part

07:49 <naobsd> hm

07:49 <naobsd> I cannot compare them

07:50 <edolnx> topi`, I agree the RNGs are suspect, but I tend to use either OneRNG or TrueRNG on all critical systems so it's not such a big deal

07:50 <naobsd> performance, reliability, etc etc

07:52 <edolnx> Is the SATA interface on the Rock/Rock2 native or is it a USB adapter?

07:54 <naobsd> Rock2 has USB-SATA. Rock doesn't have it.

07:56 <edolnx> I'm guessing only the Allwinner chips (and the actual server parts from APM or AMD) have native SATA then. Good to know.

08:05 <ganbold> edolnx: get nvidia tegra jetson k1 board, it has native sata and 99$

08:05 <edolnx> Ah! I forgot about that

08:06 <edolnx> ganbold, thanks for that tip

08:06 <ganbold> that should be fast beast to run anything on it :)

08:07 <edolnx> ganbold, where do you get them from? They are $190+ on Amazon. Is there a better retailer?

08:07 <ganbold> edolnx: let me get link

08:08 <ganbold> https://developer.nvidia.com/embedded/makejtk1

08:08 <ganbold> maybe only US, canada, but you can find someone to ship it to you

08:09 <edolnx> I'm in the US, so that's not a problem :)

08:09 <ganbold> nice :)

08:11 <edolnx> Ironically, that makes this easy but every other ARM system I've bought "interesting"

08:12 <ganbold> people say tegra has good documentation

08:14 <ganbold> there is also ifc6410 board from inforcecomputing

08:15 <ganbold> but that is snapdragon

08:15 <ganbold> qualcomm

08:16 <edolnx> looks like that board only comes with Android. The TK1 has Ubuntu support, so that's a win for me

08:16 <ganbold> yes

08:16 <ganbold> you can also run FreeBSD and NetBSD on it too :) if you are bored with linux

08:19 <ganbold> edolnx: on another hand if you want MIPS there are some cheap options with SATA too :)

08:20 <edolnx> Thanks, but not right now. Mostly working on ARMv7 and ARMv8 for the Chef community

08:23 <edolnx> Alright folks, it's late here and I'm going to call it a night. Thanks for all the help, as usual! kmscon didn't help the Debian system, but I'll get it somehow (maybe with a USB NIC tomorrow)

08:50 <mmind00> edolnx: regarding systemd and devices, make sure CONFIG_FHANDLE is active (seems to be a big requirement)

17:52 <topi`> ganbold: the ifc6410 has Snapdragon 600, which is problematic. I have a CM-QS600 board which is basically very similar - and even the newest linaro releases are totally unstable with it

18:24 <topi`> otherwise; the Tegra K1 absolutely rocks - it's approximately as fast at compiling the linux kernel with make -j6 as my Macbook Air 1.7 GHz Core i5

18:25 <topi`> of course this is an older Sandy Bridge part, but nevertheless...

21:32 <edolnx> Yeah, I may need to compile a kernel which may be tough. I don't know if all the necessary patches for the 3368 are in mainline, and I'm not sure where to get the source for the 3.10 kernel it's currently using

22:26 <mmind00> edolnx: that depends on what functionality you need :-) ... aka most core things except graphics is the current state

22:26 <edolnx> mmind00, That's good to know. It's been a _long_ time since I built a kernel (never mind a cross-compiled one) so I'll see what I can do.

22:28 <mmind00> edolnx: on the other hand cnxsoft also links to the rk3368 sdk release from tronsmart: http://www.cnx-software.com/2015/08/08/tronsmart-orion-r68-rk3368-tv-box-firmware-and-android-sdk-released/

22:28 <mmind00> which also contains kernel source for the 3.10

22:31 <edolnx> I'll look at that too!