[Arm-dev] Project status

[Robert Moskowitz]

On 12/02/2014 05:44 AM, Marcin Trendota wrote:
> Hello.
>
> I'd like to know what is the status if arm-dev project? I recently bought A20-
> OlinuXino-MICRO board (https://www.olimex.com/wiki/A20-OLinuXino-MICRO) and
> successfully run it with their official Linux image. But it's Debian...

And another Allwinner user!

See if there is a Fedora 19 or 20 remix for your board to test with for 
starters.

Get the Fedora 21 beta:

https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/alt/stage/21_RC1/Images/armhfp/

We are up to the final release candidate.  I suspect you will have to 
run minimal, as there is no video support in the uboot for Allwinners, 
yet.  And probably won't be until Fedora 22.  You will have to run off 
the serial console (you DO have a TTL usb uart?).

Here are the general instructions for installing the beta:

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Architectures/ARM/F21/Installation

Your board is supported in the uboot:

/usr/share/uboot/A20-OLinuXino_MICRO

You will have to do the manual install for your uboot.  Once you figure 
it out, you might want to tell Paul what changes to make to his install 
script to support your board (I provided him with the Cubieboard2 change).

You will have to do the following mod to get the serial console working 
with this uboot:

Modify the following line in  __boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf adding the 
console line.

         append ro root=UUID=b6a0bdb6-46ac-4206-b116-72e95429cfcd 
console=ttyS0,115200

I **think** I have provided you everything I have learned about getting 
the F21 beta working.  This is stuff we will have to follow for the 
Centos7-arm port.

> I don't have any experience in porting Linux to other architectures and
> configuring for particularly board but i'm eager to learn it (i plan to use
> some kind of embedded computer to develop home automation system).
>
> Could you point me into right direction - how to begin and what should i know
> (i've been compiling kernels some time ago but i can't say i'm a kernel
> hacker). I would like to use CentOS for my purposes (i have some more ideas
> for small appliances and they are mainly ARM-based i think).
>
> Thanks for any help and information.
>
I'd say get the F21 working on your board.  Perhaps join the fedora-arm 
list.  Get familiar with your board with redhatish stuff until we 
finally get this port underway.  Centos7 is built on F19, so there is 
enough common still in F21.

We DO need to set a direction for uboot for this port.  I vote for using 
the F21 uboot.  This is based on the sunxi work:

http://linux-sunxi.org/Linux_mainlining_effort

It was frozen in October and lots of improvements since then, but at 
least it is one uboot for a lot of boards.  It is the only way to 
approach a sane install process.  I have also seen messages on the uboot 
list for patches for kirkwood boards.  If I understand this right, they 
are also backporting to armv5/6 boards.  As well as the armv8 (64bit) 
boards.  Oh and there is a F21 arm64 beta available as well.