22 Jul 18:42

9d80c5a

Debian Trixie - Test image v3 Pre-release

Pre-release

The Pine64 PineNote

This is the second release of this Debian trixie image, aimed at providing a stable and all-round experience for the Pine64 PineNote (https://pine64.org/documentation/PineNote/). The GNOME Desktop Environment is used to provide a touch friendly user interface, which allows hand writing and PDF annotation using Xournalpp, web browsing (Firefox), ebook and PDF reading (KOReader and Foliate).

Videos showcasing what can be achieved with the PineNote	_
Annotating scientific papers 20240704_xpp_paper_a2_normal_noaudio.webm	20240705_200611_terminal-vim_small.mp4
20240705_201021_doom_small.mp4	20230221_uboot_touch_wip_small.mp4

Videos showcasing what can be achieved with the PineNote

Annotating scientific papers

20240704_xpp_paper_a2_normal_noaudio.webm

20240705_200611_terminal-vim_small.mp4

20240705_201021_doom_small.mp4

20230221_uboot_touch_wip_small.mp4

Changes since the last trixie image (v2 -> v3)

Kernel 6.9
The gui bug which prevented visual feedback for password input was fixed (css bug in the gnome eink theme)
the logo partition required for the pre-compiled uboot is now included in this release (logo_new.img). This image requires a logo partition of 32 MB!

Changes since the last trixie image (v1 -> v2)

Kernel version: v6.6.30 with Pinenote-related patches
The apt repository containing pinenote-related packages is now pinned to a very high priority. This prevents pinenote-patched packages from being replaced by newer Debian package versions. see here
Limit the size of the systemd journal to 150 mb
Pre-configured locales (DE and EN), default: en_US.utf-8
Default keymap is set to en
We now have a simple script to change the default boot partition (requires copying of a valid uboot environment to this env partition once):
- Script is located in /root/uboot_change_bootmenu.sh link
- Requires that the uboot_env partition (nr 4) is formatted with fat and that a valid uboot env is placed there to begin with (e.g., this can be used).
the dbus daemon was updated to v0.2.2-dev1:
- A simple travel mode was implemented that disables the wakeup irq for the cover:
  - dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.misc /misc org.pinenote.pen.EnableTravelMode
  - dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.misc /misc org.pinenote.pen.DisaableTravelMode
- Work in progress to provide an interface for connecting/disconnecting the BLE-Pen (i.e., using the three buttons on the pen requires a separate connection to the device).
- Running
  dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.pen /pen org.pinenote.pen.AutoConnect
  should connect the pen. Press one button a few times after starting the connection process. The process takes ca. 15 seconds.
- Other commands related to the pen interface:
  
  dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.pen /pen org.pinenote.pen.SetAddress string:"12:23:45:56:90:4b"
  dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.pen /pen org.pinenote.pen.ForgetAddress
  dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.pen /pen org.pinenote.pen.GetAddress
  dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.pen /pen org.pinenote.pen.GetVersion
  dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.pen /pen org.pinenote.pen.GetBattery
The recommended e-book reader is now KOReader (updated to version 2024.4), and can be found in the gnome favorite apps (KOReader is also associated with .epub files)
Energy usage during sleep is now logged to /root/energy_use.dat
- Testing indicates we loose roughly 10% / battery per day of suspend
Debian packages that were patched:
- mutter
- gnome-shell
- xournalpp

Notable changes for the first trixie image (with respect to older bookworm images):

First of all, this is the first image release based upon Debian testing, codenamed trixie
New backgrounds for GNOME and for suspend/off, by Funeral, License: CC0 (https://pine64.org/documentation/PineNote/Further_information/Press/)
Added scripts to activate/deactivate usb-mtp mode for easy file transfer
The rockchip rk3566 soc usually runs RAM at 1056 MHz. However, based on community feedback, the RAM can also be run at 1560 MHz. U-Boot binaries for both speeds are now distributed with the image. As root, run either command to flash the corresponding u-boot:

 cd /root/uboot; ./install_fast_1560mhz_uboot.sh
 cd /root/uboot; ./install_stable_1056mhz_uboot.sh

An alpha-level script is provided to use the PineNote as an usb-based drawing tablet. Basically, the PineNote will act as an hid drawing device and forward all input generated by the pen to the computer. This should be plug-and-play on linux computers. Note that only pen input is forwarded, no display/remote display functionality is present at the moment. Activate as root by running the script:

bash /root/usb_gadget/usb-otg_tablet.sh

Bluetooth, especially audio, seems to be very stable (in contrast to a lot of stuttering observed under Debian Bookworm)
Packaged and enabled-by-default maximized-by-default GNOME extension (https://github.com/aXe1/gnome-shell-extension-maximized-by-default). All windows will be maximized by default now.

Open issues

Please refer to trixie-labeled issues here: https://github.com/PNDeb/pinenote-debian-image/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3Atrixie

Full Power to the GNOME Desktop

A custom GNOME extension (https://github.com/PNDeb/pinenote-gnome-extension) provides easy access to amy eink-related functions. This includes switching between quality and performance modes, as well as switching between different wave forms.

A typical writing setup using a bluetooth keyboard:

Applications

file synchronisation Use SyncThing to easily, and transparently, synchronise files between the PineNote, computers and cell phones. Syncthing is pre-installed

Flashing/Installation

Most people may want to flash using rkdeveloptool and an usb cable attached to the PineNote. Follow instructions here:
https://github.com/PNDeb/pinenote-debian-image/blob/main/partition_tables/Readme.md

If you already run any kind of Linux on your PineNote, just download the image and dd it to the corresponding partition.

Default user/password

The image is configured to auto-login the user user with password 1234. sudo is activated to get root:
sudo su -.
The user user can accept ssh connections.

Testing

This is a test release for a new image. The image needs a lot of testing. Please report any issues you find either in a new issue, or, even better, in the discussion associated with this release.

An incomplete guide to what needs testing can be found here: https://gist.github.com/m-weigand/70eba4218f1940a83631f5891b1e9d4b

Assets 14

13 May 09:18

github-actions

trixie-v20240513_v2

4d49499

Debian Trixie - Test image v2 Latest

Latest

The Pine64 PineNote

Changes since the last trixie image (v1 -> v2)

Kernel version: v6.6.30 with Pinenote-related patches
The apt repository containing pinenote-related packages is now pinned to a very high priority. This prevents pinenote-patched packages from being replaced by newer Debian package versions. see here
Limit the size of the systemd journal to 150 mb
Pre-configured locales (DE and EN), default: en_US.utf-8
Default keymap is set to en
We now have a simple script to change the default boot partition (requires copying of a valid uboot environment to this env partition once):
- Script is located in /root/uboot_change_bootmenu.sh link
- Requires that the uboot_env partition (nr 4) is formatted with fat and that a valid uboot env is placed there to begin with (e.g., this can be used).
the dbus daemon was updated to v0.2.2-dev1:
- A simple travel mode was implemented that disables the wakeup irq for the cover:
  - dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.misc /misc org.pinenote.pen.EnableTravelMode
  - dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.misc /misc org.pinenote.pen.DisaableTravelMode
- Work in progress to provide an interface for connecting/disconnecting the BLE-Pen (i.e., using the three buttons on the pen requires a separate connection to the device).
- Running
  dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.pen /pen org.pinenote.pen.AutoConnect
  should connect the pen. Press one button a few times after starting the connection process. The process takes ca. 15 seconds.
- Other commands related to the pen interface:
  
  dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.pen /pen org.pinenote.pen.SetAddress string:"12:23:45:56:90:4b"
  dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.pen /pen org.pinenote.pen.ForgetAddress
  dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.pen /pen org.pinenote.pen.GetAddress
  dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.pen /pen org.pinenote.pen.GetVersion
  dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.pinenote.pen /pen org.pinenote.pen.GetBattery
The recommended e-book reader is now KOReader (updated to version 2024.4), and can be found in the gnome favorite apps (KOReader is also associated with .epub files)
Energy usage during sleep is now logged to /root/energy_use.dat
- Testing indicates we loose roughly 10% / battery per day of suspend
Debian packages that were patched:
- mutter
- gnome-shell
- xournalpp

Notable changes for the first trixie image (with respect to older bookworm images):

First of all, this is the first image release based upon Debian testing, codenamed trixie
New backgrounds for GNOME and for suspend/off, by Funeral, License: CC0 (https://pine64.org/documentation/PineNote/Further_information/Press/)
Added scripts to activate/deactivate usb-mtp mode for easy file transfer
The rockchip rk3566 soc usually runs RAM at 1056 MHz. However, based on community feedback, the RAM can also be run at 1560 MHz. U-Boot binaries for both speeds are now distributed with the image. As root, run either command to flash the corresponding u-boot:

 cd /root/uboot; ./install_fast_1560mhz_uboot.sh
 cd /root/uboot; ./install_stable_1056mhz_uboot.sh

An alpha-level script is provided to use the PineNote as an usb-based drawing tablet. Basically, the PineNote will act as an hid drawing device and forward all input generated by the pen to the computer. This should be plug-and-play on linux computers. Note that only pen input is forwarded, no display/remote display functionality is present at the moment. Activate as root by running the script:

bash /root/usb_gadget/usb-otg_tablet.sh

Bluetooth, especially audio, seems to be very stable (in contrast to a lot of stuttering observed under Debian Bookworm)
Packaged and enabled-by-default maximized-by-default GNOME extension (https://github.com/aXe1/gnome-shell-extension-maximized-by-default). All windows will be maximized by default now.

Open issues

Please refer to trixie-labeled issues here: https://github.com/PNDeb/pinenote-debian-image/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3Atrixie

Full Power to the GNOME Desktop

A typical writing setup using a bluetooth keyboard:

Flashing/Installation

If you already run any kind of Linux on your PineNote, just download the image and dd it to the corresponding partition.

Default user/password

The image is configured to auto-login the user user with password 1234. sudo is activated to get root:
sudo su -.
The user user can accept ssh connections.

Testing

This is a test release for a new image. The image needs a lot of testing. Please report any issues you find either in a new issue, or, even better, in the discussion associated with this release.

An incomplete guide to what needs testing can be found here: https://gist.github.com/m-weigand/70eba4218f1940a83631f5891b1e9d4b

Assets 13

data_part_dummy_p8.bin

38.1 MB 2024-05-13T09:13:52Z
data_part_dummy_p9.bin

38.1 MB 2024-05-13T09:13:59Z
data_part_uboot_env.bin

3.81 MB 2024-05-13T09:13:59Z
debian_partition_6.img.zst

1.33 GB 2024-05-13T09:14:00Z
debian_partition_7.img.zst

1.33 GB 2024-05-13T09:13:59Z
debian_partition_8.img.zst

1.33 GB 2024-05-13T09:13:58Z
debian_partition_9.img.zst

1.33 GB 2024-05-13T09:14:01Z
idblock.bin

306 KB 2024-05-13T09:13:59Z
rk356x_spl_loader_v1.12.112.bin

454 KB 2024-05-13T09:14:00Z
trust.img

4 MB 2024-05-13T09:13:58Z
Source code (zip)

2024-05-12T18:35:46Z
Source code (tar.gz)

2024-05-12T18:35:46Z

29 Feb 19:36

github-actions

trixie-v20240219_01

be85bc4

Debian Trixie - Test image v1

The Pine64 PineNote

This is the first release of this Debian image, aimed at providing a stable and all-round experience for the Pine64 PineNote (https://pine64.org/documentation/PineNote/). The GNOME Desktop Environment is used to provide a touch friendly user interface, which allows hand writing and PDF annotation using Xournalpp, web browsing (Firefox), ebook and PDF reading (KOReader and Foliate).

Notable Changes:

First of all, this is the first image release based upon Debian testing, codenamed trixie
New backgrounds for GNOME and for suspend/off, by Funeral, License: CC0 (https://pine64.org/documentation/PineNote/Further_information/Press/)
Added scripts to activate/deactivate usb-mtp mode for easy file transfer
The rockchip rk3566 soc usually runs RAM at 1056 MHz. However, based on community feedback, the RAM can also be run at 1560 MHz. U-Boot binaries for both speeds are now distributed with the image. As root, run either command to flash the corresponding u-boot:

 cd /root/uboot; ./install_fast_1560mhz_uboot.sh
 cd /root/uboot; ./install_stable_1056mhz_uboot.sh

An alpha-level script is provided to use the PineNote as an usb-based drawing tablet. Basically, the PineNote will act as an hid drawing device and forward all input generated by the pen to the computer. This should be plug-and-play on linux computers. Note that only pen input is forwarded, no display/remote display functionality is present at the moment. Activate as root by running the script:

bash /root/usb_gadget/usb-otg_tablet.sh

Bluetooth, especially audio, seems to be very stable (in contrast to a lot of stuttering observed under Debian Bookworm)
Packaged and enabled-by-default maximized-by-default GNOME extension (https://github.com/aXe1/gnome-shell-extension-maximized-by-default). All windows will be maximized by default now.

Open issues

Please refer to trixie-labeled issues here: https://github.com/PNDeb/pinenote-debian-image/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3Atrixie

Full Power to the GNOME Desktop

A typical writing setup using a bluetooth keyboard:

Flashing/Installation

If you already run any kind of Linux on your PineNote, just download the image and dd it to the corresponding partition.

Default user/password

The image is configured to auto-login the user user with password 1234. sudo is activated to get root:
sudo su -.
The user user can accept ssh connections.

Testing

This is a test release for a new image. The image needs a lot of testing. Please report any issues you find either in a new issue, or, even better, in the discussion associated with this release.

An incomplete guide to what needs testing can be found here: https://gist.github.com/m-weigand/70eba4218f1940a83631f5891b1e9d4b

Assets 13

0 Join discussion

02 Aug 18:37

github-actions

v20230802

85c3fe3

Snapshot release Pre-release

Pre-release

This release should provide a good-enough out-of-the-box user experience.

Assets 11

08 Jun 08:29

github-actions

v20230608_test1

85c3fe3

Test release

Maybe it works, maybe not...

Assets 5

02 Feb 13:53

github-actions

v20230202

b81a99f

Debian bookworm arm64 pinenote [dev branch] Pre-release

Pre-release

Test image from the dev branch. Testing would be very much appreciated, especially installation using rkdeveloptool:

https://github.com/m-weigand/pinenote-debian-recipes/blob/dev/partition_tables/Readme.md

Notable changes to last pre-release:

fixed initialising the data partition using the data_part_dummy.bin ext4 stub - the ext4 file system is now recreated on first boot and the /home/user directory is transferred to the new data partition before mounting it as /home
Gnome now uses the PNEink theme byMichiMolle (https://github.com/MichiMolle/PNEink/)
A few gnome settings were not applied due to wrong dconf keys (e.g.: suspend after 1800 seconds instead of 600)
A few minor improvements to the documentation

Assets 5

29 Jan 11:11

github-actions

v20230129

5cec518

Debian bookworm arm64 pinenote [dev branch] Pre-release

Pre-release

Test image from the dev branch. Testing would be very much appreciated, especially installation using rkdeveloptool:

https://github.com/m-weigand/pinenote-debian-recipes/blob/dev/partition_tables/Readme.md

Notable changes to last pre-release:

fixed some permission problems in /home/user
modified the first_startup script to automatically mount partition 10 on /home. See https://github.com/m-weigand/pinenote-debian-recipes/tree/dev#using-another-partition-for-home for more information on that

Known bugs:

the ext4 partition dummy is too small to hold an ext4 journal, which currently is not fixed by the first_boot script upon resizing the filesystem

Assets 5

12 Dec 12:40

m-weigand

v0.3-beta1

55bd0c3

Debian bookworm arm64 pinenote v0.3-beta1 Pre-release

Pre-release

Snapshot of the upcoming Debian rootfs. Many things are still missing, mostly documentation. However, in general I think even this snapshot behaves nicer than the previous version.

WARNING: This is a totally unsupported, user-generated, rootfs archive for the Pine64 Pinenote. Use at your own risk. Make backups (and check/verify them!) BEFORE doing anything on the device. If in doubt, stop here.

** Note: This release should have an associated github discussions enabled. Please use it to leave feedback and suggestions**

Testing

Only minor testing was done on this rootfs. It worked for me and automatically booted using mainline u-boot with partition 17 set to bootable (see below).

Origin

This attached rootfs archive was created by running debos using the build.sh shell script included in this repository, building upon work by Eugen Răhăian, see: https://salsa.debian.org/eugenrh/pinenote-debian-recipes . External packages for the kernel, mesa and mutter were downloaded and unpacked using the scripts:

prep_00_get_kernel_files.sh
prep_02_get_parse-android-dynparts.sh
prep_03_custom_debs.sh

Those scripts were run before calling build.sh.

Included binary Debian packages built and modified for the pinenote. For more information and source codes, please refer to the prep_*.sh scripts mentioned before.

Installation

Create an empty ext4-partition on the Pinenote and extract the debian_bookworm_arm64_pinenote_v20221031.tar.gz file into it.

$ sha256sum debian_bookworm_arm64_pinenote.tar.gz
abfdf12cc131d1e153f8f373e9c26bdd248fbf1fe06ba79e9868300e7d1e58b7 debian_bookworm_arm64_pinenote.tar.gz

This release assumes that the partition number is number 17 (/dev/mmcblk0p17), but /etc/fstab and /extlinux/extlinux.conf should be easily modified for other partitions (untested).
Booting
From the u-boot UART prompt, copy&paste:

load mmc 0:11 ${kernel_addr_r} /extlinux/Image
load mmc 0:11 ${fdt_addr_r} /extlinux/rk3566-pinenote-v1.2.dtb
load mmc 0:11 ${ramdisk_addr_r} /extlinux/uInitrd.img
setenv bootargs ignore_loglevel root=/dev/mmcblk0p17 rw rootwait earlycon console=tty0 console=ttyS2,1500000n8 fw_devlink=off init=/sbin/init
booti ${kernel_addr_r} ${ramdisk_addr_r} ${fdt_addr_r}

Take note of the hex-encoding of partition 17 and the root kernel paramter in case you use another partition number!
Using a suitable u-boot

If you have a modified u-boot (or mainline uboot from pgwipeout) installed that supports reading extlinux.conf file, make sure that partition 17 is the first bootable partition:

GNU Parted 3.5
Using /dev/mmcblk0
Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands.
(parted) set 17 boot on
(parted) quit

WARNING: On first boot the system will try to extract the epd waveforms from the system and also mount the android partition and extract wifi/bt firmware files and will then regenerate the initrd file. After that an automatic reboot will commence. Be ready to stop u-boot from booting Android and to direct u-boot to boot from partition 17*
License

This is a Debian-based rootfs with additional binaries used. Please refer to the individual components linked above for individual licenses and to www.debian.org for licenses of the Debian components.

Assets 3

2 Join discussion

31 Oct 13:27

m-weigand

v20221031

661803c

Debian bookworm arm64 pinenote v20221031

Testing

Only minor testing was done on this rootfs. It worked for me and automatically booted using mainline u-boot with partition 17 set to bootable (see below).

Origin

This attached rootfs archive was created by running debos using the build.sh shell script included in this repository, building upon work by Eugen Răhăian, see: https://salsa.debian.org/eugenrh/pinenote-debian-recipes . External packages for the kernel, mesa and mutter were downloaded and unpacked using the scripts:

prep_00_get_kernel_files.sh
prep_02_get_parse-android-dynparts.sh
prep_03_custom_debs.sh

Those scripts were run before calling build.sh.

Included binary Debian packages built and modified for the pinenote. For more information and source codes, see:

Installation

Create an empty ext4-partition on the Pinenote and extract the debian_bookworm_arm64_pinenote_v20221031.tar.gz file into it.

$ sha256sum debian_bookworm_arm64_pinenote.tar.gz 
abfdf12cc131d1e153f8f373e9c26bdd248fbf1fe06ba79e9868300e7d1e58b7  debian_bookworm_arm64_pinenote.tar.gz

This release assumes that the partition number is number 17 (/dev/mmcblk0p17), but /etc/fstab and /extlinux/extlinux.conf should be easily modified for other partitions (untested).

Booting

From the u-boot UART prompt, copy&paste:

    load mmc 0:11 ${kernel_addr_r} /extlinux/Image
    load mmc 0:11 ${fdt_addr_r} /extlinux/rk3566-pinenote-v1.2.dtb
    load mmc 0:11 ${ramdisk_addr_r} /extlinux/uInitrd.img
    setenv bootargs ignore_loglevel root=/dev/mmcblk0p17 rw rootwait earlycon console=tty0 console=ttyS2,1500000n8 fw_devlink=off init=/sbin/init
    booti ${kernel_addr_r} ${ramdisk_addr_r} ${fdt_addr_r}

Take note of the hex-encoding of partition 17 and the root kernel paramter in case you use another partition number!

Using a suitable u-boot

If you have a modified u-boot (or mainline uboot from pgwipeout) installed that supports reading extlinux.conf file, make sure that partition 17 is the first bootable partition:

GNU Parted 3.5
Using /dev/mmcblk0
Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands.
(parted) set 17 boot on                                                   
(parted) quit

License

Assets 3

21 Oct 18:35

m-weigand

v0.1

c8b96c3

Early testrootfs Pre-release

Pre-release

Testing

Just to give you an idea on how untested this, I tested it once on my pinenote. For me it worked...

Origin

prep_00_get_kernel_files.sh
prep_02_get_parse-android-dynparts.sh
prep_03_custom_debs.sh

Those scripts were run before calling build.sh.

Included binary Debian packages built and modified for the pinenote. For more information and source codes, see:

Installation

Create an empty ext4-partition on the Pinenote and extract the 07_gnome_customize.tar.gz file (sha256sum ea3d171b91fb89c469a9af04933c2c4d2dc8f48fcd5e105bb11037375582d9a5) into it. This release assumes that the partition number is number 17 (/dev/mmcblk0p17), but /etc/fstab and /boot/extlinux.conf should be easily modified for other partitions (untested).

Booting

From the u-boot UART prompt, copy&paste:

    load mmc 0:11 ${kernel_addr_r} /boot/Image
    load mmc 0:11 ${fdt_addr_r} /boot/rk3566-pinenote-v1.2.dtb
    load mmc 0:11 ${ramdisk_addr_r} /boot/uInitrd.img
    setenv bootargs ignore_loglevel root=/dev/mmcblk0p17 rw rootwait earlycon console=tty0 console=ttyS2,1500000n8 fw_devlink=off init=/sbin/init
    booti ${kernel_addr_r} ${ramdisk_addr_r} ${fdt_addr_r}

Take note of the hex-encoding of partition 17 and the root kernel paramter in case you use another partition number!

License

Assets 3

Releases: PNDeb/pinenote-debian-image

Debian Trixie - Test image v3

The Pine64 PineNote

Changes since the last trixie image (v2 -> v3)

Changes since the last trixie image (v1 -> v2)

Notable changes for the first trixie image (with respect to older bookworm images):

Open issues

Full Power to the GNOME Desktop

Applications

Flashing/Installation

Default user/password

Testing

Debian Trixie - Test image v2

The Pine64 PineNote

Changes since the last trixie image (v1 -> v2)

Notable changes for the first trixie image (with respect to older bookworm images):

Open issues

Full Power to the GNOME Desktop

Flashing/Installation

Default user/password

Testing

Debian Trixie - Test image v1

The Pine64 PineNote

Notable Changes:

Open issues

Full Power to the GNOME Desktop

Flashing/Installation

Default user/password

Testing

Snapshot release

Test release

Debian bookworm arm64 pinenote [dev branch]

Debian bookworm arm64 pinenote [dev branch]

Debian bookworm arm64 pinenote v0.3-beta1

Testing

Origin

Installation

Debian bookworm arm64 pinenote v20221031

Testing

Origin

Installation

Booting

From the u-boot UART prompt, copy&paste:

Using a suitable u-boot

License

Early testrootfs

Testing

Origin

Installation

Booting

License