I apologize for DOS'ing the list, I can only get online about once a week.
On Thu, 4 May 2017 17:13:23 +0200 "mike.valk@gmail.com" mike.valk@gmail.com wrote:
2017-05-04 9:04 GMT+02:00 John Luke Gibson eaterjolly@gmail.com:
Since it seems like a trivially simple task that for some reason no one has taken up, I would like to take the opportunity to exercise a learning experience and simultaneously benefit the community, by liberating PocketCHIP by deblobbing the source and re-compiling.
The PocketCHIP is powered by their SoM: http://linux-sunxi.org/NextThingCo_CHIP
That is apparently a Allwinner R8 pared with an external rtl8723bs Wifi/BT chip.
The R8 is a rebranded A13.
What? I own one of those and I'm almost certain that the CPU is an A7. Let's boot the PocketCHIP up... The processor is detected as an A7. I'll attach the output, it would probably be interesting to see all of it... Done, it's compressed bzip2 since it's ~300KiB decompressed which is large for an email.
<aside> I'm not too clever with gpg yet, so please tell me if the compressed file is also signed (I wanted to do that so that you could be certain that it was not infected en-route like happens to MS .cab files far to frequently (even though I don't have my key signed by anyone yet \me grumble grumble)). </aside>
Unless your saying that the WiFi has a built in ARM R8 (Why)? which would really surprise me considering how large the processor chip is compared with the WiFi chip.
If you look at https://getchip.com/pages/chip
You'll see: On the left image the RAM (Hynix) and Wifi+BT (Realtek) and Power module (Allwinner AXP209) On the right the SoC (R8/A13) and NAND (Samsung)
The A13 does not need blob's to run anymore, the WiFi+BT chip does. AFAIKT
Display output needs some checking in Linux and U-boot mainline. But most should be available or somewhat easily hacked in.
GPU needs a BLOB which does not work on mainline AFAIKT. Luc Verhaegen did get quite far before he burned out.
<snip>
You're not giving us enough details. Who is Verhaegen? What did he burn out on? When I first considered purchasing a PocketCHiP I read about the GPU not having 3D capabilities because of a binary blob. So, the CHIP folks hired (I think it was an extended goal of the kickstarter campaign), a kernel dev to add support to the Linux kernel for the GPU. I was going to mention this on this list before, but it's been so active...
Sincerely, David
On Mon, May 8, 2017 at 2:34 AM, doark@mail.com wrote:
You're not giving us enough details. Who is Verhaegen? What did he burn out on?
the fact that he's not under NDA has led to large corporations - including ARM - to enact slander campaigns against him, and blackmail campaigns against companies that fund him.
When I first considered purchasing a PocketCHiP I read about the GPU not having 3D capabilities because of a binary blob. So, the CHIP folks hired (I think it was an extended goal of the kickstarter campaign), a kernel dev to add support to the Linux kernel for the GPU.
it will have been for the "shim" that permits the proprietary userspace library direct access to the MALI hardware.
l.
The R8 is a rebranded A13.
What? I own one of those and I'm almost certain that the CPU is an A7. Let's boot the PocketCHIP up... The processor is detected as an A7. I'll attach the output, it would probably be interesting to see all of it... Done, it's compressed bzip2 since it's ~300KiB decompressed which is large for an email.
You could have pasted the relevant parts right into your email. This was the only relevant section I could find in your output: cpu.1: cpuinfo ----- /proc/cpuinfo ----- processor : 0 model name : ARMv7 Processor rev 2 (v7l)
ARMv7 is the architecture. I did not find "A7" in a relevant context in your output.
Have a look at: https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/chip-engineering-programming-links-photos/270 'A13 Specifications Brief (Allwinner states R8 is a "1GHz A13 Compatible SoC (System on Chip)"'
and: http://linux-sunxi.org/Allwinner_SoC_Family http://linux-sunxi.org/R8
Pablo
2017-05-08 3:34 GMT+02:00 doark@mail.com:
I apologize for DOS'ing the list, I can only get online about once a week.
On Thu, 4 May 2017 17:13:23 +0200 "mike.valk@gmail.com" mike.valk@gmail.com wrote:
2017-05-04 9:04 GMT+02:00 John Luke Gibson eaterjolly@gmail.com:
Since it seems like a trivially simple task that for some reason no one has taken up, I would like to take the opportunity to exercise a learning experience and simultaneously benefit the community, by liberating PocketCHIP by deblobbing the source and re-compiling.
The PocketCHIP is powered by their SoM: http://linux-sunxi.org/NextThingCo_CHIP
That is apparently a Allwinner R8 pared with an external rtl8723bs Wifi/BT chip.
The R8 is a rebranded A13.
What? I own one of those and I'm almost certain that the CPU is an A7. Let's boot the PocketCHIP up... The processor is detected as an A7.
It should be a Cortex-A8. http://linux-sunxi.org/Allwinner_SoC_Family
The new chip GR8, which is specific SoC for NextThingCo, seems to be an "sun5i" as well. Also a slightly modified A13 I guess.
The're seems to but mainline support for it. Icenowy Zheng has addid it I think. But the'res no wiki page fo it. http://linux-sunxi.org/Linux_mainlining_effort http://linux-sunxi.org/GR8
I'll attach the output, it would probably be interesting to see all of it... Done, it's compressed bzip2 since it's ~300KiB decompressed which is large for an email.
Use pastebin or sorts. Or just cut out the specifica part.
Unless your saying that the WiFi has a built in ARM R8 (Why)? which would really surprise me considering how large the processor chip is compared with the WiFi chip.
I'm not saying that at all.The SoC is indeed the biggest IC. And the WiFi is on the other side of the PCB. A blue piece of PCB. next the NXP209. WiFi chips are very small. from https://getchip.com/pages/chip: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1065/9514/t/28/assets/chipAllSidesView.png...
You're not giving us enough details. Who is Verhaegen? What did he burn out on? When I first considered purchasing a PocketCHiP I read about the GPU not having 3D capabilities because of a binary blob. So, the CHIP folks hired (I think it was an extended goal of the kickstarter campaign), a kernel dev to add support to the Linux kernel for the GPU.
That did not happen. The're is no Opensource linux driver for MALI. NTC hardly involves itself with the linux-sunxi community.
Their website is hardly obvious to the software needs of running their hardware.
How hard can it be....
"To use our hardware you have two options: Our BSP which has closed source drivers, but you have full utilization of the hardware. Or use the mainline kernel with some restrictions"
And state your involvement in freeing the hardware or not.
NTC website is just one big selling machine.
I was going to mention this on this list before, but it's been so active...
Sincerely, David
arm-netbook mailing list arm-netbook@lists.phcomp.co.uk http://lists.phcomp.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/arm-netbook Send large attachments to arm-netbook@files.phcomp.co.uk
On Mon, May 08, 2017 at 10:36:28AM +0200, mike.valk@gmail.com wrote:
Their website is hardly obvious to the software needs of running their hardware.
How hard can it be....
"To use our hardware you have two options: Our BSP which has closed source drivers, but you have full utilization of the hardware. Or use the mainline kernel with some restrictions"
And state your involvement in freeing the hardware or not.
NTC website is just one big selling machine.
Thank you Mike! The above statement quite nicely sums up my thoughts on this topic.
Pablo
Verhaegen is one of those selected individuals who had the luxury of getting all the shit of the world thrown at their face for trying to do the right thing. He was one of the leaders in pushing amd into mainlining gpu drivers( which they have been successful to and keep working on) and got shit for that. He attempted to reverse engineer the arm mali drivers( look up lima driver) and he succeeded to some extend, then he run out of money becaue nobody was willing to help him and arm has put significant effort into destroying his life. The nda a company has to sign for getting the mali drivers requires 0 interaction with his work, therefor no company can hire him now. On May 8, 2017 8:02 AM, doark@mail.com wrote:
I apologize for DOS'ing the list, I can only get online about once a week.
On Thu, 4 May 2017 17:13:23 +0200 "mike.valk@gmail.com" mike.valk@gmail.com wrote:
2017-05-04 9:04 GMT+02:00 John Luke Gibson eaterjolly@gmail.com:
Since it seems like a trivially simple task that for some reason no one has taken up, I would like to take the opportunity to exercise a learning experience and simultaneously benefit the community, by liberating PocketCHIP by deblobbing the source and re-compiling.
The PocketCHIP is powered by their SoM: http://linux-sunxi.org/NextThingCo_CHIP
That is apparently a Allwinner R8 pared with an external rtl8723bs Wifi/BT chip.
The R8 is a rebranded A13.
What? I own one of those and I'm almost certain that the CPU is an A7. Let's boot the PocketCHIP up... The processor is detected as an A7. I'll attach the output, it would probably be interesting to see all of it... Done, it's compressed bzip2 since it's ~300KiB decompressed which is large for an email.
<aside> I'm not too clever with gpg yet, so please tell me if the compressed file is also signed (I wanted to do that so that you could be certain that it was not infected en-route like happens to MS .cab files far to frequently (even though I don't have my key signed by anyone yet \me grumble grumble)). </aside>
Unless your saying that the WiFi has a built in ARM R8 (Why)? which would really surprise me considering how large the processor chip is compared with the WiFi chip.
If you look at https://getchip.com/pages/chip
You'll see: On the left image the RAM (Hynix) and Wifi+BT (Realtek) and Power module (Allwinner AXP209) On the right the SoC (R8/A13) and NAND (Samsung)
The A13 does not need blob's to run anymore, the WiFi+BT chip does. AFAIKT
Display output needs some checking in Linux and U-boot mainline. But most should be available or somewhat easily hacked in.
GPU needs a BLOB which does not work on mainline AFAIKT. Luc Verhaegen did get quite far before he burned out.
<snip>
You're not giving us enough details. Who is Verhaegen? What did he burn out on? When I first considered purchasing a PocketCHiP I read about the GPU not having 3D capabilities because of a binary blob. So, the CHIP folks hired (I think it was an extended goal of the kickstarter campaign), a kernel dev to add support to the Linux kernel for the GPU. I was going to mention this on this list before, but it's been so active...
Sincerely, David
arm-netbook mailing list arm-netbook@lists.phcomp.co.uk http://lists.phcomp.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/arm-netbook Send large attachments to arm-netbook@files.phcomp.co.uk
arm-netbook@lists.phcomp.co.uk
-
Bill Kontos -
doark＠mail.com -
Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton -
mike.valk＠gmail.com -
Pablo