build pyra Debian

[yeoldegrove]

It would be interesting how to exactly build the "official" Debian rootfs from here: http://packages.pyra-handheld.com/rootfs/
I found some older code here: https://dev.pyra-handheld.com/imagebuild/, but it seems outdated and based on stretch (e.g. here https://dev.pyra-handheld.com/imagebuild/pyra-multistrap/-/blob/master/pyra-stretch-mate.conf).
Who can help me out?

 

[TrashyMG]

Ask @aTc

 

[aTc]

What I currently use is this one :

aTc / makeimg · GitLab

DragonBox Pyra - GIT Repositories

dev.pyra-handheld.com

Easiest is to run it on arm hardware (I use a rpi4 with a usb3 harddisk attached), although I also run it on x64, using a qemu-arm-static / binfmt setup.
The script basically creates a large disk image, partitions/formats it, does a debootstrap for a debian armhf system, then uses systemd-nspawn to jump inside and installs/configures the packages from there.

It needs systemd-nspawn , sfdisk (part of the fdisk package), f2fs-tools , debootstrap , dd and losetup. The sd-installer script needs zstd to compress the image.

Command to replicate the "official" image is " sudo ./makeimg.sh pyra-mate.img 4G pyra-meta-mate"

 

[Grench]

I have been gone from this scene for longer than I care to admit. My current install on my prototype Pyra is pretty sideways - I was 'testing' a lot of weird things back then.

Is there a new/updated/easier bare metal install method/setup so I can get the OS set straight?

Thanks!

 

[Phlyra]

I have been gone from this scene for longer than I care to admit. My current install on my prototype Pyra is pretty sideways - I was 'testing' a lot of weird things back then.

Is there a new/updated/easier bare metal install method/setup so I can get the OS set straight?

Thanks!

Glad to see you back!

 

[levi]

Is there a new/updated/easier bare metal install method/setup so I can get the OS set straight?

Well, you could try to open a terminal and do 'apt update' followed by 'apt upgrade' and reboot. If that all completes without error I think even your testing can't have borked anything too bad.

 

[Grench]

Well, you could try to open a terminal and do 'apt update' followed by 'apt upgrade' and reboot. If that all completes without error I think even your testing can't have borked anything too bad.

Yeah - I did that. Are we all still on Buster or has everyone moved on to Bullseye?

Care to help bring me up to speed again?

Was the 3d driver ever brought into the mainline code?
Are we still using F2FS?
Anyone running off of a microSDXC on the internal slot these days?
Is the 4G fully working these days? (drivers?)

I never did get a 'quick start guide' or manuals (prototype - those didn't exist yet). Are they posted up somewhere?

Thanks!

 

[levi]

I don't think there'll ever be a manual like you can download for your phone; this is a largely community project albeit backed by the dragonbox shop who did all of the work. Unless one of us feels the need to step forward and compile such a record I don't think on will be forthcoming.

Aparently bullseye Debian was released ten days ago. You're welcome to do a dist-upgrade to get it, but I've not heard much news yet of people doing that or reports back from how well it's gone so I suspect relatively few people have done so yet. I think the eMMC is still formatted as F2FS; I've not heard any change on that beyond a little light griping. I've not seen anyone working on phone software to make use of the modem yet, but maybe they're just doing that quietly.

 

[Grench]

I don't think there'll ever be a manual like you can download for your phone; this is a largely community project albeit backed by the dragonbox shop who did all of the work. Unless one of us feels the need to step forward and compile such a record I don't think on will be forthcoming.

Aparently bullseye Debian was released ten days ago. You're welcome to do a dist-upgrade to get it, but I've not heard much news yet of people doing that or reports back from how well it's gone so I suspect relatively few people have done so yet. I think the eMMC is still formatted as F2FS; I've not heard any change on that beyond a little light griping. I've not seen anyone working on phone software to make use of the modem yet, but maybe they're just doing that quietly.

Sounds like I didn't miss all that much then. I saw that the production shipments are going out in pretty boxes - I didn't know if there was a pretty manual to go with them. (Mine came in a cardboard box - with a nice laminated sheet.)

Regarding the phone bits, I'm more interested in the 4G for data than anything else. I figured that should be somewhat easier than 'phone', so I thought maybe someone had gotten it 'there'.

Thank you for the updates!

 

[levi]

I think there is a booklet which comes in the box with the unit. But it's more about the history of the production than the use of the unit, although it might contain some quick start information I'm not sure.

 

[Bosbeetle]

I don't think there'll ever be a manual like you can download for your phone; this is a largely community project albeit backed by the dragonbox shop who did all of the work. Unless one of us feels the need to step forward and compile such a record I don't think on will be forthcoming.

Aparently bullseye Debian was released ten days ago. You're welcome to do a dist-upgrade to get it, but I've not heard much news yet of people doing that or reports back from how well it's gone so I suspect relatively few people have done so yet. I think the eMMC is still formatted as F2FS; I've not heard any change on that beyond a little light griping. I've not seen anyone working on phone software to make use of the modem yet, but maybe they're just doing that quietly.

Been running bullseye for quite a while now, it seems a bit more stable than buster, but that's just a gut feeling and might be due to other things aTc changed during the same period.

Data works in 4G but the reception is not that great... but it works. Also sending text messages just works out of the box, havent tried anything more phone than that.

 

[aTc]

I'm still in the middle of going through all packages and trying to clean up/restructure a few things for bullseye.
Manually upgrading to bullseye with the current packages doesn't cause any major issues, although for some reason a few of the pyra packages get flagged for autoremoval.
This means that when you do the suggested "apt autoremove" , the system will break. Just look at the list of packages it wants to remove, and manually "apt install" anything that looks pyra related.

 

[b_o_b]

Hi @aTc are (or will) these images be compatible with the pandora? See method you've described below from 2014.

A working image can be found here : http://next.openpandora.org/pyra-debian-testing-xfce-rootfs-2014-12-17.tgz
And for those without an omap5 devboard, the current image works on the pandora as well. (In fact, even better, since we do have a fully working kernel on pandora).
It's all just standard debian testing at this point.
To try the image on the pandora, make an sd card with a single ext2 partition, extract the rootfs to it, and extract
http://next.openpandora.org/pyra-rootfs-pnd.tgz on top of it (you should see autoboot.txt in the root dir when its done)
Then just insert the card into the pandora, power it up, and it should run the config script first, then reboot. and it should show a login screen when it's done.
Default login/password is pyra/pyra , or root/root , but you can change that if you edit the pyra-config.sh file in the root of the card before you boot it for the first time.
It's probably slighly disapointing that it's just a boring default xfce4 debian install, but most time up to this point was spent in figuring out how to set up the back end (building packages, setting up the repo, building rootfs images).

 

[levi]

I doubt it, the Pandora doesn't have USB3 or the modem or any number of extra peripherals. It also won't end up even if you can boot it compatible with the existing pnds, nor be able to run dbps well. It may well be too large to fit in the Pandora's flash drive, though you could always try using an SD card.

 

[TrashyMG]

Yeah for sure it won't fit on the Pandora's NAND memory.

 

[aTc]

Hi @aTc are (or will) these images be compatible with the pandora? See method you've described below from 2014.

No,
The current packages have a lot more pyra hardware specific drivers, fixes and configs in them that pretty much only work on a pyra.
For pandora you'd be far better off just trying to get a standard plain debian install going. Which is what the base for the pyra images is anyway.

 

[b_o_b]

No,
The current packages have a lot more pyra hardware specific drivers, fixes and configs in them that pretty much only work on a pyra.
For pandora you'd be far better off just trying to get a standard plain debian install going. Which is what the base for the pyra images is anyway.

Okay - thanks for your reply.

Letux-OS is probably a better option then, still on my 'like to give it a try'-list. Just wanted to know what options there are for updates in the future. Already use Slackware 14.2 on one of my Pandora's but you never know when it becomes EOL.

 

[matzesu]

According the Manual: it’s mostly history but also a small QuickStart Guide: At least it shows the Button Layout and what the RGB LEDs should do..
but as the Software is still in Development, it wouldn’t be a good idea to write how to use the software, also this Handheld was meant to be community driven: if you don’t know how to proceed from now, just ask the people on the boards, someone might know the answer, it may be just a mather of time…

 

[logen]

Just upgraded to bullseye. i copied the pyra packages to be removed during the upgraded and reinstalled after.

Haven't tested anything except to reboot and write this report, but it looks like the upgrade was smooth. I'll report more if i encounter problems.

 

[logen]

volume wheel no longer seems to do anything. i don't know how to begin troublshooting that

edit:
pyra volumed failed to start

also can't seem to type the underscore. trying reboot