Phytium-based ARM PC

[Phlyra]

What is LTT using? , i dont need that much stuff, mostly standart stuff the Pyra also had..

True going for a Pyra-like distro (Debian-based) would make a lot of sense since you’re already used to it and I think they’re using Manjaro and Mint. Originally, Linus was going to use Pop!_OS but switched to Manjaro because he nuked his DE...

 

[matzesu]

Ok makes sense..
Maybe i can use the Saturday to Download the Debian ARM 86 Image on the Pyra, maybe i could allready use the Ethernet whit the Adapter from the Switch on the Pyra (if it was USB)..
Lets hope its realy noob proof..

 

[ptitSeb]

For now, I would suggest Debian. The installation process is the most plug'n play, and the system works fine. The only issue is that joystick will not work for now.
The real best would be Armbian. But the installation is not easy for now, so you may have to wait until Armbian evolve to take UEFI into account. It's already almost there, and some armbian maintenair have bought a Pythium, so it will come eventually.

 

[matzesu]

My Joystick is yellowed anyway (was lying to long under a Roof Window), so i would rather use Mouse and Keyboard,
some of the Games like Rigs of Rods are better anyway whit Mouse and Keyboard ^^,
So Debian then ^^

 

[levi]

As this is just a decently powerful arm-based machine with industry standard graphics, I guess playing youtube videos and running libreoffice would be easy for it. I have no experience of the guitar adaptor you're planning to use so I couldn't advise on that, and personally I've had nothing but success on trying to plug in different controllers into my linux PCs, but I guess if you're trying to connect to the controller using bluetooth or similar that might present difficulties. As for the performance of windows games then I guess that's down to wine and box64, which seem impressively capable but then I've not seen it running the latest AAA games yet. I r4eckon My Summer Car would be worth trying but I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be a slideshow.

 

[matzesu]

Therefore i want first to try my allready owned Games, if these run decent, i could continue trying a bit more..
Whit Steam and GOG Account, it wouldnd be a big loss if the Games dosnt run on the Phytian,
Im 37 now, so the Phytian isnt my last Computer i buy..

At the Moment, i have only the Lenovo Notebook from 2011, and the Pyra so this Computer will be allready a improvement...

Also 8 x 2,8 ghz, i cant imagine it want play Games from 2014 like Beam NG Drive..

 

[matzesu]

The powerbrick is included.
You can download Debian for ARM64 easily: https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/arm64/iso-cd/
You flash the image on a USBKey, plug it in and install it using the UEFI bios lake on x86 PC...
(well, you have to edit source.apt after install to add non-free repo and add the amd-firmware packe after install to have the Radeon card working. That repo is included by default on AMD64 build, but not on ARM64 one)

The Image seems to be a Netinstall Image, so is this whit GUI? or Whitout?
I read a bit on Debian.org in the Install Manual and they state its whitout window manager.. (everything over shell)..

EDIT: Ok i read a different Debian Manual Side than the Side where the Image was hostet, so it should work..

 

[ptitSeb]

You can use this if you don't want the net installer and do offline install: https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/arm64/iso-dvd/
There is a GUI there. It should be pretty much plug'n play.

 

[matzesu]

Ok thanks, my Internet is somethimes quite awefull so i dont know if a Net Installer would work.. this could be the reason why my XBOX also somethimes got faulty updates..
Germany have still not the best Internet..
Maybe i should download it this weekend whit my Notebook, ..

 

[matzesu]

Ok flashed it on my Special not for other stuff used USB Stick (I also used on my Xbox)
The Image is now 3,7 gb, my Flashing Software said it was successful, but the Windows 10 can’t open the stick, so I assume it’s should work..

 

[matzesu]

Until whe get our Phythian, some Questions:
- How often are the Updates?, and are they Mandatory like on a Windows System or do i have the power to apt update/apt upgrade like on the Pyra on a Time i want?
- Do i need to edit the File System or will this made automatic whit the Installations Software?
- How new can a Game be to run? I have Farming Simulator 2013, but whit 2015 they put Forrestry in , so if i find a good Unimog MOD, i think i would play the newer Version, but i will first try how good the 2013 works..

Im not familliar whit this new Graphic Cards, , when i had a new PC they got known for its Technical Features, not for its Names..

If i remember correctly i have a lot games from GOG i could try, so i think i will post a list of stuff i testet allthough these are mostly older Windows Games, like Stronghold, Oblivion, Euro Truck Simulator 1, Fallout New Vegas,
Stuff which also dit run on the first GPD Win..

 

[levi]

Until whe get our Phythian, some Questions:
- How often are the Updates?, and are they Mandatory like on a Windows System or do i have the power to apt update/apt upgrade like on the Pyra on a Time i want?
- Do i need to edit the File System or will this made automatic whit the Installations Software?

It's running linux. I general linux trusts you to update things often enough to protect yourself, and doesn't push them on you, but I'm not familiar with all linux distributions so there could be some that are more pushy.

- How new can a Game be to run? I have Farming Simulator 2013, but whit 2015 they put Forrestry in , so if i find a good Unimog MOD, i think i would play the newer Version, but i will first try how good the 2013 works..

Im not familliar whit this new Graphic Cards, , when i had a new PC they got known for its Technical Features, not for its Names..

If i remember correctly i have a lot games from GOG i could try, so i think i will post a list of stuff i testet allthough these are mostly older Windows Games, like Stronghold, Oblivion, Euro Truck Simulator 1, Fallout New Vegas,
Stuff which also dit run on the first GPD Win..

This is more down to how well box64 runs. It should run the same kind of things as your GPD win but at a lesser level I guess. But yeah, older DRM-free windows games are the key factor here.

 

[matzesu]

Well, the Farming Simulator was from Steam, so it have to run at least steam..

And why on a lesser level? I though whit 8 x 2,8 ghz it should be a bit faster than the Handheld Based GPD WIN?

So i have to try myself, i wondering when they are going to ship..

 

[levi]

Well you are emulating. I wouldn't anticipate it using all that power (plus like you I don't really know what that graphic card means). And the danger with steam releases is the anti-cheat code they might have included, which is generally considered a special case to emulate.

 

[matzesu]

Wasnt it so that Wine isnt an Emulator? I think i have to try it myself, at least the DRM Free Stuff from GOG might work, and also mybe they have a DRM Free Version of the Farming Sim 2015 if Steam makes some Issues..

 

[PowerGod]

Wasnt it so that Wine isnt an Emulator? I think i have to try it myself, at least the DRM Free Stuff from GOG might work, and also mybe they have a DRM Free Version of the Farming Sim 2015 if Steam makes some Issues..

Wine can "translate" a Windows environment to Linux, but can't emulate a different processor.

 

[matzesu]

Therefore was the Plan on the Phythian, if i understood the Posts of Ptitseb correctly to run Windows Stuff whit Box86 and WINE..
So my plan was to run some Quite OLD Windows 3D Stuff, (which did also Run on my Notebook from 2011 whit just 4 x 1,8 ghz or something),

Whe have 8 x 2,8 ghz on the Phytian, after all..

 

[gpsqueeek]

Whe have 8 x 2,8 ghz on the Phytian, after all..

Old games usually use only one or maybe 2 threads, the rest is for your system's background tasks...

 

[matzesu]

Even if the Games dosnt run , something i doubt, I needed a Desktop Computer anyway:
- for watching YouTube whiteout the need to look on my IPhone whit the not that scratch free Panzer Case anymore where the light causes damage to my Eyes so I fell asleep way to early
- for Streaming Services, whit the same reason…
- as a Homeoffice Computer, maybe whit the ability to run our Office Software via Wine; and the ARM Libre Office
- To work me in to Blender and GIMP,
- Hopefully to run the Guitar Amp Software from Linux ^^
- for Internet Stuff:
- Office Work,

If this works it’s allready awesome, and my Priority is to make the Debian ARM Stuff running first,

Box86 and Wine, Farming Simulator, Steam, GOG, and so one are nice to have, but it’s ok when it’s not running first //

 

[levi]

Wasnt it so that Wine isnt an Emulator?

Yeah, WINE is not an emulator. Not only is it in the name (it's a recursive acronym). But box86/64 is a classic emulator, at least when it's interpreting instructions. When it's dynamically recompiling instructions I'm less sure, but it's job is still to emulate a foreign system. The only thing different about box64/86 and a classic system emulator is that it doesn't partition a block of memory to act as a foreign memory map, and emulate other chips on the foreign motherboard (blitters, timing chips, audio chips, video chips that kind of thing), because it's not emulating a completely foreign system. It's emulating a very similar system, running linux just on a different CPU. Linux helps by abstracting all of that uniqueness into standard APIs which are the same on x86 as they are on any other ISA.