Lightweight Debian Jessie or Ubuntu Xenial based Linux distribution with own kernel development, community, ...

1. Linux for development boardsLinux for development boards
Presented by: Igor PečovnikPresented by: Igor Pečovnik

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Little about me
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Founder, maintainer & developer @Armbian
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Small business entrepreneur
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Hamradio & tinkerer enthusiast since childhood
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Studied Math and computer science in mid 90’’
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Linux since Slackware 1.0
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Like to read philosophy and human science
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Kids, light sport and strong beer

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Speech overview
1) Motives for start
2) Historical overview
3) Current infrastructure
4) Userspace introduction
5) Build engine overview

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1. Why project started?

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● Personal need
● Disappointment
● Curiosity
Why project started?

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Why project started?

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2. Historical overview

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● Joined Cubieboards community
● Started messing with kernel for Cubietruck
● Collecting useful kernel patches
● Started working on a BASH build script
● Fell into a rapid development cycle
First steps

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● 24.12.2013 Debian Wheezy 1.0 Cubietruck
Release notes:
gigabit ethernet operational, sata driver
enabled, root filesystem autoresize, MAC
address fixed at first boot, Kernel 3.4.75, root
password=1234. Bugs: wifi and BT not working
First actual release

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● Moving to Github
● Others started to join the project
● Supporting more boards: Banana, Lime, Cubox
● Added Ubuntu Trusty
● Images hosted on public servers
● Project hosting @A20
2014 – doing something

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● Fun
● Curiosity
● Proud to be
a maker
2014 - motivation

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● No infrastructure
● No project name
● No stable kernels
● Few free boards
● Few special knowledge
● Few help from others
2014 - problems

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● Dedicated domain
● 17 new boards
● Added Jessie, Xenial
● Dedicated download server
● Packages repository (aptly)
● Forums for technical support (IPS)
● Project hosting @Odroid XU4
2015 – armbian was born

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2015 – more knowhow more problems
✔ Old problems were solved
● Bad, false or nonexisting documentation
● Most ARM hw platforms has its own kernel & uboot
● Low code quality on initial board support packages / SDK
● Little to no support from chip and boards markers
● Too small group for the problems and users with little
experience and high expectations

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● 3D and accelerated video decoding on Allwinner boards
● Arm64, 24 new boards in 2016 and another 14 in 2017
● Torrent download options
● First notebook support
● Moving to github.com/armbian
● Dedicated build server
● Added twitter/armbian
● Project hosting went to highend servers
2016 – 2017 steady growth

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2016 – 2017 problems are mounting up
● Most previous problems remain unsolved
● Strong pressure on our support
● Users failing to use prepared documentation
● Unrealistic users expectations
● Donations does not follow project expansion
● Supporting 59 boards and new keep comming

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● We are admired :)
● Armbian become defacto standard Linux on
SBC
● Project might create jobs
2016 - 2017 motivation

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3. Current infrastructure

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Current infrastructure
● Core project developers
● Project website
● Forums for end user support
● Twitter @armbian (in making), IRC (making #armbian official)
● Download server with torrent capabilities
● Code repository, bug tracker for build script & kernels and
documentation: Github
● Organized manually testing just before release.

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4. Userspace introduction

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● Debian or Ubuntu based
● XFCE based desktop with Chromium or CLI
● Serial console enabled on all boards
● Password change is forced, user creation optional at first login
● Auto filesystem expand
● Wireless up and ready to connect
Userspace

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● Reduced write frequency: memory for logging, Chromium cache and
profile. Cron sync and on shutdown. Increased fs flushing interval
● Headers and build essentials are installed by default - adding 3rd party
kernel module is quick and simple
● Unified boot with ramdisk, UUID (Universally unique identifier) on most
and DT overlay support in making
● Optimised DVFS (Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling) to achieve
best thermal / performance ratio (kernel)
● Enabled Docker support where possible (kernel)
Optimisations

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● Armbianmonitor. Base tool when seeking support. Installs Rpi web based
monitoring, CPU miner, checks SD card speed
● H3consumption – provides various tweaks to bring down consumtion to insane
low values. Limit CPU core count, DRAM speed, disabling video out, …
● Dialog driven configuration utility for inexperienced users
Utilities

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● Failed to read warnings and documentation
● Failed to understand powering issues (microUSB)
● Usage of old, low cost or fake SD cards
● Lack of basic Linux knowledge
● Unrealistic expectations
Users problems

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5. Build engine

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Build engine overview
● Language: bash, 3000+ commits, Cross compilation only (speed)
● It needs native Ubuntu X64, fully virtualized (kvm,virtualbox) or
containerised (docker)
● More than 50 board configurations
● 19 source configs with up to 3 kernel/u-boot branches for each SoC
● 6 different external compilers from Linaro. Each source has a variable to
set the compiler version.
● Menu or parameter driven

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Build engine optimizations
● apt-cacher for caching packages
● Userspace remain cached (lz4) after debootstrap
● Using compiler cache (CCACHE)
● Building images in memory
● Second build is done in few minutes

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Adding new board
● Create a board configuration with boot loader config, available
kernel branches, modules to load, ...
● Add to or define a new family. Define u-boot, kernel sources
and build targets, per board customisation scripts, ...
● Add patches to u-boot and kernel if needed
● Make few tests and create a pull request to share your work

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Speech summary
1) Motives for start
2) Historical overview
3) Current infrastructure
4) Userspace introduction
5) Build engine overview

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QUESTIONS?

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Thank you for your attention!
@armbian