I did not make an image yet, I have been modifying the stock image. To build a proper armbian we would need to reverse engineer alot more about how Othernet set up the armbian build, or have Syed provide the .conf he wrote for his armbian build system.
I use a custom kernel (you can install the debs) and a custom DTB (code is in the kernel but still need to compile it and overwrite it manually in /boot/dtb/sun5i-a13-dreamcatcher.dtb
To compile it, do what what @sv_sigint said here, but swap “dts” and “dtb” in the entire command/options/filenames.
Once you have my kernel and dtb, you can remove /etc/modprobe.d/lcm.conf and remove “fbtft_device” and the “ads7846_device” modules from /etc/modules, as the gpio configs are now in the DT (needed for initial tinydrm setup).
The DT also adds a proper backlight entry, basically trying to take steps to have the device tree treat the onboard LCD as its primary display (as a tablet would, for example).
Once TinyDRM is fully working it would be possible to embed the driver into the kernel (rather than a module) and have access to early-terminal including initramfs on the LCD.
To answer your questions tho:
- yes, as explained above
- Wifi loads even on stock image, Syed already set this up, just run “nmtui” out of the box once you get past user setup
- n/a (see above, if I do release an image it would work the same as othernet’s official though)
- none yet, download kernel from my git (.deb binaries under releases), and follow steps above.
For testing purposes, or the sake of having a backup, here is my “disaster control” method to restore:
- make tarball of /boot and /lib/modules/4.14* before starting
- if for some reason things dont work, mount SD in a linux VM/machine, remove boot/ and lib/modules/ (entire folder) from the SD card’s root
- extract the tarball you made in step #1 back to the SD card’s root
- You will now back back at stock kernel and DTB
If you want to help test TinyDRM:
- download my kernel and dts linked above, install
- string search “mi0283qt”
- uncomment (remove /* and */ around “tinydrm mode”)
- comment out “fbtft mode”
- change /etc/modules from “fbtft” and/or “fb_ili9341” to “mi0283qt” and “tinydrm”
Yes, “mi0283qt” is correct, not “ili9341” even tho both are provided. Something tinydrm did. Read about it here under “Caveat”.
One more note: Installing my .deb will not update the kernel that is selected to boot by default. Poke around /boot and update the symlinks for uInitrd and zImage.