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The Cabin >> Raspberry and Other Pies >> Linux For All Arms?
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Message started by Fernando on Nov 19^th, 2016, 11:30pm

Title: Linux For All Arms?
Post by Fernando on Nov 19^th, 2016, 11:30pm

Though you need to load up the one for your system, Armbian seems to cover all the ARM Based Boards out there. The list I seen covers about 50 boards (with more being added daily). Armbian is Debian Linux, which a separate branch goes to the Raspberry Pi's Raspbian.

Some of the board we have that it covers include: Cubox, Cubieboard 1 & 2, Banana Pi, and Orange Pi. Neo Pi according to their FriendlyArm website says they are supported but it is not listed on the Armbian Docs Page, so it might be updating.

The source code is compiled that what particular board you have so things like GPIO, SATA, and other things will work without issues. Only problem is that is comes as a blank slate with minimal software and you will need to download (sudo apt-get install {software package}) what you need. But that is the beauty of the system - you customize it to what you want. It just means that you need to know Linux a little more than just a casual user to do this. That is what this Doc Page does for you - tell you what to do for what you need.

You should have your little board up and running, connected to your network, because on the first boot, it will update everything you have downloaded. This takes about 20 or more minutes.

The download is on the documents page, under "Supported Boards".

Raspberry Pi is not part of this because Raspbian is a branch of Armbian.

Link:
For Documents and download link - https://docs.armbian.com
For Main Page - http://www.armbian.com

Title: Re: Linux For All Arms?
Post by Fernando on Nov 20^th, 2016, 12:05am

Going over the website's download section, Neo Pi is there but not on the Doc's section. Maybe they will update this soon.

Title: Re: Linux For All Arms?
Post by Hondo I. Sackett on Nov 20^th, 2016, 3:16pm

good to know!

Title: Re: Linux For All Arms?
Post by Fernando on Nov 20^th, 2016, 10:39pm

I meant NanoPi not Neo Pi. The Neo is one of 4 boards NanoPi Pi has for under $20.

The NanoPi Neo is one of 2 - one with 256MB for $7 and the other 512mb for $9. It comes with 2 USB Ports and Ethernet but no Video out. Good for headless gear and robotics.

The NanoPi Neo Air is one of 2 - one with 256MB for $15 and the other 512mb for $17. It comes with 0 USB Ports and no Ethernet but uses Wifi and Bluetooth. It also has no Video out. Good for headless gear and robotics.

You can access them through their serial diagnostic port through a terminal or console.

I found out through the Orange Pi Network on FB that Armbian will not let any system that has a CPU Thermometer (nearly all do at this point) to over heat past 80C degrees which is about 195F degrees - scolding hot to the touch. Once it gets to that point it slow things down to cool the cpu and if it does not cool down, it shut down the system before damage sets in.

Title: Re: Linux For All Arms?
Post by Hondo I. Sackett on Nov 21^st, 2016, 8:32am

So that is good, right? Less fried chips, hopefully.

Title: Re: Linux For All Arms?
Post by Fernando on Nov 21^st, 2016, 1:18pm

It will save the system if something overdrives the CPU. I already had that Issue with the CHIP before reflashing its ROM, where it got scolding hot. And lately on the RetroPi group on FB, here as been several people who over clocked their Raspberry Pi Zeros and friend them trying to achieve them to emulate things they are too slow for.

Like I tell them, if the CPU is clocked at or over 1GHz, it is best to put a heatsink on them. Many of these boards like the Orange and NanoPi are pushed well beyond 1GHz, but many I seen on the Raspberry Pi and Orange Pi FB groups say they use them without a Heatsink. I think that is a mistake