Booting Puppy Linux on a MK-802

ChimpOnABike · February 11, 2013, 7:23pm

Would be my recommendation too. Works like a charm with any bootable ISO I’ve thrown at it.

rivet62 · February 11, 2013, 7:31pm

Does that work on an ARM-architecture device? I thought syslinux was x86 only, and unetbootins uses syslinux.

rivet62 · February 11, 2013, 9:06pm

OK, let’s forget about problems with the Mk802 itself.

I downloaded one of the images (Puppy for the Mele) and wrote it to an SD card. The resulting card looks like a traditional MBR partitioned hard disk, with two partitions. The first is a 16MB FAT32 partition. It has a few *.bin files, and a uImage file that is probably the Linux kernel. The second partition is 3.7GB formatted as EXT4, and is a Linux root file system (directories /bin, /dev, /etc, /lib, /usr, and so forth).

If you have a Linux system, you could check your card to see if it resembles the above. If you have a Windows system, you would only be able to see the first partition.

scaru · February 11, 2013, 9:34pm

rivet62:

scaru:

I have been using Win32ImageWriter which I have used successfully in the past for other things. I know it can boot off of SD as that is how it was made, it checks the SD card slot for a OS first and then if there isn't one it boots into Android. I doubt it is a hardware problem as I can see files/save files to SD cards if I put them in there. I'll try to find another copy of Win32ImageWriter though.

OK, let’s forget about problems with the Mk802 itself. I downloaded one of the images (Puppy for the Mele) and wrote it to an SD card. The resulting card looks like a traditional MBR partitioned hard disk, with two partitions. The first is a 16MB FAT32 partition. It has a few *.bin files, and a uImage file that is probably the Linux kernel. The second partition is 3.7GB formatted as EXT4, and is a Linux root file system (directories /bin, /dev, /etc, /lib, /usr, and so forth). If you have a Linux system, you could check your card to see if it resembles the above. If you have a Windows system, you would only be able to see the first partition.

Ok, I'm seeing similar files to what you say I should on a PC. If needed I can boot into Linux and tell you what I see.

Unetbootin uses an Iso rather than an img I think, but I'll give that a shot after I finish my current attempt. :)

scaru · February 11, 2013, 9:39pm

Ok, just tried the suggestion from another forum which also didn't work so now Unetbootin is burning a copy of puppy linux onto it. After that I think I will try Lubuntu using Unetbootin.

scaru · February 11, 2013, 10:11pm

Ok, just tried Puppy Linux when made via Unetbootin, that also did not work. It just booted straight into Android. Testing Lubuntu via Unetbootin right now.

scaru · February 11, 2013, 10:48pm

Lubuntu via Unetbootin also didn't work, just booted straight into android. :(

rivet62 · February 12, 2013, 12:20am

If you could plug the card into a Linux box, I’d be interested to see the output of the following command:

sudo fdisk -l /dev/sdf

(You might have to change “sdf” to match the SD card reader on your system). Here’s the output for the image I burned:

Disk /dev/sdf: 8018 MB, 8018460672 bytes
247 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1022 cylinders, total 15661056 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000e41aa

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdf1 2048 34815 16384 83 Linux
/dev/sdf2 34816 7690239 3827712 83 Linux

rivet62 · February 12, 2013, 12:37am

I forgot to mention, that command would be useful for looking at the card after it is re-written with a Debian/Ubuntu/Puppy for ARM image.

I’m pretty sure that writing the card with unetbootin or using an ISO image will fail, because those methods will create a card that is bootable on a PC running the x86 architecture.

To get it bootable on the Mk802, you need the image built for the ARM platform. This is the image I’m experimenting with.

merikgvr4 · February 12, 2013, 1:01am

did you try the lubuntu from the rikomagic link I posted? It has wifi working and chromium installed. He also shows how to install using windows, mac and linux.

scaru · February 12, 2013, 1:28am

Yes, I have tried both. Right now I'm working on trying out Bodhi Linux. Either later tonight or tomorrow I'm gonna try out that command along with do something else suggested on the other forum.

Pulsar · February 12, 2013, 1:46am

http://www.rikomagic.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=461
https://www.miniand.com/forums/categories/mk802

i dont know if you have ran across either of those pages… may help

scaru · February 12, 2013, 2:12am

Ok, Bodhi linux booted up. :D Now I just need to get it on the wifi, install chrome, and then connect to my printer. Making progress!

scaru · February 12, 2013, 2:23am

Ok, I got Bohdi installed but the damn wifi won't work. :( So I posted here.

rivet62 · February 12, 2013, 3:04am

Yay, that’s progress

I saw on a couple of pages that running the command “depmod -a” as root, then rebooting, was needed to get Wifi going.

scaru · February 12, 2013, 11:20am

Ok, I'll give that a shot later today. :D

neverfeltbetter · February 12, 2013, 1:26pm

wifi works for me. there is a wireless config utility you can find somewhere in the programs.
it configures wifi to wlan0 by default which in my case was the wrong wifi adapter.
change the number to your adapters, 3 in my case, and it should start scanning for networks.

scaru · February 13, 2013, 1:10am

Well, I ran the command and got "no wireless extensions". I tried everything from wlan0 to wlan 4 and no dice. :( I'll probably go back to puppy linux I guess...

Pulsar · February 13, 2013, 1:16am

is there something specific on a linux distro that your looking for that is not available on a android rom? or is it the thrill of the hunt?

scaru · February 13, 2013, 1:22am

I need to be able to connect to a printer and then share that via google cloud print (must have chrome installed), my main purpose for it is to run it as a headless cloud print server.