Orange Pi RK3399 questions

pbies

Hello All!

I've ordered Orange Pi RK3399, it just arrived and I have some questions.

My target is to make it a home Linux server (hosting website, checking Internet connection) just like Banana Pi M1 / Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ but more powerful.
More will come later.

What I have now is:
- Board
- USB mouse
- USB keyboard
- USB-C power adapter 5V 3.1A
- HDMI monitor
- Access to Windows PC and Linux Mint notebook
- Wi-Fi connection to my home router
- available Ethernet connection to my home router

What I am missing:
- Short wire to short connect two pins on board
- USB-C cable to connect board to PC

Board is starting and showing Android. Everything's fine. I am missing only Google Play shop to install any apps.

What I want to do now is:
1. Install Debian or Ubuntu Server on board's eMMC (and I would rather go for Ubuntu)
2. Access the board via SSH (before/after 1)
3. Update all packets (I know the console script/commands)

My doubts:
- Seems from many forums that these two images of Ubuntu and Debian does not work, the OS is not booting.

What questions I have:
1. Can I replace the eMMC system via recovery button or other way than uploading the new system from PC? It seems that I don't have console access to this Android (checked Alt+F1/Alt+F2/Ctrl+Alt+F1/Ctrl+Alt+F2)...
2. If not, can I short connect those two pins by scissors or small coin very carefully? Any other thing suggested?
3. Is it possible to start the board from microSD card bypassing the system on eMMC? How?
4. Has someone installed the provided Ubuntu Server or Debian on this board and it works?
5. I understand that there is no support for full 64-bit system actually, so we are stuck to 32-bit?

pbies

If you want to compile the "system.img" like in the manual, you need to:
- download Ubuntu ".img" file
- extract "rootfs.img" from it (using 7-zip)
- rename "rootfs.img" to "ubuntu-server.img" and put it in "out" folder
And do the rest as in manual.

pbies

AT LAST!

I've started the RK3399 with Ubuntu Server 16.04.3 LTS, kernel 4.4.103.
Exactly flashed under Linux the provided Ubuntu image from Mega hosting.
You need the Linux4.4...tar.gz file to flash the image.
The mk-image.sh script is making recursive rootfs.img inside system.img - so it won't work! You can check that by 7-zip on Windows.
Image compiled like it is said in manual won't work as rootfs is in this image recursively.
Via Windows AndroidTool you can flash only Android image, other images, whatever they are, won't be taken.
/proc/cpuinfo sees only 6 CPUs (0-5). Serial number for CPU is only zeros.
You can flash the image only on Linux, using USB 2.0 port - not 3.0!
Linux flash_tool.sh is in .tar.gz - you need to uncompress the whole file (binaries which are needed are elsewhere in that archive).
Reboot from logged in root to login prompt takes 16 seconds.
Login "root", password "orangepi" - I suspect root can't login first time.
Other user - login "orangepi", password "orangepi", then "su", there is no "sudo".
There are NO: ifconfig, ping, trace*, mc, pv, links, arp, rarp.
There are: ifup, ifdown, ifquery, wpa_passphrase, wpa_supplicant.
There is no network configuration - any! Only some files that are nearly empty - not configured. "ifquery" gives only "lo" and "eth0".

Now I need to configure Ethernet and/or Wi-Fi on that board - all help appreciated!
If you need to know anything - just ask!

admin

iinvestigator replied at 2018-8-16 20:19
Hi admin.

I hear that "Orange Pi RK3399" has been  leave our world/ Production of that board are st ...

The Orange Pi RK3399 is sold out, we are purchgasing materials now. it shall be available soon.

pbies

I've made much progress for now. However RK3399 is not booting now, but the image flashing was done successfully by me.

You need:

• OrangePi-RK3399_Linux4.4_V1.0_2018_0110.tar.gz
• Linux on PC
• and other mentioned by me in first post.
  

Instruction:

• boot Linux on PC, it may be Ubuntu 16.04 or Mint 18.3 or higher
• unpack OrangePi-RK3399_Linux4.4_V1.0_2018_0110.tar.gz into subfolder, e. g. "1", it is important that path will not have spaces in it (for scripts)
• create "out" folder in the same folder where is the "build" folder
• put Linux image in "out" folder, e. g. OrangePi-rk3399_Ubuntu16.04-Server_20171227.img and rename it to "ubuntu.img"
• use Google site mentioned in manual to prepare Linux environment on PC
• use the below code from console:
  

sudo apt-get install device-tree-compiler
sudo apt-get install gcc-aarch64-linux-gnu
sudo apt-get install git-core gitk git-gui gcc-arm-linux-gnueabihf u-boot-tools
sudo apt-get install libssl-dev

• go on with Chapter V (pages from 26 in Acrobat Reader, 23 page numeration) - Linux Environment Construction and Firmware Compilation
• use mk-uboot.sh
• use mk-kernel.sh
• use mk-image.sh -c rk3399 -t system -s 4000 -r out/ubuntu.img
• then you have to short connect the two pins given while connecting board's USB-C to the PC, it is possible that you can short connect them AFTER connecting to the PC but I am not sure
• check with upgrade_tool that you entered Maskrom mode, not Loader! this is crucial
• use flash_tool.sh - you will see the progress on screen
• wait for device reset and few minutes later - you may see sth on HDMI screen (I didn't)
• you are done flashing other Linux than Android - it should work
  

At this moment my board didn't boot, tried flashing two times and booting few times.

pbies

iinvestigator replied at 2018-8-15 00:57
Hello everyone.

Who knows is RECOVERY button work on that board modefication?

Recovery button, for me, is working only while attaching power - so I hold recovery button and then attach power source.This gives me possibility to upload image to the eMMC on board.


But nothing can be seen on HDMI screen.

pbies

Well, I've made progress by reading in manual that power from PC via USB-C cable is not enough to start Pi, but it is enough to flash the firmware that way (need to hold recovery button while connecting Pi to PC).

For now I have tried AndroidTool (on Windows) and upgrade_tool (on Linux) but both said that firmware loading has failed for both Debian and Ubuntu images. Images are freshly downloaded and CRC checksum for them is ok.

No idea what to do next...

We need help from the manufacturer!

pbies

iinvestigator replied at 2018-8-9 18:49
Hi pbies

I have got same problems.

Well, the situation is now a little different but didn't go ahead:

I have USB-C cable - but the RK3399 has not enough power from my PC to run successfully.
So I think I am unable to flash it from any OS. Or risk that only power cable, which will be also data cable, is enough to flash the img.

As I have only choice between:

• start Android and can't flash, but can use HDMI, mouse, keyboard and Wi-Fi
• power the board from PC and try to flash the img (earlier short connect two pins on board) but don't know if the board starts properly, and know that none of [HDMI, mouse, keyboard, Wi-Fi] are not connected
  

I would wait for somebody else to try any proper solution. Maybe there is option with recovery button available on board.


There is not much on the Internet about that and nearly no detailed info on our website, so I am stuck.

iinvestigator

Hi pbies

I have got same problems.
As I've understand it works correct only in Windows with "Android tools"
I try all possibilities for flashing (LINUX).img but unsucsessfuly.
Now I have only one question:
Is tool to flash linux images exists? In current time it is no difference tool to LINUX or WINDOWS. Main point  -- it must correct flash linux image to eMMC.

upgrade tool for linux doesn't work

I need recommendations and any tool to correct flashing.

Thanx

pbies

What I can see is that Android image file starts with some data already, when the Debian and Ubuntu images are some kind of UEFI partitioned. Linux images are readable by 7-zip (opens the file showing partitions like files), when Android - not.

So there is need for some special format of such Linux image.

iinvestigator

Hello everyone.

Who knows is RECOVERY button work on that board modefication?

Is it posssible to see engeneer menu?

I mean menu where I can chose options of mode like

1 Recovery
2. FastBoot
3 ....
etc

iinvestigator

Hi admin.

I hear that "Orange Pi RK3399" has been  leave our world/ Production of that board are stopped. Is my information right? We have much cases for using that board and we nee to know what happens?

Thanx