Debian/Ubuntu on Onyx Boox M96

[groundhogxc]

Originally Posted by tqk

I think Onyx's github account is https://github.com/onyx-intl/, but I don't immediately see which of their many repositories would be the Android SDK (the promisingly-named PublicOnyxAndroidSDK is empty).

Indeed, it is empty again. It was empty for a long time; then suddenly the files were there (not that many, anyway); and now it is gone again.

This is really strange. Why would they delete it again? There is no point to do that? It didn't look like there is anything secret in there anyway?

[daniele_dll]

Stuff like the kernel and uboot are under GPL so they should be released! It is very strange that they have published something and deleted it

[groundhogxc]

Originally Posted by daniele_dll

Stuff like the kernel and uboot are under GPL so they should be released! It is very strange that they have published something and deleted it

True also for Android versions? At any rate: They are not required to put it on a web page; but if you ask them for it they are required to mail it to you.

Anyway, did you make any progress on installing something / accessing a console outside of Android?

[camilo.tejeiro]

Hi Guys, Any progress on this?
Linux on the M96 would be pretty awesome.

[DoctorWkt]

Originally Posted by groundhogxc

Hi,
the T68 has exactly the same header J25, and I can confirm it is a serial port ... I was able to find a 3.3V serial port there, both with RXD and TXD. I did not find out what the other pins are used for.

The port seems to be configured to 115 kbps on my device, and connects to /dev/ttymxc0 on my device.

Groundhogxc, can you give me the pin details of the serial port? I want to try connecting an Adafruit GPS device to the port so that I can have a real Android GPS device to use with the OruxMaps software.

Does anybody know if the T68 Android can be configured to use /dev/ttymxc0 as the GPS serial port? What other things should I worry about when trying to get this to work?

Many thanks in advance for any suggestions & advice, Warren

[jlark]

Originally Posted by daniele_dll

I was able to extract the kernel configuration from the running android system and, after searching around, i found the same kernel version 3.0.35 (but obiviously without onyx patches).

I recompiled the kernel 1 milion of times but I am not able to see the console on the framebuffer (device mxcepdcfb), probably because I don't have the right device tree.

@daniele_dll hi, I see you haven't posted in more than a year. Did you manage to get any progress with this project? Are you still interested in it?

I have the Boox Max which is pretty much the same platform, and whatever effort was spent into this would apply to all their recent devices as well.

I was thinking to approach this from another direction: use the kernel as it is, replace the android init with busybox init or whatever, and build up from there and see what can be achieved.

Originally Posted by daniele_dll

However i discovered that when the kernel panics I can access the internal iMX6 rom to replace uboot (but I will not do the test because this can fully brick the e-book reader)

Did you figure out where the boot process could be intercepted from uboot to the kernel to be able to set up dual boot? Without fear of bricking?

Originally Posted by daniele_dll

I asked to onyx boox for kernel sources, device tree and some other informations, hope that they give a positive answer

Any results for you? I asked them too, they answered back nicely, they mentioned github, but I'm not sure yet what their position is with regards to the code. If they don't want to be nice I'll remind them of the GPL, and if needed I'll talk to the vendor, which is from Germany, and that's a country known for enforcing the GPL.

[franzli]

Originally Posted by jlark

@daniele_dll hi, I see you haven't posted in more than a year. Did you manage to get any progress with this project? Are you still interested in it?

I have the Boox Max which is pretty much the same platform, and whatever effort was spent into this would apply to all their recent devices as well.

I was thinking to approach this from another direction: use the kernel as it is, replace the android init with busybox init or whatever, and build up from there and see what can be achieved.



Did you figure out where the boot process could be intercepted from uboot to the kernel to be able to set up dual boot? Without fear of bricking?



Any results for you? I asked them too, they answered back nicely, they mentioned github, but I'm not sure yet what their position is with regards to the code. If they don't want to be nice I'll remind them of the GPL, and if needed I'll talk to the vendor, which is from Germany, and that's a country known for enforcing the GPL.

Nice to see someone interested in this! I gently don't have much time, and also not so much expertise but is also be interested in this (as well as the possibility of maybe building custom ROMs for onyx devices). If you have news regarding the sources, I'll be interested to hear about it!

[readster]

Originally Posted by jlark

If they don't want to be nice I'll remind them of the GPL, and if needed I'll talk to the vendor, which is from Germany, and that's a country known for enforcing the GPL.

hi there!
I’m highly interested in this topic.
and if you like I can help with bothering the vendor from Germany cause German is my mother tongue!

[jlark]

Hey readster, I sent a formal request to Onyx for the kernel and uboot source code, configs and board file / device tree files. This was 4 days ago, no reply yet.

Originally Posted by readster

hi there!
I’m highly interested in this topic.
and if you like I can help with bothering the vendor from Germany cause German is my mother tongue!

I was thinking more in the lines of being as friendly as possible, not bothersome. I'll wait for another week or so, and if Onyx don't respond I'll write to ereader-store.

Did you buy your device from them? If so, PM me with the e-mail address you used for your purchase and I'll send you my conversation with Onyx and CC you when I write to ereader-store.

[unlector]

Hi there,
I also asked Onyx if they would cooperate in some way to run Ubuntu on a Boox Max. The only answer I could elicit so far is "I suggest you can buy one MAX for testing first."...

[Randy11]

We can understand this ;-)

[unlector]

Originally Posted by Randy11

We can understand this ;-)

... and their best option to sell that one additional device is to commit to some openness ;-) (I won't buy a 600€ tablet just to "test" that I cannot do what I want with it.)

[unlector]

I could not get past a sales manager at Onyx, who never quite acknowledged the question, but it seems pretty safe to assume from his answer

> We’ll never consider doing Linux OS. I think we don’t need any further discussion on this.

that they also don't want to see others running a Linux distro on their device...

[franzli]

Whew, that sounds like a fairly rude answer for a sales manager.

[jlark]

Originally Posted by unlector

I could not get past a sales manager at Onyx, who never quite acknowledged the question, but it seems pretty safe to assume from his answer

> We’ll never consider doing Linux OS. I think we don’t need any further discussion on this.

that they also don't want to see others running a Linux distro on their device...

Nobody asked them to ship with Linux, just be helpful and open with their customers. It's obvious it's in their own interest, and people tinkering with their devices are a great asset, but they fail to see that.

And as it stands, they are currently violating the GPL. That might not be much of a problem for them in China, but most of their sales are in countries where the GPL is upheld, and has been previously tested in court.

Originally Posted by unlector

... and their best option to sell that one additional device is to commit to some openness ;-) (I won't buy a 600€ tablet just to "test" that I cannot do what I want with it.)

Make that 700€, including VAT.

Originally Posted by franzli

Whew, that sounds like a fairly rude answer for a sales manager.

It's debatably less rude than never replying. You could blame the phrasing on cultural differences, but avoidance is... well... maybe it's the Chinese way.