Linux Desktop on the Max2 - Page 3

sogaiu · 03-17-2018, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randy11

which filesystem 'Onyx Max2' or 'SD-Card' ?

I hope it's the 'SD-Card'.

That's right, the external one -- it was a micro sd card via a USB adapter.

Randy11 · 03-17-2018, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sogaiu

That's right, the external one -- it was a micro sd card via a USB adapter.

Thanks for the confirmation.

mdp · 03-18-2018, 05:04 PM

Meanwhile, I tested the GNURoot Debian + XServer XSDL solution
( https://www.xda-developers.com/guide...ndroid-device/ )
although not on the Max2, in order to avoid putting it on the Internet (creating firewalls etc.).

As one would guess, it works - I am sure it will also work pretty well on the Max2. I still have that VNC feel (the client is embedded in GNURoot Debian, I think)... And I believe all those layers (desktop Linux running above Android) have a performance impact.

But it is probably viable, if one needs a desktop application to run and cannot connect the tablet to other devices.

Sogaiu, what was your experience - mostly in terms of the usability related to speed? If I have to pick an application, as you probably imagine, I would say LibreOffice.

Waiting4somethin · 03-27-2018, 09:23 AM

I would like an Linux eink device.

mdp · 03-27-2018, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waiting4somethin

I would like an Linux eink device.

I am also trying mobility setups with portable Intel systems.

DaleDe · 03-28-2018, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waiting4somethin

I would like an Linux eink device.

Go to the PocketBook forum. It is a Linux device.

Dale

Waiting4somethin · 03-28-2018, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Go to the PocketBook forum. It is a Linux device.

Dale

Boox ereaders are the only ones with adequate or reasonable specs afaik.

mdp · 03-28-2018, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Go to the PocketBook forum. It is a Linux device

Can it support a Linux Desktop (Gnome, Kde, Xfce...)?

The Max2 is, of course, a Linux device... Just to be sure we are on topic.

Waiting4somethin · 03-28-2018, 07:35 PM

Wrong thread.

elementarythree · 12-17-2018, 04:05 PM

I prepared a gentoo chroot enviroment and managed to chroot properly into it, I also managed to kill all the android frills on top of linux almost completely. Funnily enough, when you kill the stuff that renders the screen, the Boox Max2 shows it's bootup screen (complete with loading animation) although it keeps running normally and isn't rebooting at all. I was kinda successful in starting a pure xserver that actually gets displayed to the framebuffer, kinda because I haven't figured out which drivers I need for the screen input yet, and where in /dev I can hook into them, these are details though. (what would interest me the most here is getting the wacom stuff working better than it works in android, because it's almost bloody useless outside of the onyx app) What's worse is a flicker that seems to be caused by the booting animation still displayed in the background. I also haven't managed to get the inbuilt mali chip's acceleration work, although that stuff is iffy on this SoC even if you can put in the mali blob yourself. I'd be really interested how Onyx has put the kernel together. I'd even be more interested in the sources and an unlocked bootloader, this rooting around with DirtyCOW is really painful. At least the kernel is configured to load external modules, I guess.

EDIT: it seems to be literally a program called "bootanimation" but I don't know yet where it gets pulled in

EDIT2: Working with this stuff really reminds me how much I hate this proprietary crap.

elementarythree · 12-25-2018, 11:11 AM

Got hardware acceleration to work in X through the proprietary mali driver, you need a custom version of X though, patched by the rockchip people. Downside, it's *terribly* slow. I had the same problem on the Asus Tinkerboard with the same SoC. It might run better in Wayland. The steps are not easily reproducible yet though, also I'm not sure if there's much of a point to it. Seems the android stuff simply works better.

sherbet · 12-31-2018, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elementarythree

The steps are not easily reproducible yet though, also I'm not sure if there's much of a point to it. Seems the android stuff simply works better.

Thank you for the tip about DirtyCOW. I'm definitely interested in running linux or LOS even if the functionality is somewhat gimped since we really shouldn't be connecting devices with such an ancient kernel to the internet.

FWIW, some people are trying to ask nicely for them to comply with GPL and provide kernel sources.

elementarythree · 01-01-2019, 02:05 PM

You really can't. DirtyCOW was one thing, I imagine there's a lot more lurking since this shady KingRoot app can root the device in seconds. (for good, not temporary) DirtyCOW isn't enough to do that by itself (at least not easily) but enough to do some nasty stuff nonetheless. It's not safe to put it on the internet or even install programs where you aren't a 100% sure that nothing funny is going on in them. (Which with today's dependency hell, you apparently can never be that sure anymore about) The average android customer does sadly not understand what big a problem that is, even for them, even if they don't care about open source.

Legalese is absolutely not my sector but I'd imagine besides *maybe* a sternly written letter of the FSF, not much is going to happen. There are so many devices out there that have some heavily "linux-like" modified kernel which sources have never seen the light of day and never will. Also many chinese companies just don't *do* licenses, if you get what I mean. It's a pity since Onyx (contrary to many other chinese companies) apparently does it's best to look like they care and be an attractive and reliable company to their western customers, but stuff like that still makes them look kinda shady and doesn't really inspire trust. (what's this module "drmboot" that gets loaded by the kernel for example? Who knows!)

Also an open-sourced kernel as long as it can't be replaced by itself is not going to be that attractive. I don't speak legalese but I don't really understand what the drama about open sourcing the kernel and unlocking bootloader is. It's obviously not security since they obviously don't care about security. I cannot imagine they did something super-fancy to the kernel to begin with, especially since that SoC is mainlained anyways. Are they worried about knock-offs? Also advertising their newer eInk devices as 100% open and able to run plain Linux (only for tinkerers, of course) would do nothing else than boost sales at least. There are a lot of people in that community that won't even bother buying such a device if they can't easily modify it.

I'm counting myself in there btw., I'm now keeping the device since I've had it for a while and it is useful and I do like it, but I'll certainly not buy another under the same circumstances and I wouldn't have bought this one either if I knew then what I know now. I also have (surprisingly) security conscious non-techie friends that were interested in getting such an eInk tablet and I couldn't really advise them this device as being safe to use with the internet, which was their main interest. That together with the price certainly put a damper on their interest.

sogaiu · 01-01-2019, 08:45 PM

Thanks for all of your work and reports.

I hope some day (soon?) we can get devices under the sorts of conditions you describe

For my own case, the value of protecting my eyes is high enough to make the device worthwhile, at least for reading local documents.

03-18-2018, 05:04 PM	#33
mdp Wizard Posts: 1,481 Karma: 9010563 Join Date: Jul 2013 Device: none	Meanwhile, I tested the GNURoot Debian + XServer XSDL solution ( https://www.xda-developers.com/guide...ndroid-device/ ) although not on the Max2, in order to avoid putting it on the Internet (creating firewalls etc.). As one would guess, it works - I am sure it will also work pretty well on the Max2. I still have that VNC feel (the client is embedded in GNURoot Debian, I think)... And I believe all those layers (desktop Linux running above Android) have a performance impact. But it is probably viable, if one needs a desktop application to run and cannot connect the tablet to other devices. Sogaiu, what was your experience - mostly in terms of the usability related to speed? If I have to pick an application, as you probably imagine, I would say LibreOffice. Last edited by mdp; 03-18-2018 at 05:08 PM.

03-27-2018, 09:23 AM	#34
Waiting4somethin Addict Posts: 249 Karma: 7162 Join Date: Dec 2017 Device: Wexler Flex One, NookST, n96ml+	I would like an Linux eink device. Last edited by Waiting4somethin; 03-27-2018 at 11:09 AM.

12-17-2018, 04:05 PM	#40
elementarythree Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 39999 Join Date: Aug 2018 Device: none	I prepared a gentoo chroot enviroment and managed to chroot properly into it, I also managed to kill all the android frills on top of linux almost completely. Funnily enough, when you kill the stuff that renders the screen, the Boox Max2 shows it's bootup screen (complete with loading animation) although it keeps running normally and isn't rebooting at all. I was kinda successful in starting a pure xserver that actually gets displayed to the framebuffer, kinda because I haven't figured out which drivers I need for the screen input yet, and where in /dev I can hook into them, these are details though. (what would interest me the most here is getting the wacom stuff working better than it works in android, because it's almost bloody useless outside of the onyx app) What's worse is a flicker that seems to be caused by the booting animation still displayed in the background. I also haven't managed to get the inbuilt mali chip's acceleration work, although that stuff is iffy on this SoC even if you can put in the mali blob yourself. I'd be really interested how Onyx has put the kernel together. I'd even be more interested in the sources and an unlocked bootloader, this rooting around with DirtyCOW is really painful. At least the kernel is configured to load external modules, I guess. EDIT: it seems to be literally a program called "bootanimation" but I don't know yet where it gets pulled in EDIT2: Working with this stuff really reminds me how much I hate this proprietary crap. Last edited by elementarythree; 12-17-2018 at 04:25 PM.

01-01-2019, 02:05 PM	#43
elementarythree Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 39999 Join Date: Aug 2018 Device: none	You really can't. DirtyCOW was one thing, I imagine there's a lot more lurking since this shady KingRoot app can root the device in seconds. (for good, not temporary) DirtyCOW isn't enough to do that by itself (at least not easily) but enough to do some nasty stuff nonetheless. It's not safe to put it on the internet or even install programs where you aren't a 100% sure that nothing funny is going on in them. (Which with today's dependency hell, you apparently can never be that sure anymore about) The average android customer does sadly not understand what big a problem that is, even for them, even if they don't care about open source. Legalese is absolutely not my sector but I'd imagine besides maybe a sternly written letter of the FSF, not much is going to happen. There are so many devices out there that have some heavily "linux-like" modified kernel which sources have never seen the light of day and never will. Also many chinese companies just don't do licenses, if you get what I mean. It's a pity since Onyx (contrary to many other chinese companies) apparently does it's best to look like they care and be an attractive and reliable company to their western customers, but stuff like that still makes them look kinda shady and doesn't really inspire trust. (what's this module "drmboot" that gets loaded by the kernel for example? Who knows!) Also an open-sourced kernel as long as it can't be replaced by itself is not going to be that attractive. I don't speak legalese but I don't really understand what the drama about open sourcing the kernel and unlocking bootloader is. It's obviously not security since they obviously don't care about security. I cannot imagine they did something super-fancy to the kernel to begin with, especially since that SoC is mainlained anyways. Are they worried about knock-offs? Also advertising their newer eInk devices as 100% open and able to run plain Linux (only for tinkerers, of course) would do nothing else than boost sales at least. There are a lot of people in that community that won't even bother buying such a device if they can't easily modify it. I'm counting myself in there btw., I'm now keeping the device since I've had it for a while and it is useful and I do like it, but I'll certainly not buy another under the same circumstances and I wouldn't have bought this one either if I knew then what I know now. I also have (surprisingly) security conscious non-techie friends that were interested in getting such an eInk tablet and I couldn't really advise them this device as being safe to use with the internet, which was their main interest. That together with the price certainly put a damper on their interest. Last edited by elementarythree; 01-01-2019 at 02:13 PM.

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03-28-2018, 07:35 PM	#39
Waiting4somethin Addict Posts: 249 Karma: 7162 Join Date: Dec 2017 Device: Wexler Flex One, NookST, n96ml+	Wrong thread.

12-25-2018, 11:11 AM	#41
elementarythree Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 39999 Join Date: Aug 2018 Device: none	Got hardware acceleration to work in X through the proprietary mali driver, you need a custom version of X though, patched by the rockchip people. Downside, it's terribly slow. I had the same problem on the Asus Tinkerboard with the same SoC. It might run better in Wayland. The steps are not easily reproducible yet though, also I'm not sure if there's much of a point to it. Seems the android stuff simply works better.

01-01-2019, 08:45 PM	#44
sogaiu Addict Posts: 209 Karma: 83543 Join Date: Jan 2018 Device: none	Thanks for all of your work and reports. I hope some day (soon?) we can get devices under the sorts of conditions you describe For my own case, the value of protecting my eyes is high enough to make the device worthwhile, at least for reading local documents.

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