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Kernel linux 3.10 on rk3188 tablet

linux 3.10 stops during start up process.

Mario1

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2014/08/26 - 09:32

Hi,

I have bought new tablet QiLive 8" rk3188 (should be clone of archos titanium 80b).

main PCB name MK18-B 2013-04
chip wifi AP6330
chip digitizer (it doesn't read well) BF6932 (modules byd693x-ts)

I try to install linux kernel 3.10 from: https://github.com/rkchrome/kernel.git

I used rockchip_defconfig and arch/arm/boot/zImage arch/arm/boot/dts/rk3188-lr097.dts

I changed in dts only ram size from 2GB to 1GB and deleted devices in second i2c bus (i2c-2).

The new kernel 3.10 starts but after a while stops.

I connected serial to TX pin of internal tablet board. In attach first log is from original firmware the second from kernel 3.10. The new kernel stops always at Netfilter message. I don't see any kernel panic or other errors, where is the problem?

I don't understand if it possible get GPIO assignment pins from log of the original kernel (seem not possible).

Thanks.

Mario1

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2014/08/27 - 08:30

Logs

cracktech

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2014/08/27 - 09:57

Wow thats heavy man! Tinkering with kernel not meant for your device! I would like to learn from you on how to go about this.

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Mario1

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2014/08/27 - 15:00

Below the heavy stuff (I try to explain, sorry for english, but with google you can find more):

rk3188 has 4 or more UARTs, one of these are used by bootloader and by the kernel as console for output messages. Often manufacturers leave two contacts named TX and RX with TTL level, as “console”. If you connect previous TX pin to RX of “USB To RS232 TTL Converter Module” than with a terminal emulator (I use cutecom on /dev/ttyUSB0 at 115200 8N1) you can see logs of rk3188 running software.

flash memory on board (meaning rockchip boards) can be read and written by USB OTG port with utility “rkflashtool”. Before you can use rkflashtool, you must put devices in “rockchip flash mode”. To do so on tablets, you must plug USB cable whit volume-up key down (I don't know if is always true). With rkflashtool you can do everything, read old firmware, write new one. I always recovered my devices after erroneous writing. Someone tells that rk3188 can be always unbrick.

Furthermore flash memory on board is conventionally split (every device changes a little):
0x00002000@0x00002000(misc),0x00004000@0x00004000(kernel),0x00008000@0x00008000(boot),0x00010000@0x00010000(recovery),0x00020000@0x00020000(backup),0x00040000@0x00040000(cache),0x00002000@0x00080000(kpanic),0x0012C000@0x00082000(system),-@0x001AE000(userdata)
I can't write a lot (too difficult), for new linux kernel I use recovery from 0x10000 to 0x20000.

Below commands read write flash memory:

Backup recovery: rkflashtool r 0x000010000 0x00010000 > recovery_original.img
Write new recovery: rkflashtool w 0x000010000 0x00010000 < recovery_new.img
(note: rkflashtool use start length instead of start end)

Build .img depends on what we are putting inside:
kernel_zImage-dtb with initrd →
mkbootimg --kernel zImage-dtb --ramdisk initrd.gz --base 60400000 --pagesize 16384 --ramdiskaddr 62000000 -o recovery_new.img

only kernel →
rk-tools/rkkernel -pack zImage-dtb recovery_new.img

(note: mkbootimg as rkflashtool is rockchip specific tool on internet everywhere)

Build zImage-dtb is explained here: http://androtab.info/radxa_rock/linux310/

However I used following commands (toolchain is in many rockchip kernels release):
TOOLCHAIN=~/Rockchip-GPL-Kernel/omegamoon/toolchain/linaro/bin/arm-linux-gnueabihf-
ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=$TOOLCHAIN make rockchip_defconfig
ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=$TOOLCHAIN make menuconfig
ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=$TOOLCHAIN make -j 2
ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=$TOOLCHAIN make rk3188-lr097.dtb

cat arch/arm/boot/zImage arch/arm/boot/dts/rk3188-lr097.dtb > zImage-dtb

Others links:
http://linux-rockchip.info/mw/index.php?title=RK3188
http://talk.radxa.com/topic/88/linux-3-10-kernel-from-rockchip-for-rk3188-and-rk3288#506

I'm thinking to sell my tablet. All the Chinese manufacturers violate GPL about kernel source.

If Atom (see Z3740) became battery competitive against arm platform and Intel continue full support to linux I'll buy Intel tablet!

cracktech

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2014/08/27 - 15:28

Yeah Intel based tablets(on Win8.1) you dont have to worry about "Rooting" and any problems that it exhibits will be much the same as on a PC. Normal backups /recovery as on PC. Being an ex-Intel engineer since my first salary and leaving right after the i386/486 was succesfully manufactured at my plant I am proud to support Intel (I dont even support AMD although they were just next door to my plant before). Thats the pride I have to be able to support INTEL again instead of RK/AMLogic/MTK SoC, I would give Intel ago anyday.

Just thinking about buying an Win8.1 10.1inch tab towards the end of the year after getting my hands on RK3288/MT6595 just for the sake of owning a screamer toy.

Yeah INTEL is the way to go!

You are right RK devices are nearly impossible to hardbrick (as was told by Riley and myself on Slatedroid before) you only need to know the key combination to press and poke here and ther to get it alive again .

cappybob

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2014/08/27 - 18:24

@Mario1

Been working with this on my RADXA, apparently the rk3188 has problems with the 3.10+ Kernels format from Nand, haven't heard much about emmc formats. Really think this will have to be done much like the rk3288 bootloading (UBOOT or Barebox). Have heard there is Hope and general Knowledge that the chip architecture may be the same (RK31 & RK32) and additional sources for the higher kernel functions are available for RK32. Understand that new information has been released very recently for the 3188 (v2.0 TRM and UBOOT). Could be wrong, but this is my line of thought after reading what has been discussed.

--cappybob

JochenKauz

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2014/08/28 - 20:36

I know that RK is a little bit difficult with following the GPL, but many problems are from closed source drivers too.

I know that my colleague Astralix and a friend of him are working to implement basic functionality on mainline kernel for NAND and other RK specific things.

Regarding bricking a RK design.. there are more ways to unbrick a device. You need to get in MASK Rom mode, this can be done by shortening 2 NAND pins on the NAND chip. Every RK has, as far as I know, a basic bootloader buildin that can not be overwritten. Most really bricks I know are caused by peripheral drivers, e.g. the touchscreen. I have seen device that got brick, cause the driver loaded a different firmware into the touch and original firmware was not available, after that it was unusable.

Regarding Intel.. it's not so long ago that Intel did not support Open Source as they do now.

And if all would be easy, cause the manufacturer would release all sources, what about the fun hacking this devices? It would be boring.

Just my few cents

JochenKauz

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cappybob

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cappybob

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2014/08/28 - 20:57

Hacking the RK and lovin it.

--cappybob

JochenKauz

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2014/08/28 - 21:28

Astralix is on vacation now, but I think he will be glad to join this thread if he is back.

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If you like our firmwares, please consider making a donation to support our work.
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Astralix

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2015/01/11 - 19:47

Hey cappybob!

I am currently trying to get the 3.10 working on Rock1 too. Unfortunately the 3188 implementation in kernel 3.10 is [beeeep]...
Parts of it are implemented fine like in the other RK32xx and RK312x and so on.
Some parts are still in 3.0.x code.
And some parts have been removed completely.

Unfortunately some very important parts like clock unit (CRU) are in old style code and I am not sure how it works out if it gets to run. And I do have a linker problem as the code creates an OVERLAY linker area that then is rejected by the ld script.

So if you are still interested in kernel 3.10 to get Android 4.4.4 and 5.0 going without heavy patching and downgrading Android, feel free to drop me a note or find em at IRC #linux-rockchip or #radxa

Astralix

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