Surfboard x86

[nooby]

http://www.norhtec.com/products/surfboard/

The Gecko Surfboard is one of the easiest, most energy efficient and least expensive platforms to get on the web.

is this the same gear?

Features & specifications:

* 1 Ghz Xcore86 x586 Device on Chip
* 512 MB DDR RAM
* 1 RS232
* 1 VGA output
* Integrated 1280 x 1024 with 128 MB dedicated video RAM
* 1 TV / Composite video out (Optional)
* 2 x SDs, 2 x USB 2.0
* 1 x SATA (Internal)
* Hi Definition Audio - Audio in and out
* Optional WiFi and / or 3G module
* Tiny footprint
* No cooling fan or moving parts
* Regular expansion ports - USB/Serial/LAN etc.

That one is 5 Watts not 0.5 Watt.

They can be bought with linux on it. Would that not allow you to make use of those drivers?

[bigpup]

About the video resolution settings.
From the specs;
Integrated 1280 x 1024 with 128 MB dedicated video RAM.
Could be why can not get above 1280?

I remember this, but I think it was called a Commador 64.
What was old is now new.

[ttuuxxx]

Hi nooby I've had puppy running on it, just a regular version, but I wasn't impressed with the speed, probably because it was just a regular version and not a Vortex kernel and extra drivers, It was about a billion times easier than a olpc xo. But like I mentioned earlier its on my todo's list once I get series 4 updated. Then I'll strip it down a bit and build a release, probably with different browser to do testing on.
ttuuxxx

[ttuuxxx]

About the video resolution settings.
From the specs;
Integrated 1280 x 1024 with 128 MB dedicated video RAM.
Could be why can not get above 1280?

I remember this, but I think it was called a Commador 64.
What was old is now new.

Yes thats 100% why I purchased one, it reminded me of the Commodore 64, which I still have one And after I bought the surfboard Commodore actually brought back the 64, but now it looks the same but is pc compatible and they also have a new Amiga http://www.commodoreusa.net/CUSA_C64.aspx
ttuuxxx

[alas]

@pskin: again, thank you very much for the link to the driver for the in-built wifi, but I can't get it compiled on the surfboard (I am using puppy 4.31 BK special gecko edition with the dev file for compilation). I have the opportunity to get another monitor, and now resolution is no more an issue. Nevertheless, looking for your xdelta file.

I am the owner of a gecko edubook and a surfboard, and so far, my opinion is very moderate about both of the (quiet similar) devices. Puppy is one of the best os running on both of them, which is a good point for Puppy, but a bad one for other linux os's. Such a project should push far more up the nix philosophy, and provide services and applications/drivers which are easy to compile/implement in every linux. This is not the case. Even more, deviceonchip.com makes its own ubuntu version in order to deserve the linux community which is, in my opinion, the wrong way to deal with the community (example: they made a ubuntu version with all drivers for the gecko edubook, but won't provide it as an *.iso file, instead, they use an old compression tool which requires a soft for win$ in order to be uncompressed. Take a look at their discussion forum, a lot of users are requesting an iso, but they won't provide it. Very uncommon and strange).

Besides, the surfboard, as the name said, should enable you to surf, so among other things to be able to look at your favorite video on youtube. It won't happen. It remains, like the gecko edubook, very slow, and unstable while managing flash contents.

To a point, the gecko edubook and the surfboard are promising more than they can deserve, and this is a very bad news. Now, regarding basic tasks, you can do a lot with them, and this is the good news. But I remain with the ambivalent feeling that I maybe have given too much away regarding what I have got.

Not a troll, just an opinion from a day-to-day 6 month use of the gecko and the surfboard. Frankly, if I was not so linked to support the global ecological trend, I won't have bought such a hardware.

alas

[Aitch]

ttuuxxx/alas

Another Edubook user here

I've found Lupu 5.1.1 to work 'out of the box' after my XP Fundamentals crashed and remains unbootable and unrepairable, after installing 'an incompatible' XP software - which I can't uninstall, as it won't even go into safe mode/last known good, and I don't have a Fundamentals CD to re-install....

I believe the APM issue was dealt with by Barry

There were versions of 4.3.1/2 modified for the Edubook, but I couldn't get either to run....

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=50208 (XDelta3 here!)

http://bkhome.org/blog/?viewDetailed=01395

Apparently Wary 093 runs

http://bkhome.org/blog/?viewDetailed=01901

I believe there's an RDC driver for the video, and is the same in the Surfboard

BIOS updates apparently solve the APM/shutdown problem, too, but I haven't done mine yet....

The SD Card is a major bottleneck, check which class it is. They're probably using a class 2-4 card, so you can get more speed/video playback by just upping to a class 6 to 10 card. - a real SSD would improve it loads, but I can't afford one yet awhile

If you get 214X running on it ttuuxxx, let me know...

EDIT: Sorry for being late to the party, seems I may have covered some previously posted stuff, as I only saw P1

Aitch

[pskin]

alas,
I was able to compile that module on the edubook, and I noticed that
a difference in our setups is that I have the
kernel_src-2.6.30.5.sfs4.sfs
as well as
devx_431.sfs
mounted. I seem to remember having difficulty compiling modules without the kernel source sfs.

I have also been puzzled why norhtec (deviceonchip) puts their stuff in strange formats (and also the documentation in the linux drivers as .doc). One reason may be that they do not create the drivers/docs themselves, but get it from the actual manufacturers of the hardware RDC, DMP etc.

The site deviceonchip.com seems not to be too lively at the moment. I think that would be the best place to post my new iso (since they posted the original pup-431-edubook.iso for download), but the admins there do not seem to have seen my post yet.

I have had my edubook since November 2009. When I got it, it did not have linux installed as advertised, and I tried various distributions,
some of which worked at least partly, such as grml, puppy 4.3.1
and some which needed a special kernel, like WattOS (ubuntu 9.04).
I think Kevin Bowers was also doing a lot of experiments and testing
at the time, and I got some clues from some of his posts.
In the end I was happy to get sound, network and wifi working on both
pup-431 and wattOS RC1. and so I made the pup-4.3.1-edubook.iso.
At this time, the edubook still had no xorg driver and also no apm
of any kind.
Later the apm bios was made available on deviceonchip.com
and so was the rdc X driver. These additions allowed clean shutdown
on power-off and also to use an external monitor connected to the external vga output.
To me these were significant improvements, since I could now use my edubook, which I mainly use for travel, for presentations. I have found the small size and absence of power brick to be great advantages for using the edubook as a travel computer, and the fact that it is running linux suits my needs well. The main drawback is the inability to use skype for video-conferencing, and I doubt that this can be overcome.

I thought others might like the enhanced pup-431, so I have made the new patch. If it works on surfboard, so much the better. I tried to include the rtl8188su wireless module which I heard was now needed for the adapter being distributed with some units.

It would also be easy just to
a) distribute the new compiled modules and modified files; or
b) distribute an xdelta3 patch of the main pup-431.sfs file
(all of the changes occur there)
and these would be smaller, but it would be nice if someone (deviceonchip.com?)
could patch the iso and host the new iso.

ttuuxxx has kindly offered to post my xdelta3 patch to a server, and it
is easy to create the new iso from this patch and a copy of the old iso.

Here is part of the README
-------------------------------
The file pup-431-edubook_update.delta an xdelta3 patch for the file
pup-431-edubook.iso

By applying this patch to the existing pup-431-edubook.iso file a new
pup-431-edubook-dec2010.iso file will be created, with the following modifications.


CHANGES
-------
Wireless:
2) Updated kernel module ralink rt3070sta driver version 2.1.2.0 for the wireless card (usbID3070).
This was compiled from Ralink source DPO_RT3070_LinuxSTA_V2.3.0.4_20100604
The binary module rt3070sta.ko can be found in the additions folder in the
top level of the iso.


3) Installed kernel module 8172u wireless driver from Realtek for the Realtek 8188
wireless cards, compiled from Realtek source
rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202
The binary module 8172u.ko can be found in the additions folder in the
top level of the iso.
(This module has not been tested.)


X:
4) Installed RDC xorg driver rdc_drv.so and configured X to use it at 1024x600(depth 16).
The binary driver can be found in the additions folder in the
top level of the iso.
Also, the RDC utility for switching to an external display can be found in /root
of the Puppy system and also in the additions folder in the top level of the iso.

modprobe.conf:
5) modprobe.conf has been edited to allow the edubook to power off on shutdown.
A copy of the new modprobe.conf is in the additions folder in the top level of the iso.

Best regards,
-pskin

[alas]

pskin: thanks a lot for your extensive post. I have myself solved the wireless problem with the gecko edubook by using a usb-wifi stick. I did the same for the surfboard, but I shall try to recompile the driver for the native usb module with the kernel headers you suggested.

X: I compiled the rdc driver provided on deviceonchip, and I was able to make it work with an external monitor. Now, and like you, I'd like to use my edubook on travel for presentations, but I was unable to get a display on my optoma beamer, so I gave up.

My gecko edubook, as my surfboard, do not shutdown properly, but it is a known issue, and I am waiting for you to find a server in order to save your patch which everyone can then use. This said, this is very sad that your post from early December at deviceonchip did not stimulate their admins to give you a space on their server. But end with this.

kind regards
al

[ttuuxxx]

Here's pskin xdelta patch
http://www.smokey01.com/ttuuxxx/NorhTec ... update.tgz
ttuuxxx

[pskin]

ttuuxx,
I'm much obliged to you. Also, thanks in advance to everyone
who tests the iso. I'll do my best to fix any problems which come up, of course.

Thanks to Flash and others who made helpful suggestions about upload sites.
Regards,
-pskin

[alas]

@ttuuxxx/pskin:

thanks both for the great work. I did test the xdelta patch, which works perfectly well on the gecko edubook and on the surfboard until two limitations (which are not related with the patch in itself):

X: the rdc utility works, but I am unable to get a display on my beamer (optoma ep729);

wireless: the 8712u module is present, seems to be loaded at boot, but does not work for the built-in wireless of the surfboard (edubook not tested since I don't have bought a built-in wireless). I compiled the module from the location pskin indicates; the module does compile (with the kernel sources), but same result.

I am happy to report that the edubook as well as the surfboard shut down properly. The rdc driver for X works, as well as sound (which I got working already while compiling the drivers from deviceonchip).

Thanks much for that, happy new year to everyone.
al

[alas]

correction for the surfboard:

wireless module not loaded, even if its there - trying with modprobe returns 'module not found'

lsmod
Module Size Used by
parport_pc 29828 0
lp 9476 0
parport 34508 2 parport_pc,lp
snd_pcm_oss 37440 0
snd_seq_dummy 2608 0
snd_seq_oss 27648 0
snd_seq_midi_event 6892 1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq 48464 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_seq_device 6968 3 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq
snd_mixer_oss 15820 1 snd_pcm_oss
battery 10032 0
arc4 1612 2
ecb 2508 2
snd_hda_codec_realtek 193584 1
snd_hda_intel 24264 0
rtl8187 52496 0
snd_hda_codec 64620 2 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel
mac80211 166056 1 rtl8187
eeprom_93cx6 1964 1 rtl8187
snd_pcm 72496 3 snd_pcm_oss,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec
cfg80211 64972 2 rtl8187,mac80211
snd_timer 20340 2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
apm 16808 1
snd 56516 10 snd_pcm_oss,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_mixer_oss,snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer
evdev 9472 0
soundcore 6912 1 snd
serio_raw 5168 0
snd_page_alloc 8852 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
pcspkr 2284 0
r6040 12012 0
mii 5004 1 r6040
fuse 53800 0
aufs 137092 1
nls_iso8859_1 3724 0
nls_cp437 5356 0
usbhid 26112 0
usb_storage 51584 1
squashfs 22928 6
ohci_hcd 23900 0
ssb 43604 1 ohci_hcd
ehci_hcd 32856 0
usbcore 138160 6 rtl8187,usbhid,usb_storage,ohci_hcd,ehci_hcd
yenta_socket 23544 0
rsrc_nonstatic 11276 1 yenta_socket


/mnt/flash/puppy431packages/WifiSurfboard/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/driver/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/8712u.o
/mnt/flash/puppy431packages/WifiSurfboard/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/driver/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/8712u.mod.c
/mnt/flash/puppy431packages/WifiSurfboard/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/driver/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/.8712u.o.cmd
/mnt/flash/puppy431packages/WifiSurfboard/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/driver/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/8712u.ko
/mnt/flash/puppy431packages/WifiSurfboard/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/driver/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/.8712u.ko.cmd
/mnt/flash/puppy431packages/WifiSurfboard/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/driver/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/.8712u.mod.o.cmd
/mnt/flash/puppy431packages/WifiSurfboard/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/driver/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/.tmp_versions/8712u.mod
/mnt/flash/puppy431packages/WifiSurfboard/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/driver/rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.0006.20100202/8712u.mod.o
/initrd/pup_ro1/lib/modules/2.6.30.5/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/8712u.ko
/initrd/pup_ro2/lib/modules/2.6.30.5/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/8712u.ko
/lib/modules/2.6.30.5/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/8712u.ko

[pskin]

alas,
Thanks for your report. It's a pity about the wireless. When
I compiled it, I noticed a strange thing, that I could not load it using

Code: Select all

modprobe 8712u 

(after having issued depmod -a).
The error was 'module not found'.
However I could load it by

Code: Select all

insmod 8172u.ko

from the directory containing the module.
Maybe you could try this and see if it detects the card.

By the way, there will soon be an edubook remaster of Wary 5,
in which the rtl8188 driver is known to work for the edubooks with the
realtek adapter (presumably the same as the adapter in the surfboard?).

Please let me know if you ever find a module that works on the
edubook with that realtek adapter. It would be nice to have
a pup431 that works perfectly on all edubooks and surfboards.

Regards,
pskin

[pskin]

alas,
I noticed in your lsmod output that there is a driver
called rtl8187 loaded. I wonder what happens if you
blacklist this module?
(Setup-->wizard wizard-->configure startup of puppy-->blacklist a module)
Regards,
pskin

[pskin]

duplicate post deleted

[alas]

pskin,

thanks for your time - it works with insmode on the surfboard! the other module (rtl8187) was the one of my netgear wg111 usb dongle, I even did not blacklist it, and it works.

Many many thanks, that's a really great improvement for the surfboard. Now, last thing to solve would be the connection to a beamer with the vga port of the edubook. But it has time.

greetings,

al

[Aitch]

pskin
spotted your post of 2 weeks ago on the Edubook site, about somewhere to upload the 4.31 patch

http://www.deviceonchip.com/index.php?o ... &Itemid=85

If you still need somewhere, you could try dropbox, or mediafire

http://www.dropbox.com/

http://www.mediafire.com/

Dropbox linux page says it can be added to repos, whilst Mediafire you can upload without an account, but I'm not sure how anyone would know how to find them....
both are free upload sites

Aitch

[alas]

Hi all,

hereafter a short report on my tryings with lucid 5.2 and wary 5 on the surfboard:

Lucid 5.2 on surfboard: rdc driver not present, as it seems, or I can not find it from the xorgwizard; but networking is working, probably sound too;

~ EDIT: the rdc driver is not present because there is none working with xorg 7.5; networking and sound work.

Lucid 5.2 on gecko edubook: everything works out of the box, even X, and I don't understand why; I did not have time to check out xorg.conf, but shall do it asap; it probably uses the vesa driver.

~EDIT: yes, it does use the vesa driver -- and get the right resolution;


wary 5 on surfboard: almost everything works out of the box, but the wirless built-in dongle; the wireless device has been recognized and the module 8192s has been loaded, and I can scan the network, but can't connect via dhcp; I am using the driver 8712u on the surfboard with puppy 4.31 edubook edition, and it works like a charm.

wary 5 on the gecko edubook: everything ok, from X to sound, to poweroff. Wireless not tested since I don't have a built-in dongle on the edubook.

Short report, but more as I go on.

al

[kevin bowers]

A few things don't seem to work on mine. I posted the details on the Gecko thread: http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 3&start=15. 5.2 seems to be just a hair slower than 4.31, but still runs circles around anything else I've tried, and I've tried everything I could find or think of. Unless and until they make massive improvements in their processor I won't bother with a surfboard however much I like the concept.

[ttuuxxx]

double post