openwebOS for Allwinner A10 tablet

[72ka]

Hi,
I´d like to make a openwebOS port to the ICOO D70GT Allwinner A10 CPU tablet. At this time, I´m trying to make work a boot from SD card and without succes. It is terrible to debug it, because the kernel doesn´t support the framebuffer console and I can´t see anything on the screen. Second way of console is reconfigure the CPU to use SD slot as UART, but I need the slot fot boot from SD - it means, no way to have boot console.
I compiled kernel, uboot (linux-sunxi, uboot-allwinner) and downloaded some ubutnu rootfs. First succes is that the LCD backlight is powered on on boot (with script.bin from tablet), but nothing else. /var/log/messages is empty ... it means, sd card wasn´t mounted at boot.
But on youtube exists some succes with boot and LCD on A10 powered tablets.
If is here someone who is trying to port the openwebOS to the same or similar device, I´ll be glad to share information about it. I have experience with linux port (2.6 kernel) to the PalmOS devices, I was a Palm Zire 72 port project maintainer at Hack&Dev (as z72ka). I hope I could finish this job and some day enjoy a openwebOS ony my tablet instead of Android.

Advantages of port to A10 devices:
- cheap devices
- powerfull devices
- supported in linux, GPU too

My tablet HW config is here:
CPU Type Single Core
Processor Model A10
Processor Speed 1.5GHz
Memory 1GB
Memory Type DDR3 SDRAM
Other Functions HDMI,Camera,G-Sensor
Screen Size 7 Inch
Resolution 1024 x 600
Screen Features 5-point multi-touch screen
Touch Control Capacitive screen
Supported Network Type WiFi,External 3G,Wired network
WiFi 802.11b/n/g

What works:
SD card boot (u-boot with custom script.bin)
Kernel uImage 3.0.42+ from this source https://github.com/linux-sunxi/linux-sunxi compiled using Marex´s debian armhf Toolchains
uInitrd - based on A10linux.org uInitrd, with my modules included
rootfs is Ubuntu 12.04 LTS armel - I have to switch to armhf for better performance
LCD works
Framebuffer console works
USB works
WiFi works (Open, WEP, both tested)
openWebOS desktop build binaries from Nook color port - just for begining

What is not working:
Touchscreen (Some unknown Goodix touchscreen...)
OpenGL accelerated graphic

[geekpeter]

nice, ill take a gander now and then seeing as i got 1 of their budget knockoff 7" tablets from hong kong amazingly cheap, gppd size, holds in the hand comfortably, so impressed i got an 8" slightly faster/better model with bluetooth/hdmi which the 7" didnt have. Again a good device tho the battery life is horrendous on the faster 8" model.

their a good place to get cheap hardware tho, not all of them are bad/cheap, the 7" model i got im still impressed with for the amazingly low price, and the case/screen/device in general hasnt imploded or cracked, tho id suggest not using their wall charger cables etc unless you want your electric tripped and their charger exploding.

i use the pre3 charger cable to charge them via usb, works perfectly fine.

so yeah, the allwinner devices arent groundbreaking but their useable and dont hurt your bank balance much, esp if you want something cheap or something for the kids to abuse and not care as much if they snap it in half, beats them breaking your rare touchpad or a much more expensive fruity product.

[geekpeter]

in fact i remember seeing somewhere news of the cyanogenmod products trying to get a generic'ish build for allwinner devices as well, a webOS version to also pick from would be nothing short of excelent.

[72ka]

First succes, my tablet boots Linux
I amble to boot and login via wlan to ssh.

login as: root
root@192.168.5.5's password:
Linux (none) 3.0.39+ #1 PREEMPT Sun Aug 19 18:59:17 IST 2012 armv7l

The programs included with the Debian GNU/Linux system are free software;
the exact distribution terms for each program are described in the
individual files in /usr/share/doc/*/copyright.

Debian GNU/Linux comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extent
permitted by applicable law.
root@(none):~# cat /proc/cpuinfo
Processor       : ARMv7 Processor rev 2 (v7l)
BogoMIPS        : 59.63
Features        : swp half thumb fastmult vfp edsp thumbee neon vfpv3
CPU implementer : 0x41
CPU architecture: 7
CPU variant     : 0x3
CPU part        : 0xc08
CPU revision    : 2

Hardware        : sun4i
Revision        : 0000
Serial          : 0000000000000000
root@(none):~#

The bad thing is, that I compiled 3.0 kernel.. And now I found that the openwebOS needs 3.3+ ... OK, I see that the 3.4 tree exist for A10, hope it will work....

[72ka]

Only small update... found the 3.4 kernel tree, but it is experimental and still in progress...
Other side, I succeed with older kernel to boot and start X server... just proof if my tablet LCD works with custom kernel. Good to know that my tablet is ready for any linux distro, but not for openwebOS... looks like that there will be more roadblocks than I expected.

[rolladude1166]

Well some progress is better than none! Keep on going, you'll get there!

[Rockbeast]

Originally Posted by rolladude1166

Well some progress is better than none! Keep on going, you'll get there!

And since 72ks is the developer of the great Homebrew version of Google Maps, he'll know where he is when he gets there.

Jan, we are so happy you are in the webOS community...especially now that it is becoming a more 'open' community!

[harishgayatri]

Keep em coming.

I want to boot Open WebOS on my A13 tab someday.

[72ka]

Some minor progress. Finally the fbconsole works and created uboot.scr for the kernel output to the fbconsole.
And added my favorite tux logo at boot.

I have an issue with touchscreen, my tablet has a Goodix-TS-1GT801 chip and it not supported. Supported is only (I think) previous version named only Goodix-TS. I have to make it work (even if I´m still at kernel 3.0.42+), without touchscreen driver doesn´t make sense to continue the openwebos port to 3.4 kernel....

[adityaxavier]

Originally Posted by 72ka

Some minor progress. Finally the fbconsole works and created uboot.scr for the kernel output to the fbconsole.
And added my favorite tux logo at boot.

I have an issue with touchscreen, my tablet has a Goodix-TS-1GT801 chip and it not supported. Supported is only (I think) previous version named only Goodix-TS. I have to make it work (even if I´m still at kernel 3.0.42+), without touchscreen driver doesn´t make sense to continue the openwebos port to 3.4 kernel....

I have been working on those dreaded touch screens since quite a while. The touchscreen model it displays in dmesg and proc is very different from what it actually has. I have the source code for few of them let me know if I can help.

[Firepower]

check my post about Ainol fire, they have released full source code for Android 4.04, maybe touch screen and other drivers in there may help you, also here is slate droid forum for a10, maybe useful, slate droid is mod community for firmware updates and rooting many tablets.

Allwinner A10 CPU Devices - SlateDroid.com

try searching the site for your touchscreen model, may find other tablets use it.

[72ka]

Originally Posted by adityaxavier

I have been working on those dreaded touch screens since quite a while. The touchscreen model it displays in dmesg and proc is very different from what it actually has. I have the source code for few of them let me know if I can help.

Hi, sounds surprising. Sure, you can help me, thank you. How to identify the touchscreen if the dmesg provides incorrect name? The same name contains script.bin from android. Any help and other source code for testing is appreciated.

Sent from ICOO D70GT tablet

[adityaxavier]

Originally Posted by 72ka

Hi, sounds surprising. Sure, you can help me, thank you. How to identify the touchscreen if the dmesg provides incorrect name? The same name contains script.bin from android. Any help and other source code for testing is appreciated.

Sent from ICOO D70GT tablet

Well I had to rip the device open to get the actual name from the ts controller. There are a bunch of models there for goodix. 815/810/8125/819 etc.. Dmesg and proc / sys would only prove the dumb naming written in the ts driver file. And believe me when i say they do no follow any good naming convention. Mine said "goodix touch for hero". The other tab was easier on me said 810/815

Can you provide the complete model no of your tab ? Moreover am sure your realise there are few more unknowns like reset init pin configuration.
Tip - Usually that's present in the board config.

A good starting point would be to sys/class file output for your ts.

Similarly try checking out this link. https://github.com/linux-sunxi/linux...ut/touchscreen

It already has 3.4 and a goodix 80x in it. Let me know if that touch screen works. The code between different models are pretty much the same apart from init command sent to the ts.

[72ka]

Originally Posted by adityaxavier

Well I had to rip the device open to get the actual name from the ts controller. There are a bunch of models there for goodix. 815/810/8125/819 etc.. Dmesg and proc / sys would only prove the dumb naming written in the ts driver file. And believe me when i say they do no follow any good naming convention. Mine said "goodix touch for hero". The other tab was easier on me said 810/815

Can you provide the complete model no of your tab ? Moreover am sure your realise there are few more unknowns like reset init pin configuration.
Tip - Usually that's present in the board config.

A good starting point would be to sys/class file output for your ts.

Similarly try checking out this link. https://github.com/linux-sunxi/linux...ut/touchscreen

It already has 3.4 and a goodix 80x in it. Let me know if that touch screen works. The code between different models are pretty much the same apart from init command sent to the ts.

Hi, the tablet is ICOO D70GT, in the board config script.bin (converted using fex2bin) is Goodix-TS-1GT801.
The https://github.com/linux-sunxi/linux...tree/sunxi-3.0 is the branch from where comes my kernel and touchscreen driver doesn´t work at all. I renamed the Goodix to Goodix-TS-1GT801 in goodix_touch.h, then the module are trying to load, but without succes, as described before.
The kernel 3.4 won´t boot at all.... the driver in 3.4 is the same as in 3.0.
I downloaded the sources from your link, thank you, when I have a time, I´ll try to look into them.

[Firepower]

came across this, maybe useful.
https://www.codeaurora.org/git/projects

[72ka]

Thanks for hints.
I compiled my own webos dev tuna rootfs image using OE on my Debian wheezy without problems. Nobody didn't answer me the question why openwebos needs kernel 3.3+. Now I'm very surprised that Gnexus device running webos with the 3.0.46 which is near the same kernel like my working 3.0.42. It means I continue in port running 3.0.42, where openwebos boot into console login. Lunasysmgr failed to start, because it is compiled for Opengl and I didn't succeed with Mali 400 GPU OpenGL drivers. I have to switch to SW renderer. At this time I'm looking for more info how....
I need more time, my free time is very limited these days....



-- Sent from my Palm Pre3 using Forums

[geekpeter]

Originally Posted by 72ka

Thanks for hints.
I compiled my own webos dev tuna rootfs image using OE on my Debian wheezy without problems. Nobody didn't answer me the question why openwebos needs kernel 3.3+. Now I'm very surprised that Gnexus device running webos with the 3.0.46 which is near the same kernel like my working 3.0.42. It means I continue in port running 3.0.42, where openwebos boot into console login. Lunasysmgr failed to start, because it is compiled for Opengl and I didn't succeed with Mali 400 GPU OpenGL drivers. I have to switch to SW renderer. At this time I'm looking for more info how....
I need more time, my free time is very limited these days....



-- Sent from my Palm Pre3 using Forums

anything you manage to get working towards the mali400/allwinner sets is imho worth it regardless of time taken, while others are taking their time with established and good quality brand named devices its certainly worth pursuing the knockoff/budget options, i still like the 7" and 8" mali400 based devices i aquired at amazingly cheap prices, their good and affordable to many alternatives.

[72ka]

Hi,
I´d like to introduce new openWebOS powered device, my tablet After many hours I did managed to work ubuntu armel rootfs, installed sshd into using starting scripts and then get the console and then start the openWebOS desktop build from nook color port. It is running on my own kernel 3.0.42+ using software renderer at this time. It runs from SD card withou touching the internal storage, independent to any connection. The touchscreen doesn´t work at all... my touchscreen issue still persist. But now I see that it does make sense to get touchscreen driver to work on this kernel vesrion - and this is my next challenge.

I´m excited to see openWebOS on my other device than phone, and on such a big screen

Some photos taken with my Pre3:

[daexpression]

looks good. Hope you can get the touchscreen going...and from there work on the WIFI, 3GL etc..

[Herrie]

Originally Posted by 72ka

Hi,
I´d like to introduce new openWebOS powered device, my tablet After many hours I did managed to work ubuntu armel rootfs, installed sshd into using starting scripts and then get the console and then start the openWebOS desktop build from nook color port. It is running on my own kernel 3.0.42+ using software renderer at this time. It runs from SD card withou touching the internal storage, independent to any connection. The touchscreen doesn´t work at all... my touchscreen issue still persist. But now I see that it does make sense to get touchscreen driver to work on this kernel vesrion - and this is my next challenge.

I´m excited to see openWebOS on my other device than phone, and on such a big screen

Some photos taken with my Pre3:

Great work Jan! Good to see your progress so far!