Dingoo A320 forum

I take it no one has ever tried to put linux on there x760+ before but i want to try, could someone post a copy of the linux distro they use for there a320 so i can give it a go and see if it works, they both have the same hardware, only the buttons are a issue.

If i get a brick, the unbrick tool should work correct?

are they using the same LCD screen as well ?

joyrider wrote:are they using the same LCD screen as well ?

Are you talking about the screen size, screen res or the lcd module?

Hi snezzle,

I´m trying run Linux in my X760+ since begin of A320 Linux project, but I don't have success (in fact, before booboo starting the project I studied how to use Linux on the X760 +, but without success).

This is how I tried Linux in X760+:

I formated a SD card with a Fat32 and a Ext3 partitions. I have decompress rootfs into ext3 partition and placed SD card in X760+. I connected Gemei in PC, and pressed Reset+B to X760+ enter in USB mode. I run usbtool with command "usbtool 1 hwinit.bin 0x80000000" as documented and the file is transfered and executed succefully. When I transfer de zImage with command "usbtool 1 zImage 0x80600000", after a couple seconds, the LCD X760+ begin flashing and the connection lost. Then I press Reset to restore Gemei.

The size difference between A320 and X760+ LCD isn't the problem. I discovered today that the A320 LCD works in 16 or 8 bits bus mode and the X760 + works only in 8 bit bus mode. The A320 linux is configured to operate in 16 bit bus mode, so it does not work in Gemei.

But not only that. Is there much more than to review and to modify in the code.

I need download the A320 linux kernel source code to make some changes and recompile it to a new zImage, but I don't know where find it. I try A320 Linux Google code, but I can donwload only individual parts of it.

if someone can help me, I appreciate it.

Thank you

cdesign30 wrote:Hi snezzle,

I´m trying run Linux in my X760+ since begin of A320 Linux project, but I don't have success (in fact, before booboo starting the project I studied how to use Linux on the X760 +, but without success).

This is how I tried Linux in X760+:

I formated a SD card with a Fat32 and a Ext3 partitions. I have decompress rootfs into ext3 partition and placed SD card in X760+. I connected Gemei in PC, and pressed Reset+B to X760+ enter in USB mode. I run usbtool with command "usbtool 1 hwinit.bin 0x80000000" as documented and the file is transfered and executed succefully. When I transfer de zImage with command "usbtool 1 zImage 0x80600000", after a couple seconds, the LCD X760+ begin flashing and the connection lost. Then I press Reset to restore Gemei.

The size difference between A320 and X760+ LCD isn't the problem. I discovered today that the A320 LCD works in 16 or 8 bits bus mode and the X760 + works only in 8 bit bus mode. The A320 linux is configured to operate in 16 bit bus mode, so it does not work in Gemei.

But not only that. Is there much more than to review and to modify in the code.

I need download the A320 linux kernel source code to make some changes and recompile it to a new zImage, but I don't know where find it. I try A320 Linux Google code, but I can donwload only individual parts of it.

if someone can help me, I appreciate it.

Thank you

O awesome im glad someones trying, keep me up to date with any progress you make.

cdesign30 wrote:Hi snezzle,
I formated a SD card with a Fat32 and a Ext3 partitions. I have decompress rootfs into ext3 partition and placed SD card in X760+. I connected Gemei in PC, and pressed Reset+B to X760+ enter in USB mode. I run usbtool with command "usbtool 1 hwinit.bin 0x80000000" as documented and the file is transfered and executed succefully. When I transfer de zImage with command "usbtool 1 zImage 0x80600000", after a couple seconds, the LCD X760+ begin flashing and the connection lost. Then I press Reset to restore Gemei.

The screen flashing means a kernel panic. The linux kernel flashes the keyboard leds on a panic and I though it would be nice to do something similar in the A320, so I made it turn on and off the GPIO pin which controls the LCD backlight.

This means that:

1- The x760+ and the a320 both control the LCD backlight with the same GPIO.
2- The kernel panics, probably because it can't mount the rootfs. Maybe it is something as silly as the card detection GPIO pin being different.

Getting the linux kernel to boot on the x760+ is no easy stuff if you have a serial console, but it is plain impossible without it.

I'm a bit too busy at the moment with the a320 to get hands on with the x760+ (not no mention I don't own one), but as time permits, I would really like to work on it.

booboo wrote:

cdesign30 wrote:Hi snezzle,
I formated a SD card with a Fat32 and a Ext3 partitions. I have decompress rootfs into ext3 partition and placed SD card in X760+. I connected Gemei in PC, and pressed Reset+B to X760+ enter in USB mode. I run usbtool with command "usbtool 1 hwinit.bin 0x80000000" as documented and the file is transfered and executed succefully. When I transfer de zImage with command "usbtool 1 zImage 0x80600000", after a couple seconds, the LCD X760+ begin flashing and the connection lost. Then I press Reset to restore Gemei.

The screen flashing means a kernel panic. The linux kernel flashes the keyboard leds on a panic and I though it would be nice to do something similar in the A320, so I made it turn on and off the GPIO pin which controls the LCD backlight.

This means that:

1- The x760+ and the a320 both control the LCD backlight with the same GPIO.
2- The kernel panics, probably because it can't mount the rootfs. Maybe it is something as silly as the card detection GPIO pin being different.

Getting the linux kernel to boot on the x760+ is no easy stuff if you have a serial console, but it is plain impossible without it.

I'm a bit too busy at the moment with the a320 to get hands on with the x760+ (not no mention I don't own one), but as time permits, I would really like to work on it.

Booboo,

You're a GENIUS! First, I decompress the rootfs using Linux, but I transfer the folders in Windows drive. After this I reboot the computer to Windows environment and transfered the folders to Ext3 partition with the Paragon Partition Manager. The files may have been corrupted in tranfer! Second, perhaps the Linux kernel isn't recognizing the SD card. This is another possibility that I had thought. I will reformat the ext3 partition and will transfer the files using Linux, and I'll test again. If I aren't successful, I will investigate how Dingoo-Linux (BoobooLinux) recognizes the SD card. Thank you!

cdesign30 wrote:After this I reboot the computer to Windows environment and transfered the folders to Ext3 partition with the Paragon Partition Manager. The files may have been corrupted in tranfer!

Don't use PPM to transfer the rootfs to the EXT3 partition; you must use linux. I've done some tests with PPM and it doesn't work for that.

I reformated the Ext3 SD card partition keeping the FAT32 partition using Linux. I followed the instructions and "untar" the file "rootfs-dingoo-05_28.tar.bz2" into ext3 partition:

Code: Select all

sudo mount /dev/sdd2 /mnt/flash
sudo tar -C /mnt/flash -jxvf rootfs.tar.bz2
sudo umount /dev/sdd2


When I list the partition content I see two folders: "Lost+Found" and "Root". Inside the "Root" folder I see all anothers folders that I decompress: "bin", "root", etc.

Now a stupid question: Is this right? All decompressed folders shouldn't be directly on the root partition ext3?

I getting kernel panic (LCD flashing) when I try booting Linux on X760+.

Thanks