setting up the MK802 II

[fangis]

So I have bought a MK802II, and prepared a sdcard using the mksdcard.sh script. The installation went OK without any problems.

However:
I learned in another forum that some of the latest MK802ii devices were built using a different driver for Wifi - while it seems tinycore for mk802ii uses the module 8192cu for wireless, this one
seems to have a rtl8188eu module. (And yes, that`s the original model from Rikomagic ))

When reading about how to install wifi, it seems an easy task for 8192cu , but now that I will have to do it for another driver, i wonder if it will be as easy?

Would anyone know how to make wireless work for these latest MK802ii models?
I appreciate any help; actually I think i will be clueless on how to solve this problem.

Thank you!

[fangis]

update: i created a sd card with debian where 8188eu can be loaded and wifi works.
I tried to use this kernel instead of the uImage provided by tinycore. But it did not work.
maybe i can use 8188eu from my debian install, but I don`t know how

[fangis]

I dont know if anyone cares, but i decided to post my progress. Maybe this will be useful for someone in the future. Or not.

So now I have a fully functional system here is how I did:

I replaced the kernel with a more updated one. I used the kernel from Patwood, 3.4.67 I believe.

Then on boot I insmod module squashfs.ko or else tinycore extensions will not load correctly.

My usb ethernet dongle from china works: just find and insmod modules qf9700 and usbnet.

Usb tethering from an android phone works - insmod modules rndis_host, cdc_ether and usbnet

Wifi has worked! with module 8188eu.

X loads with some errors when unpacking xorg-fbdev, but also works. I am happy because the mini pc seems to get less warm using this system than when I used my debian image, so thank you to the developers. The heating problem is controlled by installing cpufrequtils and underclocking the CPU - I wanted to undervolt too, but I would need to rewrite a kernel it seems, so I am not going to try this so soon.

So, again a big thanks to everyone who has developed this, and have a nice day,

fangis

[Jason W]

Hi fangis.  I only have an Allwinner A10 so I am not familiar with the MK802II. 

[fangis]

Thanks for the reply.

Well the mk802 is also an allwinner a10 !
Anyway, it was sort of fun to figure it all, now I feel I understand a lot more about how these things work.
I would like to suggest: maybe next tinycore a10 version could have a more recent kernel?

all the best
fangis

[beerstein]

thank you for your post. I have a Cubieboard 1, which is A10 also. I am planning to set up Tiny Core or Core for this board.
Is there a repo where we can install extensions after successful boot?
Do you have a GUI, DE or WM installed on your setup?

Thanx

[Jason W]

If it is an A10, then the standard armhf repo should work.

[fangis]

Hello beerstein

have you read some readmes on repo.tinycorelinux.net/5.x/armv7 allwinner a10 directory? They explain there how to set up a graphical environment and other useful stuff

cheers
fangis

[beerstein]

yes I did - I also found other excellent material on the web on how to install a Window Manager and a Desktop Enviroment (WM and DE) CB1 has no WIFI and no bluetooth (BT). Will try to get it running and will post here.

[fangis]

Great! I will be interested on your progress as my current X setup seems a bit buggy.
Now my next challenge is finding out how to make a sleep or hibernation mode work. Installed pm-utils, and then I run pm-suspend which works... except that the mini pc never wakes up after that If anyone was successful with a working sleep mode for a10 please let me know...

[fangis]

by the way: I think i have created this thread in the wrong place - it should have been on allwinner a10 section, if any admin would like he can put it there. thanks

[beerstein]

Hi fangis:
Today I tried to create an A10 dCore using the $ sudo ./mkSDcard sdc command.  The README file says: sdd but should this be rather /dev/sdc  or so?
The script worked ok at the beginning  and let me select my cubieboard1 A10. But at the end I got the following error:
Formatting /dev/
mkfs.vfat 3.0.3 (18 May 2009)
mkfs.vfat: /dev/sdc1 contains a mounted file system.
/dev/sdc:
hdparm: BLKRRPART: Device or resource busy
mount: applet not found
Mount failed! - Abort
tc@box:~/cb2$
Do I need to mount or unmount the sd card?
Before starting,  my CorePlus had trouble to recognize the sd card in the adaptor.

How did you create the microSD?

[fangis]

Hello beerstein

I am no expert, anyway if i remember correctly -

before any of these copies do a fdisk -l
this command will show which drive is actually the one you want to make the sdcard, or else
you may end up copying over something else and losing data everywhere.
I believe it was mksdcard sdx where x is corresponding drive letter, i dont remember if i had to use full path /dev/sdx
Anyway it seems you used a mounted file system and this is why got errors, I think it has to be unmounted for it to succeed, do
sudo umount /dev/sdx or sdx1 or whatever is mounted at the moment - to see what is mounted type mount

take care
fangis

p.s a bit off topic - I managed to boot linux on my a13 tablet! I am happy. Although not TC...

[beerstein]

Hi angis:
I was able to produce a bootable uSD card for the CB1. Half using the script, half using the commands from the script within the terminal cli. It booted and had a network connection. But when I tried to set the tce-setdrive the system offered me nanda, nandd, nandc,nande and nandi partitions to put tce on. Wow! I expected a mmblk0px on the sd card. These nand partitions are on the internal NAND memory of Cubiboard1.  So I selected nandi and that was a booboo.
I was able to install the X debian/sce extensions but could not start the flwm windows manger. I also was not able to start the installed mc (midnight commander.
I think the CB1 could not find the extensions. Now my CB1 also does not boot to Android on NAND any more nor from sd cards. It is a brick. I will try to revive it with a Phoenixsuit NAND install
Have you been able to install a WM on your dCore A10 CB1 ?
best regards

[fangis]

hi there

Mine is mk802 not cb, but I believe its the same since its a10.
I did not install to nand since i was afraid to brick android image which is installed there. so i did not have this kind of problem.
anyway i think before reinstall you could try to set command line parameter tce=nandx (or where you instaled extensions) in file uEnv.txt and then it can probably detect your extensions installed

hope this helps
for X i installed Xprogs flwm_topside wbar xorg-fbdev and fluxbox. I am not sure this is the most optimal but that worked for me

good luck