Ubuntu on APF

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If you have an APF27 or an APF51, then it's possible to install and run the Ubuntu distribution (XUbuntu ARM version).

Ubuntu icon


This page will detail the installation process.

Requirements

  • an APF27/APF51 with at least 128MBytes of RAM (mandatory). 256MB is nice to have for Firefox & Co. 512MB is a must.
  • a running LCD or the DVI/HMDI ouput
  • a SD/MMC card of at least 2GBytes
  • coffee or at least something to do meanwhile ;-) (~4 hours)

Here we go

  • if not already done, install QEMU (this will also install some other needed packages like debootsrap):
$ sudo apt-get install qemu
  • then get the "Ubuntu builder script" and launch it:
$ cd your_armadeus_view
$ mkdir ubuntu && cd ubuntu/
$ wget http://people.ubuntu.com/~ogra/arm/build-arm-rootfs
$ chmod a+x build-arm-rootfs
$ sudo ./build-arm-rootfs --fqdn ubuntu --login ubuntu --password temppwd --imagesize 2G --seed xubuntu-desktop
  • after some minutes/hours you will get a complete rootfs: armel-rootfs-XXXXXX.tgz

Prepare your microSD

  • Format it and mount it:
$ sudo mkfs.ext2 /dev/mmcblk0p1
$ sudo mount /dev/mmcblk0p1 /media/disk/
  • Untar it the generated rootfs:
$ sudo tar zxf armel-rootfs-xxxxxxx.tgz -C /media/disk/    (will take some times)
$ sudo mkdir -p /media/disk/boot
$ sudo cp $ARMADEUS_BINARIES/$ARMADEUS_BOARD_NAME-linux.bin /media/disk/boot
$ sudo umount /media/disk/                                 (will take some times too)

Boot you system

  • Plug the microSD in your APF27Dev and powerup your system.
  • in U-Boot check that rootfstype is correct:
BIOS> printenv mmcrootfstype
mmcrootfstype=ext2
  • if not change it (for example here to ext3):
BIOS> setenv mmcrootfstype ext3
  • then launch boot:
BIOS> run mmcboot
  • After Ubuntu boot, plugin a USB keyboard and a mouse in order to have a functional system. To login, use the user/password chosen during image creation.
XUbuntu running on the APF51Dev + LW700 LCD

Links