How to install and configure Debian/Ubuntu on Beagleboard (xM), BeagleBone, and Pandaboard (ES)

March 19, 2012 Posted by: Dr. Ace Jeangle

How to install and configure Debian/Ubuntu on Beagleboard (xM), BeagleBone, and Pandaboard (ES)

Last versions of official Ubuntu builds use opendrm driver instead of openfb. Therefore, below are instructions of installing and configuring Debian/Ubuntu with openfb driver. This is pretty simple procedure and you will get minimal working system in less than 10 minutes. Touchscreen driver is also available in this build. This distro is provided by Robert Nelson (http://www.rcn-ee.com).

sudo apt-get install uboot-mkimage wget pv dosfstools btrfs-tools parted
wget http://rcn-ee.net/deb/rootfs/wheezy/debian-wheezy-minimal-armhf-2012-09-27.tar.xz
tar xJf debian-wheezy-minimal-armhf-2012-09-27.tar.xz
cd debian-wheezy-minimal-armhf-2012-09-27/
sudo ./setup_sdcard.sh --mmc /dev/sdb --uboot panda

You should substitute in last line “/dev/sdb” parameter with name of your SD card device (see output of command “df -h”).
Also you should change last parameter of last command:
- for Pandaboard ES you should use “panda_es” instead of “panda”
- for BeagleBoard Ax/Bx use “beagle_bx”
- for BeagleBoard Cx use “beagle_cx”
- for BeagleBoard xMA/B/C use “beagle_xm”
- for BeagleBone Ax use “bone”
- for PandaBoard Ax use “panda”

Additional details can be found here: http://elinux.org/BeagleBoardDebian#Demo_Image

Then, go to “boot” partition of your SD card, find file “uEnv.txt” and change parameter “dvimode” for 10″ AUO LCD (1024×600) to:

"dvimode=1024x600MR-16@60"

or for 10″ LG LCD (1280×800, black frame):

"dvimode=1280x800MR-16@60"

or for 7″ LCD (1024×600, resistive touch):

"dvimode=1024x600MR-16@60"

More details are available here: http://elinux.org/BeagleBoardDebian. Also, please visit http://elinux.org/BeagleBoardDebian#Demo_Image to get links to the latest pre-built image.

UPDATE: Also, we have good add-on from Alastor with a lot of details on setup and configure Debian on Pandaboard to support Ethernet/WiFi/HDMI: http://alastordmcblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-install-debian-on-pandaboard-do.html

45 comments posted in: How-To

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About the author

Dr. Ace Jeangle -

Antti

Thank you so much for this, I was getting desperate when nothing I did seemed to have any effect on anything. Now, great success.
- Dr. Ace Jeangle
  
  You are welcome. Next time drop me email to support@chalk-elec.com in case of any technical issues.
Mariem

Hi,

I’m doing a project using OpenCV and I want to embedded this on a pandaboard. So
I’m looking for someone who can help me to install ubuntu on Pandabord rev A3.

If you have some link or if you can advise me I would appreciate.

Thanks in advance.

Best Regards
- Dr. Ace Jeangle
  
  Here is a link to distro: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/11.10/release/ubuntu-11.10-preinstalled-desktop-armel+omap4.img.gz
  and here are detailed instructions: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ARM/OmapNetbook
  
  But I would suggest to use Debian, it is much-much faster!
http://newport.com Jack

I built ICS from AOSP.com (not thru linaro). Has anyone any idea on how to get the LCD running via this route? I am googling around and no such luck.

Thanks!
- Dr. Ace Jeangle
  
  Jack, you can try to use the same instructions as in the step “Set correct LCD resolution” of this post: http://www.chalk-elec.com/?p=1426
James

Great guide, this really helped me a lot. Just have one question does anyone know how to get a gui going with this? I tried gnome but it hung during setup. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

–James
Mike Kopack

Tried this out, and WOW, YES, MUCH MUCH faster… and considerably smaller memory footprint than the Ubuntu 11.10 image…

However, I had a few questions:

1) Does this have the TI OMAP4 drivers installed in it?

2) assuming #1 is yes, does the WLAN + BT work? I couldn’t figure out how.

3) I wasn’t getting any display out on my HDMI monitor. The only way I could interact with the system was through the serial console.

Any hints???
marietto

I have no problem on the ubuntu 11.10 and with the Pandaboard ES by setting the display resolution. Also I’ve been able to make work the internal Bluetooth and wi-fi.
- Dr. Ace Jeangle
  
  Please, post instructions – this will help to many guys here.
- dinesh
  
  I have some problems in configuring Bluetooth. can u give me the steps for configuring and driver details for bluetooth set up
siam

Hi Dr.Ace,
we just installed debian following yout script integrating whit this http://elinux.org/BeagleBoardDebian but we are facing problem with bluetooth.
” Beagle/Panda: v3.2.13-x7 kernel (panda bluetooth now works “sudo apt-get install bluetooth” + “uim” to get all the userspace programs)
uim: git clone git://gitorious.org/uim/uim.git ; cd uim ; make ; sudo make install

add: /etc/udev/rules.d/bluetooth.rules

ACTION==”add”, SUBSYSTEM==”platform”, ENV{MODALIAS}==”platform:kim”, RUN+=”/sbin/initctl emit enable-ti-bt”
”
But we are not able to start BT, any suggest?
- Dr. Ace Jeangle
  
  Please, check post – I have updated it.
  This image is maintained by Robert Nelson (www.rcn-ee.com) and he mentioned that bluetooth is working in latest image.
siam

please note that you “wget 2012-03-08″ but “tar 2012-03-29″ .
- Dr. Ace Jeangle
  
  Thanks! Updated.
Tania Lorena

Hi,

I want to thank you for this distro, it is working well on my pandaboard es. You said that Touchscreen driver is also available in this distro, but I don’t know how configure it and if I can display some GUI on the touchscreen. Please help me.
sirtet

I need only framebuffer and no x window, so that’s great!
Just, is there an easy way to enable wifi?
- Dr. Ace Jeangle
  
  I think new version has WiFi enabled, but i didn’t checked myself.
  - sirtet
    
    yes, sorry, did ont know about iwconfig, now i need to learn how to get connected…
EO

Image unpacked and downloaded on SD card with mentioned command:
sudo ./setup_sdcard.sh –mmc /dev/sdb –uboot panda

Still not working on my Pandaboard. Do I need any extra command to make it work on my pandaboard ?

Any specific setting for HDMI for example? Because my pandaboard does not have an DVI connection.
GeelC

Thank you very much for this. Sorry, I’m a newbie… I’ve Tried, It seems to boot. But what are login and password? Thanks
- Tommi
  
  root/root got me in. Remember to create another user for everyday use.
Tommi

Which package is the touchscreen driver in?
- Dr. Ace Jeangle
  
  Device Drivers –> HID Devices –> Special HID drivers –> HID Multitouch panels
  File hid-multitouch.c
http://florian-pfanner.de Florian Pfanner

Hello,

thank you for this. Unfortunatly my board does not behave as easy as described: I prepared the SD card as shown. After pluging in the card into my Pandaboard, nothing happens (no console output, only on of the two LEDs lights up, …)
My solution: I mounted the first partition of the SD card on my PC and saved the content. Then I deleted this partition and created a fresh one. After setting the boot-flag and FAT32 formating, I copied the saved content back. (I’m not sure if it was necessary, but the first file I stored in the new partition was MLO.)

Now I’m very happy to run Debian on my Pandaboard

Best regards,
Florian
Alastor

Thank you very much – installng Debian was the easiest and quickest installation I ever had.
I see there are a lot of comments about HDMI and WiFi. Both of them work. Please feel free to look at my post. I hope I have some answers:
http://alastordmcblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-install-debian-on-pandaboard-do.html
- Dr. Ace Jeangle
  
  Thanks for valuable add-on! I have added link to your post for others customers.
  - Alastor
    
    Thanks ! I just saw people asking those questions. I am very pleased with Debian.
yushiyao

it is very helpful, but I have some question. I use the HDMI, and I don’t know how to change the resolution ratio,can you help me ?
- http://www.chalk-elec.com/ Dr. Ace Jeangle
  
  HDMI has I2C interface to read EDID information from monitor, so you don’t have to set resolution manually.
fado

Is it possible to use the display with pandaES and ubuntu 12.04?
How to?

Thanks!
- http://www.chalk-elec.com/ Dr. Ace Jeangle
  
  Yes. You can get ubuntu image from this link:
  http://rcn-ee.net/deb/rootfs/
  - Fado
    
    Is it possible to use the ubuntu prebuilt binaries? I’ve tryed to add bootargs omapfb.mode=dvi:1024x600MR-16@60 omapdss.def_disp=dvi but it doesn’t work.
    
    Thanks
    - Fado
      
      p.s: I’m using omapdrm/kms .
      Thanks
      BR
      - http://www.chalk-elec.com/ Dr. Ace Jeangle
        
        For KMS please look at section “Forcing Modes” here: http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/KernelModeSetting
      - Fado
        
        “video=DVI-D-1:1024×600@60″ It doesn’t work.
        Do you know if someone succeeded where I have failed?
        Thanks!
      - Max
        
        I works for me. I just followed the instructions above. Make sure that all your connections are right and don’t plug anything in the HDMI and DVI ports before booting the panda es. Also, be patient after you plug it, the screen may takes some time before it is turned on. I used the ubuntu version 12.04 rev5 from the link above.
      - Fado
        
        Thanks for your reply. The issue is related to another image. The ubuntu image in the link above use omapfb and the chalk-elec lcd display works fine with that, but not with omapdrm/kms…
      - http://twitter.com/kumadasu くまだす
        
        I tried with prebuilt image and partly succeeded. Install TI OMAP Release PPA updated October. After booting, setup correct resolution with GUI. It enables my 10″ display. But without connecting another display to DVI port, it doesn’t show. Edit /boot/boot.script like video=DVI-D-1:1280×800 then it displays only during booting kernel. Can’t display desktop without another display. Do you have any suggestion?
        kumadasu
Fado

video=DVI-D-1:1024×600@60. It doesn’t work.

Do you know someone succeeded where I have failed?

Thanks
http://www.chalk-elec.com/ Dr. Ace Jeangle

Here are working parameters from my Beaglebone patch:
—
.width=1280
.height=800
.hfp=64
.hbp=124
.hsw=48
.vfp=5
.vbp=12
.vsw=7
.pxl_clk=75000000
.invert_pxl_clk=0
—
Pingback: parts – building a streaming server – part 2
http://www.chalk-elec.com/ Dr. Ace Jeangle

You can simply install all required packages (including X11) with apt-get command. FOr example, “sudo apt-get install lightdm” will install standard Ubuntu GUI manager.
http://www.chalk-elec.com/ Dr. Ace Jeangle

Send email to support@ with dmesg log, I will try to check.
- Nilesh Mane
  
  I have got Ubuntu11.04 and kernel 2.6.38 for PandaBoard-Es wich is wirking fine with 7″lcd and all my basic requirements. Just now i want to change lcd from 7″ to chalkboard 11″ LCD as i use for Pandaboard(4430). I have done same change in drivers/video/omap2/displays/panel-generic-dpi.c as i do for pandaboard. that change xres and yres 1366 and 768. and recompiled everything was fine except that there are few horizontal lins blinking at top (aprox 70-120 Ypos). Then i have checked for 10″ lcd with 1280×800 resolution here is also same problem. And same uImage(11inch) is working fine with Pandaboard(4430) without any blinking line on 11inch LCD.