March 19, 2012 Posted by: Dr. Ace Jeangle
How to install and configure Debian/Ubuntu on Beagleboard (xM), BeagleBone, and Pandaboard (ES)
Below is the simplest instruction of installing and configuring Debian/Ubuntu with LCD support.
-
Go to https://github.com/RobertCNelson/netinstall, select required distro and proceed with mk_mmc.sh script. It will automatically download required files and configure minimal working system on your SD card.
-
Then, go to “boot” partition of your SD card, find file “uEnv.txt” and change parameter “dvimode” for 10″ AUO LCD (1024×600) and 7″ CPT LCD (1024×600, resistive touch):
"dvimode=1024x600MR-16@60"
or for 10″ LG LCD (1280×800, black frame) and new gen 7″ panels (1280×800, capacitive touch):
"dvimode=1280x800MR-16@60"
Thank you so much for this, I was getting desperate when nothing I did seemed to have any effect on anything. Now, great success.
You are welcome. Next time drop me email to support@chalk-elec.com in case of any technical issues.
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
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!
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!
Jack, you can try to use the same instructions as in the step “Set correct LCD resolution” of this post: https://www.chalk-elec.com/?p=1426
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
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???
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.
Please, post instructions – this will help to many guys here.
I have some problems in configuring Bluetooth. can u give me the steps for configuring and driver details for bluetooth set up
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?
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.
please note that you “wget 2012-03-08” but “tar 2012-03-29” .
Thanks! Updated.
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.
I need only framebuffer and no x window, so that’s great!
Just, is there an easy way to enable wifi?
I think new version has WiFi enabled, but i didn’t checked myself.
yes, sorry, did ont know about iwconfig, now i need to learn how to get connected…
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.
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
root/root got me in. Remember to create another user for everyday use.
Which package is the touchscreen driver in?
Device Drivers –> HID Devices –> Special HID drivers –> HID Multitouch panels
File hid-multitouch.c
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
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
Thanks for valuable add-on! I have added link to your post for others customers.
Thanks ! I just saw people asking those questions. I am very pleased with Debian.
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 ?
HDMI has I2C interface to read EDID information from monitor, so you don’t have to set resolution manually.
Is it possible to use the display with pandaES and ubuntu 12.04?
How to?
Thanks!
Yes. You can get ubuntu image from this link:
http://rcn-ee.net/deb/rootfs/
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
p.s: I’m using omapdrm/kms .
Thanks
BR
For KMS please look at section “Forcing Modes” here: http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/KernelModeSetting
“video=DVI-D-1:1024×600@60” It doesn’t work.
Do you know if someone succeeded where I have failed?
Thanks!
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.
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…
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
video=DVI-D-1:1024×600@60. It doesn’t work.
Do you know someone succeeded where I have failed?
Thanks
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
—
[…] from rcn-ee.net. Then unpack and install to the sdcard. A more detailed explanation is given at Howto config and install Debian. This page was the base for my tests. I simply changed the given download location to the newest […]
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.
Send email to support@ with dmesg log, I will try to check.
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.