VAR-SOM-OM44 Ubuntu RN

VAR-SOM-OM44 - Ubuntu Precise

Introduction

Below instructions corresponds to ubuntu-12.04.TI_GLP16X-VARX release.

Variscite supports its VAR-SOM-OM44 VAR-SOM-OM44 with TI Ubuntu Linux kernel and Ubuntu Precise (12.04) distribution.

The Linux kernel provides support for all on-board peripherals.

Your Ubuntu folder on your CD /  FTP contains ready-to-run pre-built image which contain:Kernel, U-boot, Xloader and Ubuntu File system.

Variscite recommends the use of Ultra (generation 6 and above) microSD for optimial performance

Installation

Plug your SD card to your Linux machine, run dmesg and see what device is added (i.e. /dev/sdX)

$ gunzip ubuntu-12.04.TI_GLP16X-VARX.img.gz
$ dd if=ubuntu-12.04.TI_GLP16X-VARX.img of=/dev/sdX bs=4M

Boot

The Ubuntu pre-built image will boot automaticlly on power up. 

The boot parameters are setup by uEnv.txt file located at the boot partition of the SD card.

Default uEnv.txt file:

setvarargs=setenv bootargs console=ttyO2,115200n8 mem=1G@0x80000000 root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 ro elevator=noop fixrtc eth.ks8851=${ethaddr} eth.smsc=${usbethaddr} phy.smsc.gb_enable=false
loadvarimages=fatload mmc 0:1 0x80000000 uImage.var; fatload mmc 0:1 0x81600000 uInitrd.var
uenvcmd=run loadvarimages; run setvarargs; bootm 0x80000000 0x81600000

• phy.smsc.gb_enable=[false|true] - Enable/Disable Gigabit mode for smsc7500 GB Ethernet port
• eth.ks8851=<mac address> - ks8851 10/100 Ethernet port mac address, read from 'preEnv.txt' file (ethaddr).
• eth.smsc=<mac address> - smsc7500 GB Ethernet port mac address, read from 'preEnv.txt' file (usbethaddr).
  

System login:

username: variscite

password: password

Ubuntu Kernel Sources

To retrieving the kernel sources use git:

$ git clone git://dev.omapzoom.org/pub/scm/integration/kernel-ubuntu.git
$ cd kernel-ubuntu 
$ git checkout -b working xxx << xxx == check release notes for kernel commit >> 

To apply Variscite kernel patch:

$ git apply var-som-om44-ubuntu-12.04.TI_GLP16X-VARX-armhf-omap4.patch

Further explanation on building the kernel and generate a kernel package can be found here.

for example for release GLP168-VAR2:

git clone git://dev.omapzoom.org/pub/scm/integration/kernel-ubuntu.git
cd kernel-ubuntu
git checkout d8a13c28e3ddc1f7cb098823b883dbc6a02bcb43
git apply git apply var-som-om44-ubuntu-12.04.TI_GLP168-VAR2-armhf-omap4.patch

Note: After compiling and installing new debian packages, rename uImage and uInitrd in /dev/sdX1 to uImage.var and uInitrd.var

U-Boot Sources

To retrieving the U-Boot sources use git:

$ git clone git://git.linaro.org/boot/u-boot-linaro-stable.git
$ cd u-boot-linaro-stable
$ git checkout -b working 5b752a1e0528aa29f5bd4cde0905c8b604c56255

To apply Variscite U-Boot patch:

git apply var-som-om44-u-boot-linaro-VARX.patch

To build U-Boot sources:

$ make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-none-linux-gnueabi- omap4_var_som

To install U-Boot and MLO on boot partition of the SD card:

$ sudo mount /dev/sdbX1 /mnt 
$ cp MLO u-boot.bin /mnt
$ sudo umount /dev/sdbX1

Capacitive Touch Panel support

To enable Capacitive touch panel in kernel image, modify debian.ti-omap4/config/config.common.ubuntu :

CONFIG_TOUCHSCREEN_CTW6120=y

OTG as Host

To initiate the OTG port at host mode you need to "insmod" some USB gadget module first. for example:

$ sudo modprobe g_printer