Installation on a SmartQ V5-II MID

[CPUnltd]

I am soon to accquire this device and it currently runs Android 2.1 and Ubuntu's ARM remake on it. I intend to gain root access to this device and see if I can install Arch Linux ARM install on it. I am under the impression that Arch Linux ARM install can install just about any PKGBUILD in the AUR at Arch Linux that says it can handle "any" architecture... If this assumption is inaccurate, please let me know. Updating the software on this device is said to be as simple as extracting a compressed image to an SD card and holding a set of buttons while turning the device on and it auto-updates itself. I would like someone here to examine the contents of the files that I link to for these updates to see if modifying them for Arch Linux ARM install will work (or, if the Arch Linux ARM install image files already supplied would be good enough already/or need to be modified in any way for use with this device)... I will probably go for triple boot status before going for primary boot status, as I have 256MB of space on the NAND for my own use. It has host USB capabilities as well, so I do plan on seeing if I can boot via SD and flash drive, as they may be semi-permenant options to consider with this as well...

Device info: http://www.shanzai.com/market-mayhem/ba ... punch.html

Ubuntu Firmware: http://en.smartdevices.com.cn/Support/D ... 24-60.html

Android Firmware: http://en.smartdevices.com.cn/Support/D ... 24-59.html

Let's see if we all have a new toy to add to Arch Linux ARM install's hardware options...!

[CPUnltd]

one way I have tested this on my Arch64 system (with AUR packages) is to ad the "x86_64" option to the arch section of the pkgbuild... it has worked a few times... granted, I don't recall which ones off the top of my head (but I do plan to make it a habit to note when it works in the comments of the actual aur pkg)... I'd also attempt that as well. I am curious as to whether anyone has successfully gotten the clyde pkg mngmt program to install on a Arch Linux ARM install device... or for that matter, blinky or gtkpacman...

[CPUnltd]

NEW DEVELOPMENT!!!

I actually found a detailed tutorial on how to build my own linux-based firmware for this device, so I am pleased to say that I believe I have found a way to get Arch Linux ARM install running on this nice little device! Once I get it in my hands, I will be testing out this tutorial and posting here (as well as starting a new thread) about it and my experience with it! When I pull this off, I'd like to have this device added to the list of devices that Arch Linux ARM install can run on... and if things REALLY go well, I'd like to see a developer's following for it... cause if I can do the V5 of this device, then I should be able to do the V7 model... meaning fully functional ARM-based Arch Linux-ran 5" and 7" MID tablets! The first that I'd know of in the world. My first and most immediate concern is touchscreen support... I'm wondering where I'd go in Arch to find out how strong the support is for touchscreens with whatever drivers are out there... probably do a search via pacman or clyde as a start... since it has a USB host port, I should be able to get a standard keyboard (or wireless kb/ms combo) to work with it till I can get gui and touchscreen going...

THIS will be a fun project!!!

[CPUnltd]

https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddtx8wk ... skpm&pli=1

forgot to post the actual tutorial... in case anyone is able to get it started before I do. I don't mind if that happens, as I'm just happy to kickstart it more than anything else.

[CPUnltd]

this will DEFINITELY be interesting... and I know a LOT of packages that SAY they are specific archs I have personally built in archs aside from the "supported"... so once I get it all running on there, I plan to see what will build and what won't... One of my personal favourites that I plan to test initially are a few games and a couple of emulators

Of course, I gotta get the get the device and software first!

while it's on my mind though, if the touchscreen support IS built into the kernel, how would I go about copying such support over to an Arch/Arch Linux ARM install kernel? Or is it recommended that I use their kernel? I figure it would be a patch one way or the other (arch patches to their kernel or their patches to arch's kernel)... I've never manually compiled an install "from scratch" which would just about be what I'd be doing for this project. So I am running with scissors through unfamiliar territory.

[CPUnltd]

so my theory at this point in this expedition is to get my hands on the SmartQ SDK (not sure if there is a Linux-based one I can work with) import the Arch Linux ARM install OS into it, compile from the SmartQ's kernel, if that will work, and build the proper "iso" type for the SmartQ. This experiment will have to wait for a short while, as I am waiting on a second-hand server I just recently purchased that is running 2 Xeon 3.0 processors and can handle as much as 32GB of RAM (it will come with 4GB, IIRC), so I will have a nice little (not so little, but you get what I'm saying) powerhouse to crunch all these processes on and be able to get some real results in a decent amount of time.

Would appreciate the community bugging the hell out of me to make sure I stay on this task ... I'm a multitasker and can let things linger if I don't remember to go back to them now and then.