Linux on arm devices

ARM Info

Ubuntu targets the ARMv7 and above Application Processor family (Cortex A8, A9 and above). Currently the archive supports ARM EABI, with an expectation of minimum compliance with the ARMv7+VFP ISA. Where possible Ubuntu targets the Thumb2 instruction set.

Limited support for earlier instruction sets (ARMv5t, ARMv6) was available in early releases of the ARM port (jaunty, karmic).

Status

• Much of the application porting is complete
• Installation images are available for selected boards
• kernels for a variety of sub-architectures are available
• Much of SMP validation complete
• Continued porting and optimization is underway

Current Images

ARM Team

• OMAP: Texas Instruments OMAP page
• Tegra (AC100): Thosiba AC100 Nvidia Tegra 2 page
• IMX53 QuickStart: Freescale IMX53 QuickStart Board Page
• Server images (Marvell Armada XP) ARM/Server

Community Images

FAQ

Is Ubuntu validating low power server images

While there is no server class hardware available today work is being done to validate server loads so that when such hardware is ready, Ubuntu will be ready to run on it. See the Server page for information on this project.

How do i build an armel rootfs from scratch

Please see the Create a root file system from scratch page, or if you prefer you can use the Ubuntu Core root file system.

How do I install Ubuntu on my device

For some devices, installation images are available from releases.ubuntu.com or cdimage.ubuntu.com For other devices, netinstalls are recommended, although this will require a custom kernel/debian-installer build for your target device. Please share your experiences with successful installs (and instructions) on the Device Support page.

How does this differ from Debian’s armel port?

The primary difference is the ISA and instruction set targeted in Ubuntu (ARMv7 mostly Thumb2), rendering nearly all packages incompatible at a binary level. As with the rest of Ubuntu, typically the source packages are identical, so most of the remaining differences are the same as differences generally between Debian and Ubuntu.

Where can I get help?

If it’s ARM specific, stop by #ubuntu-arm on freenode. If it’s not ARM specific, the regular Ubuntu support channels will provide better support.

What kernel flavours are available?

• lucid: dove, imx51, omap, versatile
• maverick: dove, omap, omap4, versatile
• natty: n900, omap, omap4, versatile

If you have a working kernel and wish to support it in Ubuntu, please contact the Ubuntu Kernel Team about configuration requirements and sponsoring procedures.

How can I help?

• As a user: Try Ubuntu ARM on your device. Report any bugs to https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bugs. Report working hardware to ARM/DeviceSupport
• As a developer: Try Ubuntu ARM for your use case. Fix anything that doesn’t work. Submit the patches for upload. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ARM/FTBFS
• As a porter: Review applications not yet available for armel. Find out why. Port it, and submit the patches. Known issues are tracked at ARM/PortingIssues
• As a tester: Try following the Ubuntu test cases on an ARM device. Report any regressions from other architectures.
• As an author: Document installation procedures for various devices.

How to run Ubuntu ARM build rootfs in qemu?

• Build your own rootfs, either qemu image or rootfs tarball will be fine and run it as described on ARM/RootfsFromScratch

ARM (последним исправлял пользователь 1 2015-05-13 22:17:07)

The material on this wiki is available under a free license, see Copyright / License for details.

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4 of the Best Linux Distributions You Can Run on ARM Devices

Day by day, ARM devices get more and more popular, especially in the world of Linux. Years ago ARM just meant the Raspberry Pi. Now it means a host of devices: hobby boards like the Pi, servers, compact desktop computers and even laptops!

That is why we have decided to make a list and discuss what the best Linux operating systems for ARM devices are. Each operating system has its negatives and positives. Which one should you use? Let’s find out!

1. Arch Linux ARM

Perhaps the most dedicated ARM Linux distribution project out there, Arch Linux ARM, aims to bring Linux to all sorts of ARM-based devices. Arch for ARM supports multiple different ARM releases, from ARM v5 to v8 with dozens of device-specific images.

The real benefit of using Arch Linux for ARM circles back to the reason Arch Linux proper is such a good choice: the Arch Linux User Repository. This is because a lot of programs in the AUR are set up to compile from scratch, meaning that for a lot of situations users will not need to rely on packages being ported, as most AUR programs can be ported to ARM by themselves easily.

2. Debian on ARM

Out of all the different types of Linux out there, you’ll find few reliable. This is why Debian has a home on many Linux servers, desktops, laptops and now even your favorite ARM computer, and comes with three separate releases: ARM EABI for old 32-bit devices, ARM hard-float for newer 32-bit devices, and a 64-bit ARM port for modern devices.

For those looking for a stable and reliable basis for a Raspberry Pi 3-powered home theater or Beaglebone Black ARM desktop, the Debian project may be a good place to start!

3. Manjaro ARM

Those who are unfamiliar with Manjaro, listen up: it’s a Linux distribution that takes the technological strength of Arch Linux and combines it with steady and stable updates, effectively turning Manjaro into a Ubuntu or Debian distro based on Arch Linux.

On ARM Manjaro’s mission is the same. Bring great Arch Linux features, but add in stability. The Manjaro ARM project does a good job at this, though at this time only supports the Raspberry Pi3 and 2. More devices like the Pi Zero and Odroid C1 (and 2) are under development.

4. Chromium OS

The best Linux distribution for ARM-based Laptops and ARM-based microcomputers doesn’t come from the Linux community. Instead, it comes (in part) from Google. Chromium OS is the open-source implementation of Google’s Chrome OS for Laptops, dongles and desktops.

Chromium OS isn’t full Linux, and when users log into it they’ll find out that the experience is essentially what users can expect on a Chromebook: a web browser, support for Chrome-based apps, and other basic tools like MP3 and video playback.

In a world where most of the technology on the Web is moving away from flash, this open-source operating makes sense, even on ARM devices. Chromium OS doesn’t have any specific builds for specific devices, but images exist for use on ARM devices here.

Conclusion

ARM is a growing competitor to the standard PC architecture and is here to stay. As more and more people go mobile or decide to indulge in small, hobbyist boards, ARM will continue to flourish. As this trend continues, we can only hope that development for high-class Linux distributions will continue as well. For now, the choices on this list are a great start.

Derrik Diener is a freelance technology blogger.

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Perfect for server and IOT

Ultralight Linux optimized for custom ARM / RISC-V or Intel hardware
Comes with powerful ZSH or standard BASH shell.

For production: Jammy, Bullseye. For development: Bookworm, Lunar, Sid

Excellent for desktop

Fully featured XFCE, Gnome or Cinnamon based desktop. 3D and video acceleration support where possible.

Community support for: Budgie, i3, KDE plasma, Mate, Xmonad

Simple for compiling

Extensive armhf / aarch64 / riscv64 / x86 cross-compilation development framework with native or containerized build support.

Runs on Linux, Windows or Mac

Armbian Leaflet #9

Dear Armbian Community, We are pleased to announce the official support for the Bigtreetech CB1 board on Armbian! The Bigtreetech CB1, developed by the respected Bigtreetech company, one of the most popular 3D printer brands among global creators, is a remarkable addition to our lineup. We are delighted to them as a Platinum partner, and …

Popular downloads

Khadas VIM3

Khadas Edge 2

Generic ARM64

Simple

Powerful menu driven configuration tool along with stock Debian utilities. BASH shell and lightweight XFCE based desktop.

Lightweight

Standard boot, config and update methods with minimal user-space footprint. Special config utilities are optional.

Optimised

A distributed image is compressed to its real data size which starts below 1G. Login is possible via serial, HDMI/VGA or SSH.

Fast

Boot loader and kernel optimisations, memory caching, ZRAM swap and video acceleration where applicable.

Secure

Images are made fully automatised from sources. Releases are PGP signed and code is regularly inspected by community.

Supported

How to start with Armbian?

Find your board and download one of the available images. Archives can be written with Etcher or USBimager (all OS).

Make sure you have a good & reliable SD card and a proper power supply. Insert SD card into a slot and power the board. First boot takes up to 30 seconds with an average SD Card and on the cheapest board.

First root login on HDMI or serial console is automatic. If you connect via SSH login as root password 1234. You will be prompted to change the password. Next, you will be asked to create a normal user account that is sudo enabled (beware of QWERTY keyboard settings at this stage).

Type sudo armbian-config and change timezone, reconfigure language, locales, network. Manage OpenSSHD settings, freeze kernel upgrades, toggle hardware settings. Install Armbian to internal or external memory, a desktop, 3rd party software, .

Testimonials

Just a quick note to say thank you to the Developers for all that you do and have done to make our favorite Arm Linux Distro a success!

I just want to post a thank you to the developers and contributors who have built one nice distribution. Over a year ago I bought a few OPi PC as a possible replacement for Raspberry Pi based HAM radio projects I support. Last night I downloaded and installed Jessie server from Armbian. What a pleasure. Small, clean and a giant plus for me, HEADERS. I am so tired of having to build the headers for a kernel so I can compile the out of tree modules I need. I just ordered a few NanoPi NEO and I look forward to being able to run Armbian. Thank you VERY much! My next stop is the donate button.

All the Tinkerboard OS’s looked to me more like compromise solutions to make the board work, rather than real OS’s I could trust. Until I came across Armbian, that appeared to be more like the real Linux distros I was used to in the past. I saw committed people who really knew what they were doing, and it gave me a feeling of reliability.

The new image worked perfectly and I am really impressed. When using the images for Raspbian or Debian, the screen output was very blurry using the converter. With armbian, it is razor sharp, right from the beginning. Wow!

After some interesting weeks, I could successfully install eight Odroid C2 together with dedicated FPGA hardware now, and prepare them now for deep sea operation. Just wanted to express a big «THANK YOU» to all here in the forum which was involved in helping me to get the beast working.

mboehmer

One of the good things about Armbian is that it provides a very easy to use kernel config tool. I had no experience in kernel development, and I was able to work with it just in a couple hours.

teacupx

I have switched to Armbian, and what a difference. Downloads are faster, programs open faster, and T-bird and Firefox work with no problem.

Great job guys, userpatches concept is just great. Working firmware for the new board in 2 days — that took me 6 months before with Buildroot.

Alexey

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