[Guide] Installing Arch Linux (updated 11/4/2013) bluetooth+KDE

[ylixir]

I've began to write up a guide for getting Arch usable on the Nexus 7. I just threw it up on google docs because I'm too lazy to try to do the wiki thing until it's more complete. Hopefully it is far enough along to get things rolling for people who are looking to experiment with arch.

Anyway, it's a work in progress, if anyone has suggestions, correction, completions, criticisms, etc then holler.

Linkies

 

[ylixir]

Changelog
========

2013-07-20
--Added instructions for installing the platform tools on an arch host pc
--Added references to wicd and network manager as alternatives to netctl
2013-10-20
--Updated instructions to reflect new *-grouper.zip naming scheme for MultiROM files
--Added instructions for updating the kernel to include kexec
--Got bluetooth 90% working. Interface comes up and can find devices with scan. Can’t get it to pair yet though.
2013-10-24
--Got the bluetooth device to power up on boot by adding a udev rule. Unfortunately the bluetooth daemon seems to be failing as it starts.
2013-10-28
--My keyboard is pairing on boot now. Ugly ugly things to get it working, but it works.
2013-11-03
--Updated the guide to get X working.
2013-11-04
--Tweaked xorg.conf files to get kde and e17 working.
--Added instructions to get Touchégg working to provide more tablety experience

 

[ylixir]

Todo/Bugs

Problems/Bugs/Todo

The following is a list of things that need to be addressed or that I want to address. These things will be tackled in no particular order but hopefully over time the number bugs and problems will go down relative to the number of features I want to add.

Feel free to comment with your own ideas or bug reports.

1. Fix slow shutdowns after enabling networking with netctl
2. Fix whatever extremely verbose crash shows up on shutdown after setting up bluetooth
3. Get bluetooth working without hacks and under bluez5
4. Get a graphical login working
5. On screen keyboard (especially at login screen)
6. Set up an aur and/or googlecode project to automate some of the scripting required to get things working
7. Automate the process with some kind of setup tool
8. Replace the google doc with a wiki page in a relevant place
9. Make a custom spin that works more out of the box
10. Sound
11. GPS
12. Accelerometer
13. Magnetometer
14. Hardware buttons
15. Any other sensors that I forgot or am unaware of
16. Auto screen rotation

 

[joeG78]

For the section on setting up fastboot and adb...it's safe to assume someone installing arch on the nex7 probably has arch on their pc too. For arch, you need to set up access to the AUR, with a package manager that has access to it, i.e. yaourt. Then you can get android-sdk-platform-tools. The rest of the guide looks good. I personally like wicd for my network manager as it is easier to add and remove networks when you go to new locations, and I installed e17(enlightenment desktop).

 

[ylixir]

For the section on setting up fastboot and adb...it's safe to assume someone installing arch on the nex7 probably has arch on their pc too. For arch, you need to set up access to the AUR, with a package manager that has access to it, i.e. yaourt. Then you can get android-sdk-platform-tools. The rest of the guide looks good. I personally like wicd for my network manager as it is easier to add and remove networks when you go to new locations, and I installed e17(enlightenment desktop).

Thanks for the feedback

I don't have arch on my pc at the moment, so it's not a given, but i think you are right that people are probably more likely to have arch if they are looking at this guide. I updated the guide with info on how to install the tools from AUR. Also added links to wicd and Network Manager in the arch wiki so people are aware of some options if they don't like netctl, and mentioned that e17 works.

 

[bjonnh]

Xorg with alarm on nexus 7

Okay, got ALarm installed on my nexus 7 8GB.

For Xorg, I used files from "plasma active" nexus 7 distribution.

Just take them from the plasma active and put them into your /etc/X11 and X should work.
(I can't post a link, must wait 10 posts, I'll link the files later or you can PM me)

My only problem now is to put a cross-compile toolchain on my computer to be able to compile e17 with illume modules. Tried to compile on my tablet but it's too slow and I've not enough disk free to finish. If anybody can help on this point…

 

[ylixir]

What distribution are you using on your PC? Also you can pm me the link for the xorg configuration and I'll post it for you

 

[thecrimsonfukr]

OK so I have come as far as installing multirom and I installed the archlinux rom and got this error when I tried to boot it

"kexec-hardboot support required to boot this kernel"

How do I resolve this?

 

[joeG78]

OK so I have come as far as installing multirom and I installed the archlinux rom and got this error when I tried to boot it

"kexec-hardboot support required to boot this kernel"

How do I resolve this?

Go back and reread the multirom thread, then install a kexec-hardboot patched kernel in your internal rom.

Sent from my SGH-T679 using xda premium

 

[thecrimsonfukr]

Go back and reread the multirom thread, then install a kexec-hardboot patched kernel in your internal rom.

Sent from my SGH-T679 using xda premium

Thank you! I didnt realize it was that simple... for some reason i find the original multirom post difficult to follow.

 

[_behrooz_]

Thank you! I didnt realize it was that simple... for some reason i find the original multirom post difficult to follow.

Hello
i want install arch linux on nexus 7 , but i confuse about it . is arch linux on nexus 7 fast and stable ?
can i watch hd video in arch linux withot lag ? before days i install ubuntu desktop on N7 but when i open video HD ( not full) with vlc , it somtimes play withot sound and it have lag . unity is heavy for nexus 7 , i want install arch + lxde . is it fater ?
sorry for english .

 

[TobiH8]

For me Arch works without any problems but when I type startx xserver freezes after the first image of xfce or e17.
Has anybody a solution?

 

[rainfeng_achen]

? How to install e17 ?

For the section on setting up fastboot and adb...it's safe to assume someone installing arch on the nex7 probably has arch on their pc too. For arch, you need to set up access to the AUR, with a package manager that has access to it, i.e. yaourt. Then you can get android-sdk-platform-tools. The rest of the guide looks good. I personally like wicd for my network manager as it is easier to add and remove networks when you go to new locations, and I installed e17(enlightenment desktop).

e17 is the fast
so , i want to installing to my nexus 7

thanks .

 

[rainfeng_achen]

Why ? my bluetooth not work?

not find the device ????

 

[rainfeng_achen]

I've began to write up a guide for getting Arch usable on the Nexus 7. I just threw it up on google docs because I'm too lazy to try to do the wiki thing until it's more complete. Hopefully it is far enough along to get things rolling for people who are looking to experiment with arch.

Anyway, it's a work in progress, if anyone has suggestions, correction, completions, criticisms, etc then holler.


My bluetooth not working
cannot find the device ??

Nexus 7 32GB Wifi

 

[ylixir]

bluetooth

I have bluetooth (almost) working. I've put instructions in the guide. They aren't really a final solution, but maybe people who are running gui's can tell me if they work. I know I have the hardware working because I can see my keyboard when I scan for it, but I can't figure out how to get bluez5 to pair from the command line. Hopefully someone has better luck with a gui?

 

[ylixir]

bluetooth

I've got Bluetooth working. I even have it pairing automatically on boot with a keyboard. Its an ugly solution but it works. The guide has been updated. I'll tackle X next

 

[sphadley]

My Arch Install

Hey just wanted to add my install experience to the thread hopefully to help others. First of all I want say thanks for all documentation from the previous posters. I tried to follow the instructions as close as possible for a kde install, but I ran into some trouble with lightdm, so I tried kdm instead. And I can happily report it has worked swimmingly. Instructions on how to setup kdm, navigate to /usr/share/config/kdm. First edit the kdmrc to turn off the themed greeter. Then add the xvkbd to the XSetup file as in the lightdm setup. Another thing I did was utilize the plasmaboard widget on my main kde panel for my on screen keyboard once I log in. It seems to work much better than xvkbd for me. I can also confirm flash is working great.

So this really close to totally replacing my linux laptop, especially when I am on the go, in fact I am writing this post on the device in arch. However one key piece is still missing for me is sound. I can't seem to coax any sound out the device with my arch install, and amarok crashes on startup, even though both these items were working perfectly in ubuntu. If any one has any ideas how to make audio and amarok work I would be immensely grateful. Also thanks again, I am so happy to be rid of the X11 touch race condition. I have added a screenshot of me editing this post for those interested as well.

 

[sphadley]

Figured out sound!

I think i found a solution to all of my troubles from my previous post. Amarok started working after a pacman update. My general audio problems seem to be caused by the linux for tegra audio drivers lack of head phone jack detection, I found a workaround the ubuntu nexus 7 launchpad bug tracker: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-nexus7/+bug/1068804/comments/24. For the tldr crowd basically you have to use alsamixer manually mute and unmute the int_spkr channel for speaker audio and the int_mic channel to enable headphones. Then you can use the output and and hp to channels adjust volume for speaker and headphones respectively. It also might help to do a suspend resume cycle i sound still isn't working. Thanks to everyone else, hopefully others will find this useful as well.

 

[Bfg]

Many thanks for your work!!! I'm using it on a nexus 7 with glass and touch broken (unuseless) but now it lives!!! and is a very responsive lxde desktop with xrdp starting on boot which I use with amule or bittorrent all night long...

two questions:
1) for me it does not work shutdown -r now or reboot... it close immediately all network connections but I have to keep power button 10 sec to restart system...
2) using it with an hub usb I'm trying to connect a big hard disk: pcmanfm (lxde file manager) refuse to mount it saying than it is not authorized... (I've followed archlinux wiki: it work on my archlinux desktop but not in nexus 7).