Native Linux for Asus tf701t

[Trel725]

A few configfile that fix some problemes.
Copy init.d to your rootfs, then run update-rc.d. It include simple script that mount andoid storage and firmware for wifi. cpu_gov is script that you can use to change cpu governor. Sound works in players that use alsa, for example alsaplayer, another, that use gstreamer works but it is noisy. Some players don't work anyway.

xorg.conf modified to enable touchpad. You should install xserver-xorg-input-multitouch package .

When linux just have booted there is strange bug with window edges. You should go to Setting > appearence and change style, then everything works.

To port another distro you should use this configs and tegra xorg drivers. It can be found on linux4tegra archive on official nvidia site.

 

[sudoaptget]

Cheers Trel725

Looking forward to playing around with it :good:

Sorry for late response...family christmas functions take up so much time

Edit: Would you mind terribly typing out a beginner's guide to installing debian on this device?

I unlocked the bootloader, and rooted the device but I don't know what to do from there

The bootloader doesn't seem to detect a usb stick at boot so attempting to load an linux img from the usb isn't working for me. I would like to get rid of android altogether and just use linux. So would formatting be possible?

 

[Trel725]

OK
First download rootfs, unpack it to your stick, remove tf701.conf from /etc/init and copy files from configs archive. Be careful rootfs is squashfs-packed. Then download kernel from my first post (it packed) and boot it by command
fastboot boot zImage -c "root=/dev/sda1"

You will get a text debian. Then log in by username root and 1234qwerty password and type myx. It will load graphical enviroment.

Also there is simple ramfs that can boot linux from loopfile, installed on internal storage.

 

[sudoaptget]

OK
First download rootfs, unpack it to your stick, remove tf701.conf from /etc/init and copy files from configs archive. Be careful rootfs is squashfs-packed. Then download kernel from my first post (it packed) and boot it by command
fastboot boot zImage -c "root=/dev/sda1"

You will get a text debian. Then log in by username root and 1234qwerty password and type myx. It will load graphical enviroment.

Also there is simple ramfs that can boot linux from loopfile, installed on internal storage.

I downloaded both the rootfs (debian Im assuming?) and the kernel. I noticed two things though which is preventing me from procceeding further.

1) For some reason usb connection to computer from tf701 only works by plugging into tablet...if I try plugging usb from computer to the keyboard dock...it doesn't seem to work properly. I did install the drivers for this and it didn't fix the problem.

2) I am not sure what programs are good for opening squashfs files. It sounds like a compressed packed version of iso img?

I really appreciate you helping me....its so confusing how this works. I usually work on the desktop side of things.

 

[Trel725]

1) For some reason usb connection to computer from tf701 only works by plugging into tablet...if I try plugging usb from computer to the keyboard dock...it doesn't seem to work properly. I did install the drivers for this and it didn't fix the problem.

2) I am not sure what programs are good for opening squashfs files. It sounds like a compressed packed version of iso img?.

1) Perhaps that is bug of your tablet, my works correctly.
2) If you using linux you can unpack it by command
unsquashfd -d <your directory> -f <downloaded file>

 

[zaelin]

1) Perhaps that is bug of your tablet, my works correctly.
2) If you using linux you can unpack it by command
unsquashfd -d <your directory> -f <downloaded file>

As interested as I am in testing this out; I really can't for work reasons potentially cripple my tablet. I'm holding out in the hopes that this leads to a dual boot OS solution like the TF300T.

 

[Trel725]

I have dual boot yet
I just install system to loop file and modified initrd. It works, so I flash it to recovery partition. So if I booted into recovery, I would get Linux If you want I can post this boot.img to flash. Of course, you will miss a recovery. To load it you can boot recovery.img by fastboot.
_____________
It really strange, 3d acceleration don't work in debian, I have no idea.

 

[Trel725]

I am still working on rootfs. Debian is works great but there is no hardware rendering. That is very bad, I'm sure. Of course, Debian system is very useful, for example today I flashed my Arduino by it. Now I am going to try Ubuntu LTS 12.04, perhaps it would better. Unfortunately I don't know anything about non-Debian-based systems, but perhaps Arch or Gentoo would be better choice.

 

[sudoaptget]

I am still working on rootfs. Debian is works great but there is no hardware rendering. That is very bad, I'm sure. Of course, Debian system is very useful, for example today I flashed my Arduino by it. Now I am going to try Ubuntu LTS 12.04, perhaps it would better. Unfortunately I don't know anything about non-Debian-based systems, but perhaps Arch or Gentoo would be better choice.

I know a great debian system that you might like. I personally think its the best linux distro of all of them out there. http://pointlinux.org/screenshots.html

Maybe you could try point linux? It's incredibly stable.


I suspect the usb port isn't working because the drivers on windows didn't install properly for keyboard dock...I'll try reinstalling drivers for it...wish me luck.

 

[royredman]

Hey, I want to give you all a big thanks for all your work on this!! This is really exciting progress on this tablet running debian and possibly other distros. Keep up the good work!!

Also, is there an easy way to go back to android from debian or another distro?

Sent from my K00C using Tapatalk 2

 

[Trel725]

Caught it! To enable 3d acceleration just install libglapi-mesa package.

 

[royredman]

So, is everything working fine now that you got 3d acceleration? Or is there still more to be fixed with it?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Trel725]

Linux is pretty useful yet. Now I cannot work on it because my laptop were breaking. When I repair it, I will go on development.
3d acceleration useful for Chromium. No more programs can use this great feature. But Chromium works brilliant. Even flash.

 

[lexelby]

Wow, great progress here! I'm going to give it a try in a day or two and will report back. I don't have all that much free time, but I do have linux expertise, so I can help with any outstanding issues. What's still not working?

I'm especially excited to hear that sound is working. The one thing I can't do in my chrooted ubuntu running under android is use audacity.

So, in theory, instead of using a loopback filesystem for dual-booting, could we just either tinker with the existing partitions to add a new one for native linux, or just put native linux on an external SD card either in the tablet or the dock?

It should also be possible to keep recovery and still dual-boot. Just create a flashable zip that kexecs the native linux kernel/initrd and "flash" it when you want to boot into linux.

 

[Trel725]

Still not working pretty much things.
1. Touchpad. I'm afraid it won't work because it use special android-only binaries.
2. Sound. Work in alsa-only. Alsa mixer don't works.
3. Graphical desktop use only software rendering. Just some apps can use hardware, like chromium.
4. Video. Only software rendering.

Of course that is possible to add partition instead of using loopback filesystem, but I don't like it because our device don't support nvflash, to backup, instead of tf700.

Linux from SD card working, that was default way until I installed it to internal memory. Also I don't know kexec mechanism. But I'm going to modify initrd to can load linux or recovery.

 

[YayYouFixedIt]

Could there be some kind of solution to get bluetooth keyboards to work? I mean if people dont have dock that could get them going on it.
Here's the archwiki on getting it going via console. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/bluetooth_keyboard

 

[sudoaptget]

1) Perhaps that is bug of your tablet, my works correctly.
2) If you using linux you can unpack it by command
unsquashfd -d <your directory> -f <downloaded file>

hello again

I decided to record each step of what I am doing at your instructions so you all can see clearly what is going on. http://youtu.be/E-cdP4o2jrc

I installed linux mint 17 inside virtualbox, then downloaded debian.sqfs (simple debian) to usb stick and as you can see from the video, used your command to unpack it.

I assume you made a mistype with unsquashfd when it might have been unsquashfs? I tried unsquashfs
and it seems to be working...only I keep seeing "failed to create symlink"

Is that normal?

 

[Trel725]

No that is not correct. You should run this command by superuser (e.g. add sudo). Excuse me for squashfs, of course that is just errata.

 

[sudoaptget]

No that is not correct. You should run this command by superuser (e.g. add sudo). Excuse me for squashfs, of course that is just errata.

No worries thank you for telling me. I suspected something wasn't right

Will update my progress and thanks again.

 

[royredman]

hello again

I decided to record each step of what I am doing at your instructions so you all can see clearly what is going on. http://youtu.be/E-cdP4o2jrc

I installed linux mint 17 inside virtualbox, then downloaded debian.sqfs (simple debian) to usb stick and as you can see from the video, used your command to unpack it.

I assume you made a mistype with unsquashfd when it might have been unsquashfs? I tried unsquashfs
and it seems to be working...only I keep seeing "failed to create symlink"

Is that normal?

Is that what it looks like running on the Tf701t? if so, this is really exciting!!! Any simple ways to install this without any problems going back to android? is there currently a way to dualboot (because I ideally would love to have that). Thanks again for all your hard work guys!!! You guys are awesome!!!!!

Sent from my K00C using Tapatalk 2