How to install a desktop Linux on a Sailfish device for a convergence use case?

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8

How to install a desktop Linux on a Sailfish device for a convergence use case?

asked 2018-12-15 17:38:44 +0200

jsommer
3324 ●97 ●142 ●154

updated 2018-12-15 17:43:34 +0200

I'm looking for a similar approach like Maru or AnLinux to use my Sailfish device for a convergence use case. I have seen an old thread about this requirement:

A VNC client is available in Jolla Harbour. So, theoretically, it should be possible to install chroot environment for a guest system and access the desktop UI with the VNC client. I tried the terminal commancs of AnLinux, but the command is missing to execute the script:

pacman-key --init && pacman-key --populate archlinuxarm && pacman -Sy --noconfirm curl && curl -O https://blackarch.org/strap.sh && chmod +x strap.sh && ./strap.sh

pacman-key --init && pacman-key --populate archlinuxarm && pacman -Sy --noconfirm wget && wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/EXALAB/AnLinux-Resources/master/Scripts/DesktopEnvironment/Pacman/de-pac.sh && bash de-pac.sh

Unfortunately AnLinux and Temux require Android 5 or never. This might come soon which an updated Alien Davlik. But Android seems not be necessary.

Openrepos provides an app debootstrap and qemu. Doeas someone know, how to use debootstrap or qmu? I will test qemo, but I think, the overhead of a VM is not necessary. Some other ideas?

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with nokia n900 you could use a Debian image to boot X environment, and there having GIMP / OpenOffice running pretty well. Keyboard was working almost fine, aah .. good old times :D

nas ( 2018-12-17 11:59:14 +0200 )edit

I built and installed the full Qemu 3.1.0 package for messing around, but it's pretty vast - there's about 25 architecture options and dozens (at least) of command options. It's all new to me @Nieldk or @Fuzzillogic - which options/images might work to provide a fast and smooth vnc through Qemu? One thing I've noticed is that when using 'qemu-system-arm' or 'qemu-system-aarch64' and specifying machine 'virt', it will boot to Qemu monitor, which shows my img and iso as 'virtio0' and 'virtio2' in info block output, but I'm not sure how to boot it...

Levone1 ( 2018-12-19 13:53:31 +0200 )edit

Just found this - https://translatedcode.wordpress.com/2017/07/24/installing-debian-on-qemus-64-bit-arm-virt-board/ - and working well, so far. I tried to modify qemu command to boot local iso instead of downloading all files, (to save data, so I could do it on the road), by adding 'hda' and 'cdrom' commands, but seems like it still is using network, (maybe it's in the 'linux-installer' script. I haven't gotten to the part about injecting kernel into img, so I'll have to see about that.

Levone1 ( 2018-12-19 17:10:17 +0200 )edit

with nokia n900 you could use a Debian image to boot X environment, and there having GIMP / OpenOffice running pretty well. Keyboard was working almost fine, aah .. good old times :D
nas ( 2018-12-17 11:59:14 +0200 )edit
I built and installed the full Qemu 3.1.0 package for messing around, but it's pretty vast - there's about 25 architecture options and dozens (at least) of command options. It's all new to me @Nieldk or @Fuzzillogic - which options/images might work to provide a fast and smooth vnc through Qemu? One thing I've noticed is that when using 'qemu-system-arm' or 'qemu-system-aarch64' and specifying machine 'virt', it will boot to Qemu monitor, which shows my img and iso as 'virtio0' and 'virtio2' in info block output, but I'm not sure how to boot it...
Levone1 ( 2018-12-19 13:53:31 +0200 )edit
Just found this - https://translatedcode.wordpress.com/2017/07/24/installing-debian-on-qemus-64-bit-arm-virt-board/ - and working well, so far. I tried to modify qemu command to boot local iso instead of downloading all files, (to save data, so I could do it on the road), by adding 'hda' and 'cdrom' commands, but seems like it still is using network, (maybe it's in the 'linux-installer' script. I haven't gotten to the part about injecting kernel into img, so I'll have to see about that.
Levone1 ( 2018-12-19 17:10:17 +0200 )edit

Answer 1

7

answered 2018-12-15 18:25:17 +0200

rgp

376 ●4 ●9 ●15

There's a thread on TMO [1] where people were able to get a Linux chroot running quite well.

It was dormant for quite a while and Preflex's links stopped working, but user n950 posted a link to the chroot they managed to get working in this post [2].

[1] https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=98882

[2] https://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p=1550676&postcount=248

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This looks very convenient and up to date. Does someone know, how to access the installed Ubuntu? Does this appraoch use VNC or something else?

jsommer ( 2018-12-28 08:31:49 +0200 )edit

Answer 2

2

answered 2018-12-16 00:41:52 +0200

Levone1
2647 ●45 ●74 ●81

updated 2018-12-17 19:02:07 +0200

Update - I was able to get this far using qemu, and vnc viewer app from Jolla Store. Not sure what my user and pw is, since I don't remember setting anything ... ok, found out that the default pw for live boot is 'toor'

image description

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use the 32 bit image

Nieldk ( 2018-12-16 08:55:39 +0200 )edit

@Nieldk - I got it to finish install without error using [root@Sailfish 688E-0FE4]# qemu-system-i386 -m 1024 -boot d -smp 8 -net nic -net user -hda testing-image.img -cdrom kali.iso, and then, attempted to boot using [root@Sailfish 688E-0FE4]# qemu-system-i386 -m 1024 -boot d -smp 8 -net nic -net user -hda testing-image.img, but just hangs on 'booting from disk'. Any ideas? - update - nevermind, I just didn't wait long enough. Booted now but moving slow. going to try again with more memory....

Levone1 ( 2018-12-17 00:27:14 +0200 )edit

3

Are you running this on an i386 device? (i.e. Jolla Tablet) Otherwise, why would you use the i386 emulator, which is very slow, instead of using a native ARM version?

Fuzzillogic ( 2018-12-17 19:42:45 +0200 )edit

2

Yes, definately using chroot and arm image is faster. Its quite easy using debbootstrap to install

Nieldk ( 2018-12-17 20:12:50 +0200 )edit

I'm just testing more than anything. I was inspired by the question to look into it, and I found qemu and decided to try it out. I'm not too likely to have much use for it myself on a regular basis, but figured it might come in handy to know... What is the native vnc server? Are you referring to lipstick2vnc? i did find that in Zypper, and installed it, but haven't messed with it yet, sunce I didn't find much documentation. Also, with chroot, you just boot one or the other, right, (not both simultaneously)? I remember when running Linux on Android that what I really appreciated about it was that I could run the Linux programs that wouldn't run on Android, and mount the filesystems to each other, so easily transfer files back and forth...

Levone1 ( 2018-12-17 23:11:22 +0200 )edit

Answer 3

1

answered 2018-12-16 12:10:42 +0200

ApB
27604 ●302 ●421 ●409

https://together.jolla.com/question/70499/request-fulfilled-enable-container-namespace-features-in-jolla-kernel/?answer=95273#post-id-95273

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The linked article seems to describe a container approach like libertine in UBports. I know technolgies like Docker, but I'm not familar with them. How can I install, launch and use a Linux system with this approach on my Sailfish device?

jsommer ( 2018-12-28 09:04:00 +0200 )edit

How to install a desktop Linux on a Sailfish device for a convergence use case?

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