Ubuntu on APF

If you have an APF27 or an APF51, then it's possible to install and run the Ubuntu distribution (XUbuntu ARM version).

This page will detail the installation process.

Requirements

• an APF27/APF51 with at least 128MBytes of RAM
• a running LCD or the DVI/HMDI ouput
• a SD/MMC card of at least 2GBytes
• coffee or at least something to do meanwhile ;-) (~4 hours)

Here we go

• if not already done, install QEMU (this will also install some other needed packages like debootsrap):

$ sudo apt-get install qemu

• then get the "Ubuntu builder script" and launch it:

$ cd your_armadeus_view
$ mkdir ubuntu && cd ubuntu/
$ wget http://people.ubuntu.com/~ogra/arm/build-arm-rootfs
$ chmod a+x build-arm-rootfs
$ sudo ./build-arm-rootfs --fqdn ubuntu --login ubuntu --password temppwd --imagesize 2G --seed xubuntu-desktop

• after some minutes/hours you will get a complete rootfs: armel-rootfs-XXXXXX.tgz

Prepare your microSD

• Format it and mount it:

$ sudo mkfs.ext2 /dev/mmcblk0p1
$ sudo mount /dev/mmcblk0p1 /media/disk/

• Untar it the generated rootfs:

$ sudo tar zxf armel-rootfs-xxxxxxx.tgz -C /media/disk/    (will take some times)
$ sudo umount /media/disk/                                 (will take some times too)

Boot you system

• Plug the microSD in your APF27Dev and powerup your system.
• in U-Boot check that rootfstype is correct:

BIOS> printenv mmcrootfstype
mmcrootfstype=ext2

• if not change it (for example here to ext3):

BIOS> setenv mmcrootfstype ext3

• then launch boot:

BIOS> run mmcboot

• After Ubuntu boot, plugin a USB keyboard and a mouse in order to have a functional system.

Links

• QEMU
• https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ARM/RootfsFromScratch