RaspArch Rpi5 Build 241218 :: Run Arch Linux (aarch64) with the LXQt 2.1 DE on your new Raspberry Pi 5 computer :: Install using Rufus or Etcher in Windows!

Posted on December 18, 2024 by exton

rasparch-logoRaspArch Build 241218 for the new Raspberry Pi 5 (released on October 23, 2023)

RaspArch Build 241218 is a “ready-to-go” ARM (aarch64/arm64) system. It can only run on a Raspberry Pi 5 computer. RaspArch Build 240302 can also run on a Raspberry Pi 4 computer.  I have therefore kept version 240302 on the server. All included packages have been updated to the latest version as of 241218. The Desktop Environment is LXQt 2.1. You can log in to LXQt from SLiM as the normal user archpi or as root.

RASPBERRY Pi 5
This RaspArch version is made especially for the new Raspberry Pi 5 released on October 23, 2023 (4GB and 8GB).
NOTE: A Raspberry Pi 5 is about twice as fast as the Raspberry Pi 4.

Install RaspArch to the SD card using Rufus in Windows
This version can be installed in Windows using Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher. Previous versions could only be installed when running a Linux system. Using Rufus or Win32 Disk Imager has one disadvantage though. Only about 3.5GB can be used as data storage no matter which card you use. The system is of 3.5GB and the system partition of 7GB. If you use a card of 128GB about 121GB will be unused. A few years ago a member on this site wrote about how to get rid of the 7GB limit after Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher has been used:
– write the image with Rufus
– start up Ubuntu or another Linux system – you can also use a Linux Live CD/USB stick
– start GParted – screenshot before resizing
– screenshot during resizing
– resize the DATA (/dev/sdb2 ext4) partition – screenshot after resizing
– done!
This screenshot shows that RaspArch now has about 113GB free storage.
NOTE (very important): You should do the resizing directly after you have transferred the image to your SD card. That is if you don’t think that 3.5GB (7GB – 3.5GB) is enough for new installations etc.

Writing the image using Rufus. See the screenshot below.

KERNELS
6.6.66-exton-v8-16k+ for Rpi 5.
NOTE: You can use other 64bit kernels – for example linux-rpi-6.12.5-1-aarch64 – but the video performance will be bad and you can’t use a WiFi connection.

Log in to LXQt 2.1
After the boot process is ready you will end up at SLiM‘s login page. Log in as the ordinary user archpi with password raspberry or as root with password root. While logged in as archpi you can use Sudo to become root. Example command: sudo su.

What is Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games.
Read more about Raspberry Pi…

The Raspberry Pi 5 with 8GB RAM released in October 2023. It has:

Processor Broadcom BCM2712 2.4GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 CPU,
with Cryptographic Extension, 512KB per-core L2 caches, and a
2MB shared L3 cache
Features: • VideoCore VII GPU, supporting OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.2
• Dual 4Kp60 HDMI® display output with HDR support
• 4Kp60 HEVC decoder
• LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM
(4GB and 8GB SKUs available at launch)
• Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi®
• Bluetooth 5.0 / Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
• microSD card slot, with support for high-speed SDR104 mode
• 2 × USB 3.0 ports, supporting simultaneous 5Gbps operation
• 2 × USB 2.0 ports
• Gigabit Ethernet, with PoE+ support
(requires separate PoE+ HAT)
• 2 × 4-lane MIPI camera/display transceivers
• PCIe 2.0 x1 interface for fast peripherals
(requires separate M.2 HAT or other adapter)
• 5V/5A DC power via USB-C, with Power Delivery support
• Raspberry Pi standard 40-pin header
• Real-time clock (RTC), powered from external battery
• Power button

More about RaspArch
When you have installed RaspArch to your Micro SD Card you can use the system like any other Arch Linux system. I.e. install new programs etc. Arch motto is KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Program Management in Arch Linux
Arch Linux uses a proprietary system called Pacman. It is similar to that found in CRUX Linux. Read about Pacman.
You can also read all the documentation on Arch Linux. Seven commands are basically the only ones you need to use:
1) pacman -Sy (update the packages database)
2) pacman -Sy archlinux-keyring
3) pacman -Syu (upgrading the whole system)
4) pacman -S MyUsefulProgram (the package installation command)
5) pacman -R UnnecessaryProgram (uninstall a package).
6) pacman -S ‐‐overwrite MyUsefulProgram (in case you get an error about “conflicting packages”)
7) pacman -Scc (clean pacman cache)
Very simple!

How do I install RaspArch?
Use Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher – see above. Unzip the downloaded filerasparch-rpi5-exton-2800mb-241218.zip. You will get the image file rasparch-rpi5-exton-8000mb-241218.img which is the file you shall install to your micro SD card.

Different Micro SD Cards
For best performance you should use SD Cards of good quality. I can recommend Samsung MicroSD Pro Plus 32GB Class 10. Write speed up to 95 MB/s. Also SanDisk MicroSD Ultra 128GB Class 10. Write speed up to 100 MB/s. NOTE: If you can’t run RaspArch at all you should try with a new “better” card.

Wireless connections
Just use NetworkManager Applet, add your password and connect.

Installing/using Samba
A way to reach your Windows computers in your home network is to install Samba. Command: pacman -S samba gvfs gvfs-smb sshfs
Then start Samba with the command systemctl start smb.service nmb.service
After that you can connect to your Windows computers via PCManFM-qt – watch this screenshot. (My Raspberry Pi 5 running RaspArch is connected to one of my computers in my home network).
NOTE: Samba is already installed and configured in RaspArch Build 241218. Just run the command sudo systemctl enable smb.service nmb.service. You may have to reboot your Rpi5 before you can use Samba.

Sound in RaspArch
In Build 241218 I’ve installed alsa-utils, PulseAudio and Pavucontrol. The sound works very well also when logged in as root.

WHO should run Arch Linux/RaspArch?
My answer: The system fits the “advanced” Linux user/enthusiast, who would be willing to run an occasional command from time to time.

BENEFITS of Arch Linux/RaspArch
“Cutting Edge”-software and speed. A member on this site recently wrote this about RaspArch: I’ve used Slackware, Debian, Gentoo, Ubuntu & Arch. I prefer Arch. Ubuntu is easier to install, Arch is easier to keep up to date. You do not go through big, painful, changes every year instead you just update, once in a while, make changes if instructed. Arch has most of the benefits of Gentoo without the pain of recompiling _everything_. When you do need to build a package in Arch its painless especially if you use one of the tools that support AUR (I like Yay). Arch avoids the politics of Debian and Ubuntu and delivers a great Linux distribution. RaspArch now brings these advantages to the Pi 4. I.e. that was before Raspberry Pi 5 was released…

Study all installed packages in RaspArch…

PERFORMANCE
Everything works! The System is responsive and quite fast. The sound and video performance is very good.

UNIQUE
There is no other (good) Arch Linux ARM System for Raspberry Pi 5 (as far as I know). Not for downloading anyhow.

SCREENSHOTS
Screenshot 1 of RaspArch’s Desktop – logged in as archpi
Screenshot 2 of RaspArch’s Desktop – logged in as root
Screenshot 3 – showing a Bluetooth connection
Screenshot 4 – Samba connection to a Windows computer

DOWNLOAD (rasparch-rpi5-exton-2800mb-241218.zip) for free from SourceForge.net.

md5sum


Follow me on Facebook…

Read about my Android-x86 Systems – 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and KitKat at
andex.exton.net – latest is AndEX 11 (with GAPPS), AndEX 10 (with GAPPS) and AndEX Pie 9.0 (also with GAPPS)!
and
about my Android 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow and Lollipop versions for Raspberry Pi 5, Pi 4 and  Pi 3/2 at
raspex.exton.se – latest is RaspAnd 14 (with GAPPS), 13 and 12 (without GAPPS), RaspAnd 11 (with GAPPS) and RaspAnd Oreo 8.1
(also with GAPPS)!
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RaspAnd 14 (Android 14) for Raspberry Pi 5 with GAPPS (Google Play Store), Spotify, Bluetooth, Aptoide App Store and Microsoft Launcher pre-installed :: Build 240625

Posted on June 25, 2024 by exton

ABOUT RaspAnd 14 – Build 240625 – with GAPPS
RaspAnd 14 runs very well on a Raspberry Pi 5. I.e. the system is pretty responsive if you use a micro SD card of good quality. RaspAnd 14 has the following apps pre-installed: GAPPS (Google Play Store and other Google apps), Spotify, Aptoide App Store, Microsoft Launcher and Aida64.

RASPBERRY Pi 5
RaspAnd 14 is made especially for the new Raspberry Pi 5 released on October 23, 2023 (4GB and 8GB). You can’t run RaspAnd 14 on another Raspberry Pi model than Pi 5.
NOTE: A Raspberry Pi 5 is about twice as fast as the Raspberry Pi 4.

ABOUT Android 14, which was released 231004…
Read also an article about The Evolution of Android  – List of Android Versions and Release Dates. As you can see Android 14 is the latest stable version of Android.

PLEASE NOTE that you must be aware of the fact that the Raspberry Pi 5 computer has its limitations and that Android 14 is a very advanced Linux system. Having said that I must also say that the apps I have included in this Build (see above) work very well. The max screen resolution is 1920×1080. I think.

NOTE also that you’ll have to register “your device” (i.e. your Rpi5) before you can log in to Google Play Store. Please read my instructions below about how to register so that your device will be Play Protect Certified.

About Raspberry Pi 5
This build (RaspAnd 14 240625) works very well on the new Raspberry Pi 5 . I used the latest model with 8GB RAM, but you can of course use the other models too.

Startup of RaspAnd 14 Build 240625
The first thing you will see on the screen is this boot animation.

If you do not see this animation you haven’t installed RaspAnd correctly on the SD card. (Please use Rufus 4.5 in Windows for the installation to the SD Card).

Instructions about how to register so that your device will be Play Protect Certified
First things to do after booting RaspAnd 14:
1. After a few seconds you will be asked to connect to your WiFi Network – screenshot 1
2. After answering a few questions you will reach the Desktop – screenshot 2
3. You will get a message saying that This device isn’t Play Protect certified. Google apps and services can’t run on this device when you try to log in to Google Play – screenshot 3
4. Now try to log in to Google Play – screenshot 4
5. Your try will now give you a link to a site where you can fix the registration matter – screenshot 5
6. Now you shall start the app Device ID (pre-installed of course) and write down the GSF ID –  screenshot 6
7. Then click on the link shown on screenshot 5. When there click on the link Device isn’t certified – screenshot 7
8. You will see a line Custom ROM – register your device. Click on it – screenshot 8
8b. NEWS 240904: Now you will have to go to this site and register your device.
9. Here you shall fill in the GSF ID you wrote down before and click on Registrera (Swedish for Register) – screenshot 9. Restart your Rpi5 after a successful registration. Click on the power button in the menu up to the right and hold your finger there until you see the alternatives Restart and Power off – screenshot
10. When back to the Desktop you will have to wait a while Google Play is updating – screenshot. You will then be able to log in to your Google account – screenshot 10
11. Finally you can enjoy Google Play Store – screenshot 11. Start with installing YouTube (for example). You can install and run many “big” games. For example Race Max Pro and Hunting Clash.

About Aptoide App Store
Aptoide is the fastest growing app store and distribution platform in the world. We are a global platform for global talent. Do you want the world? Let’s play together. Use Aptoide App Store if you can’t find what you are looking for at Google Play Store.

My sources
You can find my sources for RaspAnd 14 here. Following those instructions you can build your own “RaspAnd” system.

What is Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games.
Read more about Raspberry Pi…

About sound
HDMI sound works very well in this RaspAnd build. You can also use the 3.5mm jack and connect speakers. Change it under Advanced (Desktop icon). Watch this screenshot.

MORE NEWS 240625 ABOUT RaspAnd 14
RaspAnd 14 can be installed to a Micro SD card (preferable a class 10 card) in Windows 11/10 using Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher. You can alternatively (of course) use the dd-command in a Linux system. Unzip the downloaded file raspand-android-14-rpi5-1060mb-240625.zip. Then open a terminal and run the command dd if=raspand-android-14-rpi5-7000mb-240624.img of=/dev/sdX bs=4MiB
(Change X to b, d or…).

Using Rufus it will look like this.

Different Micro SD Cards
For best performance you should use SD Cards of good quality. I can recommend Samsung MicroSD Pro Plus 32GB Class 10. Write speed up to 95 MB/s. Also Samsung MicroSD EVO 16GB Class 10. Write speed up to 48 MB/s. Price 47 $ respectively 10 $ (in Sweden).

Using GParted to increase the data partition
As I said above RaspAnd 14 can be installed in Windows using Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher. This method has one disadvantage. Only about about 5GB can be used as data storage no matter which card you use. Now say, for example, that you use Micro SD card (preferable a class 10 card) of 128GB about 123GB will be “wasted”. You can, however, change that with the help of GParted. See below how to do it.

How to get rid of the 5GB limit after Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher has been used:
– write the image with Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher
– start up Ubuntu or another Linux system – you can also use a Linux Live CD/USB stick
– insert your card
– start GParted – screenshot before resizing
– resize the DATA partition – screenshot after resizing
– done!

Kernel
Kernel 6.1.84-gfd-v8 is used in RaspAnd 14 Build 240625.

After boot – first Desktop
Your first desktop will look like this if you use the Microsoft Launcher (pre-installed). You can install another launcher via Google Play to use instead of Microsoft Launcher. One of the best is Computer Launcher Pro. Watch this screenshot when I have installed Computer Launcher Pro, which isn’t pre-installed.

Screen resolution
The max screen resolution is 1920×1080 according to my experience. You can experiment with other resolutions if you want.

Spotify
The Spotify app works very well. Watch this screenshot when Spotify is running.

Netflix
You can’t run Netflix in RaspAnd 14, which is rooted. The Netflix app works very well in RaspAnd 11 build, which isn’t rooted. (You can’t run Netflix on rooted devices).

WiFi support
The newer versions of RaspAnd has excellent support for WiFi (on Raspberry Pi 5, 4, 3 Model B and Model B+). Previous problems with the WiFi connection are gone. I.e. the WiFi connection will automatically be re-established after every reboot. Just go to Settings/Network and connect. Watch this screenshot.

Bluetooth
Bluetooth works very well in this RaspAnd 14 build. I.e. you can send and receive files without problems. Watch this screenshot showing the pairing process with my Android phone. I haven’t tried other Bluetooth functions.

PERFORMANCE
Everything works! The System is responsive and quite fast.

SCREENSHOTS
1. The Desktop with GAPPS (Google Play Store), Aptoide App Store, AIDA14 and Spotify pre-installed
2. The Desktop using Microsoft Launcher – pre-installed
3. Race Max Pro running – not pre-installed
4. Google Play Store running
5. Spotify running
6. Running Angry Birds2 – not pre-installed
7. The Desktop using Computer Launcher Pro – not pre-installed
8. AIDA64 running showing the System specifications

DOWNLOAD
raspand-android-14-rpi5-1060mb-240625.zip

md5sum for RaspAnd 14 – Build 240625

Android is a trademark of Google Inc.
Raspberry Pi is a trademark of Raspberry Pi Foundation

Read about my Android-x86 Systems – 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and KitKat at
andex.exton.net – latest is AndEX 10 (with GAPPS) and AndEX Pie 9.0 (also with GAPPS)!
and
about my Android 14, 12, 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow and Lollipop versions for Raspberry Pi 5, 4 and 3/2 at
raspex.exton.se – latest is RaspAnd 14 (with GAPPS), RaspAnd 12 (without GAPPS), RaspAnd 11 (with GAPPS) and RaspAnd Oreo 8.1 (also with GAPPS)!
Posted in Android, Exton Linux, RaspAnd, Raspberry Pi systems | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RaspArch Rpi5 Build 240302 :: Run Arch Linux (aarch64) with the LXQt DE on your new Raspberry Pi 5 computer :: Install using Rufus or Etcher in Windows!

Posted on March 2, 2024 by exton

rasparch-logoRaspArch Build 240302 especially for the new Raspberry Pi 5 released on October 23, 2023

RaspArch is a “ready-to-go” ARM (aarch64/arm64) system. It can only run on a Raspberry Pi 5 or Raspberry Pi 4 computer. The previous RaspArch version was from 230908 (32 bit). All included packages have been updated to the latest version as of 240302. The Desktop Environment is LXQt 1.4. You can log in to LXQt from SLiM as the normal user archpi or as root.

NEWS 241218
I have released a new version of RaspArch. It can only run on a Raspberry Pi 5 computer. I have therefore kept version 240302 on the server.
READ MORE…

RASPBERRY Pi 5 and 4
RaspArch is made especially for the new Raspberry Pi 5 released on October 23, 2023 (4GB and 8GB), but can also be used on a Raspberry Pi 4.
NOTE: A Raspberry Pi 5 is about twice as fast as the Raspberry Pi 4.

Install RaspArch to the SD card using Rufus 4.4 in Windows
This version can be installed in Windows using Rufus 4.4, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher. Previous versions could only be installed when running a Linux system. Using Rufus or Win32 Disk Imager has one disadvantage though. Only about 3.5GB can be used as data storage no matter which card you use. The system is of 3.5GB and the system partition of 7GB. If you use a card of 128GB about 121GB will be unused. A few years ago a member on this site wrote about how to get rid of the 7GB limit after Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher has been used:
– write the image with Rufus 4.4
– start up Ubuntu or another Linux system – you can also use a Linux Live CD/USB stick
– start GParted – screenshot before resizing
– screenshot during resizing
– resize the DATA (/dev/sdb2 ext4) partition – screenshot after resizing
– done!
This screenshot shows that RaspArch now has about 113GB free storage. NOTE (very important): You should do the resizing directly after you have transferred the image to your SD card. That is if you don’t think that 3.5GB (7GB – 3.5GB) is enough for new installations etc.

Writing the image using Rufus 4.4. See the screenshot below.

KERNELS
6.1.77-exton-v8-16k+ for Rpi 5 and 6.1.0-rpi8-rpi-v8 for Rpi 4.
NOTE: You can use other 64bit kernels – for example linux-rpi-6.1.63-1-aarch64 – but the video performance will be bad and you can’t use a WiFi connection.

Log in to LXQt 1.4
After the boot process is ready you will end up at SLiM‘s login page. Log in as the ordinary user archpi with password raspberry or as root with password root. While logged in as archpi you can use Sudo to become root. Example command: sudo su.

What is Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games.
Read more about Raspberry Pi…

The Raspberry Pi 5 with 8GB RAM released in October 2023. It has:

Processor Broadcom BCM2712 2.4GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 CPU,
with Cryptographic Extension, 512KB per-core L2 caches, and a
2MB shared L3 cache
Features: • VideoCore VII GPU, supporting OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.2
• Dual 4Kp60 HDMI® display output with HDR support
• 4Kp60 HEVC decoder
• LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM
(4GB and 8GB SKUs available at launch)
• Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi®
• Bluetooth 5.0 / Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
• microSD card slot, with support for high-speed SDR104 mode
• 2 × USB 3.0 ports, supporting simultaneous 5Gbps operation
• 2 × USB 2.0 ports
• Gigabit Ethernet, with PoE+ support
(requires separate PoE+ HAT)
• 2 × 4-lane MIPI camera/display transceivers
• PCIe 2.0 x1 interface for fast peripherals
(requires separate M.2 HAT or other adapter)
• 5V/5A DC power via USB-C, with Power Delivery support
• Raspberry Pi standard 40-pin header
• Real-time clock (RTC), powered from external battery
• Power button

More about RaspArch
When you have installed RaspArch to your Micro SD Card you can use the system like any other Arch Linux system. I.e. install new programs etc. Arch motto is KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Program Management in Arch Linux
Arch Linux uses a proprietary system called Pacman. It is similar to that found in CRUX Linux. Read about Pacman.
You can also read all the documentation on Arch Linux. Seven commands are basically the only ones you need to use:
1) pacman -Sy (update the packages database)
2) pacman-key ‐‐refresh-keys
3) pacman -Sy archlinux-keyring
4) pacman -Syu (upgrading the whole system)
5) pacman -S MyUsefulProgram (the package installation command)
6) pacman -R UnnecessaryProgram (uninstall a package).
7) pacman -S ‐‐overwrite MyUsefulProgram (in case you get an error about “conflicting packages”)
8) pacman -Scc (clean pacman cache)
Very simple!

How do I install RaspArch?
Use Rufus 4.4, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher – see above. Unzip the downloaded file rasparch-rpi5-exton-2890mb-240302.zip. You will get the image file rasparch-rpi5-exton-8000mb-240302.img which is the file you shall install to your micro SD card.

Different Micro SD Cards
For best performance you should use SD Cards of good quality. I can recommend Samsung MicroSD Pro Plus 32GB Class 10. Write speed up to 95 MB/s. Also SanDisk MicroSD Ultra 128GB Class 10. Write speed up to 100 MB/s. NOTE: If you can’t run RaspArch at all you should try with a new “better” card.

Wireless connections
Just use NetworkManager Applet, add your password and connect. Watch this screenshot…

Installing/using Samba
A way to reach your Windows computers in your home network is to install Samba. Command: pacman -S samba gvfs gvfs-smb sshfs
Then start Samba with the command systemctl start smb.service nmb.service
After that you can connect to your Windows computers via PCManFM-qt – watch this screenshot. (My Raspberry Pi 5 running RaspArch is connected to one of my computers in my home network). NOTE: Samba is already installed and configured in RaspArch Build 240302. Just run the command sudo systemctl enable smb.service nmb.service. You may have to reboot your Rpi before you can use Samba.

Sound in RaspArch
In Build 240302 I’ve installed alsa-utils, PulseAudio and Pavucontrol. The sound works very well also when logged in as root.

WHO should run Arch Linux/RaspArch?
My answer: The system fits the “advanced” Linux user/enthusiast, who would be willing to run an occasional command from time to time.

BENEFITS of Arch Linux/RaspArch
“Cutting Edge”-software and speed. A member on this site recently wrote this about RaspArch: I’ve used Slackware, Debian, Gentoo, Ubuntu & Arch. I prefer Arch. Ubuntu is easier to install, Arch is easier to keep up to date. You do not go through big, painful, changes every year instead you just update, once in a while, make changes if instructed. Arch has most of the benefits of Gentoo without the pain of recompiling _everything_. When you do need to build a package in Arch its painless especially if you use one of the tools that support AUR (I like Yay). Arch avoids the politics of Debian and Ubuntu and delivers a great Linux distribution. RaspArch now brings these advantages to the Pi 4. I.e. that was before Raspberry Pi 5 was released…

Study all installed packages in RaspArch…

PERFORMANCE
Everything works! The System is responsive and quite fast, especially if you use a Rpi 5 computer to run it.

UNIQUE
There is no other Arch Linux ARM System for Raspberry Pi 5 (as far as I know). Not for downloading anyhow.

EDIT 240306
I have to change my statement that RaspArch is “unique”. EndeavourOS has a very good Arch Linux System for the Rpi5. It can be downloaded here…

I used Method Three to “test install” EndeavourOS.

At first – when automatically logged in to the KDE Plasma Desktop – the System is totally unresponsive. I had to edit /home/alarm/.bashrc to make the System boot up in console mode. Then update the whole System with sudo pacman -Syyu using a wired connection. About 140 apps were updated. After a reboot I could enter the KDE Plasma Desktop with startx. Everything was normal then.

EndeavourOS is “better” than RaspArch in at least one respect. It uses a newer kernel – 6.6.18-1-rpi-16k. I think I “must” install that kernel in RaspArch. On the other hand I think that RaspArch is a bit faster than EndeavourOS. Maybe that’s only because RaspArch uses the LXQt DE and EndeavourOS the KDE Plasma DE. KDE is “heavy” also on a Rpi5.


SCREENSHOTS
Screenshot 1 of RaspArch’s Desktop – logged in as archpi
Screenshot 2 of RaspArch’s Desktop – logged in as root
Screenshot 3 – logged in as root 2
Screenshot 4 – Samba connection to a Windows computer

DOWNLOAD (rasparch-rpi5-exton-2890mb-240302.zip) for free from SourceForge.net.

NEWS 241218
I have released a new version of RaspArch. It can only run on a Raspberry Pi 5 computer. I have therefore kept version 240302 on the server.
READ MORE…

md5sum


Follow me on Facebook…

Read about my Android-x86 Systems – 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and KitKat at
andex.exton.net – latest is AndEX 11 (with GAPPS), AndEX 10 (with GAPPS) and AndEX Pie 9.0 (also with GAPPS)!
and
about my Android 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow and Lollipop versions for Raspberry Pi 5, Pi 4 and  Pi 3/2 at
raspex.exton.se – latest is RaspAnd 14 (with GAPPS), 13 and 12 (without GAPPS), RaspAnd 11 (with GAPPS) and RaspAnd Oreo 8.1
(also with GAPPS)!
Posted in Exton Linux, RaspArch | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RaspEX Rpi5 64 bit based on upcoming Ubuntu 24.04 LTS “Noble Numbat” with LXQt 1.4, kernel 6.5.0-1005-raspi and Firefox with DRM support :: Build 240221

Posted on February 21, 2024 by exton

NEWS 240221 about RaspEX with LXQt based on upcoming Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Noble Numbat.
RaspEX Build 240221 is a Linux ARM (64 bit) system for Raspberry Pi 5 with 4GB/8GB and Raspberry Pi 4 with 2GB/4GB/8GB RAM.  It is based on Debian and upcoming Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Firefox Browser with DRM (Digital Rights Management) support is pre-installed. Study all installed packages in RaspEX Build 240221.

REPLACEMENT
This RaspEX Build replaces RaspEX Build 220228, which was a 32 bit System using LXDE (instead of LXQt).

RASPBERRY Pi 5 and 4
RaspEX Kodi is made especially for the new Raspberry Pi 5 released October 23, 2023 (4GB and 8GB), but can also be used on a Raspberry Pi 4.
NOTE: A Raspberry Pi 5 is about twice as fast as the Raspberry Pi 4.

ABOUT Snaps
I have removed all snaps and snapd (The snap daemon) altogether from RaspEX following the advice’s here. The main reason for that was that the RaspEX image became too big with snaps installed.

What is Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games.
Read more about Raspberry Pi…


The Raspberry Pi 5 with 8GB RAM released in October 2023. It has:

Processor Broadcom BCM2712 2.4GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 CPU,
with Cryptographic Extension, 512KB per-core L2 caches, and a
2MB shared L3 cache
Features: • VideoCore VII GPU, supporting OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.2
• Dual 4Kp60 HDMI® display output with HDR support
• 4Kp60 HEVC decoder
• LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM
(4GB and 8GB SKUs available at launch)
• Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi®
• Bluetooth 5.0 / Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
• microSD card slot, with support for high-speed SDR104 mode
• 2 × USB 3.0 ports, supporting simultaneous 5Gbps operation
• 2 × USB 2.0 ports
• Gigabit Ethernet, with PoE+ support
(requires separate PoE+ HAT)
• 2 × 4-lane MIPI camera/display transceivers
• PCIe 2.0 x1 interface for fast peripherals
(requires separate M.2 HAT or other adapter)
• 5V/5A DC power via USB-C, with Power Delivery support
• Raspberry Pi standard 40-pin header
• Real-time clock (RTC), powered from external battery
• Power button

More about RaspEX
RaspEX is a full Linux Desktop system with LXQt (which is the product of the merge between LXDE-Qt, an initial Qt flavour of LXDE, and Razor-qt, a project aiming to develop a Qt based desktop environment with similar objectives as the current LXQt) with many other useful programs pre-installed. Firefox is used as Web Browser and Synaptic as Package Manager. You can use Synaptic to install any extra packages you may need. For example LibreOffice. RaspEX uses Ubuntu’s software repositories so you can install thousands of extra packages if you want.

Kernel
Kernel 6.5.0-1005-raspi for Raspberry Pi 5 and 4.

How do I install RaspEX in Windows?
Just like any other Raspberry Pi system. I.e.: Unpack the downloaded ZIP file (raspex-ubuntu-24.04-rpi5-lxqt-2960-mb-240221.zip) and transfer the IMAGE file (raspex-ubuntu-24.04-rpi5-lxqt-8000-mb-240221.img) to your Micro SD card of at least 16GB. For that you shall use Rufus 4.4 in Windows. It will look like this.

How do I install RaspEX in Linux?
You can of course also install RaspEX in any Linux system using the dd command. Just open up at terminal and run the following command (as root):
dd if=raspex-ubuntu-24.04-rpi5-lxqt-8000-mb-240221.img of=/dev/sdX bs=1M
Note: Change /dev/sdX to for example /dev/sdc, /dev/sde or…
(Check it carefully before you run the above command so you won’t lose important data).

Different Micro SD Cards
For best performance you should use SD Cards of good quality. I can recommend Samsung MicroSD Pro Plus 32GB Class 10. Write speed up to 95 MB/s. Also SanDisk MicroSD Ultra 128GB Class 10. Write speed up to 100 MB/s. NOTE: If you can’t run RaspEX at all you should try with a new “better” card.

How do I use RaspEX?
When you start up your Raspberry Pi 5 or 4 with RaspEX installed you will (after a few seconds) end up at SDDM‘s Login Page. Log in as user raspex with password raspex. When logged in as raspex you can use Sudo to become root. Examples: sudo su and sudo pcmanfm-qt. The password for root (superuser) is root. You can’t log in as root to the LXQt Desktop from SDDM’s Login Page.

When logged in as the ordinary user raspex your Desktop will look like this.

Click to view a larger picture

Expand the filesystem on the SD card
If you install many new big programs and/or download large files (for example videos) you may run out of space on the SD card. That is best fixed by running the following command: sudo raspi-config. Click on “Advanced Options” and choose A1 Expand Filesystem.
NOTE: That’s all you have to do. Just wait for the script to fix everything. If you use a SD card of 64 GB all the space on it will be used afterwards. Watch a screenshot when raspi-config is running.

Create a SWAP file
Run the command sudo dphys-swapfile setup
A SWAP file of 2 GB will be created. Then run the command dphys-swapfile swapon Very useful if you want to run many programs at the same time. If you forget to run said command a SWAP file of 2 GB will be created automatically after a reboot. NOTE: A SWAP file of 1 GB is already present.

Error no_pubkey when trying to upgrade the system
When you run the command sudo apt-get update it can happen that you can’t update the sources due to missing pub_keys. The solution is to run the following commands.
$ cd /var/lib/apt
$ sudo mv lists lists.old
$ sudo mkdir -p lists/partial
$ sudo apt update

Wireless connections
The new Raspberry Pi 5/4 has “built in” 802.11n Wireless LAN.

View all installed packages in RaspEX – Build 240221

SCREENSHOTS
Screenshot 1 – raspex’s Desktop 240221
Screenshot 2 – running raspi-config
Screenshot 3 – running Netflix in Firefox
Screenshot 4 – RaspEX running Spotify Web Player

DOWNLOAD – raspex-ubuntu-24.04-rpi5-lxqt-2960-mb-240221.zip from SourceForge.net

md5sum for raspex-ubuntu-24.04-rpi5-lxqt-2960-mb-240221.zip

Raspberry Pi is a trademark of Raspberry Pi Foundation

READ also about my RaspEX Build 210109 (for Raspberry Pi 4, Pi 3 Model B, Model B+ and 2 Model B) with OpenCPN pre-installed
OpenCPN is a free software (GPLv2) project to create a concise chart plotter and navigation software, for use underway or as a planning tool. OpenCPN is developed by a team of active sailors using real world conditions for program testing and refinement.

Read about my Android-x86 Systems – 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and KitKat at
andex.exton.net – latest is AndEX 11 (with GAPPS), AndEX 10 (with GAPPS) and AndEX Pie 9.0 (also with GAPPS)!
and
about my Android 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow and Lollipop versions for Raspberry Pi 5, Pi 4 and  Pi 3/2 at
raspex.exton.se – latest is RaspAnd 14 (with GAPPS), 13 and 12 (without GAPPS), RaspAnd 11 (with GAPPS) and RaspAnd Oreo 8.1
(also with GAPPS)!
Posted in Exton Linux, Raspberry Pi systems, RaspEX | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RaspEX Kodi 64 bit – especially made for the new Raspberry Pi 5 – with the LXQt Desktop and Kodi 20.3 “Nexus” :: Build 240215

Posted on February 15, 2024 by exton

NEWS 240215 about RaspEX Kodi 64-bit
I’ve made a new version of RaspEX Kodi 64-bit. This version is based on Raspbian (Raspberry Pi OS) and Debian Bookworm (Debian 12.5 stable). The LXDE Desktop is replaced with LXQt , which has a more “modern look” than LXDE. Historically, LXQt is the product of the merge between LXDE-Qt, an initial Qt flavour of LXDE, and Razor-qt, a project aiming to develop a Qt based desktop environment with similar objectives as the current LXQt. In RaspEX Kodi Build 240215 I’ve upgraded Kodi to version 20.3 Nexus. You can now much easier install extra repositories. Read about the best Kodi repos 2024.

EXTRA NEWS 240218 ABOUT DRM in RaspEX Kodi Build 240215
I’ve discovered how to get DRM (Digital Rights Management) support in Firefox so you can enjoy Netflix and Spotify! Just run the command sudo apt install libwidevinecdm0. Then open Firefox and go to https://netflix.com. You will then be asked to enable DRM. That’s it!

INSTALLED PACKAGES in Build 240215
Study all installed packages in Build 240215…

REPLACEMENT
This RaspEX Kodi Build (240215) replaces all previous versions of RaspEX Kodi.

RASPBERRY Pi 5 and 4
RaspEX Kodi is made especially for the new Raspberry Pi 5 released October 23, 2023 (4GB and 8GB), but can also be used on a Raspberry Pi 4.
NOTE: A Raspberry Pi 5 is about twice as fast as the Raspberry Pi 4.

PERFORMANCE
RaspEX Kodi is now very fast and responsive, especially if you run RaspEX on the new Raspberry Pi 5. And the video performance is brilliant. Almost as good as if you use a new “big” computer.

History
My first version of RaspEX Kodi from 190124 was a replacement for RaspEX Kodi with OSMC, which was released 190117. Sam Nazarko (founder of OSMC) contacted me 190118 claiming that I was “violating” his rights to the trademark OSMC and the rules in GPLv2. I don’t think I did, but I’m also very tired. Therefore I made a new version (190124) of RaspEX Kodi without any traces of OSMC. I would say that all my later versions of RaspEX Kodi are as good as the old one from 190117. I.e. excellent video and sound performance both in Kodi and LXQt. For version 190124 I charged 9 $. My new versions (210829/2103017210211/210205/210904/220218/240215) can be downloaded for free from SourceForge.net. People should not refrain from downloading RaspEX Kodi because of the money issue. I want all Linux and Raspberry Pi enthusiasts to enjoy the system. It runs very well on a the a Raspberry Pi 5 and 4. I.e. fast and responsive. Especially on the Raspberry Pi 5 with 4GB or 8GB RAM – released October 23, 2023. The system will automatically determine which Raspberry Pi you are using and load the correct kernel.
NOTE: All previous versions of RaspEX Kodi are replaced by version 240215.

How do I install RaspEX Kodi in Windows?
Just like any other Raspberry Pi system. I.e.: Unpack the downloaded ZIP file raspex-rpi5-64bit-kodi20.3-lxqt-2630mb-240215.zip) and transfer the IMAGE file (raspex-raspex-rpi5-64bit-kodi20.3-lxqt-8000mb-240215.img) to your Micro SD card of at least 16GB. For that you shall use Rufus 4.4 in Windows.



How do I install RaspEX Kodi in Linux?
You can of course also install RaspEX in any Linux system using the dd command. Just open up at terminal and run the following command (as root):
dd if=raspex-raspex-rpi5-64bit-kodi20.3-lxqt-8000mb-240215.img of=/dev/sdX bs=1M
Note: Change /dev/sdX to for example /dev/sdc, /dev/sde or…
(Check it carefully before you run the above command so you won’t lose important data).

Log in to LXQt or Kodi
After the boot process is ready you will end up at LightDM‘s login screen. It will look like this – see below. Log in as user pi with password raspberry. You can run Kodi on the LXQt Desktop like any other program or run it in full screen. Just change Kodi’s Settings from Windowed to Fullscreen. Watch this screenshot.

Expand the filesystem on the SD card
If you install many new big programs and/or download large files (for example videos) you may run out of space on the SD card. That is best fixed by running the following command: sudo raspi-config. Click on “Advanced Options” and choose A1 Expand Filesystem.
NOTE: That’s all you have to do. Just wait for the script to fix everything. If you use a SD card of 64 GB all the space on it will be used afterwards.

API and Authentication keys
Google and Netflix make it more and more difficult to use the YouTube and Netflix add-ons in Kodi. They demand API and Authentication keys. As regards YouTube I’ve managed to solve the problem permanently.

WiFi connections
Go to Menu >> Preferences >> Advanced Network Configuration and add your credentials. Then run the command sudo dhclient wlan0 (to get an IP-address).
Watch this screenshot.

Used kernels
Kernel 6.1.77-exton-v8-16k+ for Rpi5
Kernel 6.1.0-rpi8-rpi-v8 for Rpi4
NOTE: Build 240215 can only run on a Raspberry Pi 5 or 4.

The system will automatically determine which Raspberry Pi you are using and load the correct kernel.

SCREENSHOTS
1. The LXQt Desktop running as user pi
2. YouTube running a 8k video
3. RaspEX Kodi 20.3 system info
4. Kodi running showing some add-ons

DOWNLOAD raspex-rpi5-64bit-kodi20.3-lxqt-2630mb-240215.zip

md5sum for RaspEX Kodi Build 240215

Raspberry Pi is a trademark of Raspberry Pi Foundation

Kodi is a trademark of XBMC Foundation

Read about my Android-x86 Systems – 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and KitKat at
andex.exton.net – latest is AndEX 11 (with GAPPS), AndEX 10 (with GAPPS) and AndEX Pie 9.0 (also with GAPPS)!
and
about my Android 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow and Lollipop versions for Raspberry Pi 5, Pi 4 and  Pi 3/2 at
raspex.exton.se – latest is RaspAnd 14 (with GAPPS), 13 and 12 (without GAPPS), RaspAnd 11 (with GAPPS) and RaspAnd Oreo 8.1
(also with GAPPS)!
Posted in Exton Linux, Raspberry Pi systems, RaspEX | Leave a comment

RaspArch Rpi4 Build 230908 :: Run Arch Linux with Enlightenment DE on your new Raspberry Pi 4 computer :: Install using Rufus 4.2, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher in Windows!

Posted on September 8, 2023 by exton

rasparch-logoRaspArch Build 230908 especially for the “new” Raspberry Pi 4 released in May 2020
This version (230908) is especially made for the “new” Raspberry Pi 4, but it can of course also be used on a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, Raspberry Pi 3 Model B and Raspberry Pi 2 Model B.

RaspArch is a “remaster” of Arch Linux ARM. The original compressed system is of about 230 MB. When I added the Enlightenment 0.25.4 (latest version) Desktop Environment (DE), the LXDE DE, PulseAudio, Firefox, Yay, Gimp and NetworkManager the system size increased a lot. RaspArch is a “ready-to-go” ARM system. It must be installed on a Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, Raspberry Pi 3 Model B or Raspberry Pi 2 Model B computer. RaspArch Build 230908 replaces RaspArch Build 221202. Build 221202 had only the LXDE DE installed. I.e. not Enlightenment.

Most important change in version 230908: Use Rufus 4.2 to install RaspArch to the SD card
This version can be installed in Windows using Rufus 4.2, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher. Previous versions could only be installed when running a Linux system. Using Rufus or Win32 Disk Imager has one disadvantage though. Only about 1GB can be used as data storage no matter which card you use. The system is of 7GB and the system partition of 8GB. If you use a card of 128GB about 121GB will be unused. A few months ago a member on this site wrote about how to get rid of the 7GB limit after Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher has been used:
– write the image with Rufus 4.2
– start up Ubuntu or another Linux system – you can also use a Linux Live CD/USB stick
– start GParted – screenshot before resizing
– screenshot during resizing
– resize the DATA (/dev/sdb2 ext4) partition – screenshot after resizing
– done!
This screenshot shows that RaspArch now has about 113GB free storage. NOTE (very important): You should do the resizing directly after you have transferred the image to your SD card. That is if you don’t think that 1GB (8GB – 7GB) is enough for new installations etc.

Writing the image using Rufus 4.2. See the screenshot below.

UPGRADE RaspArch
If you have downloaded and installed one of my previous versions of RaspArch before you can still use the Micro SD Card with RaspArch on the new Raspberry Pi 4 after a full upgrade of the system. Commands: pacman -Sy followed by pacman -Syu. Most important the old kernel will automatically be replaced by kernel 6.1.47-1-rpi-ARCH.
NOTE: After such an upgrade LightDM Display Manager will be unusable (for some unknown reason). Therefore you should uninstall LightDM and replace it with SLiM.
Commands: sudo pacman -R lightdm followed by sudo pacman -S slim. NOTE: This is already done in RaspArch Build 230908. I.e. SLiM is used as Login Manager.

NEWS in RaspArch Build 230908
A new kernel – 6.1.47-1-rpi-ARCH. All included packages have been updated to the latest version as of 230908. I’ve also replaced Yaourt with Yay – Yet Another Yogurt – An AUR Helper Written in Go. I came to know that Yaourt is dead. I.e. Yaourt is not being developed anymore. I have also installed PulseAudio. I’ve replaced the LightDM Display Manager with SLiM. Finally the sound works very well in RaspArch. Nice if you like YouTube. I’ve also replaced Wicd with NetworkManager. It works better. NOTE: To be able to install Yay I had to install a lot of development tools. When logged in as the normal user archpi you will enjoy the Enlightenment DE. When logged in as root you will enter the LXDE DE from SLiM. The password for archpi is raspberry. The password for root is root.

What is Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games.
Read more about Raspberry Pi…

The Raspberry Pi 4 made in May 2020. It has:

– 2x USB 3.0 ports
– 2x USB 2.0 ports
– Gigabit Ethernet
– Power-over-Ethernet (this will require a PoE HAT)
– 40-pin GPIO header
– 2× micro-HDMI ports (up to 4Kp60 supported)
– H.265 (4Kp60 decode)
– H.264 (1080p60 decode, 1080p30 encode)
– OpenGL ES, 3.0 graphics
– DSI display port
– CSI camera port
– Combined 3.5mm analog audio and composite video jack
– Micro-SD card slot
– USB-C power
– 2GB, 4GB or 8GB RAM

Raspberry Pi 4: How much better is it than the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+?

Raspberry Pi 3 Model 3 B: How much better is it than the Raspberry Pi 2? Raspberry Pi 3 is performing 10 times faster than that of the Pi 1 and around 50 percent better than that of the Pi 2 according to testers.

Raspberry Pi 3 Model 3 B+: How much better is it than the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B? The tiny computer is supposed to be faster and better in every way, including upgraded processor speed, wireless internet, and Ethernet connections.

More about RaspArch
When you have installed RaspArch to your Micro SD Card you can use the system like any other Arch Linux system. I.e. install new programs etc. Arch motto is KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). RaspArch Build 230908 uses kernel 6.1.47-1-rpi-ARCH and the Enlightenment 0.25.4/LXDE Desktop environment.

Login and passwords
After the boot process is ready you will end up at SliM’s login page – see the screenshot below. Log in as the ordinary user archpi with password raspberry or as root with password root. While logged in as archpi you can use Sudo to become root. Example commands: sudo su and sudo pcmanfm. NOTE: You will enter the Enlightenment DE as archpi and the LXDE DE as root.

Program Management in Arch Linux
Arch Linux uses a proprietary system called Pacman. It is similar to that found in CRUX Linux. Read about Pacman.
You can also read all the documentation on Arch Linux. Seven commands are basically the only ones you need to use:
1) pacman -Sy (update the packages database)
2) pacman-key –refresh-keys
3) pacman -Sy archlinux-keyring
4) pacman -Syu (upgrading the whole system)
5) pacman -S MyUsefulProgram (the package installation command)
6) pacman -R UnnecessaryProgram (uninstall a package).
7) pacman -S –overwrite MyUsefulProgram (in case you get an error about “conflicting packages”)
8) pacman -Scc (clean pacman cache)
Very simple!
Note: You can also use Yay – see below.

Using Yay – Yet Another Yogurt – An AUR Helper
If you want to install certain special packages you can/must install Yay. Study this tutorial about how to install and use Yay – Yet Another Yogurt – An AUR Helper Written in Go. Note: Yay is pre-installed in RaspArch Build 230908. If you want to install new packages through Yay you’ll have to run the command su archpi before yay -S MyNeededProgram. If you’re not logged in as the ordinary user archpi. (You can’t run Yay as root). Watch a screenshot when I’m installing SMPlayer using Yay.

How do I install RaspArch?
Use Rufus 4.2, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher – see above. Unzip the downloaded file rasparch-rpi4-exton-2930mb-230908.zip. You will get the image file rasparch-rpi4-exton-8000mb-230908.img which is the file you shall install to your micro SD card.

Different Micro SD Cards
For best performance you should use SD Cards of good quality. I can recommend Samsung MicroSD Pro Plus 32GB Class 10. Write speed up to 95 MB/s. Also SanDisk MicroSD Ultra 128GB Class 10. Write speed up to 100 MB/s. NOTE: If you can’t run RaspArch at all you should try with a new “better” card.

Wireless connections
Just use NetworkManager, add your password and connect.

Installing/using Samba
A way to reach your Windows computers in your home network is to install Samba. Command: pacman -S samba gvfs gvfs-smb sshfs
Then start Samba with the command systemctl start smb.service nmb.service
After that you can connect to your Windows computers via PCManFM – watch this screenshot. (My Raspberry Pi 4 running RaspArch is connected to one of my computers in my home network). NOTE: Samba is already installed and configured in RaspArch Build 230908. Just run the command sudo systemctl enable smb.service nmb.service. You may have to reboot your Rpi before you can use Samba.

Sound in RaspArch
In Build 230908 I’ve installed alsa-utils, PulseAudio and Pavucontrol. The sound works alright now. From Arch Linux for Raspberry Pi Wiki I learned this. If you want/need sound in RaspArch you should follow the instruction below. Run the following command: amixer cset numid=3 X
Where X corresponds to:
0 for Auto
1 for Analog out
2 for HDMIAdd the following lines to /boot/config.txt
dtparam=audio=on
and
audio_pwm_mode=2 (if you use the 3.5mm analogue output)

WHO should run Arch Linux/RaspArch?
My answer: The system fits the “advanced” Linux user/enthusiast, who would be willing to run an occasional command from time to time.

BENEFITS of Arch Linux/RaspArch
“Cutting Edge”-software and speed. A member on this site recently wrote this about RaspArch: I’ve used Slackware, Debian, Gentoo, Ubuntu & Arch. I prefer Arch. Ubuntu is easier to install, Arch is easier to keep up to date. You do not go through big, painful, changes every year instead you just update, once in a while, make changes if instructed. Arch has most of the benefits of Gentoo without the pain of recompiling _everything_. When you do need to build a package in Arch its painless especially if you use one of the tools that support AUR (I like Yay). Arch avoids the politics of Debian and Ubuntu and delivers a great Linux distribution. RaspArch now brings these advantages to the Pi 2.

Study all installed packages in RaspArch…

Known error in Build 230908
When you log in to the Enlightenment DE for the first time you will see an error message about Efreet – watch this screenshot. Run the command sudo chmod 777 .cache/efreet and the error will be gone the next time you enter Enlightenment.

SCREENSHOTS
Screenshot 1 of RaspArch’s Desktop – logged in as archpi
Screenshot 2 of RaspArch’s Desktop – logged in as root
Screenshot 3 – Using Yay (while installing SMPlayer)
Screenshot 4 – Samba connection to a Windows computer
Screenshot 5 – showing that you can watch 4K videos using Firefox
Screenshot 6 – showing how to change wallpaper in Enlightenment

DOWNLOAD
This RaspArch version has been replaced by version 240302, which can run on a Raspberry Pi 5…

 


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Read about my Android-x86 Systems – 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and KitKat at
andex.exton.net – latest is AndEX 11 (with GAPPS), AndEX 10 (with GAPPS) and AndEX Pie 9.0 (also with GAPPS)!
and
about my Android 13, 12, 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow and Lollipop versions for Raspberry Pi 4 and 3/2 at
raspex.exton.se – latest is RaspAnd 13 and 12 (without GAPPS), RaspAnd 11 (with GAPPS) and RaspAnd Oreo 8.1 (also with GAPPS)!
Posted in Exton Linux, RaspArch | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RaspAnd 13 (Android 13) for Raspberry Pi 4 with Aptoide Store, F-Droid Store, Spotify, Bluetooth, AIDA64, Firefox and Clash of Clans pre-installed :: Build 230616

Posted on June 16, 2023 by exton

ABOUT RaspAnd 13 – Build 230616
RaspAnd 13 runs very well on a Raspberry Pi 4. I.e. the system is pretty responsive if you use a micro SD card of good quality. RaspAnd 13 has the following apps pre-installed: Aptoide App Store, F-Droid Store (Free and Open Source App Repository), Spotify, Firefox Browser (so you can watch YouTube), Termux (terminal emulator), Clash of Clans and Aida64.

ABOUT Android 13, which was released in August 2022…
Read also an article about The Evolution of Android  – List of Android Versions and Release Dates.

PLEASE NOTE that you must be aware of the fact that the Raspberry Pi 4 computer has its limitations and that Android 13 is a very advanced Linux system. Having said that I must also say that the apps I have included in this Build (see above) work very well.

Startup of RaspAnd 13 Build 230616
The first thing you will see on the screen is this boot animation.

If you do not see this animation you haven’t installed RaspAnd correctly on the SD card. (Please use Rufus 4.1 in Windows for the installation to the SD Card).

My sources
You can find my sources for RaspAnd 13 here. Following those instructions you can build your own “RaspAnd” system.

What is Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games.
Read more about Raspberry Pi…

About sound
You’ll have to use the 3.5mm jack and connect speakers. Press the F9 key on your keyboard to increase the volume. And F8 to lower the volume.

MORE NEWS 230616 ABOUT RaspAnd 13
RaspAnd 13 can be installed to a Micro SD card (preferable a class 10 card) in Windows 10/11 using Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher. You can alternatively (of course) use the dd-command in a Linux system. Unzip the downloaded file raspand-android-13-rpi4-1260mb-230616.zip. Then open a terminal and run the command dd if=raspand-android-13-rpi4-8600mb-230616.img of=/dev/sdX bs=4MiB
(Change X to b, d or…).

Using Rufus it will look like this.



Using GParted to increase the data partition
As I said above RaspAnd 13 can be installed in Windows using Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher. This method has one disadvantage. Only about about 5GB can be used as data storage no matter which card you use. Now say, for example, that you use Micro SD card (preferable a class 10 card) of 128GB about 123GB will be “wasted”. You can, however, change that with the help of GParted. See below how to do it.

How to get rid of the 5GB limit after Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher has been used:
– write the image with Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher
– start up Ubuntu or another Linux system – you can also use a Linux Live CD/USB stick
– insert your card
– start GParted – screenshot before resizing
– resize the DATA partition – screenshot after resizing
– done!

Or watch this screenshot – see below.

Kernel
Kernel 5.15.92-v8+ is used in RaspAnd 13 Build 230616.

WiFi support
The newer versions of RaspAnd has excellent support for WiFi (on Raspberry Pi 4, 3 Model B and Model B+). Previous problems with the WiFi connection are gone. I.e. the WiFi connection will automatically be re-established after every reboot. Just go to Settings/Network and connect.

SCREENSHOTS
1. Your first screen after boot
2. Open Settings after boot – you must choose to set up your Network WiFi connection
3. Your third screen after boot – choose your language (works very well)
4. The Desktop with all pre-installed apps
5. F-Droid running
6. Spotify running
7. Clash of Clans running
8. A Chess game running
9. AIDA64 running and showing the system features
10. Aptoide App Store running

Two for one
When buying this version of RaspAnd (13) you will also get RaspAnd 11, which has Google Play Store and Netflix pre-installed. Which RaspAnd 13 doesn’t have (yet).

DOWNLOAD
raspand-android-13-rpi4-1260mb-230616.zip AND raspand-android-11-rpi4-GAPPS-netflix-spotify-bluetooth-1070mb-210321.zip for $ 9 – i.e. both for $ 9

md5sum for RaspAnd 13 – Build 230616
md5sum for RaspAnd 11 – Build 210321

Android is a trademark of Google Inc.
Raspberry Pi is a trademark of Raspberry Pi Foundation

Read about my Android-x86 Systems – 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and KitKat at
andex.exton.net – latest is AndEX 11 (with GAPPS), AndEX 10 (with GAPPS) and AndEX Pie 9.0 (also with GAPPS)!
and
about my Android 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow and Lollipop versions for Raspberry Pi 5, Pi 4 and  Pi 3/2 at
raspex.exton.se – latest is RaspAnd 14 (with GAPPS), 13 and 12 (without GAPPS), RaspAnd 11 (with GAPPS) and RaspAnd Oreo 8.1
(also with GAPPS)!
Posted in Android, Exton Linux, RaspAnd | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RaspArch Rpi4 Build 221127 :: Run Arch Linux on your new Raspberry Pi 4 computer :: Install it using Rufus 3.20, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher in Windows!

Posted on November 27, 2022 by exton

rasparch-logoRaspArch Build 221127 especially for the new Raspberry Pi 4 released in May 2020
This version (221127) is especially made for the “new” Raspberry Pi 4, but it can of course also be used on a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, Raspberry Pi 3 Model B and Raspberry Pi 2 Model B.

NEWS 221202
I have uploaded a new version of RaspArch after I’ve discovered a better way to configure the system. I.e. I’ve replaced /boot/config.txt with this file. The new configuration makes the system automatically choose the best possible resolution for your monitor. Watch this screenshot when I’m using a 3440×1440 (Ultrawide) monitor.
NOTE: If you already have installed RaspArch Build 221127 you don’t have to reinstall. Just replace /boot/config.txt with the one I’ve provided – see above. Then reboot. You will probably notice a big difference.

RaspArch is a “remaster” of Arch Linux ARM. The original compressed system is of about 230 MB. After I have added the LXDE Desktop environment, PulseAudio, Firefox, Yay, Gimp and NetworkManager the system has increased a lot. RaspArch is a “ready-to-go” ARM system. It must be installed on a Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, Raspberry Pi 3 Model B or Raspberry Pi 2 Model B computer.

Most important change in version 221127: Use Rufus 3.20 to install RaspArch to the SD card
This version can be installed in Windows using Rufus 3.20, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher. Previous versions could only be installed when running a Linux system. Using Rufus or Win32 Disk Imager has one disadvantage though. Only about 2GB can be used as data storage no matter which card you use. The system is of 6GB and the system partition of 8GB. If you use a card of 128GB about 122GB will be unused. A few month ago a member on this site wrote about how to get rid of the 6GB limit after Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher has been used:
– write the image with Rufus 3.21
– start up Ubuntu or another Linux system – you can also use a Linux Live CD/USB stick
– start GParted – screenshot before resizing
– screenshot during resizing
– resize the DATA (/dev/sdb2 ext4) partition – screenshot after resizing
– done!
This screenshot shows that RaspArch now has about 113GB free storage. NOTE (very important): You should do the resizing directly after you have transferred the image to your SD card. That is if you don’t think that 2GB (8GB – 6GB) is enough for new installations etc.

Writing the image using Rufus 3.21. See the screenshot below.

UPGRADE RaspArch
If you have downloaded and installed one of my previous versions of RaspArch before you can still use the Micro SD Card with RaspArch on the new Raspberry Pi 4 after a full upgrade of the system. Commands: pacman -Sy followed by pacman -Syu. Most important the old kernel will automatically be replaced by kernel 5.15.79-2-rpi-ARCH.
NOTE: After such an upgrade LightDM Display Manager will be unusable (for some unknown reason). Therefore you should uninstall LightDM and replace it with SLiM.
Commands: sudo pacman -R lightdm followed by sudo pacman -S slim.

NEWS in RaspArch Build 221127
A new kernel – 5.15.79-2-rpi-ARCH. All included packages have been updated to the latest version as of 221202. I’ve also replaced Yaourt with Yay – Yet Another Yogurt – An AUR Helper Written in Go. I came to know that Yaourt is dead. I.e. Yaourt is not being developed anymore. I have also installed PulseAudio. I’ve replaced the LightDM Display Manager with SLiM. Finally the sound works very well in RaspArch. Nice if you like YouTube. I’ve also replaced Wicd with NetworkManager. It works better. NOTE: To be able to install Yay I had to install a lot of development tools.

What is Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games.
Read more about Raspberry Pi…

The Raspberry Pi 4 made in May 2020. It has:

– 2x USB 3.0 ports
– 2x USB 2.0 ports
– Gigabit Ethernet
– Power-over-Ethernet (this will require a PoE HAT)
– 40-pin GPIO header
– 2× micro-HDMI ports (up to 4Kp60 supported)
– H.265 (4Kp60 decode)
– H.264 (1080p60 decode, 1080p30 encode)
– OpenGL ES, 3.0 graphics
– DSI display port
– CSI camera port
– Combined 3.5mm analog audio and composite video jack
– Micro-SD card slot
– USB-C power
– 2GB, 4GB or 8GB RAM

Raspberry Pi 4: How much better is it than the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+?

Raspberry Pi 3 Model 3 B: How much better is it than the Raspberry Pi 2? Raspberry Pi 3 is performing 10 times faster than that of the Pi 1 and around 50 percent better than that of the Pi 2 according to testers.

Raspberry Pi 3 Model 3 B+: How much better is it than the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B? The tiny computer is supposed to be faster and better in every way, including upgraded processor speed, wireless internet, and Ethernet connections.

More about RaspArch
When you have installed RaspArch to your Micro SD Card you can use the system like any other Arch Linux system. I.e. install new programs etc. Arch motto is KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). RaspArch uses kernel 5.15.79-2-rpi-ARCH and the LXDE Desktop environment.

Login and passwords
After the boot process is ready you will end up at SliM’s login page – see the screenshot below. Log in as the ordinary user archpi with password raspberry or as root with password root. While logged in as archpi you can use Sudo to become root. Example commands: sudo su and sudo pcmanfm.

Program Management in Arch Linux
Arch Linux uses a proprietary system called Pacman. It is similar to that found in CRUX Linux. Read about Pacman.
You can also read all the documentation on Arch Linux. Seven commands are basically the only ones you need to use:
1) pacman -Sy (update the packages database)
2) pacman-key –refresh-keys
3) pacman -Sy archlinux-keyring
4) pacman -Syu (upgrading the whole system)
5) pacman -S MyUsefulProgram (the package installation command)
6) pacman -R UnnecessaryProgram (uninstall a package).
7) pacman -S –overwrite MyUsefulProgram (in case you get an error about “conflicting packages”)
8) pacman -Scc (clean pacman cache)
Very simple!
Note1: You can also use Yay – see below.

Using Yay – Yet Another Yogurt – An AUR Helper
If you want to install certain special packages you can/must install Yay. Study this tutorial about how to install and use Yay – Yet Another Yogurt – An AUR Helper Written in Go. Note: Yay is pre-installed in RaspArch Build 220216. If you want to install new packages through Yay you’ll have to run the command su archpi before yay -S MyNeededProgram. If you’re not logged in as the ordinary user archpi. (You can’t run Yay as root). Watch a screenshot when I’m installing SMPlayer using Yay.

How do I install RaspArch?
Use Rufus 3.20, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher – see above. Unzip the downloaded file rasparch-rpi4-exton-2630mb-221127.zip. You will get the image file rasparch-rpi4-exton-8000mb-221127.img which is the file you shall install to your micro SD card.

Different Micro SD Cards
For best performance you should use SD Cards of good quality. I can recommend Samsung MicroSD Pro Plus 32GB Class 10. Write speed up to 95 MB/s. Also SanDisk MicroSD Ultra 128GB Class 10. Write speed up to 100 MB/s. NOTE: If you can’t run RaspArch at all you should try with a new “better” card.

Wireless connections
Just use NetworkManager, add your password and connect.

Installing/using Samba
A way to reach your Windows computers in your home network is to install Samba. Command: pacman -S samba gvfs gvfs-smb sshfs
Then start Samba with the command systemctl start smb.service nmb.service
After that you can connect to your Windows computers via PCManFM – watch this screenshot. (My Raspberry Pi 4 running RaspArch is connected to one of my computers in my home network). NOTE: Samba is already installed and configured in RaspArch Build 221127. Just run the command sudo systemctl enable smb.service nmb.service. You may have to reboot your Rpi before you can use Samba.

Sound in RaspArch
In Build 221127 I’ve installed alsa-utils, PulseAudio and Pavucontrol. The sound works alright now. From Arch Linux for Raspberry Pi Wiki I learned this. If you want/need sound in RaspArch you should follow the instruction below. Run the following command: amixer cset numid=3 X
Where X corresponds to:
0 for Auto
1 for Analog out
2 for HDMIAdd the following lines to /boot/config.txt
dtparam=audio=on
and
audio_pwm_mode=2 (if you use the 3.5mm analogue output)

WHO should run Arch Linux/RaspArch?
My answer: The system fits the “advanced” Linux user/enthusiast, who would be willing to run an occasional command from time to time.

BENEFITS of Arch Linux/RaspArch
“Cutting Edge”-software and speed. A member on this site recently wrote this about RaspArch: I’ve used Slackware, Debian, Gentoo, Ubuntu & Arch. I prefer Arch. Ubuntu is easier to install, Arch is easier to keep up to date. You do not go through big, painful, changes every year instead you just update, once in a while, make changes if instructed. Arch has most of the benefits of Gentoo without the pain of recompiling _everything_. When you do need to build a package in Arch its painless especially if you use one of the tools that support AUR (I like Yay). Arch avoids the politics of Debian and Ubuntu and delivers a great Linux distribution. RaspArch now brings these advantages to the Pi 2.

Study all installed packages in RaspArch

SCREENSHOTS
Screenshot 1 of RaspArch’s Desktop – logged in as archpi
Screenshot 2 of RaspArch’s Desktop – logged in as root
Screenshot 3 – Using Yay (while installing SMPlayer)
Screenshot 4 – Samba connection to a Windows computer
Screenshot 5 – showing that you can watch 4K videos using Firefox

DOWNLOAD
This RaspArch version has been replaced by version 230908…

 

Read about my Android-x86 Systems – 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and KitKat at
andex.exton.net – latest is AndEX 11 (with GAPPS), AndEX 10 (with GAPPS) and AndEX Pie 9.0 (also with GAPPS)!
and
about my Android 13, 12, 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow and Lollipop versions for Raspberry Pi 4 and 3/2 at
raspex.exton.se – latest is RaspAnd 13 and 12 (without GAPPS), RaspAnd 11 (with GAPPS) and RaspAnd Oreo 8.1 (also with GAPPS)!
Posted in RaspArch, Raspberry Pi systems | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

RaspAnd 12 (Android 12) for Raspberry Pi 4 with Google Play Services, Spotify, Bluetooth, F-Droid Store, AIDA64, Firefox and Clash of Clans pre-installed :: Build 220419

Posted on April 19, 2022 by exton

ABOUT RaspAnd 12 – Build 220419
RaspAnd 12 runs very well on a Raspberry Pi 4. I.e. the system is pretty responsive if you use a micro SD card of good quality. RaspAnd 12 has the following apps pre-installed: Google Play Services (and some other Google apps), Spotify, Firefox Browser (so you can watch YouTube), F-Droid (Free and Open Source App Repository), Clash of Clans and Aida64. You’ll need Google Play Services for some games to work. Among them Clash of Clans.

ABOUT Android 12, which was released 211004…
Read also an article about The Evolution of Android  – List of Android Versions and Release Dates.

PLEASE NOTE that you must be aware of the fact that the Raspberry Pi 4 computer has its limitations and that Android 12 is a very advanced Linux system. Having said that I must also say that the apps I have included in this Build (see above) work very well.

Startup of RaspAnd 12 Build 220419
The first thing you will see on the screen is this boot animation.

If you do not see this animation you haven’t installed RaspAnd correctly on the SD card. (Please use Rufus 3.18 in Windows for the installation to the SD Card).

My sources
You can find my sources for RaspAnd 12 here. Following those instructions you can build your own “RaspAnd” system.

What is Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games.
Read more about Raspberry Pi…

About sound
You’ll have to use the 3.5mm jack and connect speakers. Press the F9 key on your keyboard to change the volume.

MORE NEWS 220419 ABOUT RaspAnd 12
RaspAnd 12 can be installed to a Micro SD card (preferable a class 10 card) in Windows 10/11 using Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher. You can alternatively (of course) use the dd-command in a Linux system. Unzip the downloaded file raspand-android-12-rpi4-1260mb-220419.zip. Then open a terminal and run the command dd if=raspand-android-12-rpi4-8600mb-220419.img of=/dev/sdX bs=4MiB
(Change X to b, d or…).

Using Rufus it will look like this.



Using GParted to increase the data partition
As I said above RaspAnd 12 can be installed in Windows using Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher. This method has one disadvantage. Only about about 5GB can be used as data storage no matter which card you use. Now say, for example, that you use Micro SD card (preferable a class 10 card) of 128GB about 123GB will be “wasted”. You can, however, change that with the help of GParted. See below how to do it.

How to get rid of the 5GB limit after Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher has been used:
– write the image with Rufus, Win32 Disk Imager or Etcher
– start up Ubuntu or another Linux system – you can also use a Linux Live CD/USB stick
– insert your card
– start GParted – screenshot before resizing
– resize the DATA partition – screenshot after resizing
– done!

Or watch this screenshot – see below.

Kernel
Kernel 5.10.95-v8+ is used in RaspAnd 12 Build 220419.

WiFi support
The newer versions of RaspAnd has excellent support for WiFi (on Raspberry Pi 4, 3 Model B and Model B+). Previous problems with the WiFi connection are gone. I.e. the WiFi connection will automatically be re-established after every reboot. Just go to Settings/Network and connect.

SCREENSHOTS
1. Your first screen after boot
2. Your second screen after boot – you must choose to set up your Network connection offline
3. Your third screen after boot – choose your language (works very well)
4. The Desktop with all pre-installed apps
5. F-Droid running
6. Spotify running
7. Termux running (installing Android Debug Bridge – adb/Android Tools)
8. Clash of Clans running
9. A Chess game running
10. AIDA64 running and showing the system features

Two for one
When buying this version of RaspAnd you will also get RaspAnd 11, which has Google Play Store and Netflix pre-installed. Which RaspAnd 12 (yet) doesn’t have.

DOWNLOAD
raspand-android-12-rpi4-1260mb-220419.zip AND raspand-android-11-rpi4-GAPPS-netflix-spotify-bluetooth-1070mb-210321.zip

md5sum for RaspAnd 12 – Build 220419
md5sum for RaspAnd 11 – Build 210321

Android is a trademark of Google Inc.
Raspberry Pi is a trademark of Raspberry Pi Foundation

Read about my Android-x86 Systems – 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and KitKat at
andex.exton.net – latest is AndEX 11 (with GAPPS), AndEX 10 (with GAPPS) and AndEX Pie 9.0 (also with GAPPS)!
and
about my Android 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow and Lollipop versions for Raspberry Pi 5, Pi 4 and  Pi 3/2 at
raspex.exton.se – latest is RaspAnd 14 (with GAPPS), 13 and 12 (without GAPPS), RaspAnd 11 (with GAPPS) and RaspAnd Oreo 8.1
(also with GAPPS)!
Posted in Android, Exton Linux, RaspAnd | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

RaspEX Rpi4 based on upcoming Ubuntu 22.04 LTS “Jammy Jellyfish” with LXDE, kernel 5.15.24-exton-v7l+, Raspotify, RealVNC, PuTTy, Samba and Bluetooth :: Build 220228

Posted on February 28, 2022 by exton

NEWS 220228 about RaspEX with LXDE based on upcoming Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish.
I have upgraded the whole system and replaced the old kernel 5.10.87-exton-v7l+ with kernel 5.15.24-exton-v7l+. RaspEX Build 220228 is a Linux ARM (32bit) system for Raspberry Pi 4 with 2GB/4GB/8GB RAM and Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, Raspberry Pi 3 Model B or Raspberry Pi 2 Model B. It is based on Debian, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and Linaro (Open Source software for ARM SoCs). Both Firefox and Chromium Browser are pre-installed. I have also installed Samba and RealVNC so you can connect to your Windows computers in your Home Network and/or control RaspEX on your Raspberry Pi 4 from your Windows computers with VNC Viewer and/or PuTTY (Telnet and SSH client). Furthermore some extra Network Tools, SMTube (YouTube browser which allows to browse, search and play YouTube videos), PulseAudio for better sound in YouTube and Raspotify – Raspotify is a Spotify Connect client for Raspbian on the Raspberry Pi that just works. Study all installed packages in RaspEX Build 220228.

Most IMPORTANT News/Changes in Build 220228
1. I have installed an old version of Chromium with DRM/Widevine support, which means that you can watch Netflix (and possibly also HBO, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video, etc.) using the Chromium Browser. I did that following the instructions here.
2. In this build of RaspEX you can also run Chromium/Firefox logged in as root. You will have sound, which you normally won’t have as root on Debian/Ubuntu systems.

What is Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games.
Read more about Raspberry Pi…


The Raspberry Pi 4 with 8GB RAM made in May 2020. It has:

  • 2x USB 3.0 ports
  • 2x USB 2.0 ports
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • Power-over-Ethernet (this will require a PoE HAT)
  • 40-pin GPIO header
  • 2× micro-HDMI ports (up to 4Kp60 supported)
  • H.265 (4Kp60 decode)
  • H.264 (1080p60 decode, 1080p30 encode)
  • OpenGL ES, 3.0 graphics
  • DSI display port
  • CSI camera port
  • Combined 3.5mm analog audio and composite video jack
  • Micro-SD card slot
  • USB-C power
  • 8GB RAM

More about RaspEX
RaspEX is a full Linux Desktop system with LXDE (an extremely fast-performing and energy-saving desktop environment) with many other useful programs pre-installed. Firefox and Chromium are used as Web Browsers and Synaptic as Package Manager. You can use Samba and RealVNC to connect to your Windows computers in your Home Network and/or control RaspEX on your Raspberry Pi 4 from your Windows computers with VNC Viewer and/or PuTTY (Telnet and SSH client). You can use Synaptic to install any extra packages you may need. For example LibreOffice. RaspEX uses Ubuntu’s software repositories so you can install thousands of extra packages if you want.

Kernels
Kernel 5.15.24-exton-v7l+ (for Rpi 4) and 5.15.24-exton-v7+ (for Rpi 3/2) are used in Build 220228.

Why shall I use RaspEX?
Eight Operating Systems are recommended by Raspberrypi.org. Among them Noobs, Raspbian (Debian Bullseye) and Snappy Ubuntu Core. RaspEX is faster (“fast as lightning”), more useful and more fun to use. (In my opinion). One member at this site thought that running RaspEX (for Raspberry Pi 2 Model B) was like running Raspberry Pi on “steroids“. If you use the new Raspberry Pi 4 RaspEX will run even faster!

How do I install RaspEX in Windows?
Just like any other Raspberry Pi system. I.e.: Unpack the downloaded ZIP file (raspex-ubuntu-rpi4-22.04-lxde-3070mb-220228.zip) and transfer the IMAGE file (raspex-ubuntu-rpi4-22.04-lxde-8000mb-220228.img) to your Micro SD card of at least 16GB. For that you shall use Rufus 3.17 in Windows. It will look like this.

How do I install RaspEX in Linux?
You can of course also install RaspEX in any Linux system using the dd command. Just open up at terminal and run the following command (as root):
dd if=raspex-ubuntu-rpi4-22.04-lxde-8000mb-220228.img of=/dev/sdX bs=1M
Note: Change /dev/sdX to for example /dev/sdc, /dev/sde or…
(Check it carefully before you run the above command so you won’t lose important data).

Different Micro SD Cards
For best performance you should use SD Cards of good quality. I can recommend Samsung MicroSD Pro Plus 32GB Class 10. Write speed up to 95 MB/s. Also SanDisk MicroSD Ultra 128GB Class 10. Write speed up to 100 MB/s. NOTE: If you can’t run RaspEX at all you should try with a new “better” card.

How do I use RaspEX?
When you start up your Raspberry Mini computer with RaspEX you will (after a few seconds) end up in X and LXDE as the ordinary user raspex. The password for raspex is raspex. When logged in as raspex you can use Sudo to become root. Example: sudo su and sudo pcmanfm. The password for root (superuser) is root. You can log out from LXDE and log in again as root (if you want). This is how it looks at SLiM‘s login page.

You can log in as root with password root. You can of course also create a new ordinary user if you want. Command: /usr/sbin/adduser MyNewUser. If you don’t want to be automatically logged in as raspex you shall edit /etc/slim.conf.

When logged in as the ordinary user raspex your Desktop will look like this.

Click to view a larger picture

Expand the filesystem on the SD card
If you install many new big programs and/or download large files (for example videos) you may run out of space on the SD card. That is best fixed by running the following command: sudo raspi-config. Click on “Advanced Options” and choose A1 Expand Filesystem.
NOTE: That’s all you have to do. Just wait for the script to fix everything. If you use a SD card of 32 GB all the space on it will be used afterwards. Watch a screenshot when raspi-config is running.

Create a SWAP file
Run the command sudo dphys-swapfile setup
A SWAP file of 2 GB will be created. Then run the command dphys-swapfile swapon Very useful if you want to run many programs at the same time. If you forget to run said command a SWAP file of 2 GB will be created automatically after a reboot.

Error no_pubkey when trying to upgrade the system
When you run the command sudo apt-get update it can happen that you can’t update the sources due to missing pub_keys. The solution is to run the following commands.
$ cd /var/lib/apt
$ sudo mv lists lists.old
$ sudo mkdir -p lists/partial
$ sudo apt update

After that you can run apt-get update with success even though you still will get the same “no_pubkey” errors. Don’t worry. This error won’t prevent you from upgrading the system regularly with the command sudo apt upgrade.

Wireless connections
The new Raspberry Pi 4 has “built in” 802.11n Wireless LAN.

How to use Raspotify
Raspotify (Raspotify is a Spotify Connect client for Raspbian on the Raspberry Pi
that just works) is pre-installed and immediately ready for connections. You’ll need a
Spotify Premium account in order to connect to for example your mobile phone running Spotify.
1. Screenshot of my mobile phone showing Devices available when RaspEX is running
2. Screenshot of my mobile phone showing the possibility to connect to Raspotify
3. Screenshot of my mobile phone when Raspotify is connected and running

About SSH, PuTTY, Samba, RealVNC and VNC Viewer
SSH, PuTTy (Telnet/SSH client for X), Samba and RealVNC are pre-installed in RaspEX Build 220228. You need to install PuTTy and and VNC Viewer in your Windows system if you want to connect to RaspEX/Raspberry Pi 4 from Windows. (Please read the developers information about how to configure PuTTy and VNC Viewer).

Bluetooth connections – working in Build 220228
It seems difficult (maybe impossible) to use the “built in” Bluetooth adapter running RaspEX on Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. Using a Bluetooth dongle for example Asus USB-BT400 dongle on Raspberry Pi 3 Model B and Raspberry Pi 2 you should have no trouble using Bluetooth in RaspEX. Using the new Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ it should be easier to use Bluetooth. NOTE: In RaspEX LXDE Build 220228 Bluetooth works alright.
1. Showing “paring” with my Android phone
2. Showing the sending process of a file from RaspEX/Raspberry Pi 4 to my Android phone
3. Showing the sending process of a file from my Android phone to RaspEX/Raspberry Pi 4

View all installed packages in RaspEX – Build 220228

SCREENSHOTS
Screenshot 1 – raspex’s Desktop 220228
Screenshot 2 – root’s Desktop 220228
Screenshot 3 – running Netflix in Chromium
Screenshot 4 – showing that hardware acceleration is enabled
Screenshot 5 – showing how to configure sound using Pavucontrol
Screenshot 6 – RaspEX connected to Windows 10 via PuTTy
Screenshot 7 – RaspEX “running on” Windows 10 with VNC-viewer
Screenshot 8 – RaspEX using Pavucontrol (for sound control)
Screenshot 9 – RaspEX running Raspotify

DOWNLOAD – raspex-ubuntu-rpi4-22.04-lxde-3070mb-220228.zip from SourceForge.net

md5sum for raspex-ubuntu-rpi4-22.04-lxde-3070mb-220228.zip

Raspberry Pi is a trademark of Raspberry Pi Foundation

READ also about my RaspEX Build 210109 (for Raspberry Pi 4, Pi 3 Model B, Model B+ and 2 Model B) with OpenCPN pre-installed
OpenCPN is a free software (GPLv2) project to create a concise chart plotter and navigation software, for use underway or as a planning tool. OpenCPN is developed by a team of active sailors using real world conditions for program testing and refinement.

Read about my Android-x86 Systems – 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and KitKat at
andex.exton.net – latest is AndEX 11 (with GAPPS), AndEX 10 (with GAPPS) and AndEX Pie 9.0 (also with GAPPS)!
and
about my Android 13, 12, 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow and Lollipop versions for Raspberry Pi 4 and 3/2 at
raspex.exton.se – latest is RaspAnd 13 and 12 (without GAPPS), RaspAnd 11 (with GAPPS) and RaspAnd Oreo 8.1 (also with GAPPS)!
Posted in Exton Linux, Raspberry Pi systems | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment