RaspArch Build 151107 :: Run Arch Linux on your Raspberry Pi 2

rasparch-logoThis version (151107) is my second build of RaspArch
The first version is from 150414. RaspArch
is a “remaster” of Arch Linux ARM. The original compressed system is of 231 MB. After I have added the LXDE Desktop environment, Firefox and Gimp the system increased to 492 MB. RaspArch is a “ready-to-go” ARM system. It must be installed on a Raspberry Pi 2 computer.

NEWS 151107
A new version of RaspArch is ready. The compressed file rasparch-exton.tar.gz from 151105 was compressed with Archive Manager in Ubuntu 15.10. Something is wrong with this program. I had to compress the folder manually. I.e. using the command tar -zcvf rasparch-exton.tar.gz rasparch-exton. The compressed folder has decreased in size from 851 MB (151105) to 492 MB(!?).

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…

RASPBERRY_PI_2-small
Raspberry Pi model B made in February 2015. It has a 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU and 1GB RAM. Read more…

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 4.1.12-1-ARCH and the LXDE Desktop environment.

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. Four commands are basically the only ones you need to use:
1) pacman -Sy (update the packages database)
2) pacman -Syu (upgrading the whole system)
3) pacman -S MyUsefulProgram (the package installation command)
4) pacman -R UnnecessaryProgram (uninstall a package).
Very simple!

How do I install RaspArch?
Almost like any other Raspberry system. The installation has to take place in Linux though. (From hard drive or while running a live Linux system from a CD or a USB stick). Follow this instruction. The whole thing has to be done exactly like this.
1. Unpack the downloaded file rasparch-exton-492mb-151107.tar.gz with tar -zxvf rasparch-exton-492mb-151107.tar.gz. You will get the folder rasparch-exton. Run the following commands as root. (Do not use Sudo).
2. Start fdisk to partition the SD card:

fdisk /dev/sdd (example; be sure to check which name your SD-card got. I.e. /dev/sdd, /dev/sdc, /dev/sdb or…)
3. At the fdisk prompt, delete old partitions and create a new one:
a. Type o. This will clear out any partitions on the drive.
b. Type p to list partitions. There should be no partitions left.
c. Type n, then p for primary, 1 for the first partition on the drive, press ENTER to accept the default first sector, then type +100M for the last sector.
d. Type t, then c to set the first partition to type W95 FAT32 (LBA).
e. Type n, then p for primary, 2 for the second partition on the drive, and then press ENTER twice to accept the default first and last sector.
f. Write the partition table and exit by typing w.
g. Create and mount the FAT filesystem:
mkfs.vfat /dev/sdd1
mkdir boot
mount /dev/sdd1 boot
4. Create and mount the ext4 filesystem:
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdd2
mkdir root
mount /dev/sdd2 root
5. cp -av rasparch-exton/* root
6. sync
7. Move boot files to the first partition:
mv root/boot/* boot
8. Unmount the two partitions:
umount boot root
9. Insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi, connect ethernet, and apply 5V power.
10. You will after a few seconds end up in console mode. Log in as root. The default root password is root. Enter X/LXDE with the command startx
The above instruction (slightly modified) is from the Arch Linux ARM site.

NOTE: If you get errors when you follow my instruction 1-10 you should see to that you have no partitions on the card and that the card isn’t mounted. It can be necessary to create a new partition table. Use GParted for that. It can look like this.
rasparch-card-partition-table

Internet connections with Wicd
When you start up RaspArch for the first time you will get a error message re. Wicd Network Manager. Just open up a terminal and run the command wicd followed by systemctl enable wicd.service (to avoid further error messages from Wicd). You probably also have to edit /etc/resolv.conf in order to get a stable Internet connection. I.e. add the IP number of your router (Gateway). Example:
nameserver 192.168.1.1

Wireless connections
Just change Wicd’s preferences and connect.

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.

rasparch-desktop-151105-small

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 yaourt). 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

Screenshot of RaspArch’s Desktop

Compatibility :: February 2016
Unfortunately not all systems made for Raspberry Pi 2 will run on the new Pi 3. They need to be upgraded with a new kernel. I therefore have to upgrade the systems I distribute. I.e. RaspEX, RaspEX with OpenCPN, RaspAnd and RaspArch. I have now (160312) upgraded all but RaspAnd. Read about the new Raspberry Pi 3…

DOWNLOAD
This build has been replaced by Build 161205

Posted in Exton Linux, Linux, RaspArch | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

RaspEX – Build 151029 based on Ubuntu 15.10 – with OpenCPN pre-installed

raspex-opencpn-stockholm-uto-smallRaspEX – Build 151029 based on Ubuntu 15.10 – with OpenCPN

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.

ABOUT RaspEX Build 151029

RaspEX is a Linux ARM system for Raspberry Pi 2. It is based on Debian Jessie (Debian 8.1), Ubuntu Wily Werewolf (Ubuntu 15.10, released 151022) and Linaro (Open Source software for ARM SoCs). In this new version (151029) I’ve installed OpenCPN 4.1.915 from source.

Read this OpenCPN Review….

Read about how to install and use RaspEXBuild 151027 without OpenCPN. The same instructions are valid for RaspEX Build 151029 with OpenCPN.

Watch a YouTube video that shows the performance of OpenCPN on a Raspberry Pi…
NOTE: Please don’t ask me technical questions about how to use OpenCPN. I’m no expert on OpenCPN. You can search the Internet for answers. There is a lot written about OpenCPN and Raspberry Pi.  The Cruisers Forum (World Cruising and Sailing Wiki) is a good starting point.

SCREENSHOTS
1. OpenCPN World Map
2. OpenCPN Florida – Cape Canaveral
3. OpenCPN New York – Approaches to New York
4. OpenCPN Stockholm archipelago

Compatibility :: February 2016
Unfortunately not all systems made for Raspberry Pi 2 will run on the new Pi 3. They need to be upgraded with a new kernel. I therefore have to upgrade the systems I distribute. I.e. RaspEX, RaspEX with OpenCPN, RaspAnd and RaspArch. I will start with RaspEX.
Read about the new Raspberry Pi 3…

DOWNLOAD
This build of RaspEX with OpenCPN has been replaced by Build 160308 made especially for Raspberry Pi 3.

Raspberry Pi is a trademark of Raspberry Pi Foundation

Posted in Linux, RaspEX | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RaspEX – Build 151027 based on Ubuntu 15.10 – with SSH, Samba and VNC4Server >> Connect to your Windows computers

raspberry-logoNEWS 151029: A new extra version of RaspEX is ready
Namely RaspEX Build 151029 based on Ubuntu 15.10 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 MORE about RaspEX Build 151029…

NEWS 151027 ABOUT RaspEX
My first version of RaspEX is from 150318 and my second from 150706. I have now upgraded the whole system. RaspEX is a Linux ARM system for Raspberry Pi 2. It is based on Debian Jessie (Debian 8.1), Ubuntu Wily Werewolf (Ubuntu 15.10, released 151022) and Linaro (Open Source software for ARM SoCs). In this new version (151027) I’ve installed Wicd Network Manager and added support for Adobe Flash in Chromium (so you can watch YouTube). I have also installed Samba and VNC4Server so you can connect to your Windows computers in your Home Network and/or control RaspEX on your Raspberry Pi 2 from your Windows computers with VNC Viewer and/or PuTTY (Telnet and SSH client). Furthermore some extra Network Tools.

Screenshot 1 – RaspEX connected to Windows via Samba

Screenshot 2 – RaspEX connected to Windows via PuTTy

Screenshot 3 – RaspEX “running on” Windows with VNC Viewer

Softpedia review
RaspEX version 151001 was reviewed by Softpedia 151001.

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…

RASPBERRY_PI_2-small
Raspberry Pi model B made in February 2015. It has a 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU and 1GB RAM. Read more…

About RaspEX
RaspEX is a full Linux Desktop system with LXDE (an extremely fast-performing and energy-saving desktop environment) and many other useful programs pre-installed. Chromium is used as Web Browser and Synaptic as Package Manager. You can use Samba and VNC4Server to connect to your Windows computers in your Home Network and/or control RaspEX on your Raspberry Pi 2 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.

Kernel
Kernel 3.18.7-v7+ is used

Why shall I use RaspEX?
Eight Operating Systems are recommended by Raspberrypi.org. Among them Noobs, Raspbian (Debian Wheezy) and Snappy Ubuntu Core. RaspEX is faster (“fast as lightning”), more useful and more fun to use. (In my opinion). One member on this site thought that running RaspEX was like running Raspberry on “steroids“.

How do I install RaspEX?
Just like any other Raspberry Pi system. I.e.: Unpack the downloaded ZIP file (raspex-ubuntu-15.10-armhf-673mb-151027.zip) and transfer the IMAGE file (raspex-ubuntu-15.10-armhf-3050mb-151027.img) to your Micro SD card of at least 8GB. For that you shall use Win32DiskImager in Windows. When running it will look like this.

raspex-win32img

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.

raspex-login-slim

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.

Edit /root/.bashrc
Add the following line in the end of /root/.bashrc

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:/usr/local/games
(This is already done in RaspEX build 150706, 151001 and 151027)

Then log out from LXDE and back in again.

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

raspex-wicd-install-small
Click to view a larger picture

Upgrade the system
If you want to upgrade the system you shall/must run the following three commands as root. Be sure to edit /root/.bashrc first – see above.
apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
apt-get install xinit init
If you miss to run any of the above commands the system will be unusable.

Wireless connections
If you have a Wireless USB Adapter – the only one which works for Raspberry is Edimax EW-7811Un (as far as I know) – you must configure Wicd Network Manager (apt-get install wicd) before you can use it. (You don’t need a wired connection for that). I.e. Wicd is already installed by me, but as I just said Wicd has to be configured before you can use it. Then change Wicd’s preferences to suit your wireless connection. NOTE: You’ll also have to add your router’s IP address to /etc/resolv.conf to be sure to get a permanent Internet connection.
NOTE also: You’ll have to edit /etc/resolv.conf even if you use a wired connection.

About SSH, PuTTY, Samba, VNC4Server and VNC Viewer
SSH, Samba and VNC4Server are pre-installed in RaspEX Build 151001. You need to install PuTTy and and VNC Viewer in your Windows system if you want to connect to RaspEX/Raspberry Pi 2 from Windows the way the below slideshow shows. (Please read the developers information about how to configure PuTTy and VNC Viewer).

Watch this slideshow re. connections between RaspEX and Windows.

Flash support in Chromium
Read about how to install flash (PepperFlash) in Chromium. After that you can check out Top 10 flash sites 2015. In RaspEX build 150706, 151001 and 151027 Adobe Flash is already installed.

View all installed packages in RaspEX – Build 151027

Screenshot of RaspEX’s Desktop while Wicd is running (for configuration of a wireless connection)

Screenshot 1 – RaspEX connected to Windows via Samba

Screenshot 2 – RaspEX connected to Windows via PuTTy

Screenshot 3 – RaspEX “running on” Windows with VNC-viewer

Compatibility :: February 2016
Unfortunately not all systems made for Raspberry Pi 2 will run on the new Pi 3. They need to be upgraded with a new kernel. I therefore have to upgrade the systems I distribute. I.e. RaspEX, RaspEX with OpenCPN, RaspAnd and RaspArch. I will start with RaspEX.
Read about the new Raspberry Pi 3…

DOWNLOAD
This build (151027) has been replaced by version 160307 especially built for Raspberry Pi 3.

READ also about my RaspEX Build 151029 (for Raspberry Pi 2) 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.

Posted in Linux, RaspEX | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

RaspAnd Lollipop – Build 3 150924/160315 – with Google Play Store

logoNEWS about RaspAnd Lollipop 160315
I have uploaded a new version of RaspAnd Lollipop, which can run also on the new Raspberry Pi 3 computer. It is basically the same system as before. Only the boot parameters are changed.

About RaspAnd Lollipop 150924
I have finally managed to include Google Play Store in RaspAnd and most important Google Play Services.

NEWS 160625
Please read also about RaspAnd 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) for Raspberry Pi 3 and Pi 2 Build 160625 with GAPPS, Wifi and Bluetooth working

NEWS 150924
I have compiled yet another Android 5.1 Lollipop system which can run on Raspberry Pi 2. I call “my” new system RaspAnd Build 3. My first version of RaspAnd is from 150405 and my second from 150527. The following useful apps are pre-installed in Build 3 of 150924: Google Play Store, Aptoide App Manager (as an alternative to Google Play Store), Terminal Emulator, AIDA64, Geekbench, WinZip, FileManager, Rotation Control Lite, WPS Office and Offline Maps. Google Play Store, AIDA64 and Geekbench were not included in Build 2 from 150527.

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…

RASPBERRY_PI_2-small
Raspberry Pi 3 model B made in February 2016. It has a 1.2GHz 64-bit quad-core ARMv8 CPU and 1GB RAM. Read more…

Kernel
Kernel 3.19.0-exton-v7+ is used in RaspAnd.

My sources
You’ll find my sources for RaspAnd here.

How do I install RaspAnd?
Almost like any other Raspberry Pi system. The installation has to take place in Linux though. (From hard drive or while running a live Linux system from cd or a USB stick). Follow this instruction. The whole thing has to be done exactly like this.
1. Unpack the downloaded tar.gz-file (raspand-lollipop-5.1-rpi3-googleplay-435mb-160315.tar.gz). You will get the folder raspand-lollipop-5.1-160314 with the folder boot and the system file system.img
2. Create four partitions of/on your Micro SD Card with Fdisk or GParted.
a) Part 1 for BOOT of 512 MB ; format as fat32 ; flag as boot
b) Part 2 for /system of 1024 MB; any filesystem
c) Part 3 for /cache of 512 MB ; format as ext4
d) Part 4 for /data; size the remain; format as ext4
When you are done with partitioning it shall look like this.
raspand-gparted-150923
3. Now open up a terminal as root and run this command (make sure which name your SD card was given when you inserted it (/dev/sdb2 or /dev/sdc2 or as in the example here /dev/sdd2):
dd if=system.img of=/dev/sdd2 bs=1M
(Note: When you run the above command you’ll have to stand in the folder raspand-lollipop-5.1-160314)
4. Then just copy every file in raspand-lollipop-5.1-160314/boot (20 files) to /dev/sdd1. If not mounted already you can mount it with mkdir /mnt/sdd1 followed by mount /dev/sdd1 /mnt/sdd1

Note: You shall not do anything with /dev/sdd3 and /dev/sdd4. I. e.: Do not create folder /cache or /data. Watch this screenshot of the file structure on all four partitions when the installation is done.

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).

Running RaspAnd – Slide show
Now just place your SD Card in your Raspberry Pi 3 or Pi 2 machine and turn on the power. Watch this Slide show.

Updates
Not many apps can be installed via Google Play Store. Luckily Aptoide App Manager can be used to install some Google apps, for instance Gmail.When you start upp Aptoide for the first time you will be asked to upgrade Aptoide. Do that. Then try to install Gmail via Aptoide. You will be asked to upgrade Google Play Services to version 8.7.03 (2645110-836) – latest version. Do that. When done you can install Gmail and other Google apps without problems.

Screenshot 1 – Google Play Store running

Screenshot 2 – RaspAnd’s Desktop

Screenshot 3 – Google Play Services updating

Screenshot 4 – Google Play Store updating with Aptoide

NOTE/WARNING – 1
You’ll have to be aware of the fact that while running RaspAnd on Raspberry Pi 3 or Pi 2 not many apps can be found on Google Play Store. Because Google Play Services is installed many useful apps (for example Gmail) can be installed with Aptoide App Manager though.

NOTE/WARNING – 2
Wifi and Bluetooth can’t be used. You’ll have to have and use a wired connection.

Compatibility :: February 2017
Unfortunately not all systems made for Raspberry Pi 2 will run on the new Pi 3. They need to be upgraded with a new kernel. I therefore have to upgrade the systems I distribute. I.e. RaspEX, RaspEX with OpenCPN, RaspAnd Lollipop, RaspAnd Marshmallow, RaspAnd Nougat and RaspArch. I have now (170221) upgraded all systems. Read about the new Raspberry Pi 3

So, please be aware of the fact that RaspAnd Build 3 from 150924 will work only on Raspberry Pi 2. The new RaspAnd Lollipop version from 160315 (of Build 3 with different boot parameters) will work also on Raspberry Pi 3.

DOWNLOAD raspand-lollipop-5.1-googleplay-435mb-160315.tar.gz for 9 $

md5sum

Please read also about RaspAnd 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) for Raspberry Pi 3 and Pi 2 Build 160625 with GAPPS, Wifi and Bluetooth working

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

Posted in Android, Exton Linux, Linux, RaspAnd | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 180 Comments

RaspEX (Edition 150706) for Raspberry Pi 2 based on Debian 8, Ubuntu 15.04 and Linaro :: Free download

raspberry-logoNEWS 150706 ABOUT RaspEX
My first version of RaspEX is from 150318. I have now upgraded the whole system. RaspEX is a Linux ARM system for Raspberry Pi 2. It is based on Debian Jessie (Debian 8), Ubuntu Vivid Vervet (Ubuntu 15.04) and Linaro (Open Source software for ARM SoCs). In this new version (150706) I’ve installed Wicd Network Manager and added support for Adobe Flash in Chromium (so you can watch YouTube).

Softpedia review

RaspEX version 150508 was reviewed by Softpedia 150509.

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…

RASPBERRY_PI_2-small
Raspberry Pi model B made in February 2015. It has a 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU and 1GB RAM. Read more…

About RaspEX
RaspEX is a full Linux Desktop system with LXDE (an extremely fast-performing and energy-saving desktop environment) and many other useful programs pre-installed. Chromium 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 3.18.7-v7+ is used

Why shall I use RaspEX?
Eight Operating Systems are recommended by Raspberrypi.org. Among them Noobs, Raspbian (Debian Wheezy) and Snappy Ubuntu Core. RaspEX is faster (“fast as lightning”), more useful and more fun to use. (In my opinion). One member on this site thought that running RaspEX was like running Raspberry on “steroids“.

How do I install RaspEX?
Just like any other Raspberry system. I.e.: Unpack the downloaded ZIP file (raspex-ubuntu-15.04-armhf-532mb-150706.zip) and transfer the IMAGE file (raspex-ubuntu-15.04-armhf-3050mb-150706.img) to your Micro SD card of at least 8GB. For that you shall use Win32DiskImager in Windows.

How do I use RaspEX?
When you start up your Raspberry Mini computer with RaspEX you will (after a few seconds) end up at SLiM‘s login page.

login-raspex

Log in as root with password root. You can of course create an ordinary user if you want. Command: /usr/sbin/adduser MyNewUser

Edit /root/.bashrc
Add the following line in the end of /root/.bashrc

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:/usr/local/games
(This is already done in RaspEX build 150706)

Then log out from LXDE and back in again.

When logged in as root your Desktop will look like this.

raspex-desktop-screenshot-linaro
Click to view a larger picture

Upgrade the system
If you want to upgrade the system you shall/must run the following three commands as root. Be sure to edit /root/.bashrc first – see above.
apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
apt-get install xinit init
If you miss to run any of the above commands the system will be unusable.

Wireless connections
If you have a Wireless USB Adapter – the only one which works for Raspberry is Edimax EW-7811Un (as far as I know) – you must configure Wicd Network Manager (apt-get install wicd) before you can use it. (You don’t need a wired connection for that). I.e. Wicd is already installed by me, but as I just said Wicd has to be configured before you can use it. Then change Wicd’s preferences to suit your wireless connection.

Flash support in Chromium
Read about how to install flash (PepperFlash) in Chromium. After that you can check out Top 10 flash sites 2015. In RaspEX build 150706 Adobe Flash is already installed.

View all installed packages in RaspEX

Screenshot of RaspEX’s Desktop while Wicd is running (for configuration of a wireless connection)

NEWS 151001
Version 150706 of RaspEX has been replaced by version 151001. In the new version I have installed Samba and VNC4Server so you can connect to your Windows computers in your Home Network and/or control RaspEX on your Raspberry Pi 2 from your Windows computers with VNC-viewer.

Screenshot 1 – RaspEX connected to Windows via Samba

Screenshot 2 – RaspEX connected to Windows via PuTTy

Screenshot 3 – RaspEX “running on” Windows with VNC-viewer

DOWNLOAD
This build has been replaced by version 160307 especially built for Raspberry Pi 3.

Posted in Linux, RaspEX | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

How to change screen resolution in RaspAnd

One member on this site shared his “discovery” that the screen resolution while running RaspAnd (Android Lollipop 5.1 on Raspberry) can be changed by editing the file config.txt on the boot partition. This is so important/good that I had to write this special article about it.

If you open config.txt you will see these two lines
framebuffer_width=1280
framebuffer_height=720

I.e. change to (for example)

framebuffer_width=1920
framebuffer_height=1080

You will notice a big difference!

Posted in Linux, RaspAnd | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

My problems with PayPal are over 150604!

NEWS 150604
My problems with PayPal are solved! You are now free to download RaspAnd (Android Lollipop 5.1 on Raspberry Pi 2) again.

Posted in Android, RaspAnd | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Run Android 5.1 Lollipop Exton build 2 on Raspberry Pi 2 – version 150527

logoNEWS 150527
I have compiled yet another Android 5.1 Lollipop system which can run on Raspberry Pi 2. I call “my” new system RaspAnd build 2. My first version of RaspAnd is from 150405. The following useful apps are pre-installed in build 2 of 150527: Aptoide App Manager (to be used instead of Google Play Store), Terminal Emulator, WinZip, FileManager, Rotation Control Lite, WPS Office and Offline Maps. Those apps were not included in build 1 from 150405.

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…

model-b-plus-300x225
Raspberry Pi model B made in February 2015. It has a 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU and 1GB RAM. Read more…

Kernel
Kernel 3.19.0-exton-v7+ is used in RaspAnd.

My sources
You’ll find my sources for RaspAnd here.

How do I install RaspAnd?
Almost like any other Raspberry system. The installation has to take place in Linux though. (From hard drive or while running a live Linux system from cd or a USB stick). Follow this instruction. The whole thing has to be done exactly like this.
1. Unpack the downloaded Zip-file (raspand-android-lollipop-5.1-aptoide-247mb-150527.zip). You will get the folder raspand-android-lollipop-5.1-aptoide-247mb-150527 with the folder boot and the system file system.img
2. Create four partitions of/on your Micro SD Card with Fdisk or GParted.
a) Part 1 for BOOT of 512 MB ; format as fat32 ; flag as boot
b) Part 2 for /system of 512 MB; any filesystem
c) Part 3 for /cache of 512 MB ; format as ext4
d) Part 4 for /data; size the remain; format as ext4
When you are done with partitioning it shall look like this.
GParted
3. Now open up a terminal as root and run this command (make sure which name your SD card was given when you inserted it (/dev/sdb2 or /dev/sdc2 or as in the example here /dev/sdd2):
dd if=system.img of=/dev/sdd2 bs=1M
(Note: When you run the above command you’ll have to stand in the folder raspand-android-lollipop-5.1-aptoide-247mb-150527)
4. Then just copy every file in raspex-android-x86-lollipop-5.1-aptoide-150527/boot (8 files) to /dev/sdd1. If not mounted already you can mount it with mkdir /mnt/sdd1 followed by mount /dev/sdd1 /mnt/sdd1

Note: You shall not do anything with /dev/sdd3 and /dev/sdd4. I.e: Do not create folder /cache or /data.

Booting up RaspAnd – Slide show
Now just place your SD Card in your Raspberry Pi 2 machine and turn on the power. Watch this Slide show.

Screenshot of RaspAnd’s build 2 Desktop

DOWNLOAD raspand-android-lollipop-5.1-aptoide-247mb-150527.zip for 9 $

md5sum

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

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RaspEX (Edition 150508) for Raspberry Pi 2 based on Debian 8, Ubuntu 15.04 and Linaro :: Free download

raspberry-logoNEWS 150508 ABOUT RaspEX
My first version of RaspEX is from 150318. I have now upgraded the whole system. RaspEX is a Linux ARM system for Raspberry Pi 2. It is based on Debian Jessie (Debian 8), Ubuntu Vivid Vervet (Ubuntu 15.04) and Linaro (Open Source software for ARM SoCs).

Softpedia review
RaspEX version 150508 was reviewed by Softpedia 150509.

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…

model-b-plus-300x225
Raspberry Pi model B made in February 2015. It has a 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU and 1GB RAM. Read more…

About RaspEX
RaspEX is a full Linux Desktop system with LXDE (an extremely fast-performing and energy-saving desktop environment) and many other useful programs pre-installed. Chromium 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 3.18.7-v7+ is used

Why shall I use RaspEX?
Eight Operating Systems are recommended by Raspberry.org. Among them Noobs, Raspbian (Debian Wheezy) and Snappy Ubuntu Core. RaspEX is faster (“fast as lightning”), more useful and more fun to use. (In my opinion).

How do I install RaspEX?
Just like any other Raspberry system. I.e.: Unpack the downloaded ZIP file (raspex-ubuntu-15.04-armhf-674mb-150508.zip) and transfer the IMAGE file (raspex-ubuntu-15.04-armhf-3050mb-150508.img) to your Micro SD card of at least 8GB. For that you shall use Win32DiskImager in Windows.
raspex-win32img

How do I use RaspEX?
When you start up your Raspberry Mini computer with RaspEX you will (after a few seconds) end up at SLiM‘s login page.

login-raspex

Log in as root with password root. You can of course create an ordinary user if you want. Command: /usr/sbin/adduser MyNewUser

Edit /root/.bashrc
Add the following line in the end of /root/.bashrc

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:/usr/local/games

Then log out from LXDE and back in again.

When logged in as root your Desktop will look like this.

raspex-desktop-screenshot-linaro
Click to view a larger picture

Upgrade the system
If you want to upgrade the system you shall/must run the following three commands as root. Be sure to edit /root/.bashrc first – see above.
apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
apt-get install xinit init
If you miss to run any of the above commands the system will be unusable.

Wireless connections
If you have a Wireless USB Adapter – the only one which works for Raspberry is Edimax EW-7811Un – you should install Wicd Network Manager (apt-get install wicd) while you have a wired connection. Then reboot and change Wicd’s preferences to suit your wireless connection.

Flash support in Chromium
Read about how to install flash (PepperFlash) in Chromium. After that you can check out Top 10 flash sites 2015.

View all installed packages in RaspEX

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This build has been replaced by version 160307 especially built for Raspberry Pi 3.

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RaspArch :: Run Arch Linux on your Raspberry Pi 2

rasparch-logoRaspArch is a “remaster” of Arch Linux ARM. The original compressed system is of 231 MB. After I have added the LXDE Desktop environment, Firefox and Gimp the system increased to 665 MB. RaspArch is a “ready-to-go” ARM system. It must be installed on a Raspberry Pi 2 computer.

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…

model-b-plus-300x225
Raspberry Pi model B made in February 2015. It has a 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU and 1GB RAM. Read more…

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 3.18.11-2-ARCH and the LXDE Desktop environment.

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. Four commands are basically the only ones you need to use:
1) pacman -Sy (update the packages database)
2) pacman -Syu (upgrading the whole system)
3) pacman -S MyUsefulProgram (the package installation command)
4) pacman -R UnnecessaryProgram (uninstall a package).
Very simple!

How do I install RaspArch?
Almost like any other Raspberry system. The installation has to take place in Linux though. (From hard drive or while running a live Linux system from a CD or a USB stick). Follow this instruction. The whole thing has to be done exactly like this.
1. Unpack the downloaded file rasparch-exton-665mb-150414.tar.gz with tar zxvf rasparch-exton-665mb-150414.tar.gz. You will get the folder rasparch-exton. Run the following commands as root. (Do not use Sudo).
2. Start fdisk to partition the SD card:

fdisk /dev/sdd (example; be sure to check which name your SD-card got. I.e. /dev/sdd, /dev/sdc, /dev/sdb or…)
3. At the fdisk prompt, delete old partitions and create a new one:
a. Type o. This will clear out any partitions on the drive.
b. Type p to list partitions. There should be no partitions left.
c. Type n, then p for primary, 1 for the first partition on the drive, press ENTER to accept the default first sector, then type +100M for the last sector.
d. Type t, then c to set the first partition to type W95 FAT32 (LBA).
e. Type n, then p for primary, 2 for the second partition on the drive, and then press ENTER twice to accept the default first and last sector.
f. Write the partition table and exit by typing w.
g. Create and mount the FAT filesystem:
mkfs.vfat /dev/sdd1
mkdir boot
mount /dev/sdd1 boot
4. Create and mount the ext4 filesystem:
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdd2
mkdir root
mount /dev/sdd2 root
5. cp -av rasparch-exton/* root
6. sync
7. Move boot files to the first partition:
mv root/boot/* boot
8. Unmount the two partitions:
umount boot root
9. Insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi, connect ethernet, and apply 5V power.
10. You will after a few seconds end up in console mode. Log in as root. The default root password is root. Enter X/LXDE with the command startx
The above instruction (slightly modified) is from the Arch Linux ARM site.

rasparch-desktop-small

WHO should run Arch Linux?

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
“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 yaourt). Arch avoids the politics of Debian and Ubuntu and delivers a great Linux distribution. RaspArch now brings these advantages to the PI 2.

Screenshot of RaspArch’s Desktop

Compatibility :: February 2016
Unfortunately not all systems made for Raspberry Pi 2 will run on the new Pi 3. They need to be upgraded with a new kernel. I therefore have to upgrade the systems I distribute. I.e. RaspEX, RaspEX with OpenCPN, RaspAnd and RaspArch. I have now (160312) upgraded all but RaspAnd. Read about the new Raspberry Pi 3…

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This build has been replaced by Build 161205

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