[tinker]

Folks:

I recently picked up a My Gica atv520 mini PC by Geniatech. XBMC for Android was pre-installed but lacked functionality and had issues with audio drop-outs. Luckily, Geniatech recently released Linux/XBMC combination that could easily be installed on these boxes.

Here is a thread with the install (and recovery) instructions:

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=180446

In the same thread, user privado suggests using ssh to access the My Gica from a remote computer. I gave this a try and it worked like a charm. I used Putty for Windows and the username/password privado supplied 'root/letmein' and was able to open a shell.

Here is the result of a 'ps' including threads:

Code:

[root@MX /root]# ps -T
  PID USER       VSZ STAT COMMAND
    1 root      2536 S    init
    2 root         0 SW   [kthreadd]
    3 root         0 SW   [ksoftirqd/0]
    6 root         0 SW   [migration/0]
    7 root         0 SW   [migration/1]
    8 root         0 SW   [kworker/1:0]
    9 root         0 SW   [ksoftirqd/1]
   10 root         0 SW<  [khelper]
   20 root         0 SW<  [suspend]
   76 root         0 DW   [kthread_hdmi]
   77 root         0 DW   [kthread_hdmi_mo]
  427 root         0 SW   [sync_supers]
  429 root         0 SW   [bdi-default]
  430 root         0 SW<  [kintegrityd]
  432 root         0 SW<  [kblockd]
  442 root         0 SW   [khubd]
  461 root         0 SW<  [cfg80211]
  462 root         0 SW   [kworker/0:1]
  551 root         0 SW   [kswapd0]
  606 root         0 SW   [fsnotify_mark]
  634 root         0 SW<  [crypto]
1167 root         0 SW   [khvcd]
1235 root         0 SW<  [kpsmoused]
1280 root         0 SW<  [binder]
1291 root         0 DW   [ge2d_monitor]
1302 root         0 SW   [kthread_di]
1307 root         0 SW<  [dwc_otg]
1311 root         0 SW<  [dwc_otg]
1319 root         0 SW   [mtdblock0]
1324 root         0 SW   [mtdblock1]
1329 root         0 SW   [mtdblock2]
1334 root         0 SW   [mtdblock3]
1339 root         0 SW   [mtdblock4]
1344 root         0 SW   [mtdblock5]
1348 root         0 SW   [aml_nftld]
1349 root         0 SW   [system2]
1352 root         0 SW   [aml_nftld]
1353 root         0 SW   [cache3]
1356 root         0 SW   [aml_nftld]
1357 root         0 SW   [backup4]
1371 root         0 SW   [aml_nftld]
1372 root         0 SW   [data5]
1440 root         0 SW   [mtdblock6]
1444 root         0 SW<  [kcardd]
1450 root         0 DW   [card_read_monit]
1458 root         0 SW<  [rtc]
1506 root         0 SW   [jbd2/system-8]
1507 root         0 SW<  [ext4-dio-unwrit]
1517 root         0 SW<  [loop0]
1525 root      2536 S    /sbin/syslogd -m 0
1527 root      2536 S    /sbin/klogd
1540 root         0 SW   [sd_queue]
1544 root         0 SW   [jbd2/data-8]
1545 root         0 SW<  [ext4-dio-unwrit]
1552 root      2328 S    /lib/udev/udevd -d
1581 dbus      1996 S    dbus-daemon --system
1584 root      2324 S    /lib/udev/udevd -d
1585 root      2324 S    /lib/udev/udevd -d
1591 root         0 SW   [kworker/0:2]
1670 root         0 SW   [flush-250:20]
1691 root      2384 S    avahi-daemon: running [MX.local]
1698 root      1972 S    /usr/sbin/dropbear
1702 root         0 SW<  [mali-pmm-wq]
1707 nobody    2264 S    proftpd: (accepting connections)
1714 root         0 SW   [dhd_cfg80211_ev]
1715 root         0 SW   [dhd_watchdog]
1716 root         0 SW   [dhd_dpc]
1717 root         0 SW   [dhd_sysioc]
1723 root      8468 S    smbd -D
1728 root      8524 S    smbd -D
1730 root      2536 S    {S95xbmc} /bin/sh /etc/init.d/S95xbmc start
1731 root      2540 S    logger -t XBMC
1736 root      2540 S    /sbin/getty 38400 tty1
1738 root      2540 S    /sbin/getty 38400 tty2
1740 root      2540 S    /sbin/getty -L ttyS0 115200 vt100
1741 root      2536 S    /sbin/syslogd -n
1742 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1755 root      551m S    {CSoftAE} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1796 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1797 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1798 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1799 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1800 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1801 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1802 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1803 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1804 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1805 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1806 root      551m S    {CEventServer} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1809 root      551m S    {CTCPServer} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1811 root      551m R N  /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1812 root      551m S N  /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1813 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1815 root      551m S    {XBPyThread} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1818 root      551m S    {XBPyThread} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1819 root      551m S    {XBPyThread} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1820 root      551m S    {XBPyThread} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1823 root      551m S N  {EPG updater} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1824 root      551m S N  {PVR manager} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1825 root      551m S N  {PVR manager} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1839 root      551m S N  {PVR manager} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1861 root      551m S N  /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1869 root      551m S N  /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1903 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1904 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1905 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1906 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1909 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1910 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1911 root      551m S    /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1945 root      551m S    {CDVDPlayer} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1946 root      551m S    {CDVDPlayerVideo} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalon
1947 root      551m S    {CDVDPlayerAudio} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalon
1949 root      551m S    {CAMLCodec} /usr/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin --standalone
1743 root      2536 S    /sbin/klogd -n
1744 root      2536 S    /usr/bin/tail -f /var/log/messages
1777 root      2536 S    udhcpc -R -n -p /var/run/udhcpc.eth0.pid -i eth0
1793 root      2688 S    /usr/sbin/ntpd
2416 root         0 SW   [kworker/1:2]
2510 root         0 SW   [kworker/u:1]
2545 root         0 SW   [ppmgr]
2576 root         0 SW   [kworker/u:2]
2580 root      2040 S    /usr/sbin/dropbear
2595 root      2540 S    -sh
2616 root         0 SW   [kworker/u:0]
2619 root      2540 R    ps -T

So, to start, how useful is this? Would it be possible to install a web browser or VNC viewer on the My Gica then call them up with the Advanced Launcher addon from XBMC?

The Geniatech Linux/XBMC only uses a third the storage as the original Android install (100k vs. 300k) and it seems a waste to not take advantage of this. The performance of Linux/XBMC is superb and there are no compromises, it works 'out of the box', a full Frodo 12.3 install.

Adding a full web browser (not a compromised Android one) or a way to view a web browser on another computer would add a awful lot of functionality to these li'le boxes (which are becoming a lot more common). Linux/XBMC really gives the My Gica an 'appliance' feel, you boot it up and XBMC is right there, ready to go. No Google play, no useless apps, just XBMC like you'd see on a tower, laptop or tablet.

Anyone want to take this one on or point me in the right direction? The Geniatech Linux/XBMC was just released last month, so not many folks have tinkered with it yet beyond the thread mentioned above. I do feel that these Geniatech boxes are going to become as popular as the Raspberry Pi in the XBMC community pretty soon, though.

tinker

[davilla]

not possible without major surgery

[tinker]

davilla:

I don't mind major surgery if folks can benefit from it. I worked on Linux in the '90s and did machine language programming before that. I'm just a bit rusty is all.

Folks:

Here's the best release data I could find on the Geniatech atv520 through ssh:

Code:

[root@MX /root]# cat /etc/*release*
NAME=Buildroot
VERSION=2013.08.1-g64a92a7
ID=buildroot
VERSION_ID=2013.08.1
PRETTY_NAME="Buildroot 2013.08.1"

Research shows that 'Buildroot' is an version of Linux for embedded devices. There is no 'apt' directory, so no package installer. This just makes it harder, not impossible.

Research also shows that a variant of Linux Firefox can be installed on the Raspberry Pi! Here are two YouTube videos that shows the install process, including YouTube video playback capability:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO3MISWPowk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyiqjPSn6mo

So, if a full-up version of FireFox will run on the Raspberry Pi, it should perform very well on the much more powerful My Gica.

I think this is doable, though not easy.

tinker

[davilla]

You are still forgetting about the window manager and keyboard/ir remote focus... non-trivial.

Raspberry Pi is not running a buildroot embedded distro either so you are comparing donuts to pickles

In case you don't know, you are talking to one of the original architects of the present aml/linux/buildroot distro, I know quite well what it can do and what it cannot do. AML/Linux supports two frame buffers, you might be able to dedicate one for xbmc, the other to QT and do the browser under QT. We (Pivos) did some initial testing with this before discarding it for a pure Android solution as input handling required a ton of work that already was time tested under Android.

The other way is to port the AML drivers to ubuntu but then you have to deal with finding a compatible GLES user land with kernel that ubuntu likes.

[tinker]

You are still forgetting about the window manager and keyboard/ir remote focus... non-trivial.

Raspberry Pi is not running a buildroot embedded distro either so you are comparing donuts to pickles

In case you don't know, you are talking to one of the original architects of the present aml/linux/buildroot distro, I know quite well what it can do and what it cannot do. AML/Linux supports two frame buffers, you might be able to dedicate one for xbmc, the other to QT and do the browser under QT. We (Pivos) did some initial testing with this before discarding it for a pure Android solution as input handling required a ton of work that already was time tested under Android.

The other way is to port the AML drivers to ubuntu but then you have to deal with finding a compatible GLES user land with kernel that ubuntu likes.

davilla:

Honoured to meet someone so close to AmLogic distribution so soon! The My Giga is a sweet running machine with the Buildroot Linux. I spent enough time dicking around with the Android OS it came with to know what a gem the Linux software is.

Two frame buffers would be a perfect solution because it would be best to the browser and XBMC in parallel so the user could pick up where they left off in both. QT would allow for a full desktop too but it would be pretty useless without a decent way to install software. I know exactly what you mean by input handling being the biggest problem. The only solution I can think of would be to run a full X11 server, run the browser on top of it and let X deal with the inputs.

I know that the Raspberry Pi version of Linux (from the videos above) uses Debian, so maybe that's a direction to go. Porting the AmLogic hardware acceleration would outside my ability to accomplish though.

Anyway, thanks for the advice. It's pointed me in the right direction.

tinker

[krustykrab]

What is the likelihood of getting a optware environment set up on this distribution in order to install programs such as sickbeard, couchpotato and sabnzbd.

[phin586]

man i would LOVE optware on this.