First impressions, issues, remarks ...

[umiddelb]

Hi,

after playing around with the C2 for a week,I'd like to share my experiences:

U-Boot

• The C2 u-boot support loading files (kernel image, dtb, etc.) from USB devices directly, but loading speed is terrible slow (USB 1 low speed?)
• The internal timer seems to be not adjusted, the bootdelay counts down to 0 really fast
• The bootargs/systemd parameter for automatic fsck should be fsck.repair=yes instead of fsck.fix=yes (/media/boot/boot.ini)

Ubuntu xenial / wily

• It takes a couple of minutes until ntpd will set the correct time after boot
• Debootstrap needs manual tweaking in order to create another debian/ubuntu rootfs
• Docker refuses to start, most likely due to broken apparmor profiles
• Automatic setting of timezone information fails to whatever reason
• update-initramfs creates broken/incomplete images

Ubuntu trusty

• Simply too old (e.g. mkimage doesn't know about arm64 platform)

Debian Jessie

• boots up fast
• Docker runs nicely, almost ... some kernel oops (aufs related) appear
• Docker builds from source without any hassle
• package lzop isn't available for arm64, but it isn't needed to build a kernel anyway
• fw_printenv is broken (but the Ubuntu binary runs fine with Debian)

Arch

• boots up nicly
• needless to say that Docker runs out of the box

Linux kernel

• succesfully patched for aufs support
• CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO switch tends to blow up uInitrd

Other

• update-initramfs needs additional hooks to include fsck.ext4 support (needed to invoke fsck from initrd during boot)

  Code: Select all

  debian@c2:~/kernel/3.14$ cat /etc/initramfs-tools/hooks/e2fsck.sh
  #!/bin/sh
  . /usr/share/initramfs-tools/hook-functions
  
  copy_exec /sbin/e2fsck /sbin
  copy_exec /sbin/fsck.ext4 /sbin
  

• C2 GPIO PIN layout: is it identical to the C1/C1+? With 3.3 voltage level as well?

PS: I'm not sure if a forum is the right place/tool to raise and manage issues. May be tools like JIRA or github will do a better job for this particular kind of tasks.

[chlorisdroid]

That's a good idea.

[crashoverride]

It takes a couple of minutes until ntpd will set the correct time after boot

I am seeing that issue too. I thought it ironic that the first thing I would miss is the RTC.

I think we may need the fake-hwclock packaged installed and possibly a script to force setting the time from NTP if available. IIRC, there are rules about how far off the clock is allowed to be before NTP can 'adjust' it.
https://packages.debian.org/jessie/fake-hwclock

[umiddelb]

It takes a couple of minutes until ntpd will set the correct time after boot

I am seeing that issue too. I thought it ironic that the first thing I would miss is the RTC.

I think we may need the fake-hwclock packaged installed and possibly a script to force setting the time from NTP if available. IIRC, there are rules about how far off the clock is allowed to be before NTP can 'adjust' it.
https://packages.debian.org/jessie/fake-hwclock

Only xenial and wily have this ntpd issue, the rest (including trusty) is OK.

[rooted]

First impressions of Android.

No file browser is not a good thing.

No Android market is worse but it simply can't be included.

Media playback is great on KODI, automated frame rate switching is broken but I figured out how to fix it.

The few games I tried worked smoothly.

PS3 controller works with the necessary setup.

The device is silent and runs cool thanks to the beefier included heatsink.

Android is fluid, similar to a flagship level Android smartphone.

Netflix works really well.

Very good first impression of Android, the included 2GB of RAM really improves the overall user experience and the high clock speed of the quadcore CPU offers a vast improvement over the C1+.

I give it a solid 4 out of 5 for general purpose use.

One thing, we really need an Android TV build as well. I'm sure voodik is working on this but have seen no confirmation.

[crashoverride]

Only xenial and wily have this ntpd issue, the rest (including trusty) is OK.

This may be some systemd craziness.
https://www.freedesktop.org/software/sy ... rvice.html

Code: Select all

odroid@odroid64:~$ timedatectl
      Local time: Fri 2016-02-12 21:49:02 EST
  Universal time: Sat 2016-02-13 02:49:02 UTC
        RTC time: n/a
       Time zone: America/New_York (EST, -0500)
 Network time on: yes
NTP synchronized: no
 RTC in local TZ: no

[umiddelb]

This may be some systemd craziness.

I have no idea ...

Code: Select all

debian@c2:~$ sudo timedatectl
[sudo] password for debian:
      Local time: Sat 2016-02-13 11:55:14 CET
  Universal time: Sat 2016-02-13 10:55:14 UTC
        RTC time: n/a
       Time zone: Europe/Berlin (CET, +0100)
     NTP enabled: no
NTP synchronized: yes
 RTC in local TZ: no
      DST active: no
 Last DST change: DST ended at
                  Sun 2015-10-25 02:59:59 CEST
                  Sun 2015-10-25 02:00:00 CET
 Next DST change: DST begins (the clock jumps one hour forward) at
                  Sun 2016-03-27 01:59:59 CET
                  Sun 2016-03-27 03:00:00 CEST

ubuntu@c2:~$ sudo timedatectl
[sudo] password for ubuntu:
      Local time: Thu 1970-01-01 01:00:52 CET
  Universal time: Thu 1970-01-01 00:00:52 UTC
        RTC time: n/a
       Time zone: Europe/Berlin (CET, +0100)
 Network time on: yes
NTP synchronized: yes
 RTC in local TZ: no

ubuntu@c2:~$ sudo timedatectl
[sudo] password for ubuntu:
      Local time: Sat 2016-02-13 12:07:49 CET
  Universal time: Sat 2016-02-13 11:07:49 UTC
        RTC time: n/a
       Time zone: Europe/Berlin (CET, +0100)
 Network time on: yes
NTP synchronized: no
 RTC in local TZ: no

[giukio]

Hi everyone, I just discovered the Herdkernel products and i'm really excited about them, specially the new Odroid C2
I would like to upgrade from a Pi1 B+, and I have a few questions for rooted (or everyone else that could help me)

1) my main use is KODI (80%) to watch 1080p movies (6-20Mbps) streamed through wifi (samba or NFS)

2) I have a usb wifi dongle based on the ralink RT5572 (same as your wifi 4 right?)
http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B00PKBF ... ge_o00_s01
is it compatible? does anyone have some iperf test with that chip? the Pi1 struggles with a mere 8Mbps (yes bit), where an edimax dongle does 40Mbps.

3) I already have a minix neo A2 remote, can I use it?

4) since the C2 supports android, I would like to play using a DS3 controller to Xplane10 (you find it on the play store).
@rooted: could you be so nice to try the performance of that game using the DS3? is it smooth? (even at 720p would be fine to me)

5) To use the DS3 I need an usb bluetooth dongle, is the one on your market compatible? (better ask than be sorry)

First impressions of Android.

Media playback is great on KODI, automated frame rate switching is broken but I figured out how to fix it.

The few games I tried worked smoothly.

PS3 controller works with the necessary setup.

PS: the main factors that are "braking" me from buying it are the shipping const compared to the board cost, and the very very very limited warranty of 4 weeks. In Europe we usually have 2 Years.

Thank you very much!

giukio

[rooted]

1. No problem there
2. Don't have that dongle so can't help.
3. Yes
4. Testing for you now
5. Yes

*edit*
Tested xplane with ds3 @ 1080p and it was smooth unless you are really close to the ground and using a non-cockpit view. Verdict is it's fully playable.

[giukio]

Thank you very much! really appreciated
I guess I will join the community as soon as the C2 will be available!

One last question: How much occupied memory do you have in your android setup?

[robroy]

the shipping cost compared to the board cost

Are you ordering from pollin.de?

[giukio]

No, I was mentioning the hardkernel store, but probably we should discuss about it in another thread

[rooted]

Thank you very much! really appreciated
I guess I will join the community as soon as the C2 will be available!

One last question: How much occupied memory do you have in your android setup?

RAM used while various things are open (including KODI) is about 618M out of 1718 available. So 1100 MB of free memory.

My disk usage is 2.8 GB with the apps I have installed.

[elatllat]

...No Android market is worse but it simply can't be included...

Why can't https://f-droid.org/ be included?

[crashoverride]

Why can't https://f-droid.org/ be included?

Security and legal accountability.

https://f-droid.org/about/

Although every effort is made to ensure that everything in the repository is safe to install, you use it AT YOUR OWN RISK.

[elatllat]

Why can't https://f-droid.org/ be included?

Security and legal accountability.

https://f-droid.org/about/

Although every effort is made to ensure that everything in the repository is safe to install, you use it AT YOUR OWN RISK.

That is the same as any open source product, and apps are a step removed from core code anyway.
I'm sure odroid is not claiming accountability for android (Stagefright and Heartbleed) but is happy to ship it.
Android has effectively the same statement;

8. Limitation of Liability. In no event and under no legal theory, whether in tort (including negligence), contract, or otherwise, unless required by applicable law (such as deliberate and grossly negligent acts) or agreed to in writing, shall any Contributor be liable to You for damages, including any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages of any character arising as a result of this License or out of the use or inability to use the Work (including but not limited to damages for loss of goodwill, work stoppage, computer failure or malfunction, or any and all other commercial damages or losses), even if such Contributor has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

[rooted]

...No Android market is worse but it simply can't be included...

Why can't https://f-droid.org/ be included?

I suggested this somewhere here on the forum and odroid stated why, I don't remember what he said.

[elatllat]

...No Android market is worse but it simply can't be included...

Why can't https://f-droid.org/ be included?

I suggested this somewhere here on the forum and odroid stated why, I don't remember what he said.

there are only like 7 Google hits, and in the one I looked at he just said he did not like it which is only saying. They are aware of it not why they don't use it.

[Bingo]

Re. setting time on boot

I had problems with my C1 (no rtc battery installed), where bind9 (securedns) was failing/complaining (on the remote's cert's) due to incorrect (no) time.
No DNS resolving on startup suxxs.
I had to use (wait for) ntpdate setting (stepping) the time during boot , before i started bind. Else bind would behave crazy.

Have a look at ntpdate for setting the time, then time is set. And it's not a problem to wait for ntpd to get in sync and vaildate the "tickers/peers"

/Bingo

[cert_]

... and the very very very limited warranty of 4 weeks. In Europe we usually have 2 Years.

Thank you very much!

giukio

there is no "usually have 2 Years" warranty in europe. there is no 2 year warranty in germany.

[noggin]

... and the very very very limited warranty of 4 weeks. In Europe we usually have 2 Years.

Thank you very much!

giukio

there is no "usually have 2 Years" warranty in europe. there is no 2 year warranty in germany.

Yes - 1 year is the norm in the UK.

However I don't know about Germany, but in the UK we have "The Sale of Goods Act". This means that even after a manufacturer warranty expires, if a product fails/breaks etc. within a time period that you would reasonably expect it to continue working, you have legal recourse for repair (or replacement). A product sold must be of 'satisfactory quality'. If you buy a washing machine with a 12 month warranty, and it breaks after 13 months, that suggests it wasn't of satisfactory quality and the sale of goods act means that you still have some legal recourse. However I believe the responsibility is with the seller not the manufacturer - which is why I try to buy from UK suppliers where possible.