[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Ubuntu is a Debian-based Linux operating system, with Unity as its default desktop environment. It is based on free software and named after the Southern African philosophy of ubuntu (literally, “human-ness”), which often is translated as “humanity towards others” or “the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity”.

In this article, we will look how to build Ubuntu Unity image for pcDuino.

[/vc_column_text][vc_tour][vc_tab title=”Notes” tab_id=”1388885671-1-21″][vc_column_text]Many people have asked to check if there are source files of ubuntu, so that they can build ubuntu system by themselves. Here we would like to make clear that it doesn’t require compilation work to build ubuntu system.

Ubuntu system consists of  many deb software packages. We just need to install these deb packages to the same one directory one by one. But Ubuntu consists of many hundreds of deb packages, it’s impracticable to install them one by one.  People normally use a tool like debootstap to download and install.

But it is highly likely that the system is unstable if you build your own Ubuntu system that way. We recommend to download core rootfs from Ubuntu or linaro website.  We can install packages using ‘$sudo apt-get xxx” on the base of the core file system.

Please note that when we custom build the ubuntu system, please pay attention to the version of kernel. For example, the version of kernel is 3.2.0 for Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, and we should use kernel is newer than this version. Our pcDuino has a kernel of version 3.4.29+, so we cannot use ubuntu 12.10 as the kernel it targets is of version 3.5.0.

the probability of your own to make the system unstable ubuntu relatively large, it is recommended you go to ubuntu or linaro official website to download the core rootfs. You can use the file system on the core apt-get command, and then you go to customize your ubuntu system. Also note that when you customize the system kernel version, does not make sense for a different kernel version ubuntu, ubuntu 12.04 LTS example, corresponds to the minimum kernel version is 3.2.0, you can also use more than the kernel version of the kernel. Our board is 3.4.29 + kernel, install ubuntu 12.10 on not installed because its kernel is 3.5.0.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tab][vc_tab title=”Build Basic Firmware Image” tab_id=”1388885671-2-27″][vc_column_text]Before we start, we should read Build Archlinux Image for pcDuino first.

We can go to linaro website to download the last development version 12.11 after version 12.04.

http://www.linaro.org/downloads/1211

We download the software from: http://releases.linaro.org/12.11/ubuntu/precise-images/developer

On the X86-64 machine, we can do the following:

Build Basic Image:

Create a blank img image:

#dd if=/dev/zero   of=ubuntu.img  bs=1M count=3800

For the image to ext3 format:

#mke2fs -t ext3 ubuntu.img

Mount the newly created image:

#sudo mount  -t  ext3  -o   loop  ubuntu.img  /mnt

#sudo  tar xvf  linaro-precise-developer-20121124-513.tar.gz -C  /mnt

Next, we should replace kernel.

Firstly, we will unpack pcduino_a10_hwpack_XXXXXXXX.tar.xz under  directory: kernel/output/.

#tar xvf pcduino_a10_hwpack_XXXXXX.tar.xz

#sudo rm /mnt/lib/modules/* -rf

#sudo cp rootfs/lib/modules/3.4.29+/ /mnt/lib/modules/ -rf

The extracted directory rootfs is used to replace the corresponding location under /mnt.

Unmount:

#sudo umount /mnt

As the desktop of ubuntu is large, here we recommend to use TF card to install.

Insert a SD larger than 8GB into the PC, and burn 20130906 SD bootable version of pcDuino to it. We copy uImage and script.bin of pcduino_a10_hwpack_xxxxxxx.tar.xz to it.

Now on Virtual X86-64 PC, mount the USB drive, and do:

#dd of= ubuntu.img   if=the second partition of your TF  bs=1M

After this, we insert the finished TF card to pcDuino, and boot from the SD card. After the reboot, it is ubuntu 12.11

Next, we move on the work on pcDuino:
$passwd linaro  #set password

$sudo apt-get update

$sudo  apt-get upgrade

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tab][vc_tab title=”Install desktop” tab_id=”1388888444750-2-0″][vc_column_text]

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tab][vc_tab title=”Install display card driver” tab_id=”1388888618211-3-10″][vc_column_text]

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tab][vc_tab title=”Configure Desktop” tab_id=”1388889035588-4-6″][vc_column_text]

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tab][vc_tab title=”Finish up” tab_id=”1388889135702-5-1″][vc_column_text]The login screen:

Desktop:

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tab][/vc_tour][/vc_column][/vc_row]