[device-port][halium-7.1][gtexswifi] Galaxy Tab A 7.0

[bfourk]

Tree: halium-7.1

• [x] Create manifest https://github.com/bfourk/halium-devices/blob/halium-7.1/manifests/samsung_gtexswifi.xml
• [x] Boot image and system image build successfully
• [x] Device boots into rootfs, usb: Manufacturer: GNU/Linux Device appears in dmesg on host.
• [ ] LXC container starts and does not crash
• [ ] libhybris tests
  • [ ] test_gps
  • [ ] test_hwcomposer
  • [ ] test_lights
  • [ ] test_vibrator
  • [ ] test_wifi
  • [ ] test_sensors
  • [ ] test_audio
  • [ ] test_camera
  • [ ] test_input
  • [ ] test_nfc
  • [ ] test_recorder

NOTE: this tablet requires a 512-byte header appended to the boot.img before it will even attempt to boot. This header is the letters "DHTB" followed by 508 NULL bytes.

[bfourk]

Managed to patch the kernel and it compiles with CONFIG_TMPFS_POSIX_ACL set, haven't attempted to boot it yet.

[bfourk]

I've gotten as far as booting into the init environment, and telnet'ing into the tablet. I haven't managed to get it to boot into the rootfs, not with hybris-boot or halium-boot.

[19atlas]

halium is booting? because documation says CONFIG_IKCONFIG and CONFIG_IKCONFIG_PROC must be y

[bfourk]

It's been a while since I've worked on this, but I was attempting to port Ubuntu Touch, and I got as far as the startup screen showing and freezing. I could still use ssh via. USB internet to control the tablet and it appeared to be booted into the distro (I believe I used halium-boot).

I used the kernel config check to set the configuration, and I remember having to unset CONFIG_USER_NS because it was causing compile problems.

[19atlas]

Well, if there are any files you use (such as defconfig), could you share them?

also gtexswifi needs DHTB to booting ubuntu touch?

(booting is important to me to port postmarketos)

[bfourk]

Yes, the tablet will refuse to use the boot.img unless the DHTB part is appended to the beginning of the image (at least on mine)

I have tried porting pmOS as well, and ran into much the same issue as Ubuntu Touch (graphics froze on startup screen, could still SSH into the tablet)

I unfortunately don't have the defconfig anymore for Ubuntu Touch, but I do have the defconfig+files from pmOS, I've attached them to this comment.

pmos-gtexswifi.zip

[19atlas]

Yes, the tablet will refuse to use the boot.img unless the DHTB part is appended to the beginning of the image (at least on mine)

I have tried porting pmOS as well, and ran into much the same issue as Ubuntu Touch (graphics froze on startup screen, could still SSH into the tablet)

I unfortunately don't have the defconfig anymore for Ubuntu Touch, but I do have the defconfig+files from pmOS, I've attached them to this comment.

pmos-gtexswifi.zip

thank you so much btw "refuse" do you mean to stuck on Samsung logo (my device do this)? also I couldn't find anything about DHTB in the deviceinfo you shared. could i use this?

[bfourk]

Yes, it would get stuck on the Samsung logo without the header.

So, for pmOS I would export the boot.img, and before flashing it to my tablet, I wrote a script that would add the header (for some reason the tablet just checks for the headers existence, it doesn't check if it's valid) You know it's working if there's red text on the top of the screen a few seconds after the Samsung logo pops up

I wrote a small bash script to do this for me, you can use it ./append-header boot.img and it will automatically append the header to the beginning of the image for you. It's only 3 lines, and you can use a hex editor if you want instead (just copy the 512-byte file to the beginning of the image file)

append-header.zip

[19atlas]

I wrote a small bash script to do this for me, you can use it ./append-header boot.img and it will automatically append the header to the beginning of the image for you. It's only 3 lines, and you can use a hex editor if you want instead (just copy the 512-byte file to the beginning of the image file)

append-header.zip

finaly i can see postmarketOS (thank you again). Could I use the script you sent in my own port in the future? (also this script maybe work gtexlte[sm-t285])

[bfourk]

Yes, you can use the script. I don't have gtexslte, so I'm not sure if the header will work there or if it needs to be valid (my script just appends a null header which is enough for gtexswifi)