I prepared the micro SD and started the machine. I went through the entire boot process, configured the wifi, and accessed via SSH to facilitate the configuration process.
No surprises so far.
To work around the problem with GPG, I upgraded the system using the parameter apt-get --allow-unauthenticated upgrade.
apt-get --allow-unauthenticated upgrade
I did a dist-upgrade and went through the process; it was slow but without problems other than GPG.
I expected the wifi failure when restarting the machine, but that’s not what happened. The wifi continued to work normally, and I could log into the machine via SSH. The problem with me was the keyboard with switched keys; for example, I opened the terminal and typed p; instead of the letter P, it opened the screen properties.
I want a lighter Linux distro; honestly, I don’t even need a GUI. And Ubuntu is just too heavy.
If anyone is working on a lighter image, please let me know.
So do I. It’s bad to the point where I have to think about creating my image. I want to avoid that; I haven’t compiled the kernel in over a decade, although I haven’t used a machine that only boots from removable media in about three decades.
The CM4 devterm uses raspbian repos. Does the CM4 uConsole not use raspbian?
A06 on devterm has always used ubuntu and has had issues with apt in the past. I got my A06 devterm initially, but I’ve since switched it over to CM4, and when I ordered the uConsole I got a CM4 too, partly because the upgrade path seemed to be more “stable”, and I really didn’t notice much a difference in terms of performance.
I’ve been playing with my A06 uConsole for a few days. I hit a number of roadbumps, but I’ve made it over most of them.
Assembly was super easy. I really appreciate the time and care Clockwork put into the user manual. It’s around Lego or Ikea quality, and I mean that has the highest of complements.
The OS was in a bit rougher shape. Out of the box, it needed some work. Here is a list of changes I made to customize it and add quality of life:
Changed cpi user password
Migrated cpi user to a custom user account
Disabled auto-login and re-enabled lightdm
Fixed apt repo key issues
Uninstalled a ton of software I didn’t want
Removed PPAs I don’t need
Configured and themed XFCE (I see hyperland in my future though)
Made the A06 gearbox app runnable with sudo without a password
Wrote a script to use Cmd+F1-F6 shortcuts that changes the gear and shows a notification of the gear shift
Tuned power usage a bit to get around 6-7 hours of battery life
Tons of little tweaks
The one big roadblock left is sleep. I can get it to enter ‘deep’ sleep and wake up just fine now, but the battery drain seems unchanged when in deep sleep mode. I’ve just been shutting down and powering on when I’m carrying it around.
Overall, I’m really happy with it. Lots of tinkering which is what I got it for. I’ll start working on a custom kernel soon.
I love the machine, but I still need help with the software.
The main thing is that I still haven’t been able to update the system without it becoming unusable.
to /boot/armbianEnv.txt to get “normal” network device names back. Predictable network names is a cool idea, but makes scripting stuff a pain in the ass.
