Please make GT-king Pro compatible with armbian ..

JFL

gtkingpro.ac2n replied at 2021-04-10 16:30
Hello, and thank you jfl for your answer, indeed I expected some problems since I had your post wit ...

To avoid kernel panic, just copy over the u-boot.ext from @darkstar Debian 5.10.12 (file size 718.2KB) if you use the uboot-s905x2-s922(file size 722.7KB) to uboot.ext you will have kernel panic.


The meson-g12b-gtking-pro.dtb from @darkstar 5.10.12 or Manjaro-Arm image works on GT King Pro.  If I am not mistaken the rev a. dtb is for legacy kernel not for mainline kernel.  I am surprise you can boot with legacy dtb on mainline kernel.  I tried before it did not boot up.

gtkingpro.ac2n

Big big thank to @jfl
So I can boot with uboot.ext and gtking-pro.dtb from debian 5.10 @darkstar
and there is no freeze, I was able to restore my Yunohost server backups, it works !! Only small problem I lose the hdmi signal during startup (probably linked to Panfrost, I had the same problem with manjaro that I solved by adding I do not really know what in / etc / environment)
The server is running is accessible in LAN and WAN I am very happy I will make a return after having tested a little more in depth .. But I was able to reinstall Nextcloud, Jellyfin, Rainloop, Yeswiki, Wallabag, Webmin without any problem ..
I noticed during the various restorations that the cpu very often remained at its minimum value whether in Ondemand or in Schedutil, I therefore set in schedutil between 1500Mhz and 1800Mhz, another small detail I boot on USB OTG but I I also have my keyboard / mouse connected to one of the other USB ports.
All this seems very promising ...

gtkingpro.ac2n

Ah well after 7h30 of operation several backup restores, I finally suffered a freeze during the calibre-web installation .. Anyway my yunohost web server is in place .. I will try the install again. if it passes to the second try .. Thank you again ..

Edit : Freeze again while install calibre-web..

JFL

gtkingpro.ac2n replied at 2021-04-11 05:23
Ah well after 7h30 of operation several backup restores, I finally suffered a freeze during the cali ...

I heve read that kernel 5.9.0 could have issue with Panfrost (memory leak or something like that) that could cause issue.  So try to disable Panfrost to see whtether there is any issue.  

Try using Manjaro-Arm meson-g12b-gtking-pro.dtb (file size in range of 73-74KB) of  see whether it works better.  
As far as I know with the new chainloader u-boot.ext it resolve the system freeze/kernel panic in relation to Linux mainline kernel GT King Pro.
The default cpufrequtils MIN_SPEED=504000 works well in my case and the ondemand in Armbian seems to works faster/more agressive in terms of ramping to higher cpu frequencies.

gtkingpro.ac2n

JFL replied at 2021-04-11 07:31
I heve read that kernel 5.9.0 could have issue with Panfrost (memory leak or something like that) t ...

Hi jfl

I'm not sure, how do you deactivate Panfrost ..? really not sure that my freeze comes from there since I do not use any graphical environment, normally if I had an hdmi signal when I start the Yunohost server we just have a CLI command prompt nothing more because everything happens by connection on the server...

I will try to boot with the dtb taken in the last manjaro Manjaro-ARM-xfce-vim3-21.03.img and we will see if I also have the freeze if I try to install Calibre-web ..

Another thing, I tried to start with another SSD connected to one of the other USB ports but it does not start (well yes but on Android), and on the other hand no problem if I have my USB receiver for the Logitech keyboard Dinovo Mini connected to one of the other USB ports.

Another strange little detail I opened 2 SSH windows one with htop running and the other I run armbian-config if I set the cpu to Performance at 1700MHz, Htop indicates 1.7GHz on the other hand if I set to 1800MHz, Htop indicates 1.9Ghz and if I set to 1900MHz htop indicates 1.99GHz => really weird isn't it? Especially since it seemed to me that the max value recommended by Amlogic was finally 1.8GHz precisely because of instability of the processor with higher frequencies (maybe things have improved since then, but it is maybe this is where this "freeze" problem comes from)

Come on I will continue the tests, thank you again ..

gtkingpro.ac2n

Would it be possible to update the kernel for 5.10 since it seems that Panfrost is functional on kernel 5.10, and if so that it is the right way to update the kernel ..?
https://www.phoronix.com/scan.ph ... -Amlogic-Linux-5.10

gtkingpro.ac2n

Very well, using the dtb coming from Manjaro, I recovered the hdmi signal and I was able to finish the installation of Caliber-web without problem .. I specify I set the cpu in schedutil between 100MHz and 1700MHz in order to not to make the processor work at 1.9Ghz .. Apparently the dtb from manjaro is much more suitable ..
Thank you and thank you again @jfl @darkstart @spikerguy ...

JFL

gtkingpro.ac2n replied at 2021-04-11 16:00
Hi jfl

I'm not sure, how do you deactivate Panfrost ..? really not sure that my freeze comes from ...

Hi gtkingpro.ac2n,

another thing, I tried to start with another SSD connected to one of the other USB ports

This is known limitation with chanloader u-boot.  If your boot image is on a SD Card you will not have this limitation.  I posted the my observations in Manjaro Forum.

1700MHz, Htop indicates 1.7GHz on the other hand if I set to 1800MHz, Htop indicates 1.9Ghz and if I set to 1900MHz htop indicates 1.99GHz => really weird isn't it?

The ondemand or schedutil will follow the "scaling_available_frequencies" set by the system.  For examples in Manjaro-Arm for VIM3 image, the "scaling_available_frequencies" for A53 (policy0) are

100000 250000 500000 667000 1000000 1200000 1398000 1512000 1608000 1704000 1896000 1992000

and for A73 (policy2)

100000 250000 500000 667000 1000000 1200000 1398000 1512000 1608000 1704000 1800000 1908000

You can check for Armbian if I remember is basically the same also most likely related to the dtb used.

So far with these frequecies GT King Pro is stable enough but then I don't run it as a server 24/7.  For system stablility it should be ok to lower the CPU Max-Speed.

if I also have the freeze if I try to install Calibre-web ..

If run without "Calibre-web" or Yunohost server installed does your device freeze?   

gtkingpro.ac2n

Hi @jfl
so everything seems ok if I use the boot.ext file taken in debian 5.10 from @darkstar and use the dtb file taken in the last Manjaro .. I even have the hdmi signal again until the end of boot process and for the moment no "freeze" ... Victory ... I was able to finish the installation of Caliber-web which had "freeze" twice when I used the @darkstar dtb .. the Only 2 "freeze" I suffered, I test only the Yunohost installation ..
I continued by installing a monitoring application (Netdata) I would like to share with you the web link to my netdata where you can see how the gt-king pro behaves in web-server install but I will not leave it on the forum, if you have an idea

Using the CPU at 1800MHz gives 1.7GHz under htop? while 1900MHz gives 1.9Ghz under Htop, another good point for using Manjaro dtb ..!

JFL

gtkingpro.ac2n replied at 2021-04-11 22:42
Hi @jfl
so everything seems ok if I use the boot.ext file taken in debian 5.10 from @darkstar and us ...

Great.  Glad to hear one more GT King Pro user on Linux mainline.