Projects:Orange Pi 4 Workstation

Project: Workstation computer built using Orange Pi 4 running Linux fulfilling Goal:Technology.

Requirements

open source software
- ability to build all of the components and utilities from source
standalone and independent
- ability to build on the target hardware in order to be independent
up-to-date software
- mainline kernel (with only a few necessary patches)
- actively maintained distribution
NO binary blobs

multiple 64-bit ARM cores which provides enough horsepower for common tasks
4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM is sufficient for common tasks given it will run Linux
1 Gbps Ethernet & WiFi & Bluetooth for solid connectivity
tiny form factor frees up lots of space (compared to a standard desktop tower PC)
low power consumption makes this cheap to run
low noise levels thanks to a single slow running fan

☑ Try pre-built images
- BSP Linux on Orange Pi 4: [+] everything mostly works, [–] old kernel with missing components
- Armbian on Orange Pi 4: [+] new kernel, [–] high power usage, incomplete HW support (e.g. graphics)
☆ Try custom-built images
- ☓ BSP Linux on Orange Pi 4: [+] collection of shell scripts useful for studying, [–] couldn't get it to boot, not very robust.
- ☆ Armbian on Orange Pi 4: [+] generic build system, patch files applied to mainline repositories, [–] x86_64 Ubuntu build system not usable on the target device
  - ☑ Legacy kernel (4.4.213), Ubuntu Bionic, standard console image: OK
  - ☓ Current kernel (5.4.32), Ubuntu Bionic, minimal console image: Kernel doesn't boot
  - ☓ Current kernel (5.4.32), Ubuntu Bionic, standard console image: Kernel doesn't boot
  - ☑ Dev kernel (5.6.4), Ubuntu Bionic, minimal console image: OK
☐ Design a custom image-building process
- ☐ U-Boot: U-Boot on Orange Pi 4
- ☐ Linux: Mainline Linux on Orange Pi 4
- ☐ Image & flash an SD card
- ☐ Flash updates
☐ Build on the target device