[BPI-R2] Banana Pi R2 - newer OS (ubuntu) and run from emmc

#1

Hi, I find old banana pi r2 board. I would like to use it. Unfortunately, many of the sources for the software not work or are not unpatched. I found ubuntu mate but the last update is from the first half of 2018r which is a very long time ago. I would like a minimum of something based on ubuntu 18.04 and on some newer kernel. Can I find somewhere some newer software that can run on this hardware without any problem? Is anyone able to help me? I have tried many OS but nothing but the old one works properly.

I tried to upload an image to the mmc memory of the device - and it was rather successful but despite many attempts without an inserted SD card the OS does not boot. When I have the SD card inserted and changed, for example, the indication in fstab and uEnv.txt then the system boots and the path for ‘/’ points to emmc memory. When I remove the card and reboot the device nothing happens.

I’m new and just getting started

#2

You could try my last debian image

You can also use it as base and replace rootfs with armhf ubuntu and/or replace kernel with newer one from my repo.

https://wiki.fw-web.de/doku.php?id=en:bpi-r2:ubuntu

#3

Hi @frank-w I tried your image. I burned the image to SD memory but the OS rerstarts and reboots, yes all the time. I tried it twice.

#4

Hi I also found an old R2 and want to reactivate it as a Web-/Nextcloudserver and for running Pihole. I’d like to have a Ubuntu Server version (so no unneccessary applications like the office package or GUI are using resources in daily usage). I tried building my own Ubuntu Server image with this How-to. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to produce a running Ubuntu Server image. Is there anyone able to build a Server image? I think this would make many people happy…

I don’t really care if it’s a 16.04 or 22.04 server image, upgrading is easy in my opinion. But removing/purging all unnecessary packages may lead to some errors (if removing too much)

Thanks in advance

#5

Have you soldered the powerbutton or any such modification?

My uboot repo creates bootable images without kernel and rootfs for all bpi router boards.

For r2 use the bpi-r2.img.gz

https://github.com/frank-w/u-boot/releases/download/CI-BUILD-2023-04-bpi-2023.04-rc3-2023-03-04_1618/bpi-r2.img.gz

Write unpacked image to sdcard and try to boot…then you can add rootfs (you can get via debotstrap see my wiki) and kernel (precompiled or self compiled from my linux-repo)

#6

1 @frank-w I downloaded and run the image which I think is from you “ubuntu-18.04-bpi-r2-preview.img”. At first glance it looked ok. Does it support WiFi? If yes, how can I turn on and configure it.

2 I also downloaded this: https://download.banana-pi.dev/d/ca025d76afd448aabc63/?p=%2FImages%2FBPI-R2%2FUbuntu18.04&mode=list If it works then it is possible that I will stay with it. But I have a problem because the internet connection over wifi works fine but when I have an ethernet cable connected to the WAN port it no longer works. Do you know how I can configure to make the cable connection work?

#7

If it is from me you should have a wifi.sh either in /root or /usr/local/sbin

If this is missing you can download it from my kernel repo

You will also need wmt tools and firmware-files

See readme there how to install these. Ubuntu 18.4 is very old and no more maintained…you cannot install any packages from official repos so you should use a newer version like i described.

#8

I have already downloaded and burned to the card the image you sent earlier (bpi-r2.img.gz). I will check how it works and let you know. If I have a problem with something I will write.

#9

I wanted to use a newer system as you recommended (you wrote that 18.04 is old and no more maintained) I run that image what you uploaded but I only have one color screen (like pink), nothing more :frowning:

#10

As i said zhe bpi-r2.img is only a image without rootfs and kernel…it boots till u-boot bootloader. Hdmi is initlized in linux first if enabled. Before you need a a usb2uart adapter to access the device

#11

I understand, thanks for the clarification. I don’t have such an adapter. Can I somehow add rootfs and kernel to the image / to the card so that I have a complete, bootable OS?

#12

Yes you can do it if you know exactly what you do :slight_smile: i recommend using such adapter to not driving blind

#13

You can try this too:

But it is in early alpha state. The script generates an up-to-date image with newest uboot and kernel.