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howtos:hardware:arm:hacking_the_xzpad700_7_tablet [2014/02/26 09:18 (UTC)] – [Image Builder] louigi600howtos:hardware:arm:hacking_the_xzpad700_7_tablet [2016/01/14 20:51 (UTC)] – [Sources] louigi600
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 ====== Hacking information from the XZPAD700 ====== ====== Hacking information from the XZPAD700 ======
-This refers to the XZPAD700 (aka zeligpad)  ARM based tablet (the board inside is a AL-A13-RT713) based on an Allwinner A13 SOC. The image builder has support for almost all Axx devices but I'm unable to test it as I've only this one Allwinner SOC device.\\  +This refers to the XZPAD700 (aka zeligpad)  ARM based tablet (AL-A13-RT713 pcb) based on an Allwinner A13 SOC but is technically applicable to all Axx SOC's as to my understanding the all boot in the same manner.\\  
-After having gathered all the required information there's a section on preparing a bootable MicroSD (uSD) with a custom os image, this shoild  be applicable, with a little twitching, on a generic Allwinner Axx based device but it is not generally applicable for creating a bootable image for non Axx based ARM devices.+If you're just interested in getting started really fast skip to the [[http://docs.slackware.com/howtos:hardware:arm:hacking_the_xzpad700_7_tablet#image_builder| image builder]] section.\\ 
 +The [[http://docs.slackware.com/howtos:hardware:arm:hacking_the_xzpad700_7_tablet#image_builder| image builder]]  has support for almost all Allwinner Axx SOC's. I've thoroughly tested it on mt tablet and I've had success reports on CuietruckIf you have had success on some other device please report it on the [[http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-arm-108/ | Slackware ARM]] subforum on  LinuxQuestions.\\ 
    
 ====== Preface ====== ====== Preface ======
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 ===== USB ===== ===== USB =====
-This tablet comes with a mini-AB port with true host/slave functionality. According to the devices specifications it should be an OTG port but if this is the case it's wildly out of spec as it can power up HDU units, internet 3G sticks and other stuff that is typically close to the 500mA limit on standard USB ports. +This tablet comes with a mini-AB port with true host/slave functionality. According to the devices specifications it should be an OTG port but it's wildly out of spec as it can power up HDU units, internet 3G sticks and other stuff that is typically close to the 500mA limit on standard USB ports. The A13 has another USB port that is dedicated do the internal WiFi card.
 There's an article on [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usb#Physical_appearance |wikipedia]] that may be useful to those wishing to make their own adapter for the mini-A socket to put the port in HOST mode. There's an article on [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usb#Physical_appearance |wikipedia]] that may be useful to those wishing to make their own adapter for the mini-A socket to put the port in HOST mode.
  
-With the stock android on the device I've used successfully all sorts of devices without the use of externally powered hubs, but I cannot say the same with the linux-sunxi kernels (both the 3.0 and 3.4 series) where the only things that seem to work right are keyboards, mice and some storage devicesIt's been several months since reported the problem to the sunxi dev mailing list: I don't think they're interested in fixing it for the general public: it's a pity because this makes it pretty much pointless running custom linux images on this tablet, and probably many other Allwinner SOC based devices.+With the stock android on the device I've used successfully all sorts of devices without the use of externally powered hubs, but at time the linux-sunxi kernels make get broken OTG driverIn any case as of 3.4.75 was able to get the USB Ethernet cards working on the OTG port. 
  
 ===== Internal Flash ===== ===== Internal Flash =====
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 There are other various things that could get you booting with a little work but I like to keep things as neutral as possible so that if you are not a Slackware freak you can still use most of the information here to boot whatever suits you best.\\  There are other various things that could get you booting with a little work but I like to keep things as neutral as possible so that if you are not a Slackware freak you can still use most of the information here to boot whatever suits you best.\\ 
-Jeff Doozan has a [[http://download.doozan.com/a10/a10_base-1.3.zip | rescue system]] for the A10 SOC systems,there is a thread on [[ ttp://forum.doozan.com/list.php?6|Doozan's wiki]] regarding his rescue system.\\ +Jeff Doozan has a [[http://download.doozan.com/a10/a10_base-1.3.zip | rescue system]] for the A10 SOC systems,there is a thread on [[ http://forum.doozan.com/list.php?6|Doozan's wiki]] regarding his rescue system.\\ 
 [[http://www.berryterminal.com/doku.php/berryboot_a10 | BerryBoot]] also supports booting custom images for the A10 SOC.\\  [[http://www.berryterminal.com/doku.php/berryboot_a10 | BerryBoot]] also supports booting custom images for the A10 SOC.\\ 
 Thierry Merle's [[http://tmerle.blogspot.fr/2012/09/mele-a2000-my-own-linux-flash-kitchen.html | Flash Kitchen]] has a working solution for the A10. Thierry Merle's [[http://tmerle.blogspot.fr/2012/09/mele-a2000-my-own-linux-flash-kitchen.html | Flash Kitchen]] has a working solution for the A10.
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 and here's a video of the device booting (stable kernel this time) and here's a video of the device booting (stable kernel this time)
 {{youtube>omQBkV7TQa4?medium}} {{youtube>omQBkV7TQa4?medium}}
 +
 +
  
 ==== Image Builder ==== ==== Image Builder ====
 ---- ----
-Here's a link to the [[ftp://ftp.slackware.org.uk/slackwarearm/people/louigi600/ |image builder]] I'm currently using (it has inside all you need to get the Slackware ARM 14 miniroot booting on many Allwinner SOC based devices) just download the files and you're ready to go.  +The image builder is for brewing up an arbitrary size SD image to match whatever size SD you have. It is technically possible to use a 256Mb SD for a Slackware ARM miniroot system with little space for a few extra packages, but I advice to start off with no less then 1/2Gb SD card.\\ 
-The files are also available via [[http://ftp.slackware.org.uk/slackwarearm/people/louigi600/ |http]] or via [[rsync:rsync.slackware.org.uk/slackwarearm/people/louigi600/ |rsync]].+You will need to know what type of architecture your Allwinner SOC is (sun4i, sun5i or sun7i) before you start: look this up [[http://linux-sunxi.org/Allwinner_SoC_Family |here]]. 
 +It is also possible to use this image builder with other distribution's root images but it may require a little manual work if the target distribution does not have the modules in /lib/modules/<kernel version>
 + 
 +Here's a link to the [[ftp://ftp.slackware.org.uk/slackwarearm/people/louigi600/xzpad700 |image builder]] I'm currently using (it has inside all you need to get the Slackware ARM 14.0 or 14.1 miniroot booting on many Allwinner SOC based devices) just download all the files and you're ready to go.  
 +The files are also available via [[http://ftp.slackware.org.uk/slackwarearm/people/louigi600/xzpad700 |http]] or via [[rsync:rsync.slackware.org.uk/slackwarearm/people/louigi600/xzpad700 |rsync]]. 
 + 
 +I've thoroughly tested it on mt tablet and I've had success reports on Cuietruck. If you have had success on some other device please report it on the [[http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-arm-108/ | Slackware ARM ]] subforum on  LinuxQuestions.\\ 
  
-I'll leave the slightly older version on sourceforge as [[http://sourceforge.net/projects/bclash/files/a1x_image_builder/a1x_slackwarearm_image_creator.txz/download |tarball]] for a while It's not really the right place for it as it does not fit in perfectly with my clashNG project but it's related so I hope sourceforge won't mind having it there for a while. +I'll leave the slightly older version on sourceforge as [[http://sourceforge.net/projects/bclash/files/a1x_image_builder/a1x_slackwarearm_image_creator.txz/download |tarball]] for a whileIt's not really the right place for it as it does not fit in perfectly with my clashNG project but it's related so I hope sourceforge won't mind having it there for a while. 
  
 ====== Booting over Network ====== ====== Booting over Network ======
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 howtos:hardware:arm:hacking_the_xzpad700_7_tablet ()