Development | Micro Devices

In this article we describe how to proceed to compile the Openelec image for the Orange PI PC card.

From the Orange PI PC forum, in the Openelec section the developers describe the steps to compile the image

In previous blogs we described how to install debian and how to modify the script.bin file to adapt the hdmi output to our television

Debian installation

Output resolution change

The compilation takes a long time; it is advisable to use multicore processors to speed up the compilation process.

Create a folder, openelec, under orangepi folder and move into it

sviluppo@debian8:~/orangepi$ mkdir openelec
sviluppo@debian8:~/orangepi$ cd openelec
sviluppo@debian8:~/orangepi/openelec$

sviluppo@debian8:~/orangepi$ mkdir openelec

sviluppo@debian8:~/orangepi$ cd openelec

sviluppo@debian8:~/orangepi/openelec$

Install the following packages

sudo apt-get install device-tree-compiler

1	sudo apt-get install device-tree-compiler

With git download the github sources in the local OPENELEC-OPIPC folder

git clone -b openelec-7.0 --depth 1 https://github.com/jernejsk/OpenELEC-OPi2  OPENELEC-OPIPC

1	git clone -b openelec-7.0 --depth 1 https://github.com/jernejsk/OpenELEC-OPi2 OPENELEC-OPIPC

After the above operation access to OPENELEC-OPIPC folder

cd OPENELEC-OPIPC

1	cd OPENELEC-OPIPC

Execute the following command

PROJECT=H3 SYSTEM=opipc ARCH=arm make image

1	PROJECT=H3 SYSTEM=opipc ARCH=arm make image

The process check prerequisities and installs additional packages

**** Your system lacks the following tools needed to build OpenELEC ****
gperf xsltproc /usr/include/ncurses.h
**** You seem to use a debian system ****
would you like to install the needed tools ? (y/n) y

**** Your system lacks the following tools needed to build OpenELEC ****

gperf xsltproc /usr/include/ncurses.h

**** You seem to use a debian system ****

would you like to install the needed tools ? (y/n) y

Insert the root password when required; after the prerequisites installation the compilation begins.

At the end of the compilation in the target folder we find the files to install or update Openelec

The file having the .img.gz extension is to upack and tranfer to a micro sd card as described in previous posts.
The file with .tar extension is to be copied in the update folder on the Openelec system; this file updates the system when rebooting the Orange PI PC card

In this article we describe Debian 8.5 installation we’ll use to compile Openelec for Orange Pi PC, Enigma2 images and other operations for embedded devices.

Download AMD64 Debian 8.5 iso

Debian X86_64

Proceed with the operating system installation on your system. It is recommended to use a virtual machine like VirtualBox. Use at least 4 GB of ram and 50 GB of hard disk.

VirtualBox

Using VirtualBox it is possible the virtual disk creation with dynamic space allocation. After the operating system installation log on into the system with the user created during the installation; we used the “sviluppo” user id. It is possible to log on to the linux system using the graphical interface or through ssh to the IP address of the Debian system.

Add to sudo group the user created in the Debian installation; open a shell command window and execute

id

In our case we have the following output

sviluppo@debian8:~$ id
uid=1000(sviluppo) gid=1000(sviluppo) groups=1000(sviluppo),24(cdrom),25(floppy),29(audio),30(dip),44(video),46(plugdev),108(netdev),115(bluetooth),118(lpadmin),119(scanner)

1 2	sviluppo@debian8:~$ id uid=1000(sviluppo) gid=1000(sviluppo) groups=1000(sviluppo),24(cdrom),25(floppy),29(audio),30(dip),44(video),46(plugdev),108(netdev),115(bluetooth),118(lpadmin),119(scanner)

sviluppo user doesn’t belong to sudo group. Execute the command

su -

su -

Enter the root password when required and execute

root@debian8:~# adduser user sudo

1	root@debian8:~# adduser user sudo

In our example

root@debian8:~# adduser sviluppo sudo

1	root@debian8:~# adduser sviluppo sudo

Reboot the system

root@debian8:~# reboot

1	root@debian8:~# reboot

At the reboot log on into Debian and proceed to add the packages repositories, if not already present. Go to the /etc/apt folder

cd /etc/apt

1	cd /etc/apt

Backup the original file

sudo cp sources.list sources.list.back

1	sudo cp sources.list sources.list.back

Edit the file using for example the vi editor

sudo vi sources.list

1	sudo vi sources.list

It is possible to comment out the lines positioning at the beginning of the line, press i to go in editing mode and add the # character. Pressing the ESC key we go into reading mode and it is possible to move in the file using the arrow keys. In case of errors in editing mode it is possible to avoid the last change using the key ESC+u.

Comment out the lines

#deb http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates main contrib
#deb-src http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates main contrib

1 2	#deb http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates main contrib #deb-src http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates main contrib

Add the following lines

deb http://httpredir.debian.org/debian jessie main contrib non-free
deb-src http://httpredir.debian.org/debian jessie main contrib non-free

deb http://httpredir.debian.org/debian jessie-updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://httpredir.debian.org/debian jessie-updates main contrib non-free

deb http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates main contrib non-free

deb http://httpredir.debian.org/debian jessie main contrib non-free

deb-src http://httpredir.debian.org/debian jessie main contrib non-free

deb http://httpredir.debian.org/debian jessie-updates main contrib non-free

deb-src http://httpredir.debian.org/debian jessie-updates main contrib non-free

deb http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates main contrib non-free

deb-src http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates main contrib non-free

To add the lines press o keys to go into writing mode with an empty new line; with copy and paste we can add all the lines or proceed manually for each of them.

To save the file and quit press ESC+:wq.

It is possible to use one of the text editors available in Desktop Envinroment on which we logged into to edit and save the file. For example to use pluma editor open a shell command windows and execute

xhost +
sudo pluma

1 2	xhost + sudo pluma

From pluma open the file /etc/apt/sources.list, make the changes described above and save the file.

Update the repository lists and the packages

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

1 2	sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get upgrade

Install the development packages

sudo apt-get install dpkg-dev

1	sudo apt-get install dpkg-dev

Install an ftp server to use for files transfer

sudo apt-get install vsftpd

1	sudo apt-get install vsftpd

After the installation open the file /etc/vsftpd.conf and uncomment the following parameter

#write_enable=YES

1	#write_enable=YES

Open the file with vi or pluma as superuser

sudo vi /etc/vsftpd.conf

1	sudo vi /etc/vsftpd.conf

With vi editor search the string with the command

/write_enable

1	/write_enable

Delete the # character positioning the cursor on it and pressing the x key.

write_enable=YES

1	write_enable=YES

Save and quit with ESC+:wq.

Restart the ftp server using the command

sudo service vsftpd restart

1	sudo service vsftpd restart

We have now the envinronment to compile, modify, develop our embedded systems.

Micro Devices

Category Archives: Development

Openelec compilation for Orange PI PC

Debian envinronment for embedded systems development

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