MP60 Blackview mini computer

[last updated: 2023-12-17]
Linux home page
Linux 21.1 installation on MP60
blog notes...
(link to:) Blackview mfr site
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• bought April 2023 from amazon

• Initial checkout:
  connected HDMI to monitor
  connected keyboard to a USB port
  power on and went through process of setting up windows 11
        declined/disabled all tracking/reporting
        declined/disabled all wifi/network
  all successful
  • Problem...
    On first power-up, Logitech wireless keyboard not recognized.
    Plugged in wired keyboard to log in.
    Subsequent tests power-down/up suggested some problem with the dongle.
          One time tried unplugging dongle, then plugging it back in. Successful
          One time moved dongle to different (not USB-3) port. Successful

  ----------

  There was a Warning sticker on the case:
  "During the system boot process, if you cannot log into your personal account,
  turn off wifi and LAN, select the skip option,
  then log in to your personal account."

  ------------------------------------------------------------

• Edit boot config:
  powered off
  power on, and repeatedly press < esc >
  if "exit without saving" screen comes up,
        (you pressed esc too many times...)
        arrow key to "No", press enter

  arrow key to select Boot from top menu bar
  arrow down to select Boot Option #1
  press enter
  select disabled
  press enter

  right arrow to select save & exit in top menu bar
  press enter
  yes to confirm and exit

  power off
  ------------------------------------------------------------

• Boot from Linux USB stick:
  insert Linux USB stick
  power on
  linux boot menu should come up
  press enter to boot from the usb
  linux should come up
  close down linux per usual
  ------------------------------------------------------------

• Install Linux from USB stick:
  ------------------------------------------------------------

• Install WD 250gb SSD:
  Power down, open back, insert SSD, power up...
  $ lsblk shows both drives:
  sda       232.9G
  sdb       476.9G
  sdb1       512M
  sdb2       476.4G

  ------------------------------------------------------------

• Installed Arduino 1.8.19
  • Initially could not get it to recognize my nano
    $ lsusb did show "Qinheng CH340" when Nano plugged in
  • Tools --> Port showed /dev/ttyS4
    ... regardless of whether an Arduino was plugged in or not...
    but IDE showed error: "Error downloading https://downloads... .json
    surely due to not being connected to wifi...
  • google says I may need to install CH340 drivers...
  • However the problem was fixed by disabling the BRLTTY module.
    

  ------------------------------------------------------------

• Blog:
  • Intent is to never put this online, except for periodic updates or downloading new software...
  • Arduino installation:
    • downloaded RTClib-2.1.1.zip on tower, transferred on USB stick, and successfully installed into IDE as zip file
    • now it needs Adafruit_I2CDevice.h
      which is part of Adafruit.BusIO
      downloaded onto tower, transferred, installed in IDE as zip. removed 'master' in name. Successful.
    • now it needs Adafruit_GFX.h
      found: Adafruit-GFX-Library-master.zip on tower
      transferred, installed in IDE, removed 'master'. Successful.
    • now it wants Adafruit_SSD1306.h
      downloaded onto tower, transferred, installed in IDE, removed 'master', all successful.
      sprinkler-08a COMPILES!
  • FreeCAD AppImage runs just fine. Used it a lot, no crashes yet...

  • Failures?
    A friend has one of these and it failed after maybe 6 mo. He discovered it has a fan, and it had gotten clogged, with result it overheated and apaparently burned up the processor.
    FWIW ...

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