[RobotRefPlatform] RRP Build Script Betas

[Ralph Gnauck]

All based on the feedback so far here are the links to the Build Scripts.

 

http://hbrobotics.org/wiki/images/3/37/HBRC_RRP_SD_Build.tar.gz.doc
http://hbrobotics.org/wiki/images/7/71/README.pdf

NOTE: The HBRC_RRP_SD_Build.tar.gz.doc file has a .doc extension, this was to get around the file type limits on the WiKi, rename the file to remove the .doc after downloading it, it is really a compressed tar ball.

Instructions are in the README.pdf.

 

!!!!  Here are  Couple of IMPORTANT notes not yet in the README: !!!

 

1: Make sure you get rootstock version 0.1.99.4, older versions wont work!

 

2: Shut down any other copies of Synaptic or apt-get that are already running before starting the scripts.

 

3: The X-Server is not tested yet, (there may not be one installed)

 

4: DO NOT be tempted to browse the SD Card in a File Manager or similar window while the scripts are running (even the ones that Ubuntu opens automatically when the card is mounted), the card needs to be unmounted during the process and will fail to do so if you have clicked in a window to look at the files.

They WILL TAKE a LONG Time, the complete build will take 3-5 hours!! 

 

There are three steps:

Run a script on the host to build the initial image
Put card in panda and boot, run a script on panda to install proper kernel files.
Reboot, run another script on panda to install  TI extensions for graphics and WiFi

It is the last step that take the longest, the rest should run in about 1 hour.
You can play with the board after step 2 but it wont have the WiFi  or graphics running.

Full details are in the README.pdf

 

Let me know how you go.

Ralph

---

 

...

 

> Hi all,
> We have developed a first version of a set of scripts that will build an
> image for a Pandaboard.
> We also need to test that the build is actually stable and supports the
> functions of the Pandaboard properly.
> This is very much a first pass, once we have a stable method of creating
> a base image we can look at what additional changes are needed to
> include additional packages, change the kernel etc, etc to come up with
> the actual RRP Image V1.0.
> This initial version builds Ubuntu 10.10 armel.
> It uses the TI 2.6.35-980-omap4 kernel and installs the
> Ubuntu-omap4-extras package to support the SGX and WiFi functions of the
> board.
> These scripts use Ubuntu rootstock to build an initial SD Card image.
> Once that is create it is used to boot the system, then two more scripts
> are run on the Pandabord to install the full kernel package and install
> the TI-Extras etc.
> The whole process runs to about 3-5 hours!!
> Eventually when we have a stable image created we can look at creating
> pre-built images that can simply be downloaded and un-tared in one step,
> but for now these scripts give us a repeatable method of creating the
> images from scratch.
...

> Thanks,
> Ralph
>

[Ralph Gnauck]

I have just updated the Club WiKi pages to include links to the Build Scripts under the pages relating to the Robot reference platform.

 

Ralph

---

From: Ralph Gnauck <ralp...@pacbell.net>
To: robotrefere...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thu, May 26, 2011 8:19:41 PM
Subject: [RobotRefPlatform] RRP Build Script Betas

[Osman Eralp]

Many thanks to Ralph for putting together these instructions! I was
able to get the RRP image up and running with no major problems. My
only issue is that I can't get the wireless to work. I'll post my
issue in another thread.

The image seems to be a minimal Ubuntu install, which may not be
appropriate for everyone. Do we have list of differences between the
RRP image and the PandaBoard Prebuilt Ubuntu binaries (http://
omappedia.org/wiki/Prebuilt_ubuntu_binaries)? Such a list might help
people understand what they are getting into by using the RRP image.

--Osman

[Ralph Gnauck]

Osman, glad you got your panda up.

Please send me the details of the router you are using and how it is configured, SSID, is it hidden or broadcasting the SID, security WEP/WPA/WPA2 or none.

 

Key mode (should be Private  (PSK) I expect).

 

What band is it b,g,a,n?

 

Any channel settings etc.

 

Ill try to suggest the correct configs for you.

 

NOTE:only limited setups will work.

 

Recommended is:

Use WPA-Personal mode.

Cipher Type - TKIP or AES. AES recommended if you have a choice.

SSID must be broadcast, not hidden.

Use a passphrase.

 

Also have you connected an external antenna or are you using the chip antenna?

 

There were some instructions I followed to "Calibrate" the WiFi module, ill try to find them again and post them also.

 

 

 

As for the State of the RRP Build.  This is still a Beta build so is not considered complete.

 

I am working on verifying an X-server config and Window manager to use, however the intention for the RRP is to not be an X based platform, it is intended for primarily on board Robotics applications that would not normally have a mouse/keyboard or monitor attached.

 

It is intended that you would normally access it via a ssh shell from the network.

 

That said I do intend to get the X-Server running, but you would need to log onto the board and then manually start it if you want to use it.

 

If you have other suggestions for standard packages you think should be included let us know, it is easy to add them to the scripts. That's what the beta program is for, to find out what we need.

 

Others at HBRC/Willow Garage are also working on bringing ROS up on the panda board so you can use that also. Details will be posted once it is up and running.

 

 

Ralph

 

 

 

 

---

From: Osman Eralp <osman...@gmail.com>
To: RobotReferencePlatform <robotrefere...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sun, May 29, 2011 10:59:30 AM
Subject: [RobotRefPlatform] Re: RRP Build Script Betas

[Osman Eralp]

On Mon, May 30, 2011 at 11:15 AM, Ralph Gnauck <ralp...@pacbell.net> wrote:

Osman, glad you got your panda up.

Please send me the details of the router you are using and how it is configured, SSID, is it hidden or broadcasting the SID, security WEP/WPA/WPA2 or none.

 

Key mode (should be Private  (PSK) I expect).

 

What band is it b,g,a,n?

 

Any channel settings etc.

 

Ill try to suggest the correct configs for you.

Thanks for the offer. I loaned out the board I had, so I don't have easy access to the configuration info, but I should be getting another board soon. If I have the same problems with the new board, I'll post the info here. Thanks again. --Osman