Open Source Hardware LIME2-SERVER user manual is uploaded and explains how to assembly and how to install Linux images of popular projects

LIME2-SERVER is Linux server with only 2W consumption, A20-OLinuXino-LIME2 and option for HDD or SSD.

The server has bild-in LiPo battery which allow it to run for hours without external power supply, Gigabit Ethernet connection and power adapter 5V 2A.

Today we uploaded on GitHub the initial version of the user manual which explains how to assembly the boxes in case you didn’t bought it assembled.

Also basic instructions to use Ubuntu Bionic and Debian Buster images we provide.

KODI and NextCloud installation.

Additional info how to build and install Home Assistant, Yunohost, TOR server will be included in the next revision.

BAY-HDD/SDD is easy way to add external storage to LIME and LIME2, now Pioneer-FreedomBox-HSK can have 2000GB external storage in robust enclosure

BAY-HDD-500GB, BAY-HDD-1000GB, BAY-HDD-2000GB and BAY-SSD-512GB are external disks with special bridge board to plug in A20-OLinuXino-LIME and A20-OLinuXino-LIME2 servers providing all necessary connections and power supply for external disk.

It’s plug and play recognizable by Pioneer-FreedomBox-HSK and adds significant amount of storage to the platform.

 

New mainline Linux images with Kernel 5.3.8 for A13-OLinuXino and A13-SOM are uploaded

A13-OLinuXino and A13-SOM got new mainline Linux images based on Kernel 5.3.8 on our ftp.

The two distributions we usually release are Ubuntu 18.04 LTS Bionic and Armbian/Debian buster next with build instructions and ready to burn to SD card images.

New Debian 10 Buster images released for A20 and A64 boards and SOMs

We have released Universal A20 and A64 images with Debian 10 Buster.

There are few known issues which we work on:

• Certain types of eMMC memories might start in HS-200 mode instead of SDHS mode. This causes eMMC installation and boot problems.
• HDMI always takes precendence over LCD. This is even if you have enabled a
  display manually (interrupted u-boot and executed “olinuxino monitor set XXX”).
• Boards with 5.x eMMC chips are unable to boot directly from eMMC;
  this is caused by poor eMMC 5.x support in eGON BROM;
  this issue is not related to the Linux image
• The board currently cannot store rootfs on usb driver. The init script
  starts before the usb subsystem initialization.
• If the board has eMMC and SPI, it’s not possible to boot from SPI and rootfs
  on SATA. This is due to the fact that u-boot searches first the eMMC storage
  for boot scripts.
• LCD-OLinuXino-15.6FHD is not fully supported.
• The GT2005 camera module in A20-SOM-EVB and A20-SOM204-EVB is not working.

New release is preparing and will be updated by the end of the month.

 

 

Lime2-SD add on board for second SD card on A20-OLinuXino-LIME2

Lime2-SD is small add on board which snaps on GPIO-1 connector and add second SD card to A20-OLinuxino-LIME2. It doesn’t interference with other parts on the board and do not increase the height.

Why we do this? Because this is an easy way to increase storage for Pioneer-FreedomBox-HSK . What we are preparing to offer soon is upgraded version of the Home Server Kit with 256GB storage made with 2 “disks” x 128GB micro SD cards. For these who already have Pioneer-FreedomBox-HSK they still can upgrade by ordering Lime2-SD .

Note that support in FreedomBox for Lime2-SD is not add, but you can try Lime2-SD with the current Armbian image for LIME2. To enable the Lime2-SD support you also have to add this dts overlay .

 

FreedomBox – your private Box of Freedom for Decentralizing the Internet and keeping your privacy away from the Big Brother

We are pleased to announce that Pioneer-FreedomBox Home Server Kit is now in stock.

You can read more about how FreedomBox free open source software project started in the FreedomBox Foundation press release.

FroodomBox software is developing 8 years and got lot of coverage in USA, India, Russia:

• SoftwareFreedom.org
• New York Times
• Wall Street Journal
• India Times
• Novaya Gazeta 2011
• Novaya Gazeta 2019

Olimex’s OLinuXino Open Source Hardware Linux Single Board Computers are natural match for FreedomBox Free Open Source Software.

We are very proud that we have been selected by FreedomBox Foundation for Hardware manufacturing partner of Pioneer-FreedomBox Home Server Kit.

What makes OLinuXino LIME2 good platform for Home Server Kit is:

• The Low Power ARM Dual core Cortex-A7 processor running blob free mainline Linux;
• Native SATA interface for connecting external SATA HDDs with power supply backup;
• LiPo battery UPS power backup supply with Power Management Unit and Stepp Up convertors which allow Pioneer-FreedomBox-HSK to run 4-5 hours on battery;
• Metal enclosure;
• power supply adapter with plug adapters for EU, US, UK power supply sockets;
• 32GB micro SD-card for file storage;

What do you get with FreedomBox is:

• Tor browser
• Private encrypted file sharing
• Private encrypted chat
• Peer to Peer file sharing
• Voice chat
• Web proxy
• Virtual Private Network
• IRC client
• Private Calendar and Address book
• File synchronization
• Distributed File Storage
• Your own hosted Wiki and Blog

All these features are made configurable with simple mouse click:

 

TERES-I Open Source Hardware Laptop has new experimental Armbian Mainline Linux image for download

We uploaded few days ago Armbian experimental mainline linux image for TERES-I on our ftp.

There are still few known issues which we work on, but we wanted to upload this experimental image so other people can start playing with.

What is new?

• eMMC now run x3 times faster which improves the overall user experience.
• OpenGL with LIMA

Known issues:

• Automatically turns on upon applying power via the PWR_JACK, we need time to patch mainline uboot
• No sleep or suspend, WIP.
• Bluetooth not working out-of-the-box – fixed in Olimex release if you install the package
  ftp://staging.olimex.com/Allwinner_Images/A64-Teres/linux/armbian_experimental/teres-bluetooth_0.2-1_arm64_armbian.deb
  with command:

  dpkg -i teres-bluetooth_0.2-1_arm64_armbian.deb

• Keyboard LEDs not working – fixed in Olimex release – install the package

  ftp://staging.olimex.com/Allwinner_Images/A64-Teres/linux/armbian_experimental/teres1-ledctrl_0.1-1_armbian_arm64.deb

  with command:

  dpkg -i teres1-ledctrl_0.1-1_armbian_arm64.deb

• The LCD brightness is low by default (20%) – fixed in Olimex release – to increase it type in the console

  echo 9 > /sys/class/backlight/backlight/brightness

• no video player acceleration, to be fixed in the next release planned for 22.02.2019