[ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

mikestaszel · 2011-04-19 20:54:49

Over the last few weeks, myself and the development team behind PlugApps, those from ArchMobile, and many of our users in both projects have expressed interest in getting together under one, unified Arch Linux umbrella and cranking out something "official" and under a new name, something like "Arch Linux ARM" (in the same respect as ArchLinux PPC), something more directly associated with Arch Linux and something everyone can be proud of. Here's what we think:

PlugApps is prepared to lead the effort in terms of development, buying devices, and managing the combined effort between our developers and those from ArchMobile. We have a powerful, distributed auto-builder to make packages, controlled through IRC by the developers. We're constantly stay up to date with ABS and AUR (http://plugapps.com/arm are our repositories). Our development team owns a variety of ARMv5, ARMv6, and ARMv7 TI OMAP devices. Right now we focus on not only the plug computers (ARMv5TE), a solid platform, but the newer Pogoplugs are ARMv6's made by PLX/Oxford Semi, and most recently the BeagleBoard, PandaBoard, and nVidia Tegra2 platforms with the ARMv7l architecture - we have over 1500 packages for armv7l ready to go at the moment and are adding more daily.

The basis of this decision has been that it's just not fitting to call it __Plug__ Apps for things that are not plugs. The Beagle and Pandaboards and Tegra2's are completely different machines that we think will have completely different uses. We stay on top of new devices, and it's obvious ARM is poised to be the next big thing in cheap small and medium-sized business servers. It's a great place for Arch Linux to go, as it's just becoming more and more popular.

What about PlugApps? We continue to write guides and maybe make a couple of packages for file sharing and little things that plug computers do. But the new Arch Linux for ARM would be the base of the install, with a goal of being as accessible as possible to as many devices as people wish to run it on. We'll of course continue our history of open source code on Github and have Pacman repos like always. ArchMobile is willing to contribute their knowledge on kernels needed for phones as well as specialized software they use for display and GSM radios. We'd all share code and a new IRC channel.

There is clearly a lot of talent already and much more waiting to be discovered. A lot of people are waiting for one, big, concentrated effort to move forward and make headlines as a true Arch Linux for ARM, not Arch Linux for plug computers or Arch for developer phones, but an Arch for a wide family of ARM devices.

Last edited by mikestaszel (2011-04-20 14:43:38)

karol · 2011-04-19 22:01:07

I'm happy to see that Yet Another Namechange has some reason behind it ;-) Tegra 2 support is very welcome although I'm not sure if the drivers support is at a reasonable level.

Don't be surprised if someone confuses your effort with a new Arch Rollback Machine https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 41#p920241

ctarwater · 2011-04-20 04:41:14

This is great news!

drahnr · 2011-04-20 08:46:07

irc.freenode.net #archlinux-arm

mikestaszel · 2011-04-21 20:58:15

We also got archlinuxarm.org and .com...expect a lot more soon.

.:B:. · 2011-04-22 09:15:57

I'd like to get myself an ARM netbook in the future, so I'm really looking forward to this . Congratulations on the cooperation.

skodabenz · 2011-04-22 09:24:16

I have ordered for a BeagleBoard xM and may get it in about a weeks time. Is there any install instructions and native packages for xM? This is the first time I am trying ARM and i do not know the differences between different ARM versions. Thanks in advance.

_alexmyself · 2011-04-22 12:03:43

very very good news!

Inxsible · 2011-04-22 14:08:12

Might be worth stickying?

Done !

.:B:. · 2011-04-22 14:31:18

Thanks Murtuza .

kmihelich · 2011-04-23 06:33:52

BeagleBoard, BeagleBoard-xM, and PandaBoard are supported. We're still chewing our way through ABS to get everything to Cortex-A series architectures specifically, but we're about half-way there now. We'll have install guides up soon.

mikestaszel · 2011-05-08 23:28:08

Finals are over this week so I'll have time to do things other than acquire a Trim Slice ARM computer for our use...

Maybe we can even get the RaspeberryPi team to put us on a waitlist or something. The more the merrier!

lang2 · 2011-05-12 17:31:55

Great news! Wish I could help.

jb · 2011-06-15 05:27:35

Okay, I just successfully ran pacman on my Asus Transformer. That just single-handedly justified the purchase of this thing.

cyrusza · 2011-06-16 12:13:02

Why not "Armch Linux"

turbomursu · 2011-06-21 05:13:09

i like the abreviation ALARM. i wonder if that's intented or just funny coincidence?

mikestaszel · 2011-06-30 02:47:17

jb, tell us more! Better yet, post a guide in the archlinuxarm.org/forum forums.

Also, in case you guys didn't notice, we went live over at #archlinux-arm and http://archlinuxarm.org a couple of days ago. Let us know how you like it!

karol · 2011-06-30 11:32:39

mikestaszel wrote:

Also, in case you guys didn't notice, we went live over at #archlinux-arm and http://archlinuxarm.org a couple of days ago. Let us know how you like it!

Nice, although my firefox 7 doesn't like the animation too much - just like https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=107194

Stalafin · 2011-06-30 11:40:05

jb wrote:

Okay, I just successfully ran pacman on my Asus Transformer. That just single-handedly justified the purchase of this thing.

You are running Arch on that Asus?! Tell us how!! :-D

jb · 2011-06-30 17:59:31

Whoa, everyone's reading far too much into what I said. I just meant that I got it installed under the chroot in android following the steps that were on the plugapps site; the actual page doesn't seem to exist anymore, but I found similar instructions here. I meant that I thought it was cool that I had a functioning build of pacman running locally on the device. Didn't mean to imply that it was a native install.

Although I understand the reaction as I'm watching the developments in this thread with just as much anticipation.

Last edited by jb (2011-06-30 18:00:45)

gwpl · 2011-07-24 22:20:26

I am interested in running Archlinux on Following ARM based devices:

Crossreference to Arch ARM forum

peterb · 2011-10-26 13:56:51

I have a BeagleBoard, currently running Ubuntu.
When i find some time i'd really like to try Arch on it.

CPUnltd · 2011-10-26 15:47:53

keep us posted peterb... I'm looking to get it running on an Efika nettop and (when I get one) a Raspberry Pi microcomputer! Though I think it will already have support when it comes out next month(?)...

peterb · 2011-12-11 16:33:59

I'm running Arch now on my new Pandaboard. Xfce is snappy, wireless worked out of the box.
Haven't got Audio and Bluetooth working yet, but it's already making a nice home server.
Wow, i just realized that i i'm running Arch now on x64, ppc and arm

gwpl · 2011-12-11 20:13:34

I'd love to see Arch Linux going like crazy on Raspberry Pi : http://www.raspberrypi.org/ .

Arch Linux

#1 2011-04-19 20:54:49

[ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#2 2011-04-19 22:01:07

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#3 2011-04-20 04:41:14

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#4 2011-04-20 08:46:07

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#5 2011-04-21 20:58:15

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#6 2011-04-22 09:15:57

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#7 2011-04-22 09:24:16

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#8 2011-04-22 12:03:43

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#9 2011-04-22 14:08:12

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#10 2011-04-22 14:31:18

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#11 2011-04-23 06:33:52

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#12 2011-05-08 23:28:08

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#13 2011-05-12 17:31:55

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#14 2011-06-15 05:27:35

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#15 2011-06-16 12:13:02

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#16 2011-06-21 05:13:09

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#17 2011-06-30 02:47:17

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#18 2011-06-30 11:32:39

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#19 2011-06-30 11:40:05

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#20 2011-06-30 17:59:31

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#21 2011-07-24 22:20:26

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#22 2011-10-26 13:56:51

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#23 2011-10-26 15:47:53

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#24 2011-12-11 16:33:59

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

#25 2011-12-11 20:13:34

Re: [ARM] Arch Linux ARM: A new unified effort from PlugApps & ArchMobile

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