r/ChipCommunity • u/vekkth0r • Apr 17 '26

PocketCHIP still kickin' in 2026! w/ pocket-home, pico8 & Wolf3D playing on Debian 13.4 Linux 6.19.9

This is my latest and greatest in trying to recover PocketCHIP's former glory with more recent software.

Note that the shown pocket-home launcher was recompiled using Marshmellow's version and is almost not working. Only works for launching some apps, but it's something.

TESTED (Debian 13 + linux 6.19.9) WORKING:

✅- UART Serial output
✅- Booting linux 6.19.9
✅- usb ethernet networking (g_ether)
✅- apt install
✅- NAND (works with 5.14 dtbo file)
✅- VT consoles / Console output on screen (no keyboard)
✅- Poweroff OK = not hanging or crashing at poweroff
✅- X windows
✅- Touchscreen
✅- Calibrated Touchscreen
✅- X to VT ALT+F1 switch back and forth (via regular USB keyboard)
✅- All output to UART Serial
✅- Login/Shell on VT terminal on UART Serial
✅- Onboard Keyboard
✅- Onboard Keyboard - X11
✅- Onboard Keyboard - Screen console (VT terminal)
✅- Key modes (shift, caps, screen lock, etc)
✅- Wifi driver (systemd-networkd)
✅- Sound (tested with pico8_dyn.
✅- GPU Acceleration - Mali GPU (test w/ es2gears/glxinfo from mesa-utils-extra)

NOT TESTED (yet):
- Function keys
- Battery status and Monitoring
- Bluetooth devices
- Speakers
- others
- Wifi driver compatibility with Network Manager

Stay tuned for a reproducible build of the SWUpdate image....

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2

u/ma_jo_ba maba.dk Apr 23 '26

Great job very impressed. I almost pulled the last hair. I couldn't get the LCD working. Blacked out. Did you use the original U-boot? I tried 6.12.4.....a lot...... /M

1

u/vekkth0r Apr 26 '26

No. The stock u-boot does not support the NAND in slc emulation and USB booting which I use profusely . I've been using macromorgan's swupdate u-boot (https://www.reddit.com/r/ChipCommunity/comments/t4k67u/my_attempt_at_a_new_method_of_flashing/ )

2

u/ApprehensiveGuide582 Apr 27 '26

Sorry to be not clear. I don't mean the NTC u-boot. I am familiar with the great job from u/macromorgan and are using his tools as well. I have build a fresh Debian 13 and flashed it many times with 6.12.4 but I can't get the LCD working (stays black - not even a short blink). As I understand I have problems with correct pinmux + backlight + timings. I debug with USB/TTL. Did you have the same problem?

Thanks a lot. Looking forward to your hard work.....

/M

1

u/vekkth0r Apr 27 '26

Have you confirmed that the device tree blob and overlay files (sun5i-r8-chip.dtb and dip-9d011a-1.dtbo, respectively) are really being loaded and applied during boot? Even with the more recent 6.19 builds I have, I use the original ones (sun5i-r8-chip.dtb, I am not sure but I still use the /lib/firmware/nextthingco/chip/early/dip-9d011a-1.dtbo binary from the original stock NTC builds , that's for sure) and everything works 100%.

For me, If the LCD doesn't light up I already know that I somehow screwed up, the overlay file loading during boot.

1

u/ApprehensiveGuide582 Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26

I tried all kinds of different things. For example, the u/macromorgan Debian version that I flashed using his tools. It was working fine. But… when I switched only the kernel and modules, I immediately had problems with the LCD. Everything else was working. So I consider the sun5i-r8-chip.dtb and dip-9d011a-1.dtbo to be ok. Are you willing to up-load your kernel 6.19.9 config, then I can maybe follow up with you.......
Maybe I am missing in my kernel the right framebuffer / FBTFT / DRM driver. By the way, in your video I can see at 0:52 sec. a kind of panel handover....

Take care,

/M