K3 firmware updates under Linux/ARM?

[Jussi Eloranta]

Hi,

As the current Linux/Intel desktop at my station decided take its last
breath, I am exploring the option of replacing it with an ARM based
system; either Banana Pi (ARM based computer; about $45) or Raspberry
Pi2 (about the same for $35). I have figured out everything else (dual
monitor support, USB-RS232, logging programs etc.) but the only missing
piece is to be able to update the firmware in my K3. The firmware update
program is available only for Linux/Intel platforms and not for Linux/ARM.

Are there any plans to support Linux/ARM in the future? At this point it
would be enough for me to hear that such support is planned.

Thanks,

Jussi Eloranta (AA6KJ)

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[Nate Bargmann]

This is just a thought, but it may be possible to use Qemu to create an
i386 virtual machine and install a minimal desktop distro that you can
use the Elecraft utilities with.  I did nearly the same thing here using
VirtualBox on my amd64 (x86_64) desktop machine running Debian.  The VM
is running Debian Stable with a lightweight desktop environment and it
works just fine the few times I need it.

73, Nate, N0NB

--

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
possible worlds.  The pessimist fears this is true."

Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://www.n0nb.us
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[Elecraft mailing list]

I used to use Virtual Box to build VMs for task specific machines.
I'm considering going back to Linux and doing that again.


      From: Nate Bargmann <[hidden email]>
 To: [hidden email]
 Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2015 7:58 PM
 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 firmware updates under Linux/ARM?
   
This is just a thought, but it may be possible to use Qemu to create an
i386 virtual machine and install a minimal desktop distro that you can
use the Elecraft utilities with.  I did nearly the same thing here using
VirtualBox on my amd64 (x86_64) desktop machine running Debian.  The VM
is running Debian Stable with a lightweight desktop environment and it
works just fine the few times I need it.

73, Nate, N0NB

--

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
possible worlds.  The pessimist fears this is true."

Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://www.n0nb.us
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[Elecraft mailing list]

It should be possible. I'm not sure how well a Qemu x86 VM would perform on a mini AIM rig like a Raspberry Pi or Beaglebone. Qemu can only run on one core. That is, it can emulate multiple CPUs, but it does this in a single thread, IIRC. And I suspect getting it up and running would be a challenge.  A better option might be Exagear Desktop. It is like Qemu but much faster. Like 4x faster. But it is not free ($30). Exagear Desktop on a Raspi 2 Model B should run 32-bit Linux x86 applications nicely (like the Elecraft Utilities). I figure Exagear is worth the money just for the performance advantage. It could be an awesome little system for around $75 (if you already have a HDMI monitor and a keyboard). I've been seriously considering ordering one just to play with.
David, W4SMT
      From: Nate Bargmann <[hidden email]>
 To: [hidden email]
 Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2015 7:58 PM
 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 firmware updates under Linux/ARM?
   
This is just a thought, but it may be possible to use Qemu to create an
i386 virtual machine and install a minimal desktop distro that you can
use the Elecraft utilities with.  I did nearly the same thing here using
VirtualBox on my amd64 (x86_64) desktop machine running Debian.  The VM
is running Debian Stable with a lightweight desktop environment and it
works just fine the few times I need it.

73, Nate, N0NB

--

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
possible worlds.  The pessimist fears this is true."

Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://www.n0nb.us
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[Elecraft mailing list]

Let me try that again with fewer typos. Sometimes my typing outruns my brain.
It should be possible. I'm not sure how well a Qemu x86 VM would perform on a mini ARM rig like a Raspberry Pi or Beaglebone. Qemu can only run on one core. That is, it can emulate multiple CPUs, but it does this in a single thread, IIRC. And I suspect getting it up and running would be a challenge.  A better option might be Exagear Desktop. It is like Qemu but much faster. Like 4x faster. But it is not free ($30). Exagear Desktop on a Raspberry Pi 2 Model B should run 32-bit Linux x86 applications nicely (like the Elecraft Utilities). I figure Exagear is worth the money just for the performance advantage. It could be an awesome little system for around $75 (if you already have a HDMI monitor and a keyboard). I've been seriously considering ordering one just to play with.

David, W4SMT

-----------------
 
This is just a thought, but it may be possible to use Qemu to create an
i386 virtual machine and install a minimal desktop distro that you can
use the Elecraft utilities with.  I did nearly the same thing here using
VirtualBox on my amd64 (x86_64) desktop machine running Debian.  The VM
is running Debian Stable with a lightweight desktop environment and it
works just fine the few times I need it.

73, Nate, N0NB
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[Jussi Eloranta]

On 02/15/2015 09:19 PM, David Fleming via Elecraft wrote:
> Let me try that again with fewer typos. Sometimes my typing outruns my brain.
> It should be possible. I'm not sure how well a Qemu x86 VM would perform on a mini ARM rig like a Raspberry Pi or Beaglebone. Qemu can only run on one core. That is, it can emulate multiple CPUs, but it does this in a single thread, IIRC. And I suspect getting it up and running would be a challenge.  A better option might be Exagear Desktop. It is like Qemu but much faster. Like 4x faster. But it is not free ($30). Exagear Desktop on a Raspberry Pi 2 Model B should run 32-bit Linux x86 applications nicely (like the Elecraft Utilities). I figure Exagear is worth the money just for the performance advantage. It could be an awesome little system for around $75 (if you already have a HDMI monitor and a keyboard). I've been seriously considering ordering one just to play with.
>
>
I just tried to boot 32bit intel fedora 21 live image under ARM qemu (on
banana pi). This is REALLY slow and even speeding up by a factor of 4 is
not going to help much. I did not have enough patience to get the whole
thing to boot up to the desktop, so I concluded that this will not work
in practice.

It shouldn't be that difficult to cross-compile the K3 utility for ARM
(unless they are using some strange development tools that don't support
this). Since everything else works now, I will go the ARM way with my
station. If I need to update the K3 firmware, I will visit someone with
a PC. Hopefully Linux/ARM will be supported in the future.

Jussi (AA6KJ)

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[g8kbvdave]

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