Operating System installation

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Installation of the base-system

• The installation of the operating system is pretty easy when you are using the Linux distributions which are supported by "Hardkernel".
• The OS which I have used for doing my first experiences is UBUNTU MATE 18.04.4-4.9-mate-odroid-n2-20200224

Enable Auto-Login

• Known issues and Tips: ...at the end of "Release Note of Ubuntu MATE 18.04.4 LTS (v2.1)"

Enabling the On-Screen-Keyboard

• In applications, where you don't want to use an external keyboard you have the possibility to use an "On-Screen-Keyboard" which could be controlled via the Touch-Screen.

Switch-On the On-Screen-Keyboard on Ubuntu-Mate

• On Ubuntu-Mate the On-Screen-Keyboard is already installed. You can find it in the ‘Universal Access’ menu. In this menu you find the application "Onboard" -> a click on this menu-point activates the On-Screen-Keyboard.

Adding support for ARM 32-bit code execution

• Pianoteq 6 for ARM architecture is unfortunatly only available as 32-bit code - by meaning we have to install first the 32-bit support on the Ubuntu-Mate distribution supplied by "Hardkernel".
• Here is an article about how much the 64-bit CPUs would benefit from the additional AARCH64 instructions: 64-bit ARM (Aarch64) Instructions Boost Performance by 15 to 30% Compared to 32-bit ARM (Aarch32) Instructions.
• Odroid-Forum article: 32 Bit executables in AARCH64 system

odroid64:$ sudo dpkg --add-architecture armhf

odroid64:$ sudo apt-get update

apt install libc6:armhf

apt install libx11-6:armhf

apt install libfreetype6:armhf

apt install libxext6:armhf

apt install libasound2:armhf

Changing FDT (Flattened Device Tree) to support second UART-Interface for MIDI

• Article on the Odroid-Wiki: UART Interface on the 40 Pin Header

Enabling 31250 UART-Baud-Rate for Midi-Usage

• The baud-rate 31250 which is used for MIDI-trafic is normally NOT supported on standard UART drivers.
• We have to tweek the UART-Kernel-driver for supporting this baud rate. This sounds like a complicated action, but it isn't really complicated - take a look on this article in the Odroid-Magazine -> ODROID-N2 UART Custom Baud Rate for MIDI

Cross-Compiling or compiling the Kernel natively (on the Odroid-N2 itself)

• You have the possibility to compile the Kernel external (e.g. on your Desktop-PC/Laptop) where you have to install the Cross-Compiler-Toolchain and the other build utilities) or directly on the Odroid itself.
• I am a fan of doing it directly on the Odroid-N2 itself. Therefore I describe this procedure first.

getting the Kernel-Sources

• Odroid-Wiki: The N2-Kernel

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