Note:
This board is EOL since Allwinner is no longer making the H5 processor. Sad to
see it go.  I also no longer have one to test images with.  So, instead of
uploading new images I have not tested, I will leave up the last known working
images, which still get updates via the repositories, but not board-specific
kernel updates (but you can still build those yourself).

For more information, read here:

https://www.friendlyelec.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=3060&hilit=neo+core2&sid=93671dc7766bb800520c6357752acd05

support thread here:

https://www.friendlyelec.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=3760

General OS support here:

https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slarm64-132/

Built using:

http://gitlab.com/sndwvs/images_build_kit

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

login: root
password:

You are prompted to create a password on first boot.  This is now possible 
over SSH as well.

________________________________________________________________________________

Server images (no window manager or desktop environment installed):
These suggested if you want full control over what gets installed and are 
comfortable with a Slackware console.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am no longer providing separate kernel updates for this board, since I no
longer own it and cannot test new kernel versions. 

Kernels from the 5.15.y series are vanilla upstream, are unpatched for any 
specific board, and are unlikey to work fully.  YMMV.

ATOM/RSS feeds available for each directory via the atom.php file, just pass
the link for that file to your feed reader and you will get updates when new
files are uploaded to the directory you would like to monitor.

________________________________________________________________________________

Installation on a sdcard:

    Unpack the IMAGE file and record by running the following on the SD card,
    assumes you only have one image in the current directory
    ( /dev/mmcblkX = your sd card device ): 

 #  sha256sum -c slarm64-*.img.xz.sha256  

#checksums not matching indicates a bad download, try again

 #  unxz slarm64-*.img.xz

#needs root permissions, adjust SD card location as needed.

#  dd if=slarm64-*.img of=/dev/mmcblkX bs=10MB status=progress && sync
   
Currently, the setup.sh script does NOT work for the Nanopi NEO Core2.
See below for instructions on how to install to eMMC.

installation on a eMMC
    Flash the image to micro SD, then copy the .img file to micro SD filesystem. 
    Power up the board with micro SD and login.
    Run below command for flashing to eMMC module
    
        >>dd if=slarm64-*.img of=/dev/mmcblk2 bs=10M && sync
    
        then edit 2 files in eMMC module:
    
        >> mount /dev/mmcblk2p1 /media
        >> echo "rootdev=/dev/mmcblk2p1" >> /media/boot/uEnv.txt
        >> sed -i 's:mmcblk01:mmcblk2p1:' /media/etc/fstab
    
    After done, power off board and remove micro SD.
    Then bootup with only eMMC module.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

!!! NOTE ABOUT CPUFREQ AND SCALING GOVERNORS:

Since the NanoPi NEO Core2 uses an Allwinner H5, the only working Scaling
Governors are:  

1)  performance - maximizes power consumption, speed, and heat output

2)  powersave - minimizes power consumption, speed, and heat output.
    Speed drop is hardly noticable from userspace unless building packages.

3)  schedutil - supposed to dynamically scale based on the CPU scheduler, but it 
    seems to float around 900MHz regardless of what the system is doing.  This 
    makes for a good middle-of-the-road setting between the other two.
    
No other governors should be used with this chipset, you will experience 
instability.  You are free to try, but you have been warned.  YMMV.

You can change the settings on the fly (as root) with:

    cpufreq-set -g <governor>
    
And you can make the change permanent (default at boot) by editing:

    /etc/default/cpufreq

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SUPER EXTRA THANKS to sndwvs!
donate:  http://www.patreon.com/slarm64

http://slarm64.org/

For those who are new to Slackware: 

http://docs.slackware.com/slackware:beginners_guide

[while some of this does not apply to slarm64 or is outdated,
much is still relevant and a good starting point in any case]

GNU World Order is a great podcast with a lot of relevant Slackware-related
information.  Highly recommended.

https://gnuworldorder.info/

- slarmboards [4t] sunpowered [d0t] homes