Asus Transformer Prime

Installing Gentoo on the Asus Transformer Prime (TF201)

May 2, 2012: This is an initial introduction to installing gentoo on the Asus Transformer Prime (TF201). At the moment, I can get it to boot and launch X, but there are quite a few problems. Hopefully, this site will invite others to share their own experiences, and maybe even generate some solutions to these problems. -pjh

INSTRUCTIONS The basic steps are as follows:

1) Create a decent gentoo system via chroot on the current machine. (You can also do a cross-compile installation on some other box.)  You should use the armv7a stage3.  Special steps:  a) Grab the ubuntu.img[1] and mount it. Steal the following files: * /lib/firmware/prime* * /etc/X11/xorg.conf * /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/* * /lib/modules/* * /usr/sbin/brcm_patchram_plus * (TODO: I should just post these somewhere.) b) Edit /etc/conf.d/modules and add: bcm4329 iface_name=wlan0 c) Edit /etc/make.conf and add: FEATURES="-userfetch" (This is a gentoo-specific 'feature/bug'.) d) Add the x11 layman and emerge tegra-drivers e) Edit /etc/local.d/mine.start and add: chmod 0666 /dev/nv* /dev/tegra_*

2) Flash prime-sdlinux.blob[2] to the TFP using the 'fastboot' utility. Once this is finished, you should be able to reboot the TFP and it'll show four penguins and load a kernel.  It'll, of course, bail because it is trying to mount your microsd card.

3) Somehow get your gentoo system onto a microsd card. I used rsync to transfer the system to another box with that microsd card.

4) Insert the microsd card into the TFP, reboot, and enjoy.

KNOWN BUGS

Solution: There is none. Work-around: In .bashrc or in your /etc/local.d/ add: "setterm -blank 0 -powerdown 0"
 * Problem: Screen blanks and never comes back in console.

Solution: There is none. Make sure you have sshd installed.
 * Problem: After I launch X and I kill X, the screen is blank.

Solution: There is none.
 * Problem: No mouse in X.

Solution: There is none. Notes: This seems to work in Ubuntu, so I'm looking into stealing whatever evdev magic they use. Also note that evtest detects touches.
 * Problem: No touch responsivity in X.

[1] TODO: add url [2} TODO: add url

Please contact peter period hartman at utoronto period ca a.k.a. wart_ in #gentoo-embedded (and elsewhere)