The Failed OUYA Game Console Seeing Work For Mainline Linux Kernel Support

Steam Link on OUYA would be pretty cool; no idea if that exists already.

[RussianNeuroMancer]

A debug bootloader would certainly help, but we already have the keys to the kingdom so secure boot isn't an issue.
I'm talking more along the lines of replacing the efi firmware with u-boot.
The reason being is the efi firmware is running in the background with hardware access.
Linux tegra device drivers interact directly with the hardware.
So if efi and linux both try to access hardware at the same time the hardware will crash.

Thanks for explanation!

I just looked at the fcc teardown of the Asus TF600t and notice it appears to have pads for a jtag port.
So there might be hope for that device.

I wish you best! If you succeed, hopefully it could help with bringing up other WinRT-based devices.

[makergamer]

The OUYA still has a lot of mileage left in it - especially if it gets mainlined. As a RetroConsole and/or Linux micro server, 1 GB of RAM is plenty. It has USB 2.0, a wired NIC, HDMI 1.4 with ARC, Bluetooth. With a USB hub, you'd have storage & wire controller ports to spare.

If the Wii can run RetroArch, having it on a debian OUYA (no davlik crap) should cut down on the overhead.

Take a look at these. These ARM handhelds rock and OUYA would kick their butt on a level playing field having the Tegra3.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GP2X_Wiz#Specifications (2009)

• CPU: 533 MHz ARM926TEJ (overclockable to 900 MHz, however the system can become unstable over 750 MHz)
• NAND Flash Memory: 1 GB
• RAM: DDR SDRAM 64 MB

Though on kernel 2.4, It can even play come PS1 games (at low frame rates.) It plays all the older consoles & handhelds just fine. I still enjoy using mine having a solid build to it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caanoo (the Wiz 2010 successor & better than the Wiz)

• CPU: ARM926EJ 533 MHz embedded on SoC (architecture version ARMv5TEJ)
• GPU: 3D hardware engine embedded on SoC (OpenGL ES 1.1 support)
• 3D performance: 133M Texel/s and 1,33M Polygon/s
• main RAM: 128 Mbytes DDR SDRAM 133 MHz (peak memory bandwidth: 533 Mbytes/s)
• video buffer: about 16 Mbytes of main RAM are reserved for the video/texture information

Check out all the ARM handhelds at the legacy site https://openhandhelds.org (Wiz and more). It has Open games, Emus, Ports & Developer tools chains as well.

https://wiki.odroid.com/odroid_go/odroid_go

This plays all the older stuff on a ESP32 microcontroller without breaking a sweat. A microcontroller (and is open hardware/source)

https://wiki.odroid.com/odroid_go_advance/start

This is basically a Raspberry Pi 3b+ as a handheld having just a 1GB RAM, battery and a really nice screen. It plays all the PS1 and PSP (Wipeout Pure is awesome. Plus GTA to go) games without significant issue (the platform is now about 1.5 yr old). I use it more than the Wiz now. It's default image is Ubuntu aarch64 (and is open hardware). You can install any ubuntu or debian aarch64 packages using apt. It's awesome. (I use mine also as a piratebox in my backpack.)

https://www.funkey-project.com/

https://hackaday.io/project/164934-funkey-project-all-your-games-on-your-keychain

A smidge less powerful than Odroid Go Advance, but still has 1GB of RAM. It also plays PS1 games just fine. Again, comparable to a Rapberry Pi 2/3B without radio (and is open hardware/source)

Basically, I really look forward to resuscitating my OUYA with a mainline kernel and debian. Even rooted, a chroot on cyanogen just doesn't cut it. There's no need of it collecting dust next to all my other genuine retro consoles which are *still* operational.

Cheers, M.

[mulenmar]

So, we'll get support for one specific kernel version, everyone will say "wow", and then little further will be done.

Just like Linux on DS, Xbox, and (to some extent -- official early-on support helped) PS2/PS3.

There are better platforms for emulation with broad pre-existing support, even if you don't want to dip your toes into lagless FPGA-based devices. This is just yet another case of someone scratching an irrelevant itch.

It's also kinda cool.

[pgwipeout]

You mean replacing leaked debug bootloader by Microsoft (but is it even possible when there is enforced Secure boot?) or something else?

A debug bootloader would certainly help, but we already have the keys to the kingdom so secure boot isn't an issue.
I'm talking more along the lines of replacing the efi firmware with u-boot.
The reason being is the efi firmware is running in the background with hardware access.
Linux tegra device drivers interact directly with the hardware.
So if efi and linux both try to access hardware at the same time the hardware will crash.

So even if someone will write new DeviceTree for some WinRT tablet - it will be impossible to boot Linux via this DeviceTree instead of ACPI for some reason?

That is what I attempted.

That sound like a problem

I just looked at the fcc teardown of the Asus TF600t and notice it appears to have pads for a jtag port.
So there might be hope for that device.

[RussianNeuroMancer]

These devices would likely require a bootloader replacement.

You mean replacing leaked debug bootloader by Microsoft (but is it even possible when there is enforced Secure boot?) or something else?

unfortunately armv7 acpi support in tegra linux isn't functional to the point where linux could boot on these devices

So even if someone will write new DeviceTree for some WinRT tablet - it will be impossible to boot Linux via this DeviceTree instead of ACPI for some reason?

I also was unable to locate a usable early debug uart output on the Surface RT.

That sound like a problem

[pgwipeout]

Did you looked into WinRT tablets support? There is way around secure boot on these devices, as you probably know.

Yes, unfortunately armv7 acpi support in tegra linux isn't functional to the point where linux could boot on these devices.
As everyone is moving to armv8 it's unlikely this will happen anytime soon, if ever.
I also was unable to locate a usable early debug uart output on the Surface RT.
These devices would likely require a bootloader replacement.

[RussianNeuroMancer]

My main motivation is reducing e-waste.
These are still good devices.

Did you looked into WinRT tablets support? There is way around secure boot on these devices, as you probably know.

[pgwipeout]

I've got my Ouya sitting about 10 feet from me in its box, waiting for a new kernel and a distro to convert it to, now that the Ouya store has been shut down.

I had a reasonable number of playable games on the Ouya, and the indy-friendly nature led to some interesting concepts. But yeah, I definitely also like the NES/SNES emulation possibilities of that console. Bonus points for it using Bluetooth controllers with built-in touchpads. Even after the console has been unplugged, I can just pair the controllers to my phone/tablet/laptop and keep using them.

There's a discord channel called OUYA Saviors dedicated to keeping classic Ouya alive even with the services dead.
So if you want that route it exists as well.

[Veerappan]

I've got my Ouya sitting about 10 feet from me in its box, waiting for a new kernel and a distro to convert it to, now that the Ouya store has been shut down.

I had a reasonable number of playable games on the Ouya, and the indy-friendly nature led to some interesting concepts. But yeah, I definitely also like the NES/SNES emulation possibilities of that console. Bonus points for it using Bluetooth controllers with built-in touchpads. Even after the console has been unplugged, I can just pair the controllers to my phone/tablet/laptop and keep using them.