Homebrew Wii U Linux

[lordelan]

Also you can partition a SD with ext4 as rootfs, it requires a special kernel tho, it comes handy if you are running out usb slots

I'm fine for the moment but that sounds like a clever solution. Which kernel do you mean?

 

[lordelan]

So Xorg is now supported.
Also there's an official 2 GB image for the rootfs to be flashed with something like W32DiskImager.

Question @QuarkTheAwesome & @rw-r-r_0644:
Would I have to get a new fw.img and a new dtbImage.wiiu everytime you guys are releasing something new or is the rootfs image enough to be up to date?

Edit: I didn't update fw.img or dbtImage.wiiu but used the newly provided rootfs image for the USB flash drive.
I'm still not able to launch the xserver.
How am I supposed to do it?
Neither startx nor service gdm start worked.

 

[Gunstorm]

they add a guide for windows users flash the usb driver too and the usb ethernet adapter

https://gitlab.com/linux-wiiu/linux-wiiu/activity

 

[lordelan]

they add a guide for windows users flash the usb driver too and the usb ethernet adapter

https://gitlab.com/linux-wiiu/linux-wiiu/activity

Yeah but who of us knows how to compile a kernel with usb ethernet drivers? I don't tbh.

 

[lordelan]

No news here on how to get xorg running?
It's supported in the new version according to Gitlab.
@rw-r-r_0644 ?

 

[CompuCat]

Hey, I'm CompuCat, I'm one of the guys working on linux-wiiu. To get xorg running, you'll need to set up an Internet connection and install xorg with your favorite desktop environment (xfce, i3, etc.) using apt. There's Bluetooth support built-in (kind of annoying to set up though) or you can compile the kernel yourself with the Docker image. We're working on support for the built-in Wi-Fi chip right now, as well as a better solution for USB-Ethernet adapters than recompiling the kernel every time.

EDIT: When new features are added to linux-wiiu, you'll have to update dtbImage.wiiu (the Linux kernel). When new features are added to linux-loader, you'll have to update fw.img (bootloader). Sometimes, new features require cooperation between the bootloader and kernel; in that case, you'll have to update both.

Also, that Win32DiskImager image on GitLab might have a slight error in it....my bad. If in doubt, the tar image is known good; I'll redo the Windows image once I get a free moment. Note that this is NOT the same as rw's image posted on GBATemp; as far as I know, that image is fine.

 

[GrailBomb]

So would I be able to install something like Zorin OS with this? (linux os skinned and programmed to feel like windows) or other linux types, or is limited to a specific build?

 

[CompuCat]

So would I be able to install something like Zorin OS with this? (linux os skinned and programmed to feel like windows) or other linux types, or is limited to a specific build?

Specifically Zorin, no. Anything you install will need to be built for PowerPC, rather than i386 or x86_64. Also, we don't have full hardware support at the moment, so anything too intensive will be very slow. (Especially if it's graphics-intensive; we don't have any GPU acceleration yet.)

Our current image installs Debian sid; I believe Quark and rw started developing with Gentoo, so you could try that. I've also heard somebody got an old Ubuntu distribution working.

EDIT: actually, you might barely have a shot with Zorin; it seems to be Ubuntu-based. Still, it'd be a giant pain in the rear to get working, and it'd likely be slow as molasses.
EDIT 2: never mind that, I don't think you can install Zorin outside of the official .iso anyway. Some of the packages are also likely compiled for x86 only.

 

[lordelan]

Hey, I'm CompuCat, I'm one of the guys working on linux-wiiu. To get xorg running, you'll need to set up an Internet connection and install xorg with your favorite desktop environment (xfce, i3, etc.) using apt. There's Bluetooth support built-in (kind of annoying to set up though) or you can compile the kernel yourself with the Docker image. We're working on support for the built-in Wi-Fi chip right now, as well as a better solution for USB-Ethernet adapters than recompiling the kernel every time.

EDIT: When new features are added to linux-wiiu, you'll have to update dtbImage.wiiu (the Linux kernel). When new features are added to linux-loader, you'll have to update fw.img (bootloader). Sometimes, new features require cooperation between the bootloader and kernel; in that case, you'll have to update both.

Also, that Win32DiskImager image on GitLab might have a slight error in it....my bad. If in doubt, the tar image is known good; I'll redo the Windows image once I get a free moment. Note that this is NOT the same as rw's image posted on GBATemp; as far as I know, that image is fine.

Thanks for that informative post!

First of all it's great to have another one of the guys participating in that project here on gbatemp.
This is such a great project and I'm really glad for every process, checking this thread everyday and gitlab at least once a week.

That being said I guess I'll wait patiently for built-in Wi-Fi. I'll update everything on my side then (fw.img, kernel and rootfs image) and make some tests.
If anything works I'll write here the steps I made.
Keep it going!

 

[CompuCat]

FYI: I don't spend a lot of time on GBATemp; I might post updates here when I can, but you'll primarily see new stuff from us on GitLab.

 

[lordelan]

FYI: I don't spend a lot of time on GBATemp; I might post updates here when I can, but you'll primarily see new stuff from us on GitLab.

Fantastic!
As I said I'm checking there every few days as well.

 

[SjorsMaster]

Does this support the DRC?

 

[Billy Acuña]

Does this support the DRC?

Not yet.

 

[Andorist]

Hi, I am trying to run the linux loader by launching haxchi, then the homebrew channel, and then running CFW Booter, but the screen just fades to black and sends me straight back to the homebrew channel. My sd card has fw.img on the root and also has linux/dtbImage.wiiu. Does anyone know what I might be doing wrong?

Edit: It turns out loading the haxchi firmware and then running homebrew was preventing cfw booter from running. Holding down A while launching haxchi took me directly to the homebrew channel which caused it to work.

 

[OrGoN3]

Thought this would get more replies.. This is big news imo. Are you guys planning on adding Multicore support and Hardware Acceleration in the future?
Would PCSX run on this? I don't really know much about Linux

Congrats to Quark and rw-rr-0644 Thank You

Ploggy and his PCSX on a Wii U, lol.

 

[ploggy]

Ploggy and his PCSX on a Wii U, lol.

One way or another we're going to get PCSX on WiiU. damn it

 

[lordelan]

Man I'm really hyped for WiFi support to try X.org and things.

 

[Gunstorm]

Man I'm really hyped for WiFi support to try X.org and things.

they added the suport to the usb network adapter https://gitlab.com/linux-wiiu/linux-wiiu/activity

 

[lordelan]

they added the suport to the usb network adapter https://gitlab.com/linux-wiiu/linux-wiiu/activity

Yeah, saw that but I don't have one. :/

 

[CompuCat]

FWIW, the changes Quark merged should work with lots of USB network adapters; you should be able to pick one up for about $10 USD online. (My own adapter's an ancient thing that doesn't even have Windows XP drivers-Linux on WiiU supports it!)