Linux on 7" mini netbook ARM-VT8500 ?

[emostarxd]

alchark, so what should I do in this case? I need the Linux installed on my EPC but without Linux this netbook is a junk.
Sorry for my bad English

[alchark]

I don't really know anything regarding Linux on ZTE machines. Look around, maybe you'll find something. If you find register descriptions, you could try to port the latest kernel yourself

[justsomeguy11]

hello there everyone...let me start off by appoligizing for my noobiness !!! lol....here is my sistuation...

i recently picked up one of these mini netbooks...when i got it home all it did when i fired it up was show a very dull black screen..you could barley tell it even turned on because the screen was so dull....nothing happend after that ! absolutly nothing at all....it charged fine and doesn't have a low or dead battery..now let me also say that i am NOT a programmer or very effecient with programming knowledge..i do however have a androice epad that i've been playing with and have been reading up on the past few months in order to actually make good use of the device, so i know the terms like rooting and firmware, kernells and stuff like that even though i haven't been able to physically try them...ok getting off topic already ! lol....

is there a way i can get this thing up and running again? i've tried to read through this forum (this is the only place i've been able to find any kind of support for this product )..

i tried to put a sd card into the device as well as a usb stick but neither showed anything when i turned it on...so i'm thinking that the OS got wipped or erased or soemthing....now after reading though this thread it seems like i can attach the device to my comp and can put a kernell? on it..or a new bootloader or something? i just don't know where to start !!!

there is info on the first page but it is from 2009 so i'm not sure if there's more up to date info out there or new files and stuff to try to put on the device? when i plug it into my comp, should the comp see it as another drive? or is there a proggy i have to install in order to even see the device?

i know i'm asking alot and again i appoligize for my stupidness !! but any help would be sooooo appreciated ! i'm at a totall loss with this thing, i have also opened it up to see if i could find any kind of maker because it's so generic there is absolutly NO manafacture name on it anywhere...the only thing i could really see when i opened it up was a samsung chip on the MOBO..

if there is any kind of info that i have to supply in order to make sure i put the right files on it just let me know and i'll post it. but like i said there's not alot of info on this thing..but it's still opened up so if i need some kind of chip id number or something just let me know and i'll take a look...i just want to see some kind results because from the time i bought this (off the local classifieds ads) and the guy i bought it from said " yup it works great the battery is just dead)....figures that the 1 time i don't check something out is the 1 time i get ripped off !!!! but that's my own stupidness once again isn't it !!! lol.....

but again before i ramble more and more thank you for any and all assistance i can get on this thing. i would love to get it up and running and see what i can do with it..

thanks everyone !!!!!!

justsomeguy11

[experx]

Hi,

I have downloaded the Gentoo for EPC VT8500, but netbook can't start the install from SD card...
When I push the Power button, I see the message (Press F1 to update the system) with password "ztk" and this menu have only the options to format NAND flash.
Please help me to boot this linux on my EPC (VT8500, ~240 mhz, 128 RAM. 2 gb NAND)

Hi,

Did you get a solution or workaround on how to flash or load linux on these kind of netbooks ? I tried all options except format but it fails. Please post if you got a solution.

[justsomeguy11]

man i can't even see the F1 message....can't boot from sd card or a usb stick...i also tried to hook up to my computer via. the network cord..still nothing...was hoping that i would be able to see the mini netbook that way at least...but couldn't even get to that..i don't know how the hell i'm going to be able to get it to boot from anything in order to restore the OS...i am sooooo lost here ~~~~

** when i took apart the device i seen a chip that had this on it :

samsung
K9GAG08UOM
PCB0

then on the MOBO up in the corner it said this :

P701_main V8
100324

i hope this info is revelent to getting this beast up and running !!

thanks guys

[emostarxd]

I think we need to find a method how to install the U-boot to ZTK VT8500 devices with F1 msg on startup. This will allow to install any distributives using SD card and scriptcmd.
I think this can be done only via USB cable.

[justsomeguy11]

I think we need to find a method how to install the U-boot to ZTK VT8500 devices with F1 msg on startup. This will allow to install any distributives using SD card and scriptcmd.
I think this can be done only via USB cable.

how do you get the computer to reconigize the device with a usb cable? is there some kind of proggy or something you have to install in order to see it? i'm really stuck here trying to get this device to even see something so i can get some kind of OS on this damn thing !!

[emostarxd]

I saw the some utilites from China developers, this utils was created for USB connect. Also the USB connection need to eject the EPC battery and enable the jumper on the motherboard. I can't find the link to this manual but it's exist on this topic.

[justsomeguy11]

I saw the some utilites from China developers, this utils was created for USB connect. Also the USB connection need to eject the EPC battery and enable the jumper on the motherboard. I can't find the link to this manual but it's exist on this topic.

i'll have to look around and see if i can find that utility...if anyone out there has the link please please share !!!

also i never seen any kind of jumper on the mobo ! hopefully it isn't on the bottom side of it. because there is some kind of ribbon on the top of the mobo that doesn't look like it disconnects very easily. it goes from the mobo at the bottom of it under the keyboard and attaches to some kind of plastic piece that is at the bottom of the mobo...i'll have to inspect this tonight when i get home and see if i can find that jumper. at this point i will try anything to get this sucker going ! all i get is the dreaded faded black screen ! no F1 message or anything, that is why i'm thinking the OS got wipped out or something got so crupted that nothing works ...

if anyone else has any kind of idea how to get this damn thing up and running please please please share !!! like i said i only get the faded black screen. i tried to boot from usb stick as well as SD card....but the device didn't read either one of them and just acted the same with them in as it did without anything in it.

i'm a very newbie here and can't find my way aroudn the site very well yet (because i'm not sure what any of this is) !!lol.....so if anyone can link that manual or help me out I would be sooo appreciative !!!!!

thanks everyone !!!!!


justsomeguy11

[justsomeguy11]

ive tried to search this site for that usb proggy but still cant navigate my way around very well.....at least i managed to find this site though !! like i said this is the 1st place i've even found people talking about these mini netbooks to support them ! if anyone else found any other sites out there can you pm me them or link them here please...cause i really need to get this thing going...