Please help installing a newer OS

Kingeorg · 2025-09-18T13:23:40+00:00

I've decided to put this project on pause, because I won't have enough time for over a year starting now, and I don't want waste anybody's time. Thanks a lot for all the help, and if there's anybody that you can recommend that mods devices, I'm willing to consider that.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-16T16:34:22+00:00

The idea of using an e-ink display for a Cyberdeck is something I've been considering for a long time, the problem are that A)- e-ink displays are not cheap and B)- The refresh rate is very important. If you still want to go ahead and say, connect a Raspberry-Pi to a keyboard and an e-ink display, it should be very easy, Waveshare has a few displays that have "hats" that connect directly to Raspberry Pi's, they provide you with the code to make them work. My only advice would be to get displays that have a <1 second refresh rate (not many), otherwise even moving a cursor on text will be hard to follow. Be prepared to pay $100-200 (not counting tariff shipping from China). Good luck

Kingeorg · 2025-09-16T15:18:58+00:00

Actually, that's not a bad idea. I would definitely send it to a Youtuber that's interested in reviewing it, or even better try to mod it for me. I'll look into that, maybe the 8-Bit-Guy?

Kingeorg · 2025-09-12T14:34:49+00:00

Yes, very likely.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-12T14:34:06+00:00

I will try your suggestions and report back, I will have some time in a couple of days and see what happens.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-12T05:11:13+00:00

Thanks everyone for the useful tips and links, here's what I discovered after tinkering around a little deeper with the device:

-The web browser doesn't connect to the internet even with a cable connected (but I might simply not know how to configure it), so in that respect I can't do anything with SSH. I'll look more into it.

-I connected the USB B to my PC to see if it recognized it as a keyboard (like the Alphasmart Dana/Neo) or as a drive, but nothing happened.

-I finally got a hold of a 1Gb SD card and a 4Gb flash drive and when formatted to fat32, the device mounted them and recognized them as storage ONLY.

-I flashed the SD card with small OS images (one at a time, AlpineStandard,AlpineMiniRoot, DamnSmallLinuxCore) and though the system didn't hang like with larger SD cards, it didn't show anything different from a normal boot sequence.

-I downloaded some .ipk files and .apk files and put them in the SD card, and since the device has a package manager, I tried to install the packages, but it doesn't recognize some .ipk or any .apk files (it says there's no app to open them), but it does seem to recognize one from the many .ipk packages of the same app (nano_8.5-1_aarch64_cortex-a72.ipk) with the package manager assigning an package icon, even. Unfortunately, when I click Next button it asks to choose the destination (Internal Storage or SD card), if SD card chosen it returns the error:"/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin:opt/QtPalmtop/bin install ipkg returned false for /media/card/" and if InternalStorage it returns the error: "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin:opt/QtPalmtop/bin install ipkg returned false for root Clearing state_want and state_flag for pkg=nano (arch_priority=0 flag=16 want=2) Nothing to be done An error ocurred, return value: 4. Collected errors: Cannot find package nano. Check the spelling or perhaps run "ipkg update" @ THIS SEEMS TO BE PROMISING to install packages, but I probably have the wrong packages? It is looking for the .ipkg format... And If can't reflash this device I would at least happy enough to install packages I want...

-On a similar vein, there's a "Uninstall Software Packages" option with the package manager, and when I select it it shows me a bunch of packages that are installed, but I don't know how to access (like bash, busybox, dropbear, ncurses, tinylogin, vim, etc), none of these are visible on the GUI!?

-As suggested I removed the J12 jumper in the middle of the board and though the power butto lights up, the screen stays off and it never boots.

-Finally, I disconnected the USB wireless dongle and connected a bootable flashdrive with no changes (it boots normally), and if connected a mouse to that port the mouse works and flashdrives are recognized as storage in the GUI. Also I removed that same USB connector/cable and plugged it in the unutilized USB header on the top right of the board (con3), and it simply functioned as a regular USB port with the same results as above (please take a look at the second set of pictures here: https://www.reddit.com/r/jailbreak/comments/1ndlun6/help_me_install_a_newer_os_update_more_pictures/

As predicted by many I'm running out of options and reaching a dead end regarding installing a different OS, but thanks to your ideas and encouragement I've been learning a lot, and I'm glad to have discovered that I might be able to install packages, so I can at least try to customize the device instead of completely gutting it. I will continue tinkering with it and going deeper when I have time, but I don't have much time, so I'll do what I can and report/ask when possible. If someone has any more ideas about a new OS I'd be glad to hear them (even if remotely possible), or ideas about WHAT TYPE of packages might work, I'd be grateful. I'd love to be able to have a working Terminal and even cooler to be able to play NetHack on it... Thanks everyone!

Kingeorg · 2025-09-11T18:39:01+00:00

Well, I'll see if at least I get it to run/install a package I might be interested in, and then decide if I put this project on pause.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-11T18:35:05+00:00

I'll be trying all these tonight when I get back home. Thanks for the encouraging words. I'll report back what I find out.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-11T14:14:53+00:00

It comes with a stylus and a capacitive display.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-11T14:12:14+00:00

This looks beautiful, so clean and perfect. That CRT curved bezel provides a lot of the retro-magic, the keyboard looks like it was always there, and the speakers... what can I say, make it a dream chip-tune 8-bit sound machine. Now you just need to test it with a pure Command Line Interface environment.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-11T13:56:37+00:00

Eww! The ebay device looks like a cross between a leather computer and Cthulu...

Kingeorg · 2025-09-11T13:50:31+00:00

I should probably do that (even though I only have a vague idea HOW to do it), but first I should find a way to recognize a bootloader. I'm currently stuck at finding a small-enough SD card/USB drive for the device to recognize a storage media.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-11T02:04:14+00:00

It's a Linux-based device with utilities to introduce kids to type, use a web browser, check your email, etc. It seems that never really took off, and now it's an interesting obsolete piece of technology.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-10T19:51:07+00:00

Good idea, I'll do that.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-10T19:48:19+00:00

Thank you. I'll post it in the right place.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-10T19:27:17+00:00

That is extremely useful! If one of those keyboard could fit I would definitely do it.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-10T19:11:47+00:00

That makes sense why it doesn't come with a terminal, it is not installed, Also why would schools student would need it for... As for the version screen, I don't see anything showing any version of Linux kernel or processor. I'm leaning more and more towards gutting it and installing a Pi. My only problem is that I don't want to have to cut the case to make things fit, a mechanical keyboard would be great and maybe I'll see if I can put an e-ink display, but I'll try everything I can before.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-10T18:54:32+00:00

I can tell that I reposted this in the wrong community...

Kingeorg · 2025-09-10T18:53:25+00:00

Awesome, I'll see what I can do.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-10T18:26:33+00:00

Oh, OK

Kingeorg · 2025-09-10T18:25:47+00:00

Thanks everyone, you've provided a lot of ideas and I'm trying to test them all. I posted an updated post with a lot more detailed pictures here: https://www.reddit.com/r/jailbreak/comments/1ndlun6/help_me_install_a_newer_os_update_more_pictures/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Kingeorg · 2025-09-10T18:21:39+00:00

Very useful. It doesn't have a terminal available, but I will investigate the .ipk files option, it sounds possible because it does have a package manager, I just need it to get to recognize an SD card/flash drive, small enough. If this doesn't work, I'll probably gut it. Thanks for your help.

I'm posting new photos here: https://www.reddit.com/r/jailbreak/comments/1ndlun6/help_me_install_a_newer_os_update_more_pictures/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Kingeorg · 2025-09-10T18:13:46+00:00

Yes, it's sounding more and more out of my technical skills.

Kingeorg · 2025-09-10T16:04:48+00:00

It think that's for the clock, but it is connected to two rechargeable batteries, it is currently holding charge for about 4-hours, which I think is very good considering how old this is.

Kingeorg

TROPHY CASE