Linux source code for RK3188

Rockchip’s RK3188 processor is one of the fastest ARM Cortex-A9 chips around. The 28nm quad-core processor outperforms the chips found in the Samsung Galaxy S III and Google Nexus 7, for instance. And it’s a relatively inexpensive chip, which explains why it’s proven popular with Chinese tablet and TV box makers.
Most devices featuring the RK3188 processor ship with Android 4.1 or Android 4.2. But soon you may be able to run Ubuntu, Fedora, or other desktop Linux operating systems on an RK3188 device.

Rikomagic MK802 IV

The folks at Rikomagic UK got their hands on some Linux source code for the RK3188 chipset, and they’ve posted the source to Github.
This isn’t the same thing as having a fully functional version of Ubuntu or another OS that you can run on a device like the MK802 IV mini PC or Cube U30GT2 tablet. But it is an important first step.
Developers can use this source code to try to port Linux-based operating systems (such as PicUntu) to run on these devices.
While the RK3188 chip is faster than almost any ARM-based processor released before mid-2012, it’s still not as fast as most x86 processors. So don’t expect Ubuntu to run as well on an MK802 IV as it does on a laptop or desktop PC with an Intel Core i5 CPU.
What’s exciting about the prospect of running Linux on this sort of device is that ARM-based hardware tends to be far cheaper and more energy efficient than devices with x86 processors. So you might be able to turn an $80 device like the Tronsmart T428 into a Linux-powered PC that can run desktop apps including LibreOffice, GIMP, Firefox, and more.
You could also turn a tiny ARM-based mini PC into a home media server or even a web server.
If you want to try your hand at helping make that happen, the source code is now available(full source code 130M bytes).

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Ubuntu up and running on Android mini PCs with RK3188 chips

Rockchip’s RK3188 quad-core processor is one of the fastest ARM Cortex-A9 chips on the market. But up until now if you’ve had a tablet, TV stick, or other devices with an RK3188 chip, you’ve probably only been able to run Android on it.
Now you can also run Ubuntu, and possibly other Linux-based operating systems as well.

Earlier this month Rikomagic released Linux source code for the MK802 IV mini PC with an RK3188 chip. Now a handful of people have used that code as a starting point for running Ubuntu Linux on similar devices, including the QC802 and Tronsmart T428.
For the most part, the steps for installing Ubuntu should work on most Android TV boxes with RK3188 chips — and since you’re booting Ubuntu from an SD card, you should be able to do it without affecting the Android software that probably came with your device.
On the other hand, Ubuntu for RK3188 sticks is still pretty rough around the edges. There’s currently no support for WiFi, Bluetooth, or hardware-accelerated graphics. Since different devices have different wireless chips it could take a while before Ubuntu is fully functional on every available device with an RK3188 chip.
Ian Morrison has posted details on getting Ubuntu up and running on an RK3188 box, as well as some performance benchmarks.
More details are available at CNX-Software.