Zealz GK802 - a mini-computer with the ability to install Ubuntu

Mini-computers and media players with the Android operating system have not surprised anyone. But there is still among them a device that can stand out among the gray mass - this is the mini-computer Zealz GK802, in which Android version 4.0.4 is installed by default.
What is interesting about him?
And the interesting thing about it is that it is built on a 4-core Freescale i.MX6Quad ​​chip and has a full Ubuntu build for it!

► Specifications

Four-core video accelerator Vivante GC2000
Four-core Freescale i.MX6 Quad processor with Cortex A9 architecture
1 GB of RAM
Android 4.0.4 operating system
8 GB user memory + microSD card slot
Connectivity: Wi-Fi (802.11 b / g / n), Bluetooth

► Appearance and equipment

Zealz GK802 comes in a small black box:


The mini-computer is of small size, made of metal with a small plastic insert, under which a Wifi antenna is hidden.

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On the other side and on the sides are many ventilation openings. They are really needed; the device heats up significantly during operation.


MicroSD memory card slot:


The kit includes a charger, USB cable:

The microUSB-USB cable is used to connect power from the USB port of the TV, or from a USB hub.

As well as an HDMI extension cable:


Behind the microUSB port is located, which is used for power and a full USB port.

You can connect many different USB devices (mouse, keyboard, external hard drive)

In front is the male HDMI:

If the HDMI input on the TV is turned into a wall, then you can use the HDMI extension that came in the box.

► disassemble

Understanding the Zealz GK802 is very simple, you just need to unscrew the 2 screws on the front and gently move the structure:


Under the radiator is the Freescale i.MX6 Quad chip itself.


Also visible are 2 Samsung memory chips:


We turn over and see 2 more memory chips:


Please note that the internal memory is organized in the form of a microSD card.


On the one hand, this reduces the speed of accessing the permanent memory, and on the other hand, we get a device that cannot be "killed" by unsuccessful flashing. If something went wrong - just write the image on the card from the computer, insert and again get a working device!
Also, this approach in the organization of memory allows you to store several prepared operating systems on microSD cards without the need to update the firmware every time.

► Software

Android 4.0.4 is preinstalled, without any launchers.




Google Play preinstalled:


Supported image output with real 1080p resolution:


With 1080p resolution, the Android interface is not as responsive.

► Performance

The Freescale i.MX 6 Quad is a very promising chip that was left without much attention by manufacturers in China. The only tablet that more or less made friends with him was the Ampe A10 Quad.
It is based on a 4-core Cortex-A9 processor with a frequency of up to 1 GHz and a Vivante GC2000 GPU.
The amount of RAM - 1 GB, constant - 8 GB. Since the internal memory is organized in the form of a microSD card, there will be no problem to supply a larger volume.


The results of the Antutu 3.2.2 performance test at a resolution of 1920x1080:


1280x720:


In the results we see the expected drop in performance with increasing resolution.

Vellamo:


Quadrant when you run the test shows only a black screen. I guess I have no luck, but this is already the 3rd device on which this test does not run.

► Games

The Vivante GC2000 GPU is not very popular, which is why there are compatibility issues in some 3D games.
With 2D things are better and most games work without problems.


GTA is jerky on average graphics quality settings.

► Video

MX Player plays both 720p and 1080p video:


There is an XBMC build for the GK802, but the program interface loads the processor too much and the device overheats. Perhaps in the future will make an assembly that will not load the processor at 100%.

► How to manage?

You can control the Zealz GK802 in the following ways:
1. Mouse and keyboard connected via a USB hub to a mini-computer.
2. Bluetooth mouse / keyboard.
3. Wireless mouse keyboard. Now on the market a lot of options. For example iPazzport:


Lenovo also has a trackball solution - Lenovo N5901:

► Installing Ubuntu

Currently there are several versions of Ubuntu that can be installed on the GK802.
This is Ubuntu 11.10 in which there is support for hardware decoding of the GPU and VPU and Ubuntu 12.04.
To install Ubuntu 11.10 you need to take the following steps:
1. Download the image of Ubuntu 11.10, uboot, kernel, and modules by running the commands:

wget http://dl.miniand.com/jas-hacks/gk802/ubuntu_gk802.img.gz wget http://dl.miniand.com/jas-hacks/gk802/u-boot.imx wget http://dl.miniand.com/jas-hacks/gk802/uImage_3.0.35-0269_cpu_freq wget http://dl.miniand.com/jas-hacks/gk802/modules_3.0.35-02695.tar 

2. Unpack the image:

 gzip -d ubuntu_gk802.img.gz 

Copy image, uboot and kernel to microSD memory card

 sudo dd if=ubuntu_gk802.img of=/dev/<sd_device> sudo dd if=u-boot.imx bs=1k seek=1 of=/dev/<sd_device> && sync sudo dd if=uImage_3.0.35-0269_cpu_freq of=/dev/<sd_device> bs=1048576 seek=1 && sudo sync 

replacing / dev / <sd_device> with the path to the sd card in the system. In my case, when connected via the built-in laptop card reader, the path was / dev / mmcblk0 .
If there is an error when unpacking the file, that the size of the microSD card is not enough - no problem, at the end of the image there is no important data.
4. Remove the microSD card from the computer and insert again to mount the rootfs. If this does not happen automatically, manually mount the command

 sudo mount -t vfat /dev/sdc /media/ubuntu 

5. Copy kernel modules to rootfs.

 tar xvf modules_3.0.35-02695.tar sudo cp -r modules/3.0.35-02695-ga09806b-dirty /media/ubuntu/lib/modules 

6. Unmount the memory card and remove it from the computer.
7. Disassemble the G802, insert the memory card with the Linux image, assemble and run.

We connect the power, wait for some time and after a while we are met by Ubuntu:


Check GPU hardware acceleration in e2gears benchmarks:


And glmark2-es:



Mozilla Firefox browser pre-installed:


In this build, Ubuntu 11.10 works:
1. Wifi
2. External memory cards
3. usb
4. Hardware acceleration of GPU and VPU

The interface works quite smoothly, while dragging windows there are no loops. But in general, one gets the impression of some thoughtfulness of reaction to actions in the system.
You can configure to work as a Linux server, or torrent rocking. But do not forget about heating: when running Ubuntu, the body gets very hot. If you are planning a long job in Ubuntu - be sure to do additional cooling (the most elementary is the radiator right on the case) for security reasons!

Video from Youtube from one of the creators of the Ubuntu build for GK802:


There is a build of Ubuntu 12.04 in which it works:
1. Hardware acceleration GPU and VPU
2. Wifi
3. Desktop Unity 2D or Xubuntu to choose from
4. Preloaded Chromium
But Bluetooth is also not working.


Various Linux builds can be found on the ArmTech forum .

As you can see, you can install Ubuntu on a memory card for the G802 from the Linux operating system. If you do not have Linux at hand, and only Windows, you can install Ubuntu on a flash drive and, after booting from USB, install the image on the microSD card for the GK802. For this you need:
1. Download the Ubuntu distribution from ubuntu.com
2. Download the program to install Ubuntu on a USB flash-drive.
3. Prepare a flash-drive, run the program for recording images.
4. Select the type of operating system to install, the device to record.
5. Write the image to the flash-drive.
6. Restart the computer, at the start enter the BIOS (the button to enter appears when the computer starts)
7. In the configuration of the boot sequence, select the first Removable Device, save the settings and reboot.
8. At the start there will be an offer to try Ubuntu now, or install it immediately. We choose to try.
Next, follow the instructions for installing an image on a microSD card similar to the installation from Linux.

findings

Supports 1080p image output
Built-in Bluetooth
Ability to install Ubuntu
Heat

Zealz GK802 was a very interesting product. Probably for normal use as a media player, you can choose a device on the RK3066, which will cost you about $ 50. But if you are interested in installing Linux, the GK802 is the best candidate.
The price of Zealz GK802 in Geekbuying.com is about $ 90, including shipping from China. You can buy a mini-computer for only $ 69.99 by using the FVKIWVAG discount coupon .

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