Release v1.1.2

This is a minor, bugfix release to v1.1.1. If you are already on v1.1.0 or v1.1.1, you can upgrade simply by running genup (or wait for the automated weekly update to do this for you).

Users on earlier v1.0.{0,1,2} releases should follow the manual upgrade instructions to 1.1.0 below; the final step genup therein will actually bring you to v1.1.2 now.

You can easily check your current version at any time, by issuing:

demouser@pi64 ~ $ eix rpi3-64bit-meta

Changes in this release (see main project page for further details):

• All image packages can now be controlled by the rpi3-64bit-meta metapackage (it has additional USE flags - core, xfce, pitop and apps that determine what is brought in). As shipped however, the (standard) image does not specify pitop or apps by default (so you can still easily pare down your end-user apps, if desired).
  If you are upgrading from an earlier release, you can clean up your /var/lib/portage/world file after updating, if you like, since the majority of the lines in there are now implied by core or xfce; for reference, the /var/lib/portage/world on the v1.1.2 image now reads (end-user apps only):

  app-arch/p7zip
  app-crypt/seahorse
  app-editors/emacs
  app-editors/lfhex
  app-editors/mousepad
  app-office/libreoffice
  app-office/libreoffice-l10n
  app-portage/porthole
  app-text/evince
  dev-embedded/rpi3-64bit-meta
  dev-util/meld
  mail-client/claws-mail
  mail-client/thunderbird
  media-gfx/gimp
  media-gfx/ristretto
  media-video/mplayer
  media-video/smplayer
  media-video/vlc
  net-irc/hexchat
  sys-apps/gnome-disk-utility
  sys-apps/qdiskusage
  sys-devel/portage-distccmon-gui
  www-client/firefox
  www-client/links
  

• Variant Pi-Top image (and support ebuilds) added. The Pi-Top is an RPi3-based DIY laptop; the Pi-Top image contains configured drivers for screen backlight brightness control, clean power-down, pitopSPEAKER initialization and battery level monitoring.

  If you have been running an older version of this image on your Pi-Top and would like to retain your work, while migrating to use the newly-available drivers, then please see the instructions below.

• Added an initial version of Gordon Henderson's wiringpi library and gpio utiltiy.

• Added new-user 'fixups' for Xfce4 (compositing redraw on vertical blank etc.), via the xfce-extra/xfce4-fixups-rpi3 package.

• Various minor ebuild tidy-ups.

• All packages brought up-to-date against the Gentoo tree, as of 27 July 2017.

Optional: Crossgrading an Existing 1.1.2 Image to the Pi-Top Variant

NB - this should only be done by users on a Pi-Top system who want to upgrade an older gentoo-on-rpi3-64bit image:

• New Pi-Top users should just download the v1.1.2 genpi64pt.img.xz image directly (per instructions on the project's main page), and
• Users of 'vanilla' RPi3 boards should not install these components, as they are platform-specific.

OK, begin by bringing your existing image to v1.1.2, following the instructions above.

Once you have done this, issue:

pi64 ~ # dispatch-conf

and merge any pending configuration changes. Then, issue:

pi64 ~ # echo 'USE="${USE} pitop"' >> /etc/portage/make.conf

to set the pitop USE flag globally (this will affect the rpi3-64bit-meta package, inter alia). Now bring your system up to date with the new settings:

pi64 ~ # genup

When this completes (allow around an hour), you should issue:

pi64 ~ # dispatch-conf

again, and merge any changes. Make sure you accept the modifications to /boot/config.txt, if offered.

Then, activate the necessary services at the appropriate runlevel:

pi64 ~ # rc-update add pitop-poweroff shutdown
pi64 ~ # rc-update add rpi3-i2cdev boot
pi64 ~ # rc-update add pitop-speaker default

Reboot. You can now add the battery monitor plugin into the top panel if you like - it should work correctly. Keyboard shortcuts should also work (for brightness etc.). On shutdown (but not reboot), the Pi-Top's hub should shut off power cleanly once Gentoo has finalized.

Note that keyboard shortcuts for audio will also work, but they require the audio mixer plugin to be installed in the panel (as it is for demouser, for example). Your user needs to be a member of the wheel group (as demouser is) to modify screen brightness, or monitor the battery (access to the I2C and SPI busses being restricted to that group, as shipped).

GPIO access should be possible using the gpio app; a 64-bit build of the wiringpi library is also included (the header files are in /usr/include/wiringpi, libraries in /usr/lib64).

That's it! Have fun with your new 64-bit Pi-Top ^-^ Once you have upgraded, you can run genup etc. just like a regular image user - the binhost supports both.

PS at the moment I do not have any of the other Pi-Top add-on boards so haven't been able to add drivers for them. Shouldn't be too hard to do though. Feel free to send me a PR!

Acknowledgement: a big thank-you to rricharz, whose work made possible the Pi-Top drivers in this variant image.

Image Files

The image files may be fetched via the links in the Downloads section immediately below. Please see these notes on the main project page for an explanation of what each is, and how to write and use your chosen image.

NB: in particular, please note that most users will want the first (genpi64.img.xz) image - the Pi-Top variant (genpi64pt.img.xz) should only be used for those who want to run their RPi3 in a Pi-Top chassis (as it contains platform-specific drivers to communicate with the Pi-Top's onboard battery, hub, speakers etc.)