Hi,

I have two old chips laying around, just flashed them via https://github.com/maxaubel/Flash-Chip-Arch

Anybody interested in buying? Just make an offer. PS they come without any cables :)

Located in germany, so shipping might vary to your destination.

More details can be provided if you need to know anything, let me know I am happy to help.

Cheers,

Pille

My mother found a pocket chip computer at a thrift store and, knowing I love anything computer related, bought it for me. Unfortunately, when I brought it home, it was locked behind a password. Is there any way to whipe it and flash a new os on it? Or some other way to get past the password?

Title says it all, can I use my working pocket chip to flash a dead pocket chip?

Hello to everyone.

I ask your help to find the HDMI DIP for my Pocket CHIP , because I found this LCD panel that will work through it :

https://www.waveshare.com/6.25inch-720x1560-lcd.htm

Very thanks.

I have 5 chip.

Just dragged them out of a draw after decommisioning an Airplay setup a few years ago. I had successfully got them up and running with https://github.com/mikebrady/shairport-sync.

I am looking forward to designing shields for them in KiCAD but I found 2 start up fine, but the other three have white led and red led hard on (no flashing).

I am assuming I might need reflash, so I started looking for CHIP-buildroot etc. However, I finally found this site (PHEW!) and discussions such as https://www.reddit.com/r/ChipCommunity/comments/1fd9t5z/2024_working_chip_flash_method_nothing_new_but/

So, I'll try a few things but I am stumped why the 3 are playing up, having gone into the drawer fine.

I'm going to have to hope that a re-flashing will fix it? Wish me luck ;)

Cheers,

A

Hello.

The POCKET C.H.I.P does not have an HDMI port and this is very uncomfortable for me. I really want to use it with my HDMI monitor.

After looking at the C.H.I.P., it looks like my best bet would be to use the composite output (the thing that looks like a headphone jack) and plug it into a TV or a scaler that outputs HDMI. The TRS to composite cable is still on sale on the C.H.I.P. website.

I found the products below that could satisfy my needs :

1. https://www.amazon.it/Tomost-maschio-videocamera-smartphone-altoparlanti/dp/B08Y86W2ZL/
2. https://www.amazon.it/Adattatore-Convertitore-Video-Composito-Audio/dp/B09NLLMH7P

Can you tell me please if they will work together on the POCKET C.H.I.P ?

I don't want to buy the wrong products and I want to keep the costs low.

Hello to everyone.

I would like to understand how to attach an HDMI cable to my pocket chip. I don't see any HDMI port. Is there an expansion card that I can buy ? Is there a place where I can buy it ? thanks.

Hello.

I've bought my pocket chip some time ago. My goal is to install FreeBSD there. What I don't like about it is for sure the case. Someone knows if and where I can buy a better case ? Before to build one by myself I woulld try to see if there is one ready all around. Or if you know a company that can create one using these drawings :

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2490185

I'm ready to pay the company for the job. Thanks so much.

Hey all! I’m pretty new to computing, got CHIP with HDMI DIP back in 2016 and lost it in my “cable bin” for 8 years.

As many of you know that basically kills CHIP. Thanks to u/KnownAssociate2 for sending me to r/ChipCommunity!

There are tons of methods I’ve seen for Flashing CHIP, but as a novice I couldn’t get any to work. I thought some of the simpler ones using apptainer/singularity would be easier and seemed less daunting than the other methods, but I had no luck.

The following simple 15 step instructions are built largely on top of a few other Reddit posts and the CHIP GitHub backup read me/comments.

Edit: Recommend reading the rest on desktop, since that’s where I wrote it and that probably makes copying pasting easier.

——————————————————————

I’m using a MacBook Pro, but hopefully this works on windows the same.

• Follow these instructions to setup a virtual Ubuntu machine: https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/how-to-run-ubuntu-desktop-on-a-virtual-machine-using-virtualbox#1-overview
  • I chose the “Try Ubuntu” option on the Virtual Box set up, but you could do a full install if you want to.

Edit: You’ll want to open this Reddit post as well as all the following links in Firefox from within your virtual box since you can’t copy paste from your base machine (Mac or PC) to your Virtual Box

Starting Here: https://gist.github.com/verticalgrain/deae2821213a891747e08e2d6492808a

1. I retrieved my build/image from here: http://chip.jfpossibilities.com/chip/images/stable/
   1. I used the GUI image, just to see it work visually, but if you have the pocket chip add on, use that, or if you want the server version use that, etc.
   2. I placed all the image files into a folder named stable-gui-b149
2. I downloaded the CHIP-SDK zip file from here: https://github.com/Project-chip-crumbs/CHIP-SDK
   1. Unzip files, folder is named CHIP-SDK-master
3. I downloaded the CHIP-TOOLS zip file from here: https://github.com/Project-chip-crumbs/CHIP-tools
   1. Unzip files, folder is named CHIP-tools-chip-stable
4. Move your image folder (stable-gui-b149) into the CHIP-SDK-master folder
5. Move your CHIP-tools-chip-stable folder into the CHIP-SDK-master folder
6. Open Terminal, cd ~/Downloads/CHIP-SDK-master && ./setup_ubuntu1404.sh
7. This will set up the SDK. You will get some errors saying CHIP-tools is already installed, but possibly several others
   1. Start with sudo apt update
   2. To alleviate “git: command not found”
      1. sudo apt install git
   3. To alleviate “make: command not found”
      1. sudo apt install make
   4. To alleviate “make: cc: No such file or directory”
      1. sudo apt install build-essential
      2. export CC=gcc
   5. To alleviate “/bin/sh: 1: pkg-config: not found”
      1. sudo apt install pkg-config
   6. To alleviate python related errors:
      1. Sudo apt install python-dev-is-python3
      2. sudo apt nstall python3-pip
   7. To alleviate “fatal error libusb.h: no such file or directory”
      1. sudo apt install libusb-1.0-0-dev
   8. To alleviate “fatal error zlib.h: no such file or directory”
      1. sudo apt install zlib1g-dev
   9. To alleviate “fatal error libfdt.h: no such file or directory”
      1. sudo apt install libfdt-dev
   10. To alleviate “Package android-tools-fsutils is not available….”
   11. sudo apt install android-sdk-lib sparse-utils
   12. To alleviate “Error: Unable to locate fastboot utility”
   13. sudo apt install fastboot
   14. To alleviate “Error: Unable to locate mkimage utility”
   15. sudo apt install u-boot-tools
8. Next change directories to CHIP-tools-chip-stable with: cd CHIP-tools-chip-stable
9. Open the following files: chip-feel-flash.sh, chip-flash, common.sh
   1. search for “-i 0x1f3a” in all three files and remove that string
   2. search for “-u” in all three files and remove that string (there is one “-u” that’s not near “-i 0x13fa”)
   3. Save files and close
   4. The reason for this is that newer package distributions aren't compatible with the older CHIP-Tools, there are other ways around this, but this was most straightforward.
10. Put your CHIP into FEL mode, by connecting the FEL pin to any GRD pin (FEL is located on the right side if the connectors are facing you and the USB port is facing up)
11. Connect your CHIP to Micro USB (it should be a data transfer Micro USB, you can tell the difference by the grooves on the sides of the pins. https://superuser.com/questions/1269449/identifying-data-transfer-micro-usb-cables-vs-charge-only-micro-usb-cables)
12. Run: ./chip-update-firmware.sh -L ../stable-gui-b149
13. You should get an output that starts with == Local directory ….. ==, some other info, and then “waiting for fel …..OK” and then again “waiting for fel….OK” followed by NAND detected, some more info another “waiting for fel …OK” 
14. In an ideal state you should then get “waiting for fastboot…..OK”
15. However if you don’t get the first “waiting for fel….OK”:
16.  go to your VirtualBox Settings > Ports > USB > hit the + icon and select “Onda (unverified) V972 tablet in flashing mode [02B3]” (or similar device)
17. If you get past the all the “waiting for fel…..OK”s, but “Waiting for fastboot…..TIMEOUT” occurs:
18.  go to your VirtualBox Settings > Ports > USB > hit the + icon and select “Allwinner Technology USB download gadget [0215]” (or similar device)
19. Then again run: ./chip-update-firmware.sh -L ../stable-gui-b149
20. You should get more info saying “Sending sparse ‘UBI’ 1/24 … until it gets through 24/24 and says FLASH VERIFICATION COMPLETE / CHIP is ready to roll!
21. Success!

Hope this is helpful for anyone who ran into a number of issues like myself.

EDIT: Thanks for calling out the awful formatting u/insanemal, it was unreadable

i'm getting this error when I run nmtui (for WiFi setup):

nmtui: error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libgnutls-deb0.so.28: cannot read file data: Input/output error

does this mean that the file "libgnutls-deb0.so.28" is corrupted? If so, how can i repair it?

Do external USB controllers automatically work for the Pico8 app on PocketCHIP, or do they have to be specially configured?

So I have been using linux a while, and I am not sure if I have my dependencies wrong or something, I am using Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, and the Flash-CHIP program from github, I found the link on here..

This is the output I am getting when the program... crashes?

NAND detected:

7��k��:7�@8M� �2*(R5)�]:��Un�'�D=�#����3?_�����+

Ə���o)�BdZCj��S�\�>�ۃ*lRx�lj��k���P��R�0B�:�q�c =�����.��%�h�dGɝ�m%��<G�x>67�h(��m�h�g�M1nz�������b����-��jD�Op�T#��l\��.@!�G��~��'>�\

p����X�d��D/tmp/chip-uboot-script-i3Ht85/nand-info: line 1: syntax error near unexpected token `('

/tmp/chip-uboot-script-i3Ht85/nand-info: line 1: `7��k��:7�@8M� �2*(R5)�]:��Un�'�D=�#����3?_�����+

Ə���o)�BdZCj��S�\�>�ۃ*lRx�lj��k���P��R�0B�:�q�c =�����.��%�h�Op�T#��l\��.@!�G��~��'>�\'M1nz�������b����-��jD�����Ĩ� �{�G�~�����H�a

​

I assume the problem is: syntax error near unexpected token `('

any idea how to fix this?

Any discord server? Jfpossibilities sources still alive? Im trying to update any Jessie But seems dead. Must upgrade distro? Im fine With Jessie! Piratebox headless works? I just LOVE the full terminal screen formfactor. Old school style. NeoVim Python Clang/GCC Frogfind surf

THX!

​

finally figured out how to customize the plymouth in pocketchip's debian, i need to make a resized version for the standard screen (my pocketchip has a higher resolution) but once i can get that working i should be able to share it for download :)

We need a troubleshooting guide with common issues that typically a help desk would carry as to help individuals with whatever symptoms they are encountering, like device powers on but doesn't show up in lsusb, or device shows in usb-devices but not lsusb, or device has one led when power up but only one, or device works only when using screen via other device but only power cycles when installed in the pocketchip enclosure, etc. I have 5 individual chips and its an assortment of this one works/this one only powers on for whatever time/this one is total fucked. Because sometimes one of us may know instantly that we virtual-nuked it, or by having the wrong sources for /etc/apt/sources.list, or physical issues like the micro-usb connection may have had the ground terminal weaken and be disconnected from yanking the cord in or out, etc., and others may know other scenarios but there is no collaborative to go to with problems that arise, or any other source, except here or forums, but a guide is needed. I wonder how hard it is to be in contact with some of the people still producing them? The original high-ups hopefully will be in hell being constantly chased by loyal fans holding seering hot soldering irons near their buttholes,while only visually able to see only a white screen as they flee eternally for not leaving any info like this to such an ardently loyal group of nut-jobs like us. Speaking for a friend. u/AssholesOfTheCenturyWinnerByLandslide

*side-note on this day 3-20-2024, CHIP's are again showing available to purchase on their website for $34.95 I believe (which I bought one like a year back and got it no issue).

I read the firmware version is supposed to be listed in the menu where you can shut down. Mines is blank. Is there another way to check?

****UPDATE****

From Terminal, type uname -r and press enter to see the firmware version.

Thanks to everyone's work here I finally got my PocketCHIP up and running, and ssh working, all that jazz. I was even able to get the minivmac emulator from https://github.com/zzxzzk115/Pocketchip-MacOS-Emulator running on it, but I just get the floppy with a ? in it, even if I use the command pointing it to the right image with ./minivmac diskname.dsk

I have the *.dsk file in the same folder, but I've also seen it in a subfolder named /disks, which is right? Is there a known good disk image anyone can point me to?

I also saw that with the floppy and ? screen you should be able to go to the upper left of the screen, tap it, and locate the disk image, but that doesn't seem to work with the PocketCHIP.

I am lightly linux savvy, and not at all Mac savvy, so I'm sure I've done something wrong in this process.

Hey all,
So like many people in this space, I knew of the PocketCHIP's existence and wanted one for years but didn't have a reason to own one. Fast forward to today and I'm working on a project involving the ESP32 and the Arduino IDE and it 've played with some Raspberry Pi's and it made me genuinely curious about the Linux and embedded computing space, so I finally bought a PocketCHIP and a spare CHIP board to mess around with. I want to use this thing as a learning tool to get a better understanding of Linux and maybe do some on the go coding when I'm on a business trip or something. Now I want to start off by saying this: I am pretty much a novice with electrical components and Linux, but I'm open to learn. I've built some RPi cyberdecks, my aforementioned ESP32 projects, and I've been a software developer for years before transitioning into a more Windows-centric role with cloud computing, so I'm no stranger to learning new things and Linux isn't daunting or off-putting, just something I don't use much. On the hardware and electrical side though, things are pretty rough for me. I've soldered some wires together and a basic cyberdeck is the extent of my knowledge there. So with that context out of the way, here are my questions:

1. What are the first things I should do once receiving my CHIPs? I'm assuming I'll have to run updates and such, or reflash it if it's dead? I've seen several guides and was wondering which is the best one/most up to date guide to follow. This one perhaps?
2. If everything is working right out of the box, do I even need to flash anything or can I just run updates to Linux via apt or something? I'm assuming if I want to get to Debian Bullseye, I'll have to flash it, won't I? Also once flashed and setup how I want it, is there a way to capture an image to save as a backup in the event I ever need to reflash?
3. How unreliable is the NAND and is there much of a downside to performing the SD card mod as shown in this blog/Reddit post? From what I read, the CHIP still uses the NAND to boot, so I'd basically be doing it for more storage, but I would very much enjoy that. I just keep hearing horror stories of people's CHIP NANDs going out and I'm assuming you have to reflash everything

Right off the bat, those are my main questions I think. I just want to make sure I start off on the right foot and can preserve this hardware as long as possible while also still playing around with it and experimenting. Thanks everyone!

https://preview.redd.it/s14ncrfimkkc1.jpg?width=1272&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff5eb431fb7c0a81473c730eb0d79a25cec229fa

https://preview.redd.it/39z53kednkkc1.jpg?width=1272&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c0b60140b17578d6968c4f6c93759c0315b10d1c

https://preview.redd.it/rberfmgfnkkc1.jpg?width=1272&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=508e60f9e368e48a8b8deed8b4270b27a217a3ce

https://preview.redd.it/vcnocoxfnkkc1.jpg?width=1272&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=800436416e7246e0a955f8d23f9a5390e689ba0b

i left my pocketchip unused for many months and recently left it to charge overnight. while it was charging it powered on and during that entire time the screen displayed absolutely fine. when i went to shut it down, the screen where the chip logo progress bar appears suddenly went distorted like the pictures show, and any subsequent boot still shows distorted. the panel appears to be fine and i suspect this is due to some strange voltage on the lcd driving circuit. has anyone experienced anything similar? any ideas of a fix?

I came across an old project someone was creating revolving around the pocket chip and configuring it to work as a hackers hand held device with a proxmark3, multiple cybersecurity/hacker software, blue hydra, etc.

I’m interested in trying to replicate this and maybe take it further. I was wondering if anyone has ever been able to get Kali Linux on the pocket chip. I believe the chipOS is based off Debian and Kali is also based of Debian so I wasn’t sure if that would be able to work or if I’d kill my chip. I’m new to programming/projects so please don’t be harsh.

anyone have resources for us who know nothing about programming but want to flash their pocket chip?

Does anyone know the current repositories or to have an update on Chip as current as possible, I am currently in the next thing co writing environment. I would appreciate the help since there are many that no longer work or show a 404 error

Wow, it is too good to see the Pocket Chip still exists, I used to be BigBadHodad on the old NTC forum, I hope there are some other old timers around.

so here is a question, is there a downloadable flasher? I flashed my chips before the flasher went offline and then took the batteries out and put them aside, I know there was always the promise of a Standaolone flasher and the guy who bought the rights to it promised to make it at one point but I never saw anything,