Installing + testing Ubuntu 12.10, Redis, PySerial on Beaglebone

Step One - Install and login to Ubuntu 12.10 on the BeagleBone

Hardware used:
Beaglebone rev A6
4 GB Micro SD
Ubuntu desktop PC

Do this using an Ubuntu or Debian PC - it was not so easy using a mac

Install Ubuntu 12.10 following instructions in this link http://elinux.org/BeagleBoardUbuntu#Quantal_12.10_armhf

Download the image.

$ wget http://rcn-ee.net/deb/rootfs/quantal/ubuntu-12.10-console-armhf-2013-02-16.tar.xz
Verify sum against 'd452c17a9caff3db56d4d03083552f83'

$ md5sum ubuntu-12.10-console-armhf-2013-02-16.tar.xz

Unpack the image

$ tar xJf ubuntu-12.10-console-armhf-2013-02-16.tar.xz 
$ cd ubuntu-12.10-console-armhf-2013-02-16

Check the location of the sdcard

$ sudo ./setup_sdcard.sh --probe-mmc    
Or
$ sudo fdisk -l

Use the provided install script to install Ubuntu 12.10
Where /dev/sdc is the location of your Micro SD card

$ sudo ./setup_sdcard.sh --mmc /dev/sdc --uboot bone

Once the image was installed the beaglebone did not seem to boot.

The LED that flashes above the mini USB port indicates that all is working OK.  The first time the LED did not flash.

After plugging in the Ethernet cable, the LED began to flash for a short while then stopped.

After plugging the USB cord into the port at the back of the PC rather than the front and having Ethernet attached the Beagle booted OK.  Beaglebones, can stop running when Ethernet is attached and the power to the mini USB is too low.

Powering via the 5V power socket with a 2a power supply is advised.  And never fails in my exp.  Subsequent boot attempts have all been successful since.

To access 12.10 on Beaglebone:

$ screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200

then waited for a few seconds and press 'enter'.

login: ubuntu
pass : temppwd

Step Two - Install Redis

There is the simpler way to install Redis without using Apt.  The apt route chosen for future convenience.  Install Redis via Apt following instructions on this link .  Exchanging the use of aptitude install redis-server with apt-get install redis-server.

Provide apt with access to the latest Redis version.  Create a file in the /etc/apt/sources.list.d directory

# touch /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.org.list

Edit the file adding the following two lines

deb http://packages.dotdeb.org squeeze all
deb-src http://packages.dotdeb.org squeeze all

Authenticate the added repository using their public key.

wget -q -O - http://www.dotdeb.org/dotdeb.gpg | sudo apt-key add -

Update APT cache and install Redis.

$ sudo apt-get update 

$ sudo apt-get install redis-server

Quick test of Redis:

This link provides a quick and simple Redis setup & test.

$ redis-server
$ redis-cli ping
$ redis-cli

redis 127.0.0.1:6379> set foo:bar baz
redis 127.0.0.1:6379> get foo:bar

Install redis python driver via pip

$sudo pip install redis


Redis just worked right out of the box.

Step Three - install pyserial

Install python-setuptools via apt.  (easy_install)

$ apt-get install python-setuptools

Install pip via easy_install

$ sudo easy_install pip 

Install pyserial via pip

$ sudo pip install pyserial

Quick test

# python

>> import serial

And were all done

Next blog we do something with it.