User's Guide

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User Guide

The Pinebook Pro is a Linux and *BSD ARM laptop from PINE64

It is built to be a compelling alternative to mid-ranged Chromebooks that people convert

into Linux laptops. It features an IPS 1080p 14″ LCD panel, a premium magnesium alloy

shell, high capacity eMMC storage, a 10,000 mAh capacity battery, and the modularity

that only an open source project can deliver.

Key features include: the RK3399 SOC; USB-C for data, video-out and power-in (3A 5V);

privacy switches for the microphone, BT/WiFi module, and camera; and expandable

storage via NVMe (PCIe 4x) with an optional adapter.

The Pinebook Pro is equipped with 4GB LPDDR4 system memory, high capacity eMMC

flash storage, and 128Mb SPI boot Flash. The I/O includes: 1x micro SD card reader

(bootable), 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB type C Host with DP 1.2 and power-in, PCIe

4x for an NVMe SSD drive (requires an optional adapter), and UART (via the headphone

jack by setting an internal switch).

The keyboard and trackpad both use the USB 2.0 protocol. The LCD panel uses eDP

MiPi display protocol.

Many different Operating Systems (OS) are freely available from the open source

community and partner projects. These include various flavors of Linux (Ubuntu, Debian,

Manjaro, etc.) and *BSD.

Using the optional NVMe adapter

The optional NVMe adapter allows the use of M.2 cards that support the NVMe standard,

(but not SATA standard).

Installing the adapter

The v2.1 SSD adapter that is shipped with the initial Pinebook Pro batches had

significant issues. A repair kit will be shipped to address those issues.

(If necessary, they can be modified to work. There is an unofficial tutorial on the

forums describing these modifications.)

Using as data drive

As long as the kernel in use has both the PCIe and NVMe drivers, you should be able to

use a NVMe drive as a data drive. It can automatically mount when booting from either

the eMMC or an SD card. This applies to both Linux and FreeBSD, using the normal

partitioning and file system creation tools. Android and Chromium OS require testing.

Using as OS root drive

It is not possible to boot directly off an NVMe drive. The SoC does not include the NVMe

boot code, so the NVMe is not in the SoC's boot order.

Summary of content (10 pages)

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User Guide The Pinebook Pro is a Linux and *BSD ARM laptop from PINE64 It is built to be a compelling alternative to mid-ranged Chromebooks that people convert into Linux laptops. It features an IPS 1080p 14″ LCD panel, a premium magnesium alloy shell, high capacity eMMC storage, a 10,000 mAh capacity battery, and the modularity that only an open source project can deliver.
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However, it is possible to initially boot off an eMMC or SD card, then transfer to a root file system on the NVMe. Currently, it is necessary to have the U-Boot code on an eMMC or SD card. (A forum member posted here about using a modified version of U-Boot with NVMe drivers, that uses /boot and / off the NVMe drive. So this may change in the future.) Please see Bootable Storage.
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New from the factory - Pinebook Pro won't boot / power on • • • • Some Pinebook Pros came from the factory with the eMMC switch in the disabled position. It should be switched towards the back / hinge to enable the eMMC. The eMMC may have come loose during shipment. Open the back and verify that the eMMC is firmly seated. You may want to try unplugging the SD card daughterboard ribbon cable and see if it powers on (remove the battery and peel off a bit of the tape before unplugging it to avoid damage).
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https://gitlab.manjaro.org/tsys/pinebook-firmware/tree/master/brcm Bluetooth issues • If attempting to use Bluetooth attached speakers or headset, you will need to have the pulseaudio-module-bluetooth package installed. If not installed, you can do so with; sudo apt-get install pulseaudio-module-bluetooth Sound issues • • • Many reports of no sound are due to the OS, incorrect settings, or other software problems (eg. PulseAudio).
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is located) in place using the short screws in the front left and right corners. Then proceed to pop in the bottom panel into place. Secure the bottom section (where hinges are located) by screwing in the left and right corners. Then screw in the remaining screws and run your finger though the rim on the chassis to make sure its fitted correctly. Note that the front uses the remaining 2 short screws. NOTE: The screws are small and should only be finger tight. Too much force will strip the threads.
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Bootable Storage The Pinebook Pro is capable of booting from eMMC, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, or an SD card. It cannot boot from USB-C. The boot order of the hard-coded ROM of its RK3399 SoC is: SPI NOR, eMMC, SD, USB OTG. At this time, the Pinebook Pro ships with a Debian + MATE build with uboot on the eMMC. Its boot order is: SD, then eMMC. Booting off USB storage is not currently available, but will be in the future.
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ARM Neon Advanced SIMD (single instruction, multiple data) support for accelerated media and signal processing computation • ARMv8 Cryptography Extensions • VFPv4 floating point unit supporting single and double-precision operations • Hardware virtualization support • TrustZone technology support • Full CoreSight debug solution • One isolated voltage domain to support DVFS Cortex-A72 (big cluster): • Dual-core Cortex-A72 up to 2.
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• 14.1" 1920x1080 IPS LCD panel Video out • • USB-C Alt mode DP Up to 3840x2160 p60, dependant on adapter, (2 lanes verses 4 lanes) Audio • • 3.5mm stereo earphone/microphone plug Build in stereo speakers Network • • WiFi: • 802.11 b/g/n/ac • Dual band: 2.4Ghz & 5Ghz • Single antenna Bluetooth 5.0 Expansion Ports • • • • MicroSD card: • Bootable • Supports SD, SDHC and SDXC cards, up to 512GB • Version SD3.0, (MMC 4.5), up to 50MB/s USB ports: • 1 x USB 2.
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This Product meets the government's requirements for exposure to radio waves. The guidelines are based on standards that were developed by independent scientific organizations through periodic and thorough evaluation of scientific studies.The standards include a substantial safety margin designed to assure the safety of all persons regardless of age or health. FCC RF Exposure Information and Statement the SAR limit of USA (FCC) is1.