Python 3, Pygame, and Debian Bookworm on the Miyoo A30
8 comments
·February 1, 2025magic_hamster
Nice writeup. Lots of potential in those budget handhelds. Nice to see you were able to access the GPU with python. Waiting to see what sort of games you come up with!
daghamm
This looks very interesting.
The CPU is pretty close to rpi2 and zero W2, which can run latest vanilla Debian. Not sure why the official OS is stuck on such an old kernel.
Narishma
AFAIK that's the case with pretty much every ARM SBC, Raspberry Pi being the exception. They still support the original model from 2012 with their latest OS and it's a huge part of their success IMO.
LaurensBER
The kernel works and so far no-one has been motivated enough to update it. The Rocknix projects offers an up-to-date kernel for a whole bunch devices including the 30 USD R36S which offers amazing value for the money (but does require an USB WiFi adapter for networking).
wronglebowski
The million handhelds running Linux on Aliexpress are incredible if you think about the easy amount of available compute. I just can’t get over the software situation enough to take it seriously. They’re all based on ARM SBCs which have frankly archaic software support. I’m not sure it’ll ever get better, as there seems to be little incentive to get these platforms working on anything like modern Linux.
doctorpangloss
Are they though? Landfills are full of more powerful and numerous x86 machines, I don’t see anyone bothering to preserve those.
nine_k
But x86 is usually not handheld, and has a different power efficiency story.
No screenshots were a bummer but a nice writeup nonetheless