WiFi on an ODROID UX4

Hi, I have loaded and running successfully on an ODROID UX4 PiAware. However I would like to use Wi-Fi for connection. The odd thing is that when I was using an RPI3 I could see and edit Wi-Fi configuration in Notepad.
On the UX4 I am running Odroid XU4 / HCx – Armbian and Stretch lite version. If I take SD card and put on laptop (WIN 7 Pro), it recognises drive (F) but cannot read data so I cannot edit piaware-config.txt to put my SSID and password in. Any Linux experts out there who can tell me how to set it up via SSH.
Regards

You will have to access the Odroid using ethernet and ssh first, then do “sudo armbian-config” to set-up WiFi
https://docs.armbian.com/User-Guide_Armbian-Config/

Thanks for that, really great, as a newbie to Odroids that has helped a lot.
Regards
Andy

(1) Armbian’s boot partition/files are NOT visible on Windows, but are visible in a Linux Computer such as Debian or Ubuntu. Please see screenshot #1

(2) Even on a Linux computer, if you access Armbian’s boot sector using GUI File Manager, and open the file “armbian_first_run” to add your wifi SSID and Password, you cannot edit the file as it is “Read Only”. Please see screenshot #2

To Edit files in microSD card while it is in card reader and plugged into Ubuntu Desktop. All commands given in Terminal of Ubuntu.

ls /media
abcd

sudo fdisk -l
Disk /dev/loop0: 86.9 MiB, 91099136 bytes, 177928 sectors
... .... .... ....
... .... .... ....
Disk /dev/sdb: 7.3 GiB, 7860125696 bytes, 15351808 sectors
... .... ....
Device     Boot Start      End  Sectors  Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1        8192 15044767 15036576  7.2G 83 Linux


sudo mkdir /media/mycard
sudo mount -t ext4 /dev/sdb1 /media/mycard

ls /media/mycard
bin   dev  home  lost+found  mnt  proc  run   selinux  sys  usr
boot  etc  lib   media       opt  root  sbin  srv      tmp  var

cd /media/mycard/boot

#Make a copy with .txt at the end
sudo cp armbian_first_run.txt.template  armbian_first_run.txt

#Edit file with .txt at the end
sudo nano armbian_first_run.txt

#Edit following two lines and ente WiFi SSID and POASSWD,
#Save file (Ctrl+o) and Close (Ctrl+x)
FR_net_wifi_ssid='MySSID'
FR_net_wifi_key='MyWiFiKEY'

#Unmount microSD card
sudo umount /media/mycard

#Eject card reader from Ubuntu Desktop and
#slip-out microSD card, slip-in into Pi and Power up Pi


screenshot #1

screenshot #2

To Edit files in Armbian, another Pi running Piaware can be used

Slip-in the Armbian microSD card into a USB Card reader
Plug-in the USB Card reader into a RPi running Piaware
SSH to RPi running Piaware, and give following commands:

pi@piaware:~$ ls /media
usb

pi@piaware:~$ ls /media/usb
sda1 

pi@piaware:~$ ls /media/usb/sda1
bin   dev  home  lost+found  mnt  proc  run   selinux  sys  usr
boot  etc  lib   media       opt  root  sbin  srv      tmp  var

cd /media/usb/sda1/boot

#Make a copy with .txt at the end
sudo cp armbian_first_run.txt.template  armbian_first_run.txt

#Edit file with .txt at the end
sudo nano armbian_first_run.txt

#Edit following two lines and enter WiFi SSID and POASSWD, 
#Save file (Ctrl+o) and Close (Ctrl+x) 
FR_net_wifi_ssid='MySSID' 
FR_net_wifi_key='MyWiFiKEY' 

sudo umount /media/usb 

#Plug-out card reader from RPi, slip-out microSD card and
#slip-in into Odroid and Power up Odroid 

This file ending in template somehow tells me you need it to save it to the same name without the template at the end. (Yes i was correct says right at the beginning of the file)

Also you can mount it as root the same after unmounting it in Ubuntu. Or it may just be writeable without remounting if you are root.

Thanks, I have missed the re-naming step. I will now add it to my above two posts.

Since most users dont have a Linux Desktop, the method I first posted is not of a general benefit.

However a large number of users already have RPi running Piaware, which is also a Linux computer. I therefore posted the method using RPi+Piaware also. This is of a wider use. :slightly_smiling_face:

Thanks for that information, I do have a Linux PC in my shack, so if needed for ease of purpose could use that. Anyway, WiFi is working fine now and reliably uploading to Flight Aware.
Regards…

If Windows is used to write the Armbian image to microSD card, then easiest way to enable WiFi is what @SMburn has suggested, i.e. connect a network cable, ssh, configure WiFi, then disconnect network cable and reboot.

Using a Linux computer to enable WiFi of Armbian is handy if

  • The Armbian image is written using Linux computer, and the microSD card is still plugged-in into Linux computer
  • A spare network cable or a spare port in router is not available.

This method is more of academic interest :slightly_smiling_face: than practical interest, as very few will use Linux to write image, or won’t have a network cable or spare port in router available for temporarily connecting the Odroid.

Yes, that is what I did after his suggestion, and everything is working fine, getting nearly 250 miles on internal aerial in window, will shortly be putting permanent installation in IP65 box with aerial mounted on that outside so no lossy cable runs.

1 Like

That’s impressive!

S.

This is very good. Try placing internal aerial over a food can or large metal plate. It will improve reception.

I get max 200nm (=230 miles) with the mag-mount aerial placed near a window (mag-mount placed over a cookie can, removable part of whip cut to 67mm length)

Yes, aerial is a true 1/4 wave with 1/4 wave radials in a molding done on a 3D printer, as an RF engineer I am quite used to the techniques!! The final aerial will be a coaxial collinear.

1 Like

.
Great to have an RF Engineer with us. Sure all will benefit from your knowledge & experience.

It will be highly appreciated if you post a photo of your 3D Printed aerial.

Have a look at these two 1/4λ DIY aerials - no comparison to 3D printed version, but simple & easy to make and perform very good.

(1) QUICK SPIDER - No Soldering, No Connector

(2) CANTENNA

.

Nice one, those aerials doing a good job, I enclose picture of aerial friend printed and am using at moment.

2 Likes

Neat built.
Thanks for posting the photo.