mnt reform isn’t supported in the latest release yet, but some images you can boot from sdcard (and install to nvme) are linked here:
1 Like
any update on the status of WiFi? Would a USB WiFi dongle work? Also does suspend/resume function?
thanks to the 9front devs for the work
Wifi not supported yet. USB wifi dongles are reported to work. I personally use my Android phone with RNDIS tethering when I’m out, otherwise Ethernet when at home.
Suspend/resume (or any other power-related functions) were never supported for any platform with 9front and I doubt it will be. Imo, there is little reason to do so anyway, considering how fast it shuts down and boots, while consuming substantial amount of power with Linux when in s2ram mode. Lowering power consumption while powered on was something done to some small extent, but ofc it’s still far from perfect.
there are no drivers for any usb wifi anything, but you can use an ethernet to wifi bridge (i use an iogear gwu637).
more setup info is here:
Eh, I got confused there for a second and forgot that wifi that only powers from usb (but has an ethernet cable) isn’t the same as “usb wifi” the original question had in mind. Sorry!
mnt reform is fully supported in the latest 9front release:
http://9front.org/releases/2022/10/31/0/
additional work has been done since then. this is more or less where it stands:
8 Likes
This is absolutely wild and absolutely awesome
2 Likes
Just a shot in the dark, but is it possible to run Pop!_OS (a descendant of Debian) on the Reform? Is it too resource intensive? Is there no way to get necessary drivers? I use that kernel on my daily laptop so it would be neat to have it on the Reform as well.
Does Pop-OS have an ARM version available for it? I don’t think so, and so that would answer your question.
1 Like
Ah, I see. Yeah, I don’t see mention of one in their Reddit. The closest I found was someone recommending installing Ubuntu Server for ARM and then downloading the Pop!_OS stuff through System76’s repo–but even that is compiled for x86.
Thanks for the response!
1 Like
No worries! It can be a bit confusing, but in general once you figure a few things out it makes a lot more sense. Just to note, Ubuntu and Pop OS are derived from Debian. The experience on all 3 is pretty similar. Debian is pretty excellent.
1 Like
the latest 9front release supports wifi on the reform. i’m typing this over wifi via intel 6205 right now. note: there exists a bug in the current release that causes hjfs on arm64 to be unable to create new files. a fix is on the way. in the meantime:
; bind -ac /dist/plan9front /
; cd /sys/src/cmd/7c
; git/revert -c 4fd09def0fc51d0606e677f1ab59ad695d1cd780 `{pwd}
; mk install
update: the bug is fixed with the latest commit to 7c.
4 Likes
Has anyone tried to run Raspberry pi OS Debian version: 11 (Bullseye)?
are there any issues with setting up alpine on the reform?
i ran alpine for a while. someone helped me with fairly complicated instructions to manually install it on the nvme. i still booted from the original sdcard/kernel that shipped with the system, but modified a couple of files on it to point to the nvme and unlock the encrypted alpine file system. anyway, it worked. sorry i can’t be more specific, but it was all magic to me. once 9front was up and running i never looked back.
will have to give it a try sometime
Sorry for resurrecting this old thread, but I had a question for all the 9front-Plan 9 users here:
How do you cope with Plan 9’s mouse-heavy UI on a laptop (a mobile device) like the Reform? Do you connect a mouse? Do you carry a mouse when out and about? Has the trackball or the trackpad been an acceptable replacement for mice?
The trackball is better than most available mice these days because it has dedicated buttons instead of two buttons and a half-assed clickable wheel thing.
1 Like
What @khm said. Reform’s trackball is an absolute godsend for Plan 9 users in these times. Chording had never been easier on a laptop. Older thinkpads were nice too but I personally grown to like trackball more, partially because I find it easier to operate with long nails.
3 Likes
the trackball is great for plan 9, especially with the extra buttons emulating a scrollwheel. i also carry an ibm scrollpoint optical usb mouse for precision work where muscle memory dictates.
2 Likes