Running Linux with kernel 6.3 on Open Source Hardware board with ESP32-S3! | oli...

Running Linux with kernel 6.3 on Open Source Hardware board with ESP32-S3!

27 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

by OLIMEX Ltd in esp32, linux, open source, OSHW Tags: esp32, esp32s3, linux

Few days ago I spotted on Twitter that there is possible to run Linux on ESP32-S3.

It was good timing as our new EUR 12.00 ESP32-S3-DevKit-Lipo board just hit the mass production, so I got one board and try to replicate the results.

• ESP32-S3-WROOM1 with 8MB RAM and 8MB Flash
• Reset and Boot buttons
• USB-C port with USB-OTG for JTAG debugging and programming
• USB-C port with CH340X for serial UART for programming and debugging
• LiPo charger and battery connector
• pUEXT connector for connecting UEXT modules
• GPIOs available on dual row connector 0.1″ step

I used clean freshly installed Ubuntu 22.04LTS on small box and try to reproduce the script here.

I had to run it dozen of times and it always ended with this or that missing, then it seems to complete, but didn’t program anything to ESP32-S3.

Later I try this with the same result!

I asked on Twitter for help and Rudi (@eMbeddedHome) quickly built binary file just for flashing on ESP32-S3-DevKit-LiPo.

This time everything went smoothly and the board boot normally.

So I will have to keep digging what I do wrong.

reports 3MB free for user apps out of total 7MB

The access to the GPIO is possible via devmem direct write to ESP32-S3 registers:

Also it seems micropython has “unix” version which could be run on this device!

https://github.com/micropython/micropython/tree/master/ports/unix