PINE64 Pinebook Pro User Manual

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.