New import substitution trends are forcing Russian companies to switch to domestic operating systems. One such system is the Russian OS based on Debian - Astra LinuxIn public procurement, requirements for the use of domestic software with FSTEC certificates and its inclusion in the register of domestic software are increasingly common. However, it's worth noting that FSTEC certification is not legally mandatory.
Most Russian operating systems are designed for use in "Workstation" mode, meaning they are essentially desktop equivalents of x86 architecture solutions. We decided to install the OS Astra Linux on the ARM architecture, with the aim of using a Russian-made OS in the industrial sector, namely in the AntexGate embedded computer (we will not delve into the advantages of the ARM architecture over x86 now).
Why We Chose OS Astra Linux?
- They have a special distribution for the ARM architecture;
- We liked that they used a desktop style Windows, for people accustomed to the OS Windows This is an important advantage when switching to an OS. Linux;
- Astra Linux It is already being used in government companies and the Ministry of Defense, which means that the project will live on and will not die out anytime soon.
Why did we choose an ARM architecture embedded PC?
- energy efficiency and less heat generation (devices based on the ARM architecture consume less energy and heat up relatively less during operation);
- small size and high degree of integration (a large number of element base is placed on one chip, which simplifies the design of motherboards and eliminates the need to purchase a large number of additional components);
- non-redundancy of commands and instructions (the ARM architecture provides exactly the number of commands that is necessary for operation)
- trends in the Russian Federation in the field of the Internet of Things (due to the development of cloud technologies, the requirements for end computers are reduced, there is no need to use powerful workstations, more and more computing is moving to the cloud, there are enough thin client devices).
Rice. 1 - ARM architecture
PC Applications on ARM Architecture
- "thin client";
- "work station";
- IoT gateway;
- embedded PC;
- device for industrial monitoring.
1. Obtaining the Astra distributionLinux
To receive a distribution kit, you need to write a letter of request to any official authorized partner of NPO RusBiTech. Next, you will need to sign a confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement and an agreement on scientific and technical cooperation (if your company is a software or hardware developer).
Fig. 2 — Description of Astra releasesLinux
2. Installing AstraLinux to AntexGate device
After receiving the Astra distributionLinux You need to install it on the target device (in our case, it's an AntexGate embedded PC). The official instructions say to use any OS. Linux to install AstraLinux on an ARM computer, but we decided to try to do it on the OS WindowsSo, let's perform the following sequence of actions:
1. Download and install for the operating system Windows.
2. Connect the device via Micro USB to the computer.
3. Apply power to the device, now Windows should find the hardware and install the driver.
4. After the driver installation is complete, run the program.
5. After a few seconds, the eMMC drive will appear in Windows as a USB storage device.
6. Download the Win32DiskImager utility from the page and install the program normally.
7. Run the newly installed Win32DiskImager software.
8. Select the Astra image fileLinux, which you received earlier.
9. In the device field, select the drive letter of the eMMC card. Be careful: if you choose the wrong drive, you can destroy data from your computer's hard drive!
10. Click "Record" and wait for the recording to complete.
11. Reboot your device.
Rebooting the device should result in the device booting into the Astra operating system image.Linux from eMMC.
3. Use Astra Linux
Once the device has booted up, the authorization screen will appear. In the login field, enter "admin", the password is also the word "admin". After successful authorization, the desktop will appear (Fig. 3).
Fig. 3 — Astra desktopLinux
The first thing that catches your eye is that the desktop really does look like Windows, all elements and dialogs are named in the usual way ("Control Panel", "Desktop", "Explorer", "My Computer" on the desktop). What is important is that Astra Linux Even Solitaire and Minesweeper are installed!
Fig. 4 — The Office tab in the Astra start menuLinux
Fig. 5 — The Network tab in the Astra start menuLinux
Fig. 6 — The “System” tab in the Astra start menuLinux
Fig. 7 — Astra Control PanelLinux
It is worth noting that for use as embedded solutions there is access via SSH, through Linux console, it is also possible to install your favorites Debian packages (nginx, apache, etc.). Thus, for former users Windows There is a familiar desktop, and for experienced users Linux and embedded solutions - console.
Fig. 8 — Astra consoleLinux
Optimizing Astra's performanceLinux
1. For devices with low hardware performance, we recommend using a monitor with a low resolution, or manually reduce the resolution in the file /boot/config. txt up to 1280x720.
2. We also recommend installing a utility for automatically controlling the processor frequency:
sudo apt-get install cpufrequtilsCorrecting in /boot/config. txt the following value:
force_turbo=13. By default, standard repositories are disabled in the system. To enable them, you need to uncomment three lines in the following file cd /etc/apt/nanosources.list
Rice. 9 - Enable standard repositories
Source: habr.com
