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First Boot

Guide for the first boot and initial configuration of Calculinux.

Booting for the First Time

After flashing your SD card and installing hardware:

  1. Insert SD card into Luckfox Lyra
  2. Connect USB-C power (5V/2A minimum)
  3. Wait for boot (30-60 seconds first time)

What to Expect

Boot Process: - Power LED lights up - Boot messages appear on display - System initialization - Login prompt appears

First Boot Timing: - First boot: 30-60 seconds - Subsequent boots: 15-30 seconds

Initial Login

Default Credentials

Username: root
Password: root

Change Password Immediately

The first thing you should do after logging in is change the root password: 

passwd

Initial Configuration

1. Change Root Password

passwd
# Enter new password twice

2. Set System Time

# Set current date/time
date -s "2025-10-06 14:30:00"

# Or use NTP if network connected
ntpd -q -p pool.ntp.org

3. Check System Status

# Check system info
uname -a

# Check memory
free -h

# Check disk space
df -h

# Check running services
systemctl status

4. Filesystem Expansion (Automatic)

Automatic Expansion

The overlayfs partition is automatically expanded during the pre-init process on first boot. The system uses growpart to expand the overlay partition to fill available disk space, leaving 10% free. No manual intervention is required.

5. Update Package Database

opkg update

Basic System Check

Verify Hardware

# Check display
ls -l /dev/fb0
cat /dev/urandom > /dev/fb0  # Should show random colors

# Check keyboard
cat /proc/bus/input/devices

# Check CPU
cat /proc/cpuinfo

# Check USB WiFi adapter (if connected)
lsusb
ip link show

Supported Peripherals

Hardware Expansion

The PicoCalc and Luckfox Lyra do not include WiFi or many peripherals by default. Hardware can be added via USB, I2C, SPI, and GPIO headers.

Currently Tested: - Display (built-in LCD drivers) - Keyboard (built-in keyboard drivers)
- USB WiFi adapters (see WiFi chipsets above)

Planned/Future Support: - I2C RTC modules (e.g., Adafruit DS3231) - LoRa radio modules (e.g., Waveshare Core1262-868M for Meshtastic) - Additional I2C/SPI peripherals

Peripheral Testing

Most peripheral support beyond WiFi, display, and keyboard has not been thoroughly tested yet. Community contributions for additional hardware support are welcome!

Check Logs

# Boot messages
dmesg | less

# System journal
journalctl -b

Network Configuration

WiFi Setup (USB Adapter Required)

WiFi Hardware Required

Neither the PicoCalc nor Luckfox Lyra include built-in WiFi. You need a USB WiFi adapter operating at 3.3V connected to the Lyra's USB header.

For a complete list of supported WiFi chipsets, see Hardware Specifications - WiFi Chipsets.

Connecting to WiFi with iwctl

Calculinux uses iwd (iNet Wireless Daemon) for WiFi management. Use iwctl to configure wireless connections:

# Start iwctl interactive mode
iwctl

# Inside iwctl:
[iwd]# device list                          # List wireless devices
[iwd]# station wlan0 scan                   # Scan for networks
[iwd]# station wlan0 get-networks           # Show available networks
[iwd]# station wlan0 connect "SSID"         # Connect to network
# Enter passphrase when prompted
[iwd]# exit

# Or use iwctl non-interactively:
iwctl station wlan0 scan
iwctl station wlan0 get-networks
iwctl station wlan0 connect "YourSSID"

Verify Connection:

# Check connection status
iwctl station wlan0 show

# Check IP address
ip addr show wlan0

# Test connectivity
ping -c 3 8.8.8.8

Disconnect:

iwctl station wlan0 disconnect

Next Steps

After initial setup:

Troubleshooting First Boot

No Display

  • Wait 2-3 minutes
  • Check power supply
  • Verify SD card inserted correctly
  • See Boot Problems

Boot Hangs

  • SPI NAND not erased (most common)
  • Corrupt SD card
  • Insufficient power
  • See Troubleshooting

Cannot Login

  • Verify correct username: root
  • Verify correct password: calculinux
  • Try different keyboard
  • Check keyboard driver in logs

Getting Help