Hi everyone,
I’m working with a Friendlyelec CM3588 NAS KIT and have some questions I’d love to get input on. Here’s the situation:
Current Setup
- I’ve successfully set up NixOS with Mainline Kernel 12.x and ZFS 2.3.0 running on the device.
- I’m using EDK2 UEFI on the board in Device Tree mode (or Automatic mode, depending on configuration).
- As expected with this kernel version, the HDMI output doesn’t work, which brings me to my main issue.
Issue: Remote Control via nanoKVM Lite
- I’ve connected a nanoKVM Lite (running custom firmware) to the NAS KIT to remotely control it in case it fails to boot or crashes.
- Without HDMI output, this isn’t possible right now.
- I’ve noticed that Mainline Kernel 6.13 seems to include partial HDMI support. Has anyone tried running this kernel with ZFS under NixOS? (It’s fine if it’s unstable—I don’t have many options.) A basic HDMI output would suffice since it’s just for emergencies.
- Alternatively, I’ve tried connecting the UART debug port to the nanoKVM Lite but haven’t had success yet. This might be due to the custom Ubuntu-based firmware on the nanoKVM Lite. Does anyone know if I need to set specific kernel parameters in NixOS to get the Linux kernel to output via UART?
Alternative: Older Rockchip Kernel
- Is there an easy way to use the older Rockchip-modified kernel (likely 5.1) under NixOS?
- For context: With the official Friendlyelec Ubuntu image, I already had graphics output and ZFS working fine. I’d just prefer to stick with NixOS instead of Ubuntu.
Bonus Question: Cryptography with Mainline Kernel
- Does anyone have experience with cryptography on this board using the Linux Mainline Kernel?
- I’m planning to encrypt my ZFS setup (using native ZFS encryption, or LUKS as a fallback). I’m unsure if this is a good idea, though.
- Performance-wise, I don’t need anything high-end, but it shouldn’t be painfully slow either. My ZFS setup consists of SATA hard drives with SSD caches in front (ZFS special device + other cache types available).
I’d really appreciate any insights, experiences, or suggestions you might have! Thanks in advance.