ComputeStick CS125 notes

Here you can post about your various experiences with PC hardware. You can also post about hardware that is not compatible with the linux kernel or not recommended for use with Porteus.
nanZor
Shogun
Shogun
Posts: 381
Joined: 09 Apr 2019, 03:27
Distribution: Porteus 5.01 x86-64 LXQT

ComputeStick CS125 notes

Post#1 by nanZor » 28 May 2019, 06:11

Scarfed up another stick, this time the Intel CS125 Computestick. Model STK1AW32SC.

Still your basic 2gb ram, 32gb emmc, but this time with Windows 10(32bit), and an additional usb port (3.0) Has dual-band wireless AC, and uses the intel wireless driver, so Porteus 4.0-64bit picked that up immediately.

Not interested in bluetooth or sound, so didn't test for that.

Bios notes:
Disabled Secure boot.
Enabled 3rd party UEFI signatures.

OS defined in bios is Windows 32 bit, but Porteus boot fine when set to either Windows 64 bit, or Android. So if you want to dual-boot this thing between oem windows 10 and Porteus, you have to go into bios and toggle and restart. Or build your own custom bootloader.

But, like all Intel Atom cpu driven boxes I've tested, the bootcode of

intel_idle.max_cstate=1

seems to be called for. And even then, once in a blue moon, it will lock upon booting. I just powercycle and it usually boots. Added the fsck bootcode even though no major corruption seems to ever occur.

Windows 10, although not to my taste, comes in handy for burning porteus iso's using their own simple method described in the iso file itself.

This unit has been out for a few years, and although mine was fairly recent manufactured within the last 6 months, I still did the bios update from the Intel site (easy to perform!).
That's a UNIX book - cool. -Garth

Rollinonbeans
Ronin
Ronin
Posts: 1
Joined: 30 May 2019, 23:37
Distribution: All

ComputeStick CS125 notes

Post#2 by Rollinonbeans » 30 May 2019, 23:42

I would consider my compute stick to be my secret weapon. Installed a few hundred in an industrial plant environment. Never lost one due to hw failure in the worst conditions for a PC.

Side note

They are probably the coolest device I have ever used as far as how small the package is for the power it can handle.

I have installed most penetration operating systems along with windows server 2019. I use a docking station with multiple USB to LAN adapters and I like it better than an average PC. Trust me it's not the size it's how you use it lol

nanZor
Shogun
Shogun
Posts: 381
Joined: 09 Apr 2019, 03:27
Distribution: Porteus 5.01 x86-64 LXQT

ComputeStick CS125 notes

Post#3 by nanZor » 05 Jun 2019, 01:29

Well since my monitor has no hdmi audio speaker setup, I just tested two usb-audio devices from Ugreen.

Pretty handy, no problems with PulseAudio seeing the usb audio devices, and they sound ok, with no background noise that I can detect with the headphones. Fidelity and frequency response seem ok, unless perhaps you have $600 headphones on and go searching for problems. :)

Tried the combo usb-audio and 3 way port version, along with just a dedicated usb audio dongle, which all worked fine with Porteus.

So --- instead of using a custom bloated distro with custom software shims and all that, the dongle and Porteus is a nice easy solution.
That's a UNIX book - cool. -Garth

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