Linux AsteroidOS on the Kingwear KW88 Pro?

Peter Gamma · Oct 2, 2020

I was looking for a Linux smartwatch. I found that AsteroidOS is a full Linux distribution. But there is no new watch on the supported watches list for AsteroidOS. Then I found by accident the KW88 Pro smartwatch:

https://github.com/AsteroidOS/asteroid/issues/79

The KW88 Pro Android 7.0 Smart Watch 1GB+16GB Bluetooth 4.0 WIFI 3G Smartwatch Support Google store Weather Voice GPS Maps can be found for US $77.34 – 82.80 on Aliexpress.

The KW88 Pro seems to run Linux AsteroidOS, a suprisingly cheap Linux watch. Has someone experience with the KW88 Pro?

Linux AsteroidOS seems to run on it with the bug that two fingers are necessary to control the touch screen.

Peter Gamma · Oct 2, 2020

Information about kw88 and Linux AsteroidOS is scattered. Here how to install it:

https://chandlerswift.com/2020/07/12/asteroidos-on-kw88-pro.html

Peter Gamma · Oct 2, 2020

In the example AsteroidOS on Asus Zenwatch 3, wifi and Bluetooth does not work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2UVrF9JS34

Peter Gamma · Oct 2, 2020

There is also a thread about AsteroidOS on KW88 Pro:

https://discourse.fullandroidwatch.org/t/asteroidos-on-kw88-pro/38194

but it says nothing about WIFI and Bluetooth.

Peter Gamma · Oct 2, 2020

There is also a 228 pages thead about Kingwear KW88 in russian. Thank god there is google translate:

https://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=768858&st=4540

Does WIFI and Bluetooth also not work on the Kingwear KW88 Pro? It says nothing about it in the installation documentation and in the installation forum about Bluetooth and WIFI.

Peter Gamma · Oct 2, 2020

Someone had also a problem with Bluetooth and AsteroidOS in this russian forum:

https://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=768858&st=4540

this is the second watch with Bluetooth problems and AsteroidOS. How can Bluetooth be brought to work in Asteroid OS?

Peter Gamma · Oct 2, 2020

Next to the Russian forum, there is also a thread about the KingWear GV08 GT08 KW18 KW88 3G+WIFI+GPS+google service Bluetooth Smart Watch Phone in the XDA developer forum:

https://xdaforums.com/smartwatch/ot...r-gv08-gt08-kw18-kw88-3g-wifi-t3411185/page22

I wrote an issue about the Bluetooth and Wifi not working reports with AsteroidOS:

https://github.com/AsteroidOS/asteroid/issues/133

was the installation of AsteroidOS performed properly? Chandler Swifts instruction "Installing AsteroidOS on the Kingwear KW88 Pro" is very professional. Maybe this instruction can solve the problem.

Can someone confirm that Wifi and Bluetooth is working on the Kingwear KW88 Pro AsteroidOS?

Peter Gamma · Oct 3, 2020

If this works, it has the potential to become an interesting full Linux watch. I first became interested in the Ticwatch Pro for Linux, but this watch should already run AsteroidOS with all the external Bluetooth low-energy and ANT+ sports sensors I suggested for the Linux TIcWatch Pro:

https://xdaforums.com/smartwatch/other-smartwatches/linux-android-wear-ticwatch-pro-2020-t4166623

Peter Gamma · Oct 4, 2020

Linux AsteroidOS is also present on xda developers:

https://www.xda-developers.com/tag/asteroidos/

There is the Connect Watch mentioned which supports WIFI and 3G and which runs Linux AsteroidOS. But where can I buy a ConnectWatch?

Peter Gamma · Oct 4, 2020

IRC chat of AsteroidOS reported working Wifi and Bluetooth of the Huawei Watch:

https://asteroidos.org/install/sturgeon/

Peter Gamma · Oct 4, 2020

Huawei watch 1. generation, 1.2 Ghz Snapdragon 400 , 4 GB ROM, 512 MG RAM, not the newest device, but confirmerd Bluetooth and WIFI working. Here how it looks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9WtF201CWY

You can find it cheap on ebay.

Peter Gamma · Oct 4, 2020

"All discussions around AsteroidOS happen on the #asteroid IRC channel on Freenode. Logs are available here. If you don't have an IRC client, use the webchat below. Note that to prevent spam on the channel, if you don't use the webchat, you need to be registered on Freenode"

https://asteroidos.org/contact/

There is life an I received answers about AsteroidOS

.

Peter Gamma · Oct 4, 2020

I asked Chandler Swift, developer of "Installing AsteroidOS on the Kingwear KW88 Pro"

Did Bluetooth and WIFI woirk on your Kingwear KW88 Prowith AsteroidOS? Chandlers answer:

"Hi Peter,

I haven't had much luck with either Bluetooth or Wifi, but I haven't tried particularly hard to get them working. I think that LittleFox on the #asteroidos irc channel may know more than I do about getting wifi things working, but that may also be with another watch.

For wifi, the hardware all seems to work and is detected, but wpa_supplicant crashes when I try to connect. I'm guessing, then, that this is a software issue. If I get it figured out, I'll try to remember to let you know, but it's not too high on my priority list.

For Bluetooth, it worked fine with the original firmware, but after flashing AsteroidOS connections have been unstable, generally staying connected somewhere between a few seconds and a few minutes (occasionally hours) at a time. However, I flashed back to stock firmware and I'm still having the same issue, so perhaps something AsteroidOS does modifies some firmware to a corrupt state? I know the MAC address was updated, and may try setting that back -- not sure if that's the only issue though.

If you do have a KW88 Pro, I'd be curious if you can help me do some troubleshooting on the unmodified bluetooth stack, to try to figure out what is different between my broken state and factory, and why re-flashing the firmware doesn't fix it.

Thanks!

Chandler"

Peter Gamma · Oct 4, 2020

Huawei watch supports Bluetooth and WIFI. But for external sports sensors Bluetoth low energy or ANT+ support is required. This could be added to a Linux watch by using an usb dongle. But which AsteroidOS watch allows adding an usb dongle?

Peter Gamma · Oct 4, 2020

Sorry for my monologue here, but I want to make this thread here complete. Maybe a more experienced developer takes over?

The project of a Garmin watch alternative still alive. Huawei watch has Bluetooth 4.1, LE, which is BLE:

https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_watch-7687.php

Peter Gamma · Oct 4, 2020

There are several ANT+ Rasperri Pi projects which run on the Linux PinePhone for ANT+ sports sensors. They require an ANT+ stick. Can ANT+ sticks be addedt to Linux smartwatches?

The Adafruit Peloton BLE bike computer runs also on the PinePhone. It is not tested yet, but there are no major problems there. It could be modified to make a BLE sports watch out of it, and be modified to run on a Linux smartwatch.

There is no easy way to use external BLE sensors with the PineTime, was stated by PineTime developers.

I m on a long-term project to find an open source alternative for Garmin watches, which do not allow an easy access to sensor data or sensor data streaming to Matlab or Python for instance over MQTT.

AsteroidOS has a community on Twitter and an IRC chat,

https://asteroidos.org/contact/

but there is no forum for sharing experience. Therefore, threads for Linux AsteroidOS in the xda developer forum makes sense.

Peter Gamma · Oct 4, 2020

One more source for information on AsteroidOS: Asteroid Log files:

https://log.asteroidos.org/

press a link at the end:

https://git.io/JU5GS

then you are redirected to GITHUB issues. I did only see this at a second glance.

.

Peter Gamma · Oct 5, 2020

AsteroidOS IRC Logs are chat protocols:

https://log.asteroidos.org/?date=2020-10-03&level=16#

similar to a forum, but unstructured. XDA developer has a better structure.

Peter Gamma · Oct 5, 2020

Which device to choose has to be worked out for AsteroidOS.

1. Kingwear KW88 Pro is a new device which support Asteroid OS. No WIFI, unstable BLE connection:

https://github.com/AsteroidOS/asteroid/issues/79

2. LG Watch Urbane W15

https://www.gsmarena.com/lg_watch_urbane_w150-7680.php

hasQualcomm Snapdragon 400 (28 nm) CPU Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 and good Asteroid support:

https://asteroidos.org/install/bass/

3. LG G Watch R (lenok)

https://asteroidos.org/install/lenok/

has also PostmarketOS support:

https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/LG_G_Watch_R_(lg-lenok))

A combination of a newer watch which a newer Linux OS would be desirable, but I guess if you don’t want to develop new Linux versions yourself, you have to live with the available options.

Peter Gamma · Oct 5, 2020

Hello Chandler

Thank you for your precious information. Unfortunately, I m not a developer at that level. I'm a physiologist and author, and Matlab developement is a field where I'm feeling home. I miss a wearable Linux device, and I found your instruction excellent. But the only help I can give you is to build up a community around these devices. Is it ok. for you to publish your expertise? Maybe someone else can take over.

I'm interested on the long term in these devices. But my interest stands and falls with a working wifi and Bluetooth connection. Do you have a recommendation for a AsteroidOS with working WIFI and Bluetooth?

Regards, Peter

Linux AsteroidOS on the Kingwear KW88 Pro?

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