Install Ubuntu on the Microchip PIC64GX1000 Curiosity Kit

The first stage boot loader of the PIC64GX Curiosity Kit is called Hart Software Services (HSS). Ubuntu requires version 2024.06 or later of this software. The HSS sources are available from GitHub; build and programming instructions can be found in the README of the linked repository.

Using the pre-installed server image

1. Download one of the supported images:

   • Ubuntu 24.10 (Oracular Oriole) images:

     • ubuntu-24.10-preinstalled-server-riscv64+pic64gx.img.xz

   • Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS (Noble Numbat) images:

     • ubuntu-24.04.1-preinstalled-server-riscv64+pic64gx.img.xz

2. Flash the pre-installed server image to a microSD card (see Flash images to a microSD card)

3. Insert the microSD card into the board

4. Connect to the serial UART console (see Connect to a UART console)

5. Power on the board

6. Wait for an output line confirming that cloud-init has finished running; this service is responsible for generating SSH keys, and creating the default user:

   [   35.682018] cloud-init[909]: Cloud-init v. 24.1.3-0ubuntu3 finished at Tue, 23 Apr 2024 07:44:59 +0000. Datasource DataSourceNoCloud [seed=/var/lib/cloud/seed/nocloud-net][dsmode=net].  Up 35.65 seconds
   

7. Login with the user ubuntu and the default password ubuntu; you will be asked to choose a new password