A ready-to-go development environment for Thingino, powered by LXC, native Linux containerization with no daemons, no runtimes, and no abstraction layers. Just kernel-level isolation that feels like a normal Debian system.
Why LXC?
- Lightweight - uses a fraction of the resources of a full VM
- Isolated - keeps your host system clean and unaffected
- Reproducible - consistent firmware builds every time
- Native - no container engine required, just the Linux kernel
Two setup paths:
- Standalone LXC - run directly on any Linux machine
- Proxmox - use an existing Proxmox LXC container
Clone the repo and run the setup script on any Linux system:
git clone https://github.com/gtxaspec/thingino-lxc && cd thingino-lxc
sudo bash setup_thingino_lxc.shThat's it. The script handles everything:
- Installs LXC on the host if not already present
- Creates a Debian container named
thingino-development - Installs all required build tools and dependencies
- Downloads toolchains and repositories
- Drops you into the container's shell, ready to build
Note: Only the LXC package is installed on your host. Everything else lives inside the container. As a best practice, inspect the script before running it.
Installed to ~/toolchain/ inside the container:
- mipsel-xburst1-thingino-linux-musl - GCC cross-compilation toolchain for XBurst1 SoCs
- mipsel-xburst2-thingino-linux-musl - GCC cross-compilation toolchain for XBurst2 SoCs
Cloned to ~/repo/ inside the container:
- thingino-firmware - Main Thingino firmware repository
- ingenic-u-boot-xburst1 - U-Boot for XBurst1 SoCs
- ingenic-u-boot-xburst2-t40 - U-Boot for T40 SoCs
- ingenic-u-boot-xburst2-t41 - U-Boot for T41 SoCs
- ingenic-sdk - Ingenic SDK
- ingenic-motor - Motor control support
- prudynt-t - Prudynt video streaming application
- ingenic-musl - Musl libc for Ingenic platforms
- thingino-linux-3-10-14-t31 - Linux kernel for T31
- thingino-linux-4-4-94-t40 - Linux kernel for T40
- thingino-linux-4-4-94-t41 - Linux kernel for T41
The setup script creates a shared directory at $HOME/thingino-output on your host. Use it for:
- Data Transfer - move files between host and container
- Firmware Access - compiled firmware appears here automatically
- Persistent Storage - survives container stops and restarts
For firmware analysis and reverse engineering, the container includes an optional tool installer:
install-additional-toolsThis compiles and installs tools like binwalk. Running it again is safe, it will detect previously installed tools.
Attach to your container:
attach-thinginoYou're dropped directly into the Thingino development workspace. Code, build, and test in an isolated environment.
Detach from the container:
Type exit to log out of the dev user. If still inside the container, type exit again to return to your host shell. Your container retains its state between sessions, so you can pick up right where you left off.
Installation demonstration video:
output.mp4
If you're using Proxmox as your virtualization platform, a dedicated setup script is provided. Run it inside an existing Proxmox LXC container to configure it for Thingino development, no manual setup required.
sudo ./prox_container_setup.shRequirements:
- Debian 12 or 13 container
- At least 10 GB of free space
- Run with
sudo
The script installs all dependencies, toolchains, and repositories directly into your Proxmox container, giving you the same fully configured environment as the standalone setup.