RELEASE: Gentoo For Zaurus 0.2

lekter · n00b Joined: 19 Sep 2003 Posts: 12

Gentoo For Zaurus is a complete Gentoo environment for Zaurus (but should work for many other ARM devices, such as the iPAQ). I hope this will help making tons of packages for cacko X11 rom (and other roms and environments) very easily.

Features of the current release 0.2:
* Gentoo environment: It can "emerge sync", "emerge package", "emerge -B package", etcat, ...
* Native compiler: Includes a native gcc environment for ARM based on the one from Cacko's site.
* Cross compiler with distcc: Includes the zgcc-3.3.1 cross compiler for the main PC with everything pre-configured so the main PC (and other PC's in the network) does the actual compiling work.
* Complete linux system: You can install the applictions compiled over the Gentoo For Zaurus environment before installing over the real system. Includes X11 so you can test applications on this environment instead of the real system
* . Native ipkg format: You can install ipkg packages over the Gentoo For Zaurus system.
* Conversion from Gentoo binaries to IPK binaries: We have developed a tool (tbz2ipk) to convert from Gentoo Packages (.tbz2) to Zaurus Packages (.ipk), so packages compiled on Gentoo can be used on other environments (such as Qtopia or OpenZaurus).

You will NOT need to modify nor replace your system / rom. Everything is mounted over NFS so, once you leave the Gentoo For Zaurus environment, your unit will be as before using Gentoo. This way we solved the disk space problem too.

The current release is 0.2. See the Release Notes: http://www.opensistemas.com/Gentoo_For_Zaurus_0_.718.0.html
Howto's, screenshots, status, etc on the web page: http://www.opensistemas.com/Gentoo_for_Zaurus.715.0.html
The ChangeLog is here: http://www.opensistemas.com/Gentoo_For_Zaurus_Ch.719.0.html

Main Download Site of Gentoo For Zaurus and Cross Compiler (please use this): http://sourceforge.net/projects/gentooforzaurus/

Other download sites (only if sourceforge is not working):
Download Gentoo For Zaurus from spy.org: http://zaurus.spy.org/lekter/gentooforzaurus/
Download Cross Compiler for the main PC preconfigured for distributed compilation: http://zaurus.spy.org/lekter/gentooforzaurus/zgcc/
Download some Gentoo packages compiled for Zaurus: http://zaurus.spy.org/lekter/gentooforzaurus/packages/

Of course, every line of code written by http://www.opensistemas.com is licensed under the terms of the GPL license.

Donations are gladly accepted: http://sourceforge.net/projects/gentooforzaurus/

Acknowledgements:
- Sashz www.cacko.biz , creator of the excelent X11 Rom for zaurus, on which this port is based.
- www.spy.org (absentia), who is hosting the project
- Some of the work done was taken from The Emerde Project, which is an effort to port the Portage system to another architectures.
_________________
Fernando Monera Daroqui
fmonera at opensistemas dot com
http://www.opensistemas.com

justineiler · n00b Joined: 31 Oct 2003 Posts: 46 Location: Boulder CO

WOW now thats cool.
My 5600 is in the mail.
I cant wait but the 5600 is a Xscale?

lekter · n00b Joined: 19 Sep 2003 Posts: 12

The XScale is an ARM. So it will work. I hope you will like it.
_________________
Fernando Monera Daroqui
fmonera at opensistemas dot com
http://www.opensistemas.com

robmoss · Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 12:07 am Post subject:

I have an HP iPAQ h5555 which I'm hoping to install some form of Linux on, but as yet it isn't fully working on those. The display (and I think this goes for the whole of the 5000 series except the 5100s) isn't yet working under non-X conditions, I don't think - more information is available from http://www.handhelds.org/. But once that's fixed, I'll be using this, as long as I can get most of my filesystem on an MMC or SD card! Great work!
_________________
Reality is for those who can't face Science Fiction.

emerge -U will kill your Gentoo
ecatmur, Lord of Portage Bash Scripts

pantherace · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 79

I was wondering about doing this, but I must admit that aside from portage being superior to ipkg (which isn't bad) the compilation doesn't seem to have the emphasis yet that it does for other archs, eg x86 (i386, i486, i565, i686, pentium3, pentium4, athlon-tbird, athlon-xp, etc) because there are only 2 processors used. <P>
Also, gcc2 & gcc3 have compatibility issues (though gcc3 seems faster if using the experemental 3.3.6 openzaurus rom, as opposed to the gcc2 based stable 3.3.5), how do you deal with that? (I believe all of the more standard roms, stable oz, and sharp are all gcc2)
<P>
I certainly will see about this, but would like to be able to do a full gentoo on Z, not relying on the default image someday, but thank you for this so far, great work. I kind of gave up hope of seeing this after zwelch(sp?) started zynot as he seemed to be working on a very similar thing. Thank you again.

robmoss · Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2004 6:02 pm Post subject: Re: Nice

elvisthedj · Guru Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 483 Location: Nampa, ID

I think using NFS mounts is a great approach. (Should have my 750 by next week and I've got big plans

)

I just wondered what happens when you go out of range. Does the zaurus simply fallback (chroot) to what it was?

Does it keep trying to remount these shares after the connection has failed?

I not only like the disk space saving factor, but also the fact that I can have a different environment when I step into my car that is equipped with a wifi enabled pc

dacoool · n00b Joined: 06 Oct 2003 Posts: 73

Hi there,

i bought a Z 5500G one week ago.
It's two years old, but a new one is too expensive for me.
On my DesktopPC, i have installed gentoo and its great

So now I want to get this SUPERGENIALE Meta-Distri running on my Z!!

Everyone who can give me a hint, do it.

I don't want to get it running on an Sharp-Rom or OpenZaurus-Rom.

I just want to make my own ROM.... i tried to hack a rom, redesign it and so on...

but there are some points, where i don't know what to do.... google doesn't help

There are many HowTo's for building an own ROM, but i can't mount the ROM!!!
Everything I do seems to be hopeless...

Need help :-/
_________________
just me....

Jinidog · Guru Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Posts: 593 Location: Berlin

I have no Zaurus, but I planning to buy a PDA and to put Linux on it.
(or to put Gentoo on the Zaurus)

I searched through the web for informations about that and found this.
It might help you: http://www.grennan.com/myzaurus/sl-rootfs-howto.html#

Notice all that stuff is quite old.
_________________
Just unused Microsoft-Software is good Microsoft-Software

Jinidog · Guru Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Posts: 593 Location: Berlin

I've opened a thread how to mount a ROM-Image here:
http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=12234&st=0&p=77250&#entry77250
_________________
Just unused Microsoft-Software is good Microsoft-Software

GNUtoo · Veteran Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 1919

how can i runl it without flashing
and without nfs
my environement is quopia
i've an hard drive
i've also an usb key (128MO) that i can run under ext3
is there any command to run it
because i'm not an expert of qtopia
is his architecture (not cpu) different is it parted or all in one (graphic server,operating system...)
how can i quit the graphic system??? if it's possible

Jinidog · Guru Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Posts: 593 Location: Berlin

I don't really understand what you want.
I'm currently working to make a gentoo-system for the Zaurus with uclibc.
I'm in the middle of the bootstrap in the moment.
I'll make a Howto if I am succesfull.
My Zaurus is a SL5600, but if it's possible on that thing, it should be possible on the others too.
_________________
Just unused Microsoft-Software is good Microsoft-Software

GNUtoo · Veteran Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 1919

ok...ok...
i've a pma400
it's os is qtopia
i could flash it easely with a fake update (they are in cramfs)
but i want to conserve the qtopia because i don't know if some proriatary programs will still works in gentoo or others os
so how could i insall and run gentoo afterbooting with qtopia
i need some commands to close the graphic session and turn into text mode if it's possible
after it would be easy:
i'll need to chroot into the gentoo directory .... same install procedure as desktop installation

Jinidog · Guru Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Posts: 593 Location: Berlin

I'm currently writing on a howto to use an arm-stage1 of Gentoo and compile a Gentoo for the Zaurus.
Some parts are specific for the SL5600, but you may find it interesting.
I'll write here, when I have the howto done.
(I don't know how far I'll get Gentoo working. At the moment I just got to the emerge system on a chroot in a NFS-directory on my PC)
_________________
Just unused Microsoft-Software is good Microsoft-Software