Installing to a Palm Treo

N4ILZ · n00b Joined: 05 Nov 2011 Posts: 4

Hello All,

I'm a Linux user, (Fedora, Ubuntu, Vector) for awhile now. But I came across an old Palm Treo of mine and I was wondering where to start to install Gentoo on that old Palm. I don't want to use the old phone for calls (I have another Palm for that), I just want to see if I can erase the Palm OS from ROM, then install the Gentoo OS on the phone. Any ideas on where to start?

John R. Graham · Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 11:01 pm Post subject:

Palm Treo what? Regardless, there's probably way too little memory to run Linux.

- John
_________________
I can confirm that I have received between 0 and 499 National Security Letters.

N4ILZ · n00b Joined: 05 Nov 2011 Posts: 4

Sorry for not posting specs. Here are the specs for the old phone

Make: Palm Treo
Model: 680
CPU: Intel PXA270 315 Mhz (based on the x86 architecture)
RAM: 64MB internal (I have a 1GB SD card installed in the phone also)
OS: TREO680-2.11-ATT
Firmware: R01.91
CC-Cap:ATT-NR1-005
Hardware: A

I'm thinking, if I can format the ROM (or main flash memory) to nothing, install the Gentoo kernel to the freshly formatted ROM I should then be able to boot the phone. Once again, just thinking and I understand my approach to getting Linux on Laptops, Desktops, Flash drives, Memory cards, Netbooks may not be the same approach as getting it on the phone.

John R. Graham · Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 2:06 pm Post subject:

Intel's PXA series is not x86; instead it's a derivative of the StrongARM. It's got a proper MMU, so Linux is possible.

- John
_________________
I can confirm that I have received between 0 and 499 National Security Letters.

N4ILZ · n00b Joined: 05 Nov 2011 Posts: 4

Thanks for the info, I thought the PXA270 was x86. So, if Linux is possible, I guess I should start looking at how to format the current ROM to accept the iso from the SD card right? I have Ubuntu on the SD card now (and it is bootable because I have a desktop that will boot the live iso from the SD card), but which version of Gentoo would you recommend? I have never messed with Gentoo (although I just installed 11.01 on my VM to play with).

John R. Graham · Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 3:12 pm Post subject:

The Treo (almost certainly) doesn't have a standard BIOS so it (almost certainly) won't launch a standard bootloader. I'd start by Googling for people that've already done it and reading the Gentoo Linux ARM Handbook.

Sounds like an interesting project but not a small project.

- John
_________________
I can confirm that I have received between 0 and 499 National Security Letters.

N4ILZ · n00b Joined: 05 Nov 2011 Posts: 4

Thanks for your help John. I know this isn't going to be a small project, but I think it would definitely be a fun one if I'm able to succeed. I'll keep the thread updated with findings (if any) and progress (if any).