Gentoo on Replaytv?

[pucku]

I have become entranced with the idea of using my replaytv to run gentoo and a mythtv setup.
Why? Why not just go with the native features of the replay?
I would like to work with remote x sessions in my living room
I would like to be able to use a bluetooth keyboard and mouse
I would like to be able to use a web browser in the living room
I would like to be able to mount a network filesystem and store the recorded video there...

Granted, none of these reasons are unaccomplishable by other means. I think it would be a cool project to get gentoo onto a replay, though.


So I began by cracking the case on my 5060 replaytv. It turns out the processor is the same as that of the Raq2/Qube2--a 250 mhz 5231 (or is it 5321? I mix up numbers a lot, but it's the same, whatever it is), a member of the MIPSel family. There are two chips which I believe I have identifed as each containing 64 MB of memory, for a total of 128 MB RAM. Other components are detailed at http://www.bentpixel.com/fbm/guts/
Because it seems to meet the requirements for a supported gentoo system (enough RAM, supported cpu architecture), I began to explore. I set up a DHCP server to respond to the specific mac address of the replaytv, and an nfsroot share with the cobalt startup files, as detailed in the sgi/cobalt installation handbook...I also hooked up a null modem serial cable between my laptop and the replaytv. Thus far, I have recieved no output from the replay via serial console. I think this is becuase I have not activated it. Currently, I do not know how to activate the serial console.

I understand that for other cobalt machines, the left and right errow keys are used to signal a netboot. The replaytv does not have a keyboard, and does not respond to my holding down the left and right arrow keys on the serial console, presumably because it is not activated.

I also understand that some pinhole button on the front of the cobalt machines must be depressed for activation of the console. The Replay has no equivalent of this as far as I can tell.

I booted the replaytv with the hard drive in place. The DHCP server responds and assigns the IP address I specified for the replaytv to it. This tells me my DHCPD setup is correct.

I removed the hard drive and placed it into my iMac in an attempt to explore the filesystem, which I thought would probably be ext2 as that is what the cobalt family requires. My iMac was unable to determine any partitions on the drive (using the ext2fs control panel for mac os 10.3).

This is largely what I know thus far. I have to believe that it is possible to work with this machine, simply due to the similarity it has with cobalt. The major hurdles for me right now are figuring out how to netboot it and what files it needs to have available in a netboot environment in order for me to begin a base gentoo install.

Does anyone else find this an interesting project? Any leads? Has this been attempted before?

WP
_________________
YES!!!

[karnesky]