Gentoo PDAs

robmoss · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 3:14 am Post subject: Gentoo PDAs

Just out of curiosity, has anyone yet managed to get a fully fledged Gentoo Linux installation onto a PDA yet? It's something I'm giving some serious consideration to - not quite sure how the bootscripts would work, but the iPAQ H3970 looks like a good candidate...

asph · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 10:13 am Post subject:

i installed linux on my pda (ipaq 3870), but not gentoo..
i used "familiar", a distribution that uses a portage kinda package update system, ipkg (so it is easy to install/update the system.

for more info on using linux in pda's see this website

_________________
gentoo sex is updatedb; locate; talk; date; cd; strip; look; touch; finger; unzip; uptime; gawk; head; emerge --oneshot condom; mount; fsck; gasp; more; yes; yes; yes; more; umount; emerge -C condom; make clean; sleep

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

Ipkg is a stripped down version of Dpkg (as in Debian) It works very similar, and all PDA arm distros I know of use it. (OpenZaurus, Familiar, Intimate) It should be compatible with packages from the arm-debian. I would suggest that if we move portage on to a PDA we maintain compatibility with ipkg <P>
Regarding the feasability of this. It is possible, and you can have gcc for arm + everything else needed on a 16MB cramfs image (search for devimg for the Zaurus if interested) Here is the problem for most PDAs (Zaurus doesn't have this problem) the lack of a keyboard. Most need to have opie or X up to support input (in a usable way). This can be overcome (Z or add on keyboard w/kernel driver), but for a general purpose install you need to have graphics up, esp in debian.<P>
I know zwelton (person who started zynot) was working on some of this, including distcc over arch, and that seems to have disappeared, so you might check out zynot.

Elvis · n00b Joined: 17 Apr 2002 Posts: 8 Location: Berkeley, CA

What I would like to be able to do is compile programs on my desktop x86 system for my Zaurus arm-based PDA.
_________________
--
What dreams indeed are ambition,
for the very substance of the ambitious
is merely the shadow of a dream.
--- W. Shakespeare

robmoss · Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2003 11:09 am Post subject:

What we probably need is a stageX tarball which has some sort of "keyboard" support - by that, I mean handwriting recognition. We'd probably struggle to do this, though.
_________________
Reality is for those who can't face Science Fiction.

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

CRC · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 5:13 am Post subject:

Well ... not my 2 cents, but my $2 worth of random thoughts ...

I don't know about handwriting recognition in a stage 1. That doesn't seem reasonable. SSH and network support is normally a part of the system, and comes on the liveCD, and I think its in a stage 3, so this seems reasonable to me.

This also gives you a better keyboard and such. Of course, if you can't support DHCP, you are kinda stuck as to getting an IP. I think this would be the easiest and if you are loading gentoo from scratch, that is where I would start.

However, there has been some talk about being compatible with IPKG, and if you are going to do that - then use something else. That would be like trying to make gentoo compatible with RPM. Installing from IPKG would be fine as an option (like rpm is with x86 desktops), but the whole point of gentoo is to use the source, so compatibility with IPKG isn't a major issue - someone will port it in due time.

Compiling on a system with limited resources isn't a good idea either. Cross-compiling is really the best option for creating a working, GUI-driven, pre-compiled image. You should be able to cross-compile into a directory and convert the whole thing into a ROM image (well, for the Zaurus, a kernel and seperate root-fs). I wouldn't put the portage tree in there, installation of apps would probably have to be done by creating a GRP package on the same system you created the image on and don't include GCC and build tools in your ROM (best on space), or you would have to NFS mount /usr/portage (and possibly gcc and friends) from some server to do your build ... but if you are gonna NFS mount the disk space from a server, you might as well use the CPU on the server and cross compile it.

Therefore, I would like to see ebuilds for generating cross-compilers and some support for compiling for a box other than the local host. This can port back to the regular gentoo stuff as well and offer additional options for people that have multiple desktops and need to install onto a box with limited hardware, or for system admins with server farms of varied architectures.

I think that there would be an xmerge or something that would allow you to name your target and automatically select a different make.conf (and possibly specify a "class" or "category" name for make.defaults) .

"emerge ethereal" for your local box, but to use the options in "sun1.make.conf" instead of the regular "make.conf" you would use "xmerge sun1 ethereal". The "sun1.make.conf" would specify where the binaries should be placed (with choices for being placed in a mounted image file or into a GRP in a sub-directory for SUN) and should also specify its own "make.defaults" that would tailored with the appropriate CC and CXX lines for the right cross-compiler and other options specific to the SUN. Another "zaurus.defaults" and "xmerge zaurus ethereal" should create a GRP for my zaurus.
_________________
Unix/Linux Consulting & Hosting
We Support Gentoo!
http://CoolRunningConcepts.com

Freenode: Taro!

gen2newB · Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 2:13 pm Post subject:

CRC, regarding you last post, Couldn't you use distcc in some way to have it compile on another computer? You could always use NFS to map out gcc for you on the computer so that your gcc versions aren't off either. Unless i am way off, it sounds like an immediate possibility for right now, instead of someone inventing a fancier wheel. After all, Linux is for the ppl with technical prowess right? :wink:

Promit · Guru Joined: 15 Nov 2003 Posts: 344

Gentoo is not the slimmest distro out there...no I'm not comparing it to Red Hat or Mandrake or even Debian. I mean that it's still basically a desktop Linux, and the whole compile things seems like it'd be difficult, if at all feasible, on a PDA. You're probably better off going with one of the Linuxes designed for PDAs, like OpenZaurus.
_________________
Windows, Linux, whatever.

robmoss · Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 12:33 am Post subject:

_dook_master_ · Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 6:24 am Post subject:

could you install a very much slimmed down gentoo onto your SD card through an SD card reader, and when it was time to update, you could pop it in the reader and boot off it, and emerge your updated progs?

plate · Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2004 11:53 pm Post subject:

You may want to have a look at what Opensistemas did to the Zaurus.

CRC · Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 11:00 pm Post subject:

Defiantely cool - its what I wanted, but no SL-5600 support

_________________
Unix/Linux Consulting & Hosting
We Support Gentoo!
http://CoolRunningConcepts.com

Freenode: Taro!

robmoss · Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2004 4:11 am Post subject:

_dook_master_ · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2004 1:20 am Post subject:

is there a way to copy cd1 to the SD card, and make it bootable? then you could install onto your PDA, and format your card and use it for your home directory if you were so inclined.

robmoss · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 3:50 am Post subject:

Unfortunately, the SD card slot on the h55xx isn't yet supported by the kernel. So I'll have to wait for that.

In the meantime, I may get the jacket and an 1GB IBM MicroDrive...
_________________
Reality is for those who can't face Science Fiction.

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

_dook_master_ · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2004 12:06 am Post subject:

i think you'll have more problems than that....how do you plan on setting up the WiFi on that pda? o.O

is it supported by the kernel?

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2004 12:46 am Post subject:

_dook_master_,

WiFi on the iPaq 5500 'just works'(TM) but dont try to set it up in GPE because that sets up the PCMCI WiFi and the built in is USB.

Its also worth looking ar crossdev on Gentoo which aims to support building of cross toll chains. Arm and pxa are both missing just now.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

Peacefaker · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 10:55 am Post subject:

I have a 3950 400MHz, 64MB ram, 128MB SD, CF jacket with 256MB card.
I have yet to try a Linux distro on it, perhaps I'll try it when school finishes this spring and it no longer is mission critical for me to have it working.

cato` · Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2004 12:20 am Post subject:

I got a LOOX 610. Found the Linux for the Pocket LOOX but its only for the 600 and not the 610. When I try to use the hiyace-yach bootloader the PDA just freezes :cry:

_________________
Don't mess with the Penguin.

pikapika · n00b Joined: 26 Apr 2003 Posts: 71

I was wondering for gentoo on my yopy 3700 too !