Gentoo on relatively small MIPS system

luigi.galvani · n00b Joined: 23 Mar 2011 Posts: 5

Have you ever tried to install Gentoo natively on the system CPU mips24k (in my case Atheros AR7161 680 MHz)? It has 128MB RAM, only 64MB flash, but it has 3xminipci so it should be possible to add a CF card for more disk space ... link to HW information is here. I like gentoo, it occurred to me to try it instead of OpenWRT.

cach0rr0 · Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 7:52 pm Post subject:

i suppose it could work, though a few things to keep in mind:

-you wont have any nice pretty OpenWRT management interface
-you will probably want to build this on another machine; see this guide for info on cross-compilation : http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/base/embedded/handbook/
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luigi.galvani · n00b Joined: 23 Mar 2011 Posts: 5

thanks for the quick reply. Management interface isn't important for me, nor my current OpenWRT don't have it installed. For crosscompiling I'm ready:

E6410 Henry # gcc-config-l
[1] i686-pc-linux-gnu-4.5.2 *
[2] mips-linux-4.5.2-uClibc *
[3] x86_64-pc-linux-gnu-4.4.4 *
:-)

I would not mind compiling natively on a slow system - I don't care that it will do a few days ... and I can use distcc .. Exists something like "gentoo minimal install CD", but for these cases (only TFTP boot system without :-(

serial console)?

Raptor85 · Apprentice Joined: 29 Dec 2007 Posts: 208

specwise it's significantly faster w/ more memory than my Cobalt Raq2, my skytone alpha, or my friend's Qube , so it should work just fine....but if you value your sanity do NOT compile directly on it.

the Raq and the Qube we had to netboot using tftp, easiest way to set them up is have ssh start up on boot, the skytone you build a light system and tar it on the root of a SD card. Seeing as what your device is, tftp boot is almost definitely the way to go. MIPS systems in general don't have a standard BIOS interface like x86/AMD64 systems do, so there's no real universal boot cd's, each manufacturer is a bit different in how you do an install. Check the MIPS guide here, it's mostly for Cobalt/SGI systems but much of it may apply http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-mips.xml?part=1&chap=2

blueness

tomk · Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 10:34 am Post subject:

Moved from Installing Gentoo to Gentoo on Alternative Architectures as it fits better here.
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flameman · n00b Joined: 10 Apr 2011 Posts: 39

hi
i am planning to buy and develop a ram rootfs for "UBIQUITI Routerstation Pro"
very interesting peace of hw

=P

flameman · n00b Joined: 10 Apr 2011 Posts: 39

[quote="blueness"]

blueness

flameman · n00b Joined: 10 Apr 2011 Posts: 39

i have hacked a 2.6.39 vanilla kernel that is now working for routerboard/pro
- usb mass storage is working
- mmc/sd over spi is working (with scsi emulation)
- prom parameter integrated (board choiche fix)

unfotunately i have stll issue with mtd
so i can't see the any partition =(

also there a lot of issues with (mini) pci bus
i have a 4 serial device on that bus that causes bad aligment issues
dunno why, i have to investigate

flameman · n00b Joined: 10 Apr 2011 Posts: 39