Messages

1

Zaurus - Other distros support / Re: Back after many years - and finally tried Zubuntu

« on: April 13, 2025, 10:01:43 am »

Hi All,
Working on multiple options for reviving my Zaurus. zUbuntu is one of them, void another (looking forward to the new release, varti), netBSD as "new kid on the block" (for me).

zUbuntu (jaunty updates) was working when I stored the Zaurus a while ago, but now there are issues.  After some forum archaeology, I think that the largest chance of success is the combination of
zubuntu-desktop-jaunty-rootfs_feb.2009-rev-armel.tar.bz2 and spitz-root-addition.tar.gz (from first zubuntu release).
Source is https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?topic=26510.msg184114#msg184114 stating:

so you want to stick with the spitz-root-addition.tar.gz used with 1.0RC for use with  zubuntu-desktop-jaunty-rootfs_feb.2009-rev-armel.tar.bz2

However, my boot.cfg is incomplete, resulting in kernel panic, and a message about missing "root=" boot option.
Can anyone share a working boot.cfg with me?

Another question:
Is it worth installing the latest kexecboot from https://github.com/LinuxPDA/linux-kexecboot/tree/master ? It has a kernel-4.4.8 version...

Thanks,
Maarten

2

Zaurus - Other distros support / Re: NetBSD 10.0 on Zaurus C3200

« on: April 01, 2025, 02:37:33 pm »

YES, the install starts . I had an old 256 MB (yes, MegaByte) SD card. Maybe the 4GB was too large.

Now, all kinds of questions pop up:
- Shall I indeed wipe the entire HDD and use it for netBSD 
- What if I want to go back (but to what then),
- etc. etc.

I find wiping the HDD a bit scary. But there is no way to use >1GB SD cards in the maintenance kernel (https://wiki.netbsd.org/users/jun/zaurus/). That is not enough to install netBSD ánd contain the install files.

I just gave it a go, with default options. It did gave a lot of errors in wiping the HDD.   
Yet another new phase in "playing with my zaurus".

Maarten

3

Zaurus - Other distros support / Re: NetBSD 10.0 on Zaurus C3200

« on: March 31, 2025, 02:46:14 pm »

After a bit of figuring, it worked. I used the instructions on https://blog.spiralofhope.com/48354/zaurus-sl-c1000-emergency-console-boot.html:

• Make sure the Zaurus isn't plugged into AC power.
• Remove the battery
• Switch battery switch to "on" position, but leave battery door open
• Hold the D+B keys pressed, while inserting the battery
• Then release D+B keys

After some seconds, you see a Japanese SHARP boot screen and shortly after a login prompt.

Once you see the boot screen it is ok to:

(these steps will not reset your Zaurus)

• insert the power cable
• turn the battery switch to the "off" position
• put the battery cover on
• turn the battery switch to the "on" position

Now, strange enough, the contents of the SD card are not shown. It only shows the folders Documents, which doesn´t exist on the SD card...

Well, playing on,

Maarten

4

Zaurus - Other distros support / Re: NetBSD 10.0 on Zaurus C3200

« on: March 31, 2025, 09:49:39 am »

Thanks and yea I tried that. Seems not to work, or I'm not dexterous enough.
I managed to get into the Japanese menu via D+N (or was it D+M). That is of no help for this.

I might install cacko (or cacko lite) into NAND and then run it from there. Unless anyone has a good suggestion.


Maarten

5

Zaurus - Other distros support / Re: NetBSD 10.0 on Zaurus C3200

« on: March 16, 2025, 11:20:46 am »

Hi clofland and gru,
Had a bit of time for tinkering with netBSD on my SL-C3100 today. Unfortunately, I got stuck.

I have openembedded's kexecboot installed. That makes booting to terminal of clofland's list not applicable. I also tried to boot to void-linux and then starting from there, as I saw other examples of installing netBSD that start from a running system (cacko). Didn´t work.

I'm unsure what to do next. Thinking of options, and any hints are welcome!

(It was long time since I really did something with the Zaurus)

MaBo

6

Zaurus - Other distros support / Re: NetBSD 10.0 on Zaurus C3200

« on: March 13, 2025, 05:22:26 am »

This is already great! Please update when you find new stuff. I might give it a try too, soon.

From what I saw of netBSD on Zaurus, it really looks quite usable. It would be *so great* to have this old gem working again in a somewhat useful way!

Maarten

7

Zaurus - Other distros support / Re: NetBSD 10.0 on Zaurus C3200

« on: March 11, 2025, 07:04:17 am »

Hi glu,
would it be possible to write a short HowTo for installing NetBSD on the Zaurus? I never thought of that option, but am still looking at a way to make the good old zaurus useful in 2025.

Thanks,
Maarten

8

Zaurus - Void Linux support / What can we do with a Zaurus running voidz?

« on: July 08, 2021, 07:31:45 am »

Hi all,
As voidz provides a rather up to date way to run linux on our lovely Zaurii, the next question becomes: what to do with it?

Personally, I miss a windowed environment, but running a taste of X might be too far out. What would be another way to make use of the Z?

Any ideas, and/or ways you use the Z?

MaBo

9

Zaurus - Void Linux support / Re: Void Install Guide

« on: July 04, 2021, 02:17:24 pm »

Dear all,

Started my Zaurus today again. voidZ is installed. But I forgot how to get the wifi running. So, I simply entered the corresponding commands in the guide. However, turns out there are a few omissions now. Maybe due to the forum move?

I guess the correct statements should be:

Code: [Select]


ip link show
ip link set up wlan0
wpa_passphrase <ssid> <passphrase> >> /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant-wlan0.conf
iwconfig wlan0 mode managed
wpa_supplicant -B -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant-wlan0.conf -Dwext
udhcpc -i wlan0
ping google.com
Where the wpa_passphrase command can be omitted if wpa_supplicant-wlan0.conf already exists

Now find out what to do with the nice zaurus...

MaBo

10

Zaurus - Void Linux support / Void Install Guide

« on: May 24, 2020, 08:59:51 am »

It seems like it is working again. Thanks for the help!

Maarten

11

Zaurus - Void Linux support / Void Install Guide

« on: May 16, 2020, 11:38:46 am »

I thought it all was working well, but now I get an error with installing packages:
Certificate verification failed.

What is wrong? I thought it worked all right earlier...

Maarten

12

Zaurus - Void Linux support / Void Install Guide

« on: May 15, 2020, 01:39:59 pm »

I understood now. You need to change the boot parameters of both VoidLinux and VoidLinux-Debug on the SD card, the file is /boot/boot.cfg, from

Code: [Select]

rootfstype=f2fsto

Code: [Select]

rootfstype=ext4
Varti

that did it! Thanks!

I'm online now. setting up the feed etc

Maarten

13

Zaurus - Void Linux support / Void Install Guide

« on: May 14, 2020, 02:00:10 pm »

Thanks for the quick reply,

is the SD card formatted as f2fs or ext4? The "Can't find f2fs" error suggests that you're using an ext4 one

Correct, I made it an ext4 partition

is the SD card formatted as f2fs or ext4? The "Can't find f2fs" error suggests that you're using an ext4 one, if so, has it been created without the metadata checksum (the -O^metadata_csum parameter)?

Yes, I used that parameter with the mkfs.ext4 command. Any way to check it?

I tried both build007 and build008 with same behaviour.

When the system seems to hang, it still responds to the enter key, and suspend also does something: Freezing user space processes.

hmmm... what could be wrong.

But the Zaurus remains a lovely little device ;-)
Maarten

14

Zaurus - Void Linux support / Void Install Guide

« on: May 13, 2020, 02:28:44 pm »

Hi all,

Tried to install void, but hit some problems. I followed the instructions above quite accurately. There are two downloads, I chose void-armv5tel-musl-ROOTFS-20190214.tar.xz from https://github.com/greguu/voidz-packages/re...s/tag/build-008

All looks fine.

Kexecboot gives me now two options in addition to the ones I had:
Void linux
Void linux - debugging

Selecting the Void linux one.

Four lines starting with F2FS-fs: can't find valid F2FS filesystem
kernel panic - not syncing.

Then pcmcia, scsi, ata are found.

sda: sda1 sda2 sda3
sd 0:0:0:0: [sda1] attached SCSI disk

<long wait>
then a line appears:
random: crg init done

Further no progress.

Any suggestions?

Kind regards,
Maarten

15

Zaurus - Other distros support / Back after many years - and finally tried Zubuntu

« on: May 11, 2020, 11:19:47 am »

So, it has been many years since I used my Sharp Zaurus. I had a 5500 (with German keyboard), and made the jump later (2005 or so) to an SL-C3100. It was always a pleasure using it with Cacko. When work ordered upgrade of the computers from WinXP, I could not synchronize anymore, and the agenda functionality was lost. That more or less rendered the Zaurus unusable for me.

I did keep an eye on this forum and when zubuntu was introduced I was tempted. But my linux was not that good at that point in time, and I never gave it a try. The Zaurus was catching dust for many years. Now in this corona time and me recovering from illness, I thought to give it a try. First tried zubuntu 2.0 as explained on the omegamoon blog. It works, but is sloooow.

Then the jaunty updates for zubuntu. It was quite easy to install:
extract zubuntu-desktop-jaunty-rootfs_feb.2009-rev-armel.tar.bz2 and Zubuntu/spitz-root-addition.tar.gz to an SD card.
Install kexecboot.
Had to struggle to avoid the fsck running at boot because of date problems (system date was in 1970). Disconnecting AC did the trick.
Set the date (format sensitive: YYYY.MM.DD-HH:mm:ss).
Update the sources.lists to  http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu  (leave out the dists/jaunty in the url).
Connect to the internet
et voila: a working mini-laptop.

Email works ok with claws-email (a bit slow, but doable). Any recommended alternatives?
I still am looking for a workable browser. In principle dillo looks good and loads ok, but it seems impossible to connect to modern websites with security implemented. Text-based browsers also fail to connect to most websites, probably because of outdated ssl implementation on the Zaurus. Any suggestions are really welcome.

ToDo:

• Cacko is still in NAND, I would like to be able to boot to that too. It does start booting, but fails at a kernel panick.
• try another ROM like pdaXrom but I have a hard time finding the proper files and instructions.
• other stuff to come

Any input from you guys is more than welcome.

Kind regards,
MaBo