Messages

1

Angstrom & OpenZaurus / custom initrd

« on: July 15, 2004, 10:47:12 am »

trying to learn a new tool. And doing things which may even benefit other people...

ok, w'll try :-)

I'm going into http://openembedded.org/oe_wiki/ to learn something about OE


Thanks for Advice

2

Angstrom & OpenZaurus / custom initrd

« on: July 15, 2004, 06:18:00 am »

Just out of curiosity: Is there a special reason for you to fumble around with prebuilt root filesystems instead of just adding the stuff you want to have to OE ?

My SL-5500 is simply dead.... I can flash new initrd, but it must be smaller than oryginal (8MB will flash without errors). I tried to strip down existing filesystem because its look easiest for me..

Maybe it's lack of my knowledge? I have heard something about OE looking here, but it's looking more complicated than simple rebuilding existing filesystem. I suppose it will require full gcc toolchain and bitkeeper?

Best Regards,
Andrzej Borsuk

3

Angstrom & OpenZaurus / custom initrd

« on: July 14, 2004, 07:55:16 am »

little update...

not everything works correctly for me...

first, I tried to copy files from jffs2 filesystem and found some files unreadable.. eg:

Code: [Select]

tar: initrd.d/etc/terminfo/v/vt100: Nie można stat: Błąd wejścia/wyjścia
in english it's mean "I/O Error" ;-)

I have tried to use jffs2dump on initrd.bin from OZ 3.5.1 and got error messages like this

Code: [Select]

Wrong bitmask  at  0x00e1fffc, 0xffff


second problem,
I tried to create new (smaller than oryginal) filesystem. I just removed /opt/* dir (I plan to move it to CF card)

Code: [Select]

mkfs.jffs2 \
    --eraseblock=0x10000 \
    --pad=0x800000 \
    -r initrd-fred-0.2  \
    -o initrd-fred-0.2.jffs2 \
    -l -f -q  \
everything looks fine, but my Z (sl-5500) won't boot

ah,
one more thing:
my workstation works on Linux-2.6.7
and my Z is SL-5500..

4

Angstrom & OpenZaurus / custom initrd

« on: July 13, 2004, 03:36:05 am »

Search for "mount mtdblock mtdram jffs2" on this site (or google)

Thanks!  
I've got it

Code: [Select]

$ mount
(..)
/dev/mtdblock/0 on /home/fred/download/oz/initrd.d type jffs2 (rw)
Bers Regards,
Andrzej Borsuk

5

Angstrom & OpenZaurus / custom initrd

« on: July 12, 2004, 08:25:35 am »

Hello,

I have BIG problem with my internal flash storage,
so to diagnose what was happen I'm trying to make my custom initrd based on OZ.

I tried to mount oryginal initrd on my workstation, but with no success...
I tried something like this:

Code: [Select]

mount -o loop -t jffs2 initrd.bin tmp
what filesystem has been used on OZ initrd?

I need some little help, (maybe some link to web page with documentation).
My Z is now almost completly dead so I can not make to many experiments on it..

Andrzej.

6

Angstrom & OpenZaurus / BIG flashing problem

« on: July 12, 2004, 02:48:51 am »

is probably better spent finishing kernel 2.6

I must agree that's porting 2.6 will be much better idea than pathing ancient 2.4.x  

I writing this, because my problems didn't go away after installing 3.3.5.  
I spent whole weekend trying to reanimate my Z, but with no success..

Let's sumarize:

When I first installed OZ, it's takes 3 min to flash new image.
Now flashing takes 54 min (checked with stoper) and finish with two leds blinking..

OZ 3.2 won't boot anymore.
OZ 3.3.5 boots properly, but after making some changes my device hangs, and next time won't boot. (same like 3.2)

I have observed some strangeness after flashing new 3.3.5:
first: It didn't erase whole ememory -- some of my files are still here.
second: device hangs whien it tries to write something into root filesystem.

So, I'm afraid my internal flash have some bad sectors? It's possible -- every manual for flash cards warning about disabling device when its writes something to flash can corrupt it. It was happen to me, everyfing was begun when my Z was hang at the moment of writting into..

I see noe solution, but this requires a lots of work from me: I have to create my own initrd -- with minimal system (only CF, usbnet and ssh). This system should not use internal flash anymore, I have to move whole OS into CF card.. It's generally not a bad idea, I have to say bye to WiFi and simmilar ideas, but I still will have working Z? (Maybe it will be possible to reformat internal flash with bad block checking?)

I have some questions:
- Can somebody give mi some advices about creating custom initrd?
- There are some documentation about flashing SL-5500 on the net (maybe it's possible to diagnose my problem via usb somehow?)
- There are some more monkey shorcuts like C+D+Reset?

Best Regards,
Andrzej Borsuk

7

Angstrom & OpenZaurus / BIG flashing problem

« on: July 09, 2004, 09:18:09 am »

Yeee, working! :-o
(but with some strange side effects, see bellow)

But first..
My initrd.bin and zImage are both ok, I have checked them using md5sum.
(I have also try to reformat CF etc)
Hapily the Ospack didn't screw up nothing (I have tried once just to bee sure it's not the OZ problem)

I don't think the problem has been caused by flashing, but this was the only way to fix my Z..
Currently I'm afraid I have big problem with flashing...

Fatal package has been downloaded from http://www.openzaurus.org/official/stable/...30328-1_arm.ipk and I don't think my problem has been caused exactly by this package.. The problem is rather in writing some data into root flash storage (sharp's rom) -- handwriting applet did this (see http://www.openzaurus.org/oz_website/faq/faq?id=183).


As I wrote before, now my Z works:
I have downloaded OZ 3.3.5 and try to flash.... and.....
after 54 minutes (!) both mail and battery leds started flashing (something wrong?)
I reset device, and now boot logo have been changed... and Z lives again :-)

When boot screen arrives on a bottom I can see a line 2 pixel width with some noise, maybe my internal flash is corrupted?

Best Regards,
Andrzej Borsuk

8

Angstrom & OpenZaurus / BIG flashing problem

« on: July 09, 2004, 05:22:28 am »

Hello,
yesterday I've installed OZ 3.2...

I followed flashing instrucions step by step, and everything was fine..
After 3 minutes I had working OZ, I play with some configuration, rebooted twice, then......

I installed another handwriting style (opie-handwriting-graffitiset_0.9.3-20030328-1_arm.ipk)
go to handwriting customization applet and switched style to graffiti.. after that my zaurus was hang..

In OZ FAQ I was seen info about similar problem (handwriting applet writing some information info primary flash storage), so I wait about 20 min (!) nothing was happen.. then I was try to reboot my device (swithing power off by replacing battery switch)

Now, I can see nice OZ boot logo and flashing cursor -- that all..
I tried to hard reset, reflash, go back to sharp rom -- nothing happens.... still the same OZ logo.

The worst thing is that flashing stops working!
When I press C+D+Reset both power and mail leds turns on, and nothing else happens....
I was wait even 30min and their do not want to turn off.....

HEPL!