Can't Install Debian.

[Khepri]

With all due respect, none of the tutorials I've tried have made it clear enough for me how exactly the installation procedure should go.

- I have u-boot installed.
- I have yonggun's Andromeda rootfs, with files: zImage-debian.bin, modules-debian.tgz, rootfs-debian.tgz, gnu-tar, updater.sh.
- I have (as far as I know) partitioned the MD to have a root and swap partition.

pdaXrom emergency system gives segmentation fault when I run fdisk /dev/hda, so I had to boot into pdaXrom to repartition the drive. Needless to say, my pdaXrom is gone.

What exactly am I supposed to do with all this?

Any help greatly appreciated...

[2or0]

With all due respect, none of the tutorials I've tried have made it clear enough for me how exactly the installation procedure should go.

- I have u-boot installed.
- I have yonggun's Andromeda rootfs, with files: zImage-debian.bin, modules-debian.tgz, rootfs-debian.tgz, gnu-tar, updater.sh.
- I have (as far as I know) partitioned the MD to have a root and swap partition.

pdaXrom emergency system gives segmentation fault when I run fdisk /dev/hda, so I had to boot into pdaXrom to repartition the drive. Needless to say, my pdaXrom is gone.

What exactly am I supposed to do with all this?

Any help greatly appreciated...

The kernel is based on sharp boot loader but not u-boot.

[Khepri]

The kernel is based on sharp boot loader but not u-boot.

Right... Do I need to do a NAND-restore or what to re-install the Sharp bootloader?

After that, what am I supposed to do here: "Flash it. It takes a long time to untar the rootfs"

Sorry, I don't have a clue.

[scottlfa]

When using the u-boot to access the /dev/hda from emergency console it is know that it fault.

To get around this do the following;

- Restore from Nand backup
- Install PdaXrom v13
- Format and prepare /dev/hda from PdaX (All the debian prep steps before actually loading the root)
      Fdisk the /dev/hda into root and swap
      Untar rootfs to mounted /dev/hda
      Make necessary changes as detailed in the wiki.
- Flash U-Boot or the new Sharp versions of 2or0's Kernel's.
- Reboot and finish config.

[Khepri]

- Format and prepare /dev/hda from PdaX (All the debian prep steps before actually loading the root)
      Fdisk the /dev/hda into root and swap
      Untar rootfs to mounted /dev/hda
      Make necessary changes as detailed in the wiki.

I have done a NAND restore now and installed pdaXrom. Do I just unmount /dev/hda and then repartition it for Debian?

- Flash U-Boot or the new Sharp versions of 2or0's Kernel's.
- Reboot and finish config.

Kernel installation procedure is something I don't understand either. Do I go to the Japanese menu, take the 4th choice and then SD, or...?

If after the re-partitioning I want to get rid of u-boot, how should I go on about it and continue installing Debian?

Thanks, and sorry for my incompetence.

[scottlfa]

fdisk /dev/hda for use with debian, yes.



Use 2or0,s sharp bootloader kernel its far easier to flash, put the files on a cf card and flash the kernel.  This way u-boot's never used.

[Khepri]

fdisk /dev/hda for use with debian, yes.



Use 2or0,s sharp bootloader kernel its far easier to flash, put the files on a cf card and flash the kernel.  This way u-boot's never used.

OK one more thing; From where do I flash the kernel? Do I have to use a CF card (I don't have one)?

[scottlfa]

Flash from CF if at all possible, less chance of complications.

[scottlfa]

SD can be used, one partition and under 512 mb partition.  Thats how I have used it with uboot.

[Khepri]

SD can be used, one partition and under 512 mb partition.  Thats how I have used it with uboot.

I'm installing on the internal HDD *from* an SD but I'm stuck with installing the kernel, I really don't know what to do. The rootfs is installed on the correctly partitioned drive, I just don't know what to do next. I did a NAND restore again and now I get the Japanese menu from holding OK while plugging power in. Any help appreciated.....


I tried peddling with it, with no success. Tried flashing the kernel like described here:


I. Get the latest yonggun kernel here: http://yonggun.tistory.com/68 (under "For Sharp Bootloader"), rename the kernel image to "zImage.bin", put it together with this at the root level of a CF/SD. Remove the ".txt" file extension before use.
updater.sh (for C3000/3100/3200) or this updater.sh (for C1000)

II. Reboot the machine into the normal Flash Menu (press [OK] before powering up/rebooting)

III. In the Japanese menu, choose "4", then choose the media, then choose "Y" to confirm.


All I get is some Japanese error(?) message with an OK button. I have the files in the root of the SD, tried renaming zImage-debian.bin.hda1 to zImage-debian.bin and zImage.bin, without any luck.

[scottlfa]

Only one SD card?

Ok

Flash PdaXrom 13 onto the device.  Do nothing with the hdd.
Fdisk /dev/hda into a ext3 and swap partition.
Format the ext3 drive and swap.
Mount the ext3 partition.

From PdaXrom copy the rootfs to the hda (make sure to have it partitioned ext3 and swap)
Uncompress the rootfs there.
Partiton the SD card into one fat16 partiton, 512 mb or smaller.  Leave no other partitions on the card.
Edit the /etc/fstab to reflect the /dev/hda as root.

Copy the sharp kernel files provided by 2or0 to the SD.
Flash the Z through the sharp bootloader.
Reboot

[Khepri]

Only one SD card?

Ok

From PdaXrom copy the rootfs to the hda (make sure to have it partitioned ext3 and swap)
Uncompress the rootfs there.
Partiton the SD card into one fat16 partiton, 512 mb or smaller.  Leave no other partitions on the card.
Edit the /etc/fstab to reflect the /dev/hda as root.
Copy the sharp kernel files provided by 2or0 to the SD.
Flash the Z through the sharp bootloader.
Reboot

I think I've done exactly that (except edited fstab), but it seems like the Japanese menu doesn't recognize the SD card to contain anything it could use. I haven't partitioned the SD but it came with a digital camera and I've used it to install u-boot/pdaXrom and do NAND restores, I guess it should be fine as it is?

One thing though, the SD card is 1GB. Could this pose a problem?

[Khepri]

OKAY!

I got it installed eventually. First the problem in Sharp bootloader was (I think. Can't read Japanese.) that my AC adapter wasn't plugged in so it refused to flash.

I don't know which of the filename was the correct one for the kernel to be flashed from, but I made copies with different names and this time it ran through.

Thanks guys for help. From here on it starts to get interesting!