Where We Are Now!

[tux]

The gui/ X-system will probably take more time. This is going to work without too much hassle.  

  Well not too much hassle if I had a clue! The /opt/kdrive directory and contents are there. The scripts have not been touched. The only change to the startup from Titchy original is that I've managed to disable soundhack. It happily does the gui with the angstrom kernel and the OABI rootfs. It clangs to a halt with the Oabi kernel and OABI rootfs. Surely I don't need a different x driver?

Should I remove all the titchy packages and start the x adventure from the ordinary repository, still leaving /opt/kdrive in place? What will happen?  

Well the worst that can happen is that I'll have to restore the titchy repository and go through that cycle again!  So unless some kindly guru tells me what to do by the time I come back from my fitness campaign, I'll go for it!

It should be simpler than this! i'm missing something obvious!!

[Chero]

The gui/ X-system will probably take more time. This is going to work without too much hassle.  

  Well not too much hassle if I had a clue! The /opt/kdrive directory and contents are there. The scripts have not been touched. The only change to the startup from Titchy original is that I've managed to disable soundhack. It happily does the gui with the angstrom kernel and the OABI rootfs. It clangs to a halt with the Oabi kernel and OABI rootfs. Surely I don't need a different x driver?

Should I remove all the titchy packages and start the x adventure from the ordinary repository, still leaving /opt/kdrive in place? What will happen?  

Well the worst that can happen is that I'll have to restore the titchy repository and go through that cycle again!  So unless some kindly guru tells me what to do by the time I come back from my fitness campaign, I'll go for it!

It should be simpler than this! i'm missing something obvious!!

My guess is that the /opt/kdrive stuff has been borrowed from Angstrom and needs the eabi kernel. When trying to launch the Xfbdev in there I get "illegal instruction" what doesn't look very promising to me.

I installed Xephyr, but don't know how to use it. I had to install xfonts, now it at least tries to launch (blank screen) but then drops out. Maybe we could have a look how they were running xorg on pdaX, maybe it's just some settings ... (but it won't be this evening)

Chero.

[tux]

My guess is that the /opt/kdrive stuff has been borrowed from Angstrom and needs the eabi kernel. When trying to launch the Xfbdev in there I get "illegal instruction" what doesn't look very promising to me.

I installed Xephyr, but don't know how to use it. I had to install xfonts, now it at least tries to launch (blank screen) but then drops out. Maybe we could have a look how they were running xorg on pdaX, maybe it's just some settings ... (but it won't be this evening)

Chero.

  that thought occurred to me too. But a dev from angstrom said it was just the sound stuff that couldn't cope with either OABI or EABI. I'm sure they said that.  

I'd be tempted to check out the other route, EABI + EABI, but does it involve uboot?

As regards the attempt to launch: gdm starts and then says that the xserver bottled out. It didn't actually say 'bottled out' you understand.

I'll reflash to EABI kernel (takes 5 minutes to get back to a working system) and look again from BigZ's keyboard. I did aptitude install some sound stuff that was suggested in another thread.

[ZDevil]

2or0's EABI works very well. Sound plays clear and loud. Speed is very good too. But you need UBOOT. He said you may do it without wiping your internal drive clean. But I am not sure (because I set up everything from the ground up).

[koen]

2or0's EABI works very well. Sound plays clear and loud. Speed is very good too. But you need UBOOT. He said you may do it without wiping your internal drive clean. But I am not sure (because I set up everything from the ground up).

You don't need uboot for EABI, angstrom uses EABI and does not use uboot on the zaurus.

[Chero]

2or0's EABI works very well. Sound plays clear and loud. Speed is very good too. But you need UBOOT. He said you may do it without wiping your internal drive clean. But I am not sure (because I set up everything from the ground up).

You don't need uboot for EABI, angstrom uses EABI and does not use uboot on the zaurus.

Thats what I thought, We are already using the right kernel. You just need to find a way to get the debian-eabi-rootfs on the microdrive (booting into emergency with D+M and make sure you have gnu-tar on the SD or CF for untarring it ?)

[tux]

2or0's EABI works very well. Sound plays clear and loud. Speed is very good too. But you need UBOOT. He said you may do it without wiping your internal drive clean. But I am not sure (because I set up everything from the ground up).

You don't need uboot for EABI, angstrom uses EABI and does not use uboot on the zaurus.

Thats what I thought, We are already using the right kernel. You just need to find a way to get the debian-eabi-rootfs on the microdrive (booting into emergency with D+M and make sure you have gnu-tar on the SD or CF for untarring it ?)

 Bangs head on the nearest wall!  

This thread Installing Debian Base, Without Needing A Network Connection! seems to give the answer. I should have thought of it I started it with a copied post from ZDevil.  

So the steps would be summarised as :

1. Get into 'emergency' and produce a formatted, clean drive.
2. Put Eabi kernel + matching updater + EABI rootfs + gnu-tar on SD
3. Flash and cross your fingers.  

For 2 the armel/EABI rootfs that everybody appears to be using should do. The gnu-tar and updater.sh from bigbox mentioned in the thread I've linked to should work.  

But you could presumably do the untarring manually from the emergency system.  Or even do the partitioning/formatting  from a working system and untar the armel fs from a mounted sd card. Am I being a bit delusional here?  

Looks like an attempt at this is worthwhile. I need to look at the armel rootfs to check modules version.

I suppose I ought to try the 1,2,3 method as listed above if the bits I have look compatible. There's another weekend gone.

Thanks koen, Chero for pointing out the obvious.   (Obvious to you, oblivious to me!)  

I'd really like to avoid using uboot. Any system that has so many posts about how to remove it or escape from it has to be a concern!

[tux]

 But I still have some tinkering to do to see if I can get OABI + OABI working!

If anyone has an idea what I'm missing in getting the OABI + OABI system to use the stuff in kdrive please let me hear about it. If any drive-by system-builders can re-assure me that the stuff from angstrom, which is the kdrive contents, will work with OABI kernels I'd appreciate it. Obviously I'd be pleased if you stopped me going down a blind alley!

[Chero]

But I still have some tinkering to do to see if I can get OABI + OABI working!

If anyone has an idea what I'm missing in getting the OABI + OABI system to use the stuff in kdrive please let me hear about it. If any drive-by system-builders can re-assure me that the stuff from angstrom, which is the kdrive contents, will work with OABI kernels I'd appreciate it. Obviously I'd be pleased if you stopped me going down a blind alley!

I'd go for the kdrive of pdaXrom for a first try. No garanties cause pdaX uses some old libc, but you can always try ...

[tux]

 Do you remember the film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"? The bit were they jump off the cliff into the river: successful outcome.   I'm just about to try something I think of as the equivalent.  

I hope it doesn't turn out like the end of the picture where they emerge from their cover to meet the entire Bolivian army!  

You'll hear about it whatever the outcome. it is such a simple-minded and obvious thing to do. may it work!

[tux]

 I put the original TitchyLinux method files onto the SD card. I replaced the zImage.bin, it is angstrom 2.6.20, with the OABI kernel 2.6.21 that cortez kindly compiled and updated.

I'll emphasise: the only change is to put the cortez/poky/OABI kernel on the SD card. The rest of the files are as from the TitchyLinux site.

I did the OK menu trick and took the usual choices. It has updated the kernel, formatted the microdrive and is now extracting the Debian installer.

Those of you that have done this will recognise the steps. So it is looking like the procedure is working. Assuming that I end up with a working command line system I will look closely at the file system, not use the instructions from neil's site about using zaurus-hardware-support, I've got the keyboard file ready to install separately.

Stage 4 has arrived, the kernel booted into the installer. The kernel is the cortez one: the Openedhand logo showed up. Very smart it is too!

This should take a while.

ZDevil you may need to update that howto already! I'll read it while BigZ is busy!

[ZDevil]

Cool! Why don't you write me the bits and I put them in the guide. I am not the author but just a collector of notes. The guide is meant to be the work of everybody here.  

[tux]

Cool! Why don't you write me the bits and I put them in the guide. I am not the author but just a collector of notes. The guide is meant to be the work of everybody here.  

 Well I've not met the Bolivian army... but..

I have to find a way to get the modules into the act. The installer couldn't fid the modules for the wifi card or any other network device. CLANG!   Yes I did go out to a shell and look around. If I put the tar file on the SD card will the installer put them in? Almost certainly not. If I put the files on the SD card and mount in the shell will I be able to tar zxvf to get the modules in place. If I do, will that do any good?

By the way, this is looking like you need to have all these extra steps. The TitchyLinux method is no more complicated, initially, than normal install of Debian on a desktop.  I'll try those things...

[ZDevil]

Hey, I really don't see the extra steps you mention ... I did exactly what I wrote and things run ...
So tell me more ...

[tux]

Hey, I really don't see the extra steps you mention ... I did exactly what I wrote and things run ...
So tell me more ...

Apologies: I mean this method I'm attempting now! Sorry!