Void Linux

[greguu]

Hi all,

if you are keen to try out a new Linux/GNU flavor on your Sharp Zaurus C3x00 device.. we got some good news for you!

Are you ready and Linux savvy enough to try out the latest build of Void Linux (voidz) for Sharp Zaurus C3x00 series ?

You can find a (very basic) rootfs for C3x00 here : https://github.com/greguu/voidz-packages/releases

Please be aware, this is a very basic and experimental build! You will need some good Linux skills !

See this thread for basic installation instructions : https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=34937

If you like to build the rootfs from source, please read the instructions on the github page first!

https://github.com/greguu/voidz-packages/bl...s-v02/README.md

In any case, please help to keep the Zaurus alive!

Please use this thread for any general feedback related to Void Linux.

Installation, setup and issues are tracked in separate threads.

Please do not post any issues related to Void installation in this thread!

Thanks,

Greguu

[Varti]

Voidz... I like it

Varti

[lfdebrux]

Hi greguu, OESF!

I've recently been trying to get a modern version of Linux working on a Zaurus SL-C1000 (your GitHub repo has been really useful for this greguu), and I'm currently trying out voidz which I'm really liking. So big thank you!

One small issue I'm facing at the moment though is getting `man` working... I have installed man, but it doesn't work with the version of `less` in `busybox`. I'd like to install a full version of less, but when I do this it uninstalls `busybox-zaurus` leaving me with a broken system haha

Any help on how to get around this with the package manager would be much appreciated!!

[Varti]

Hi and welcome!

Nice to see a new voidz user! When you install less, does it report a conflict warning which would explain why it is required to uninstall busybox?

Varti

[greguu]

Hi greguu, OESF!

I've recently been trying to get a modern version of Linux working on a Zaurus SL-C1000 (your GitHub repo has been really useful for this greguu), and I'm currently trying out voidz which I'm really liking. So big thank you!

One small issue I'm facing at the moment though is getting `man` working... I have installed man, but it doesn't work with the version of `less` in `busybox`. I'd like to install a full version of less, but when I do this it uninstalls `busybox-zaurus` leaving me with a broken system haha

Any help on how to get around this with the package manager would be much appreciated!!

Hi lfdebrux,

busybox-zaurus provides "less",  but normally xbps should allow you to install the full version of "less".
I do not have my Zaurus available right now to test and reproduce, but you can follow the xbps guide on how to ignore packages.

https://docs.voidlinux.org/xbps/advanced-usage.html

This may help to overcome this issue. Alternatively you should be able to extract the "less" binary manually from the package file and overwrite the symlink to busybox with it.

I have not updated the repo for Voidz for quite some time and may find time later this year to do another build. I can then consider these issues and any package requests that are currently not in the Voidz repo.

Cheers,

Greguu

[frank7d]

I am just running void on a c1000 and a c3000

frank7d

[Varti]

I am just running void on a c1000 and a c3000

frank7d

I'll ping greguu about this post Out of curiosity, what programs are you running on both of them?

Varti

[frank7d]

ATM I am trying out VoidZ with the sd-card in the C1000. Via ssh and screen. Not sure what I'll be going to use it for. Of course the kernel will support the c3000 better.
Before 2010 I was using the C1000 for everything possible as a mini laptop, eMail, radio, web surfing, ssh'ing, accessing serial devices... there was even a mini-usb-BT put inside the shell for Internet access via cellphone.

[miskinis]

Hello,

I just became aware of a "new" LINUX for the Zaurus platform(s).

I have not seen any mention of whether or not it functions on the C-750, and I am very interested to know, as I recently acquired one.  In the past I have mostly used the standard ROM and also PDAXROM on the SL-6000.

So, I would love to know if "Void Linux" runs on the C-750 or SL-6000, and Thanks, John

[greguu]

Hello,

I just became aware of a "new" LINUX for the Zaurus platform(s).

I have not seen any mention of whether or not it functions on the C-750, and I am very interested to know, as I recently acquired one.  In the past I have mostly used the standard ROM and also PDAXROM on the SL-6000.

So, I would love to know if "Void Linux" runs on the C-750 or SL-6000, and Thanks, John

Hi John,

unfortunately, this experimental Void Linux port runs only on Cxx00 devices, such as C1000 and C3100 etc.
While the compiled binaries may run on C-750 and others, we lack a recent kernel for these devices for quite some time.

Cheers,
Greguu

[miskinis]

Thank You for the information, that it does not currently support the C-750.

I do not, at this time, know what a "recent kernel" is.  I also do not know different that the C-750 is compared to the C-1000 or C-3x000 devices.

If there is anything that I can do, since perhaps the "gate" has been that some developers to not have access to a C-750, please let me know.  I am starting to get used to the C-750, and the battery is sure lasting longer than the one in my SL-6000 for which there does not seem to be a replacement available anywhere.

Within a week or so, I should have some type of development system set up on the C-750, but at the moment, I am just starting to "tinker around" with it.

Thanks, John

[greguu]

Thank You for the information, that it does not currently support the C-750.

I do not, at this time, know what a "recent kernel" is.  I also do not know different that the C-750 is compared to the C-1000 or C-3x000 devices.

If there is anything that I can do, since perhaps the "gate" has been that some developers to not have access to a C-750, please let me know.  I am starting to get used to the C-750, and the battery is sure lasting longer than the one in my SL-6000 for which there does not seem to be a replacement available anywhere.

Within a week or so, I should have some type of development system set up on the C-750, but at the moment, I am just starting to "tinker around" with it.

Thanks, John

The C7x0 and C8x0 series unfortunately did not see much attention of late. The last kernels binaries are maybe from OpenEmbedded (OE) or Angstrom.
If I recall correctly, there were some hurdles on this platform preventing to move on with newer kernels. Kexeboot may be stuck with 2.6 kernel, not sure. Varti may have captured this info somewhere. Ant may know. For Void or Arch you need a 4.x, possibly 4.9 based kernel to get going.
You can certainly attempt a build for a 5.0 kernel based on the latest working Cx000 kernel source.
It maybe just some kernel options, but could be more tricky than that. To be honest I do not know.

The Cx000 devices don't run a mainline linux kernel out of the box either anymore.
These will need to be moved to Device Tree and until then rely on ugly patches.
If you end up getting something going, please share it here.

Aside from Linux:

OpenBSD did end their support for Cx000, last version support was 6.0.
NetBSD had support for C7x0 and C8x0 as of 2012 or 2013, not sure now.

[Varti]

If I recall correctly, there were some hurdles on this platform preventing to move on with newer kernels. Kexeboot may be stuck with 2.6 kernel, not sure. Varti may have captured this info somewhere. Ant may know. For Void or Arch you need a 4.x, possibly 4.9 based kernel to get going.

Ant unfortunately has left the scene a couple of years ago. There seem to be a 4.4 based kexecboot for the 7x0 models, though I'm not sure if it has been tested:
https://github.com/LinuxPDA/linux-kexecboot/tree/master/zaurus/kernel-4.4.8

We have all the logs from the #kexecboot IRC channels, there are a lot of info on the current kernel situation there, it needs to be sorted out though.

NetBSD had support for C7x0 and C8x0 as of 2012 or 2013, not sure now.

The Zaurus is still supported in the latest 9.2 release, with both a Generic and a 7x0 specific kernel:

http://wiki.netbsd.org/ports/zaurus/
https://cdn.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-9.2/zaurus/binary/

Mplayer running on the latest NetBSD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozP3TnFKapc

Varti

[Varti]

Replying to myself: here are the logs of the kexecboot channel, lots of interesting (although not sorted) info about kernel development on the Zaurus, discussions lasted until the end of 2018:

https://logs.nslu2-linux.org/livelogs/kexecboot/

Varti

[greguu]

Yes, there is a lot of info in these logs.
I may wget the whole lot and archive it just in case.