NetBSD 10.0 on Zaurus C3200

[glu]

Hi everyone!

I just got Zaurus C3200 in 2024 and wanted to report that current NetBSD (10.0) installs and works fine! Audio works, backlight, D-Link 660W all seem to work fine, basically everything works except standby. The LCD goes dark on lid close though. I had a problem booting NetBSD from Cacko, but rescue kernel works fine for bootstrapping. There is lot of precompiled packages for armv4 (see https://cdn.netbsd.org/pub/pkgsrc/packages/NetBSD/earmv4/10.0_2024Q3/All/) that can be installed with pkg_add, and what's not there I am building from using pkgsrc on the device. It seems that default zaurus kernel doesn't include some modules like urtwn driver for the USB Wi-Fi dongle I have, so I am looking into recompiling a tweaked kernel with the module included.

Btw. OpenBSD 6.0 also installs and runs almost fine but I had a lot of issues with screen going white when there was a lot of CF activity while on battery. I guess it's some kind of power issue, maybe it's overzealous in interpreting low voltage from the battery and going to standby or something. Since 6.0 is last version that supported Zaurus and it's very old, I didn't want to invest lot of time into debugging it and went to NetBSD instead.

[greguu]

Thanks for testing. The *BSDs supporting Zaurus devices never got the attention they deserved. Can you test the netsurf pkg and test the peformance ? I assume it supports framebuffer mode on NetBSD ?

[MaBo]

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

[clofland]

I think this is the information you are looking for https://wiki.netbsd.org/ports/zaurus/

I'm going to give it a shot and see how it turns out.

This seems more "fully fleshed out" and modern than anything else I've found so far for the Zaurus, although I could be totally wrong.

---

Here is what I have so far:

# References
 - https://wiki.netbsd.org/ports/zaurus/
 - Instructions (crappy forum post): https://mail-index.netbsd.org/port-zaurus/2011/05/20/msg000045.html
 - Instructions (slightly better?): https://wiki.netbsd.org/users/jun/zaurus/
 - Old OpenBSD Install instructions to cope with "Installation method of NetBSD/zaurus is the same way as OpenBSD/zaurus": https://web.archive.org/web/20170912052501/https://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/6.0/zaurus/INSTALL.zaurus
 - Source locations:
     - https://nycdn.netbsd.org/

# Download
Go to https://nycdn.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD-daily/netbsd-10/
 - then pick "latest"
 - then pick "zaurus"
 - then pick "installation"
Download:
 - zboot
 - zbsdmod.o
Then go into "kernel" and download:
 - netbsd-INSTALL
(Note that the _C700 version is really only for the C700, not the C760)

Put all three files on the root of your SD card.

# Boot to Terminal
 - Power down the Zaurus and remove all power sources (no AC adaptor and remove the battery!)
 - Set the battery switch to the "Off" position and wait for at least 5 seconds.
 - Connect the AC adaptor and put back the battery.
 - Hold down the "D" + "B" keys and set the battery switch back to the "On" position (while keys are pressed!).
 After a short moment the diagnostics menu should appear. If not, try it again and this time hold down the "D" + "B" keys **before** you restore the power (AC adaptor / battery).
 - Same as above, but use "D" + "B" instead.
This should boot just to a command line prompt.
Log in as root, and it shouldn't ask for a password.

# Install
At the terminal run:
```
cd /mnt/card
insmod -f zbsdmod.o
./zboot
```
Note the `-f` is forcing this even though the kernel version is wrong, which you will see the warning about.

 - Press space to stop auto-boot
At the ">" prompt type:
`boot path:/mnt/card/netbsd-INSTALL`
and hit Enter

The installation menu should start!

---

I'm still working through the install. I ran out of space on my SD card on the first try, so I'm trying different package selection configurations.
It is able to see and use my Compact Flash Ethernet card to do the install, so that is good.
I haven't finished an install yet, so I haven't booted NetBSD yet to know if it really works.

[MaBo]

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

[MaBo]

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

[greguu]

Have you tried the "D+B" recovery mode ? This should bypass kexecboot. You need to time it right and follow the instructions. It should work.

[MaBo]

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

[MaBo]

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

[MaBo]

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