Debian On Pdaxrom

[CyberWolf]

Hello,

another user in this forum asked me how do I run pdaxrom and the chrooted debian avaiable on pocketworkstation.org.

I'm starting a new thread to describe how it can be done (it's pretty simple, anyway).

If you're wondering why to run both enviroments: I use pdaXrom as a sort of desktop replacement, pim, divx and mp3 player, etc. The debian enviroment is useful for its many packages and I use it for some kind of server use (I'm a web application programmer and sysadmin).

Now, back to the real issue.

You can find instruction on how to run chrooted debian on the above mentioned http://pocketworkstation.org , so I'll describe here only what's needed/changes from a standard setup.

Also, you must already have created the debian chrooted enviroment, and have some files in place (/etc/debroot.conf, /etc/rc.d/init.d/zdebian, /usr/local/bin/Crd).

The setup described on pocketworkstation uses a VNC X server with a Framebuffer client, and although this has some advantages,  you have to run it from console (othervise you'll waste some memory for pdaXrom X server AND VNC X server, not to mention the fact that I don't know if the Fbvnc client can run inside of X without messing things up... sorry I haven't tried).

I prefer to run debian programs directly from pdaXrom, without the need to switch between one another.

You just need to:

1) Edit /etc/debroot.conf to suit your tastes. You must set DEBROOT as appropriate (as usual) but you can disable (put a comment before it) some stuff like DEB_RUN_VNCSERVER, DEB_RUN_FBVNC, DEB_RUN_ZAPM_PROXY, DEB_RUN_ZAPMD. It's also useful to add a "DEB_DISPLAY" variable like: DEB_DISPLAY=127.0.0.1:0 (more on this later).

2) Remove the "-nolisten tcp" from /usr/X11R6/bin/startx (better, copy the line, comment the old one and change the copy)

3) Edit /usr/local/bin/Crd and add somewhere in the last line (where the command is launched and some variables are set) the string DISPLAY=$DEB_DISPLAY

4) If you're already running the pdaXrom X interface, quit it and restart it (no need to reboot).

5) Copy pdaXrom .Xauthority to your home directory in the debian chrooted enviroment.

6) Start the debian enviroment with /etc/rc.d/init.d/zdebian start (to mount stuff like /proc, mainly)

7) Try to run something in the chroot with Crd, like "Crd xterm"

If it works, congratulations, you've done it...

You can run a shell from a pdaXrom aterm with "Crd bash", of course.


Stuff to fix:

1) It would be nice to use unix socket instead of tcp socket to avoid removing the option "-nolisten tcp", but I haven't got any idea on how to do it. So, remember to set up a firewall with iptables to avoid security problems.

2) I've noticed a problem with groups in the chrooted enviroment (the gid are inherited from pdaXrom), I'll investigate on this in these days. Anyway, it shouldn't be a problem if you run pdaXrom and the debian chrooted enviroment as root (the default).



I've surely forgotten something... and in some parts I wasn't very clear, I suspect... just ask me if you need some clarifications...

Ciao,

Andrea

[hwkeye]

Hi Cyberwolf,

Thanks a lot for creating this as a new thread !
I am at work for the moment, and forgot my 1Go SD Card at home.

I will follow your instructions, and enjoy Debian on PdaXrom.

Best Regards,
Richard.

[CyberWolf]

I'm glad if what I've written can be of any help...

Btw, about point 2 in the "fix list", I'm experimenting with "su-ing" into my normal debian user after chrooting and this fixes the inherited group problem. It's annoying I have to enter the user password every time, so I'm thinking about changing the "Crd" script using sudo instead of su...

Well, more on this is somebody needs info for "pdaxrom as standard user AND debian chrooted as standard user" (I don't think it's a common setup as it has several drawbacks...).

Ciao,

Andrea

[Randolph_Carter]

Hi.
I installed Debian on my SD par your instructions, but when I start Fbvnc, the Icewm is rotated 90 degrees to right.
Am I missing something here?

Also, I have trouble exiting Fbvnc... Logout and shutdown both didn't work.
btw Fbvnc seems to work inside pdaXrom desktop

[hwkeye]

Hi all,

Glad to announce you, all is going very well.

I enjoy this way of using my zaurus.

#Crd dillo => give me old Debian version of dillo 0.7.x
#dillo       => give me PdaXrom Version 0.8.x

This proof of using debian or not.

Somewhere on the net, I found a way to install kde, but I can't remember where.
because it seems to me that apt-get install kde give me an error message.

see ya.

PS : Just read your message Randolph, You don't need to start Fbvnc.
just open an aterm
#/etc/rc.d/init.d/zdebian start
# Crd <debian apps> (see above)
or
#chroot /mnt/card (where you untar your debian tgz) and after you have change your root to the debian.

[CyberWolf]

Hi.
I installed Debian on my SD par your instructions, but when I start Fbvnc, the Icewm is rotated 90 degrees to right.
Am I missing something here?

I suppose the screen is rotated because the kernel in pdaxrom is different from the one used in the standard sharp rom (i.e. x and y are swapped). Don't ask me why I say so, I simply seem to remember having noticed this in the past someway...

Also, I have trouble exiting Fbvnc... Logout and shutdown both didn't work.
btw Fbvnc seems to work inside pdaXrom desktop

Nice to hear it works... about logout and shutdown, I'll check it out...

Anyway, as hwkeye already said, it's not mandatory to run Fbvnc and the X VNC server if you're already running pdaXrom X server...

Ciao,

Andrea

[CyberWolf]

Somewhere on the net, I found a way to install kde, but I can't remember where.
because it seems to me that apt-get install kde give me an error message.

What kind of error? Watch out for avaiable memory (maybe use a swapfile if needed) and for heavy filesystem usage when installing packages (I got problems in the past while installing/upgrading the qmail-src package).

Btw, Klaus (the author of the chrooted debian enviroment at poketworkstation) told me once that he successfully ran KDE on the Z, but it was VERY slow due to some floating point operation KDE does (the Z doesn't have a real FPU).

Of course, it's still fun to run every kind of program on a cute beastie like the Z  

Ciao,

Andrea

[hwkeye]

Hi guys,

Yesterday I succeed to install KDE. But I rebooted my Zaurus, by removing the battery, and it hangs.
So I have to reflash with pdaXrom and reinstall debian again.
But KDE Works.

in fact, just type :
#apt-get install kdebase (instead of kde)
after it depends what you want to do, you can install
kdemultimedia
koffice.....

regards

[Randolph_Carter]

hwkeye, CyberWolf: thanks for yuor help, I live happy with Debian now.
This is amazing.

about KDE, how was the speed? is it stressfree, or is it unusable?

[Chero]

Hi there,

Thanks for the instructions, I've got it up and running.

Every day I'm amazed what my Z can do.

Is there a list somewhere with available software for arm debian ?

Have fun,
Chero

[CyberWolf]

Is there a list somewhere with available software for arm debian ?

I don't know if I'm writing something you already know or maybe I'm not giving the answer you want, but:

1) if you have a network connection working (and configured under debian, mostly you need to check out /etc/resolv.conf)

2) if you've already set up your apt sources in /etc/apt/sources.list

then you can simply do (as root):

apt-get update

and then (as root or a normal user)

apt-get dumpavail

to get a list of all the packages actually avaiable for the debian version you're using (by default it should be sarge).

If you want to browse the package with a ncurses based interface, just do the apt-get update, then go for:

apt-get install aptitude

and then run "aptitude".

Finally, in case you can't do all the above, you can get a browseable list at:

http://packages.debian.org/testing/

or if you want a list of all packages for sarge:

http://packages.debian.org/testing/allpackages

If you want to search for a specific package:

http://www.debian.org/distrib/packages.en....search_packages

Hope this can help!

Ciao,

Andrea

[Chero]

Yep, that was it.
Thanks for the info.
Now I really need to get myself a 1Gb SD card.

Chero.

[mars]

Hi, I followed the directions at the top of the thread and when I try to launch an x-windows app, I get the following error:

Xlib: connection to "127.0.0.1:0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol specifiied

Error: Can't open display!

Otherwise the chroot environment seems to be fine because I can successfully Crd shell apps like bash or apt-get. Any help or pointers would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[CyberWolf]

Xlib: connection to "127.0.0.1:0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol specifiied

Error: Can't open display!

Hi,

it seems the X server refuses to accept your chrooted Debian X client...

Try to copy again the .Xauthority file from your pdaXrom home to your chrooted debian home and see if it changes something...

Otherwise, try a brutal "xhost +localhost" from the pdaxrom enviroment (this should open the X server to any connection originated from your own machine, which isn't good as an Xauthority file but for testing purposes it should do...).

Hope this can help!

Bye,

Andrea

[Chero]

Hi there,

I had to copy the .Xauthority several times too.
It seems some progams change it when you try to run them (e.g. the debian "startx").
My problem is solved when I just copy it again from /home/root to /mnt/card/debroot/home/root.

I already succesfully installed "dlume", "blackbook", "qcad", "..."

Tip for small cards :
in "/mnt/card/debroot/INSTALL.d/debroot/usr/local/bin" you can run "./debshrink" to free some space (quite usefull after installing packages)

Good luck,
(I can hardly wait to go and get myself a 1Gb SD-card, but it's sunday and all the shops are closed)

Chero