Re: New Image

To: jim@jimpick.com, debian-arm@lists.debian.org
Subject: Re: New Image
From: Adam C Powell IV <hazelsct@mit.edu>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1999 00:41:17 +0000
Message-id: <[🔎] 37C9D32C.123A9B18@mit.edu>
References: <[🔎] 37C997B5.3B3791B@mit.edu> <[🔎] 19990829182238.F20803@master.debian.org>

David Welton wrote:

> On Sun, Aug 29, 1999 at 08:27:33PM +0000, Adam C Powell IV wrote:
> > Greetings,
>
> Hi
>
> > Oh- one other thing.  The online documentation for this port is in a
> > HORRENDOUS state of disrepair.  I mean, REALLY BAD!!
>
> So are you volunteering to help get it up to date?

Sure.  I've attached a proposed http://debian.org/ports/arm/index.html and a
proposed new README.Install for ftp://ftp.jimpick.com/pub/debian/

> > <flame>
>
> ...  I was very angry, ...
>
> ...  write a big flame to the netwinder.org webmaster, ...
>
> ... So I go home and flame the newsgroup ...
>
> Would some stress management be in order?

You're absolutely right.  I think I'll go out for a run in a little while.  That
usually helps.

> If you just got the netwinder, you probably have up to date firmware, all you
> really need to do is put the Debian image on a partition, change the
> /etc/fstab entries and boot it up.

Sorry, tried it, it didn't work.  It ignored the rootdev variable and booted the
new Debian kernel in the old RedHat partition.  (Yes, I did /etc/fstab right.)
The new firmware solved the problem.  So it had out-of-date firmware even though
it arrived two weeks ago.  (That was part of the flame story.)

> Then you configure everything else.

Yeah, that's what I was trying to do.  Tried to go through all that is usually
automatic on other platforms: set root password, configure network,
shadowconfig, create a normal user, dselect.  That's where the problem
happened.  apt will update (goes out and gets the Packages files just fine), but
then doesn't dist-upgrade, because of the broken dependency.  Tried dpkg -i
base-paswd....deb  Tried apt-get install base-files and apt-get install
base-passwd, no luck, couldn't get by the problem.  It suggested I apt-get -f
install, which wanted to remove me base-files!!  Any ideas there?

> Or you could do it first... doesn't matter much.

What does this mean?

> As far as Debian stuff, it's all volunteer work, so if it's broken - help fix
> it:-)

You're right.  This is a much healthier attitude.  I've just grown so accustomed
to high quality in Debian on every other platform, I guess I'm a bit spoiled.
:-)

Moving on...

Othmar Pasteka wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I just set up a netwinder dm with debian and it went all fine. no problems at
> all. i was the problem, i.e. blindness.

So you used the February image I suppose?  The latest one from last week is the
one that's broken.

> my tips, and with this i hadn't any troubles at all:
> get the README.install from ftp.jimpick.com/pub/debian/arm. Read it, but use
> the current image which resides in the same directory.

Did that, the latest image didn't work.

> for the url mentioned int he readme file you can geht a free devel-access to
> this sites. just register. and do what the man writes.

Yup, did that, but the URL for the firmware on sanm.html is obsolete.  That's a
lot of what frustrated me.  The README.Install sent me into a blind alley.

> don't bother that this is half a year old. it works.
> to get the necessary image, there is a searchengine for netwinder.org. just
> search for the rom-image. you will find it.

Yup, found that after hearing back from the newsgroup, after much
consternation.  Thanks.

> maybe i am too optimistic but for me the README.install looked bulletproofed.
> maybe the netwinders have changed or so, but with mine it worked, and i can
> still boot the former redhat system.

Thank you for your help.  I still think there's something very broken in the
latest image.  As I said, I'm attaching new versions (well, proposals) of the
ARM port page on debian.org and the README.Install at ftp.jimpick.com, along
with a patch for the README.Install to clearly show my suggested changes.

Zeen,

Adam P.

Title: Debian GNU/Linux -- ARM Port

[ Ports ] [ Debian-ARM ] [ Software Map ]

Debian-ARM

Status

Corel NetWinder

The base system and X11 packages are working on the Corel NetWinder. It now boots! (although much work remains to be done)

Acorn RiscPC and older Acorn machines

The Acorn RiscPC comes in several variants, which are basically the same machine, with different processor cards. The ARM610 and ARM710 processors use the armv3 instruction set. The StrongARM processor uses the armv4 instruction set. Unfortunately, the core logic on the RiscPC can't handle 16-bit transfers, so the halfword instructions of the StrongARM/armv4 instruction set cannot be used. We are going to recompile the userspace programs to use armv3, so in theory, these machines should soon work.

There are no plans to support older, really slow Acorn ARM-based machines (using the ARM2 and ARM3 processors), although it is possible. ELF support for these processors does not currently exist.

StrongARM-based Windows CE H/PC Pro machines

Microsoft and its partners have unveiled a new line of Windows CE Handheld PC Professional Edition (what a mouthful) based machines (codename "Jupiter", or WinCE 2.11), some of which use the StrongARM. Hewlett Packard has revealed their StrongARM-based "Jornada" handheld PC (more like a mini-laptop). Your take-home assignment is to figure out how to replace WinCE with Linux. :-)

Other ARM machines

It should be possible to run the ARM port on Intel's EBSA evaluation board, the Chaltech CATS motherboard and other StrongARM based machines. None of these have been tested yet.

The ARM architecture is very promising, and ARM chips are finding their way into a wide variety of NCs, PDAs, set-top boxes and embedded applications (ie. cellphones).

News

August 29, 1999	New NetWinder bootable image A new bootable image was made available a week ago in ftp://ftp.jimpick.com/pub/debian/arm/. Read the README.Install in that directory, which describes in detail how to do the upgrade. Note that the latest firmware is available on netwinder.org in the Projects section. Also, to obtain access to certain parts of that website, or the news.netwinder.org newsgroups, you must first register as a developer.
January 20, 1999	Corel trades NetWinder division for stake in HCC Corel is merging their Corel Computer division with Hardware Canada Computing. HCC is a large Canadian Unix VAR (Value-added Reseller) which also manufactures some Sparc machines. This should have little impact on the Debian ARM port, which has always been independent of Corel.
January 8, 1999	Mini-status report: We are now using a common source-code base with the other Debian ports for glibc and binutils. We've made good progress on the egcs compiler. Soon, we will have to break compatibility - we'll be recompiling everything to use a glibc with versioning, the ARMv3 instruction set (in userspace), and the -mapcs-float calling convention. Corel should be releasing source for their new SVGA X server in the next few weeks.
October 6, 1998	Debian NetWinder bootable image A new image is now available that you can now use to boot your NetWinder directly into Debian - after you upgrade your flash and install the image to a partition. This image still uses Corel's old a.out kernel, but an ELF kernel should be available very soon. Read the installation instructions first, and then grab the image from: ftp://ftp.jimpick.com/pub/debian/arm/
October 4, 1998	Booted for the first time Woo hoo! With the help of the recently release NettROM 2.0.1 flash upgrade, it is now possible to boot directly into Debian installed on a partition (instead of booting Red Hat, and using a chroot image). Several packages need to be uploaded with the fixes - stay tuned.
August 11, 1998	Debian NetWinder chroot image I (Jim Pick) have prepared an image of the Debian base system that can be easily installed into a directory on a NetWinder, and used as a chroot environment - without affecting the software that Corel supplies. It is minimally configured - containing just enough installed packages to make it easy to download the official ARM packages from Debian and some additional non-official/local packages from my FTP server. It is simple enough to install that anybody with a NetWinder should be able to get it up and running. Read the installation instructions first, and then grab the image from: ftp://ftp.jimpick.com/pub/debian/netwinder/chroot-image/
August 1, 1998	Mini-status report: We've uploaded many packages officially, and they are now available on any Debian mirror in the dists/sid (pre-release) directory. Almost all of the Corel-supplied binaries have been replaced, and we have successfully been able to remove ld.so.1 and termcap fron the system. Package count: 60 binary packages in "main". The mailing list has been moved to lists.debian.org and it is now an "open" list.
July 22, 1998	Source code for gcc, glibc, gdb and binutils has been made available by Corel at ftp.netwinder.org - so now we can put together a complete system built from source!
July 17, 1998	Status Report
June 26, 1998	Corel Computer is now taking orders for the NetWinder DM in several configurations. They are going to ship on June 30th! Pat Beirne has released all new tools (gcc, binutils, etc) that use a new ELF format which breaks binary compatibility with all the old stuff. That's not a big problem for us, since we are starting from scratch. Mini-status report: We have a dedicated machine now, thanks to Alan DeKok and Corel. Raul Miller has gotten much of the base system to build and has gotten dpkg to work. Not much has happened in the last week as we were waiting for Pat's new GNU/ELF stuff.

Contacts

This is a list of people who are willing to work at compiling packages for the new architecture.

If you want to get added to this list of porters, send a note to Jim Pick, and also sign up at NetWinder.org - it's probably also a good idea to sign up with the linux-arm mailing list.

If you just want to join the mailing list to see what's up, read the mailing list instructions below.

Jim Pick <jim@jimpick.com>

Steve Dunham <dunham@cps.msu.edu>

Joel Klecker <jk@espy.org>

Sean "Shaleh" Perry <shaleh@livenet.net>

Bdale Garbee <bdale@gag.com>

Behan Webster <behan@pobox.com>

Ben Pfaff <pfaffben@pilot.msu.edu>

Ralph Giles <Ralph_Giles@sfu.ca>

Igor Grobman <igor@igoria.net>

Ben Gertzfield <che@debian.org>

Eric Leblanc <jughead@debian.org>

Robert La Quey <boblq@yahoo.com>

Raul Miller <rdm@test.legislate.com>

Laszlo "jimmyPhD" Zsolt Kiss <jimmyphd@telnet.hu>

Paul Reavis <preavis@partnersoft.com>

Alan DeKok <aland@ox.org>

Anders Hammarquist <iko@iko.pp.se>

Alen Zekulic <azekulic@fesb.hr>

Clint Adams <schizo@debian.org>

Fabien Ninoles <fab@tzone.org>

Pat Beirne <patb@corelcomputer.com>

Allan Anderson <cerebus@amer.net>

Charles Paul <epsasnova@flinet.com>

Vincent Renardias <vincent@waw.com>

"Seth M. Landsman" <seth@job.cs.brandeis.edu>

Charles Briscoe-Smith <cpbs@debian.org>

David Welton <davidw@gate.cks.com>

Alain Toussaint <alaint@cgocable.ca>

Eric Molitor <emolitor@acm.org>

Turbo Fredriksson <turbo@papadoc.nocrew.org>

Stephen Marney <scmarney@erols.com>

Jon Babcock <jon@kanji.com>

Nicolas Jungers <nicolas@linkline.be>

Scott Bambrough <scottb@corelcomputer.com>

Parthasarathy Nagarajan <naga@hotmail.com>

"Brian M. Almeida" <bma@debian.org>

Dae Gyu Kim <dgkim@cogs.susx.ac.uk>

Tor Slettnes <tor@slett.net>

Robert Kondner <rkondner@home.com>

Where can I find out more information?

Mailing List

The mailing list is now located at lists.debian.org - send a message containing the word "subscribe" in the body to debian-arm-request@lists.debian.org to signup. The list is archived at http://www.debian.org/Lists-Archives/ .

The old (defunct) "netwinder@jimpick.com" mailing list archive is still available here.

Software Map

The software map page describes what software is available upstream and who's working on it.

The .debs are available from: