Angstrom

2016-02-03
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Å

Linux distributions >
Zaurus distributions > Zaurus SL-C1000 >

(on Wikipedia)
was angstrom-distribution.org

Ångström was started by a small group of people who worked on the OpenEmbedded, OpenZaurus and OpenSimpad projects to unify their effort to make a stable and user-friendly distribution for embedded devices like handhelds, set top boxes and network-attached storage devices and more.

  • Properly titled Ångström
  • It’s the default Linux distribution for the Pandora.
  • It has/had support for the Zaurus SL-C1000, but I haven’t tested it there.

  • Yocto Project-approved.

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Table of Contents [hide]

Zaurus SL-C1000 ∞

(Zaurus SL-C1000)

Notes ∞

  • Akita = armv5te – so check their feeds for that code.

building on angstrom ∞

Download source to the palm and build software on it – install task-native-sdk

  • www.angstrom-distribution.org/repo/

  • www.angstrom-distribution.org/unstable/feed/

FAQ notes ∞

Q: How can I get the USB Host working (on machines with USB Host HW)?

A: The ohci-hcd module is mandatory for USB connections; load it with “modprobe ohci-hcd“. To have it loaded at boot time, create a file called “/etc/modutils/ohci-hcd“, with the single line “ohci-hcd“, and run “update-modules“. Don’t forget that some machines (Zaurus, for example) can’t deliver much power to usb devices (disks, network adapters, …); you may need a powered usb hub.

Q: How to browse the ipk-package contents?

A: First of all, ipk-package is an GNU ar archive, so you can see package contents by unpacking this archive:

ar x <your_package_name>.ipk

Also, the ipk-packages uses the same format as Debian deb-packages, so you can use dpkg tools to handle ipk-packages:

dpkg-deb -c <you_package_name>.ipk

Q: How do I find out which package provides a certain file?

A: There is no obvious way to do it – “ipkg search” can search files only for packages that were already installed. The second issue is that ipkg expects you to pass file name with full path included, so if you wish to find which package of all the packages you have installed provide certain file, without specifying file name with full path, you should use regexp like this one:

ipkg search '*name_of_file_you_are_looking_for'

2011-06-05 ∞

2019-11-14 – My original link was down and not archived. I think I found some info around here:
https://www.mail-archive.com/angstrom-distro-users@linuxtogo.org/msg02458.html

  • Download a package from narcissus.angstrom-distribution.org/
  • Rename it to hdimage1.tgz

  • Put it on an SD card

–

  • Get zimage.bin, gnu-tar and updater.sh from the most recent download of the installkit, 2007.12.R13

  • flash the ROM as usual.

2010-05-25 ∞

They have an automatic build tool, Narcissus:
was www.angstrom-distribution.org/narcissus/
https://github.com/Angstrom-distribution/narcissus

I keep getting:

You have to select the base system, try 'task-boot' to get a minimal set.

Under “Choose the complexity of the options below.” I choose “Advanced”. Then under “Base system” I chose “Regular (task-base)”

It still bombed out completely. So this time, I went simple..

  • /dev manager – kernel

  • type of image – ubifs2

Additional software:

  • Python
  • Busybox replacement

  • Native (on-target) SDK

  • (all kernel modules)
  • ext2 filesystem utils
  • powertop

  • Screen

Try to download, it looks like nothing’s been updated since the old 2007-12…

www.angstrom-distribution.org/unstable/images/akita/

2010-05-27 ∞

I tried again and this time I didn’t choose a custom name. It was able to build my image and let me download it.. yay.

Spoiler 
Current configuration:
Machine: akita
Image name: random-68f8665b
Image type: tbz2

Additional Packages:

alsa-utils
alsa-utils-aconnect
alsa-utils-alsaconf
alsa-utils-alsactl
alsa-utils-alsamixer
alsa-utils-amixer
alsa-utils-aplay
alsa-utils-aseqdump
alsa-utils-aseqnet
alsa-utils-iecset
alsa-utils-speakertest
angstrom-gpe-task-base
angstrom-x11-base-depends
e-wm
e-wm-config-illume
htop
lsof
nano
perl
perl-modules
python-core
python-modules
screen
task-native-sdk
task-proper-tools
vim

Fuck! I fiddle and fiddle.. there are no installation instructions at all. The thing that Narcissus gave me is just the filesystem. All the docs, including the “most recent” (pdf) manual are all for old shit that I don’t want.

I searched all over the place to no avail.. there’s no help to be had.

~2007-06-18 – unstable 2006-08-13 ∞

Preparing the files:
mv zImage-2.6.17-akita-20060813164359.bin zImage.bin
mv updater.sh.akita updater.sh
mv <what_file?> initrd.bin

I’m not sure what the other files are for..

To install:
  • I performed a complete system restore from my systc100.dbk file, to ensure that my home folder was wiped and the partitioning was reset.

  • Perform a flash update. (OK)

Notes:
  • Ensure that your C1000 machine has a standard flash partitioning (e.g. as it was originally), flashing may fail if this is not the case
  • Note that the flashing process does not erase your /home directory, therefore settings from other systems may remain there and possibly cause problems.
  • Angstrom-gpe-image-test-20060813-akita.rootfs.img = After a LONG wait and a bunch of “out of memory” errors, this boots into a black screen.

  • Angstrom-bootstrap-image-test-20060813-akita.rootfs.img is a basic shell for which I don’t know the user/pass.

I couldn’t get Angstrom to go anywhere.. my next piece of advice was:

You can always try installing task-gpe or task-opie on bootstrap but you may run out of memory again.

~2006-08-15 – unstable 2006-04-28 ∞

I could never get this to work..

To install:

  • Rename the .img file to initrd.bin

  • Perform a flash update.

Note that the flashing process does not erase your /home directory, therefore settings from other systems may remain there and possibly cause problems

Troubleshooting ∞

Rename the .img file to initrd.bin and retry.

Angstrom-gpe-image-test-20060428-akita.rootfs.img failed with:

Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(254,1)

Angstrom-e-image-core-test-20060428-akita.rootfs.img failed with:

Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(254,1)
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