Linux support: who?

[marios]

Posted on August 11, 2003 at 15:46

Linux support: who?

[marios]

Posted on May 12, 2003 at 18:04

Hi guys,

one customer wants to start a project with Linux, and he asked if there are Linux packages or distributions that support the STPC directly. My board uses the STPC Industrial. As for the GDK for Linux, can it be used with any distribution? (you can easily guess that I am not a software developer) thank you Felix

[thierry239955_st]

Posted on May 13, 2003 at 07:04

Felix,

STPC should support any Linux distribution with this limitation: the distribution packages and the kernel have to have been compiled for 486. The recent well kown distributions like RedHat and Suse use more end more pentium compiled files and you could experiment problems to install them. It is never unsolvable but it could require to re-compile at least the kernel. I think one of the best standard distribution for 486 is Slackware. You can download the last release of Slackware (9.0) or lots of other distribution from this web-site:

http://www.linuxiso.org

. Old this standard distributions are not adapted to embedded solution, too big in size and the boot time is also not optimized. It is more done for a desktop computer. If you would like to customize your Linux for your specific embdedded product, I see few different solutions: 1 - start from a standard distribution and customize by yourself (you need to be quite expert in Linux) 2 - start from the small distribution you have in the STPC Development Kit, provided with the loader (you need to be expert, except if the provided distribution is already close to what you want) 3 - use an embedded Linux distribution like Lineo or Tuxia, but it is not for free 4 - sub-contract the customization work to a design house The fourth solution is, I think, the most convenient if you don't have the expertize in-house. There is a lot of small Linux compagnies in Germany, for example. Thierry

[marios]

Posted on May 13, 2003 at 14:55

Merci Farfalla!

This is something to start from. Felix

[roger2399]

Posted on May 15, 2003 at 10:56

I did it like this:

Made a Ext2 filesystem on a flash. Make it bootable lilo -M Downloaded and compiled a kernel. Installed it with LILO on a Compact Flash. boot=/dev/hde disk=/dev/hde bios=0x80 root=/dev/hda1 [other options refere to files on mounted filesystem] (hde is PCMCIA on host, and hda1 what it will be when running) => Booting kernel Now you need a root filesystem and tools too... I found ''The uClibc development systems for i386'' http://www.uclibc.org/ It is a filesystem with everything you need... Mount the image and copy it to your prepared flash (>=64MB) But I am also shopping around to find a distribution with stated STPC supportn AND cross development from Windows - no luck yet... STPC Atlas support:

http://www.elinos.com/framegb.php?lang=gb&id=4

[tom4]

Posted on August 08, 2003 at 22:53

Hi;

We are attempting to bring up the STPC Atlas Eval board (STPCISABD) with Linux, (installing to a hard disk). Not having any Linux expertese, we first tried without success, a commercial distribution (RedHat 9). Reading this thread, we realize that RedHat is not a good choice and became hopeful that the Slackware 9 distribution might work, but we are encountering the same problem. Perhaps we are expecting too much to think the Slackware Linux will work out of the box... the system requirements say 386 and above, 16MB DRAM. The STPCISABD has 100MHz STPC Atlas and 64MB. Do you think the STPCISABD should be able to boot the Slackware9 install CD? Some details follow, If you have any ideas, we sure would be appreciative!! - Board is the STPC Atlas Eval board - STPCISABD #01/42/033 - I've just updated the BIOS with the one downloaded from this (STMCU.com) website ''STPC General Software BIOS'' filename ''A1_BIOS.zip'' containing file ''atlas_9.bin.'' - Both the RedHat 9 and Slackware 9 Install CD's immediately display the following message: ''ISOLINUX 2.00 2002-10-15'' ''isolinux: Loading spec packet failed, trying to wing it'' ''isolinux: Found something at drive = 9F'' ''isolinux: Disk error 45, AX = 4200, drive = 9F'' ''Boot failed: press a key to continue'' - Please note: with the exact same hardware configuration, I can successfully boot and install RedHat 5 from CD. (so I don't see a problem with drives, cables or the like) - Also note, both the RedHat9 and Slackware9 CD's will boot and install on a different hardware platform (CPU = PIII) so I'm confident that the CD's are OK. Any suggestions? Thanking you in advance for your help. Tom

[thierry239955_st]

Posted on August 11, 2003 at 12:46

Tom,

Did you try to boot on your STPC board the Slackware9 you have successfully installed on your PIII platform? Just to understand if it is just the installation procedure which fail on the STPC or also the installed Linux. (BTW: this can't work with the RedHat which would install a PIII version of kernel but it should work with the Slackware) Farfalla

[tom4]

Posted on August 11, 2003 at 14:53

Hello Farfalla,

Thank you for your reply. > Did you try to boot on your STPC board the Slackware9 >you have successfully installed on your PIII platform? Yes, the same Slackware 9.0 Bootable installation CD that works just fine on the PIII platform, is giving the described error message on the STPC Atlas eval board. >Just to understand if it is just the installation procedure >which fail on the STPC or also the installed Linux. On the STPC, the install fails immediately. The ''Loading spec packet failed'' message is the very first thing displayed. It does not even get to the ''boot:'' prompt. Some things I plan to try: - Try to make a boot Floppy. But first I have to find a Floppy interface card (the STPCISABD has no floppy interface!) - I'm going to try the Phoenix BIOS that is on the download site. Thanks again for your help! Tom

[tom4]

Posted on August 11, 2003 at 15:46

UPDATE:

I downloaded and installed the Phoenix BIOS and now I can boot the Slackware 9.0 Installation CD and start the setup program!! On to the next step... Thanks again for your help and best regards, Tom