[asus-port] tutorial: how i got linux running on A730w (incomplete)

> > Hi jojo,could you please write a guide howto build linux for Asus
a730(W)?
> > Which distribution did you use?Which version?Etc.
> > Thanks
> > Claudio

hi claudio.
here is, what i have done:

linux on asus a730 w
=========================

what you need:
------------------

haret (bootloader):
http://www.handhelds.org/~koconnor/haret/haret-0.5.1.exe
little doku for haret:
http://www.handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/HaRET

startup.txt (to controle haret)
http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~md401/asus730/startup.txt
use this one and edit it if necessary

zImage (kernel):
i used this one offered by michael @ mailing list
http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~md401/asus730/zImage-2.6.21-hh20-r6-asus730.bin

startup.txt (to control haret)
you can use the one from michael too. if its necessary you can edit it.

rootdir (your final system)
you can use one of michael's too.
http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~md401/asus730/Angstrom-opie-image-glibc-ipk-2008.1-test-20080211-asus730.rootfs.tar
or:
http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~md401/asus730/Angstrom-opie-kdepim-image-glibc-test-20070805-asus730.rootfs.tar
or you look it up @ http://www.angstrom-distribution.org/
i tried this one:
http://www.angstrom-distribution.org/releases/2007.12/images/a780/Angstrom-x11-image-glibc-ipk-2007.12-a780.rootfs.tar.gz

or you load the newest version from cvs (not jet tried).

what to do
-------------

1. format a sd-card with 2 partitions.
first one should be a small fat partition.
second one should be a bigger ext2 partition.
so wince woun't try to format the ext2 partition.

2. extract one of the rootdirs onto the second partition (the tar ball)

3.edit startup.txt
the line:
set kernel "zImage-2.6.21-hh20-r6-asus730.bin"
defines the name of your zImage.
if its name is "zImage.bin" you dont need this line.
otherwise you should edit it to the name of your zImage file.

the line set cmdline "root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 rootdelay=2 rw mem=128m
video=pxafb:pixclock:52000
transmitts informations to the kernel.
first: the root directory. if your rootdir is on the second partition of
your sd-drive /dev/mmcblk0p2 is right.
second: rootdelay=2
i dont know
third: rw
stands for rewritable. what is rewriteable. i dont know exactly
mem=128m stands for 128mb memory.
if you use asus a730w this is right.
if you use asus a730 change this to mem=64m
about the other 3 parameters i am not shure.

4. copy haret, startup.txt, zImage-2.6.21-hh20-r6-asus730.bin somewhere
onto your pda.
for example by copying it onto the first partition of the sd-card and
then putting the sd-card in your pda and copying it on the hard drive.
you should not start haret from the sd-card. this could cause unexpected
errors (my experiance).

5. run haret.

this is what i have done.
but as i mentioned. the touchpad still doesn't work.
at the moment i am trying to compile a kernel and playing around a bit
with the parameters to get the touthpad running.
doing this i follow these 2 tutorials:
http://www.handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/Linux26ToolsAndSources
http://www.handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/KernelCompilation

ADDITIONAL:
compiling your own kernel instead of using the one from martin
with toolchain:

how to install toolchain
--------------------------
1. install some packages you need for a development environment:
in my example i used ubuntu.
you need to install at least (maybe not complete):
    * autoconf, automake
    * binutils, gcc, gcc-c++
    * libtool
    * ccache
    * intltool

for ubuntu i had to do:
sudo apt-get install gcc g++ autoconf automake binutils libtool
libglib2.0-dev \
ccache libxrender-dev intltool libmokoui2-dev libgconf2-dev mtools

sudo apt-get install libncurses5-dev libncursesw5-dev

2. download precompiled toolchain
download:
http://ftp.handhelds.org/projects/toolchain/arm-linux-gcc-3.4.1.tar.bz2
unpack this file in your / directory
for ubuntu this means:
cd /
sudo tar -xvjf /home/path/to/download/arm-linux-gcc-3.4.1.tar.bz2

3."Just add the "bin" of this /usr/local/arm at the beginning of your
PATH, and that's all you need! "

i am not shure about this part:
execute one of the following ones
export PATH=$PATH":/usr/local/arm/3.4.1/bin"
or:
export PATH=/usr/local/arm/3.4.1/bin:$PATH

in mailinglist the 2nd was advices in a wiki @ the net the first one was
written. so i tried both.. o0

4. getting kernel
first make shure you have cvs
for ubuntu u make:
sudo apt-get install cvs

go somewhere eg. /home/user/kernel-source

bash$ export CVSROOT=:pserver:anoncvs_at_anoncvs.handhelds.org:/cvs
bash$ cvs login
password: anoncvs
bash$ cvs checkout linux/kernel26

wait a long time till you have checked out your kernel

5. compiling your kernel:
http://www.handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/KernelCompilation
i followed these instructions, so i typed:
cd /home/user/kernel-source/linux/kernel26
make asus730_defconfig
make

you can also try make menuconfig to configuring yourself.
or make asus730_static_defconfig if this one is working for you.
for me it wasn't.

then your zImage is finished:
cd /home/user/kernel-source/linux/kernel26/arch/arm/boot
there is a new file "zImage"
you can copy this one and replace it with the zImage from martin.
dont forget to edit the startup.txt if you try your new kernel
Received on Tue Sep 23 2008 - 05:12:58 EDT