[iPAQ] installation without Windows

The mailing list mentions that it's possible to install Linux on an iPAQ
without Windows or ActiveSync, so that sounded like the right thing for me.
Here's a log of my installation. No claim of originality---this just
summarizes the scattered hints and updates the obsolete CE ppp discussion
in the winCE-link mini-howto.

0. power the iPAQ with the AC adapter, to avoid idle timeouts

1. extract the small circuit board from the USB cradle. A 0.050-inch
   hex wrench will serve if you don't have the small Torx bit.

2. construct cable (thanks Jim Pick):

     female DB9 {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8} <---> CON2 {6,4,5,7,9,1,2,3}

   I was too impatient to wait for the Digi-Key parts Jim mentions,
   so I soldered wire-wrap-wire pigtails to the pads the other side
   of CON2. Tin the wire slightly, align it along the side of the
   pin, and apply heat to "merge" them.

3. start->settings->connections(tab)->PC

4. select new connection; baud 115200; advanced: 8N1, flow control none;
   TCP/IP: static addr, 192.168.1.100; dns 192.168.1.1 (probably not
   needed); ok; finish

5. linux host (I used a Red Hat 6.2 system):

     /usr/sbin/pppd /dev/ttyS0 115200 connect '/usr/sbin/chat -v -f /root/ipaq.chat' noauth local 192.168.1.101:192.168.1.100

   where /root/ipaq.chat consists of the three lines

     TIMEOUT 3600
     "CLIENT" "CLIENT\c"
     "" "SERVER\c"

6. start->programs->connections->my connection

7. should see 'status connected'; ping from the linux box will show 30ms RTT.

8. place ftpsvr.exe (from http://www.oohito.com/wince/arm_j.htm) on
   linux box's web server

9. run the CE browser; enable view->address bar; visit ftpsvr.exe's URL
   (e.g. "http://192.168.1.101/ipaq/ftpsvr.exe"). Say yes to dialog box
   to run the program. Nothing obvious will happen at this point, but
   the ftp service will be running.

10. ftp from linux box to CE box.
      bin (set binary mode; important!)
      put osloader-1-2.exe
      put bootldr-c002-2.8.4 bootldr (renames to bootldr on CE side)

11. programs->file explorer; change to "My Device" (root directory); select/open
    osloader-1-2

12. (optional) save flash image. Four files of 4MByte each will be
    created. After each, FTP over the file and delete it to make room
    in the CE ramdisk for the next. I haven't tried restoring, so I've
    no idea if the files are useful.

13. tools->bootldr->run after loading from file; screen goes blank

14. kill linux pppd

15. minicom from linux box:
      ln -s /dev/ttyS0 /dev/modem
      minicom: set to 115200 8N1, no hardware flow control
      after noise from minicom's spurious modem commands, should see "boot>"

At this point continue with step 11 in the installation howto. The xmodem
downloads are very fiddly and time-critical when using minicom interactively:
set up the file name on the first try (which will fail), then do it again.

Cheers,
Peter Monta
Received on Fri Aug 11 15:21:51 2000