Arch Linux

IanJB

Member

Registered: 2009-12-21

Posts: 4

Archmobile on a Pogoplug?

I see that Archmobile has been successfully ported to the Sheevaplug. I would like to get it running on the Pogoplug, a close relative from a hardware perspective but not for software. The Pogoplug runs kernel 2.6.22.18 with busybox and a very minimal root file system.

What I would like to do is get pacman installed and then build from there. How would I go about installing pacman on such an old kernel?

Thanks for any help!

rott_at

Member

Registered: 2009-01-24

Posts: 37

Re: Archmobile on a Pogoplug?

Hey IanJB,

Our Base-Installastation is actually nothing more than Pacman and few things, which you would need anyway(like Arch is too).

1. How much space do you have?
2. What would you like to do with it? Do you need X etc?
3. Can you use a external memory like a SD Card?

Afaik no one yet tried to install AM on a Pogoplug.

Greetings, naeg

EDIT:

I would not suggest to build on your pogoplug, it's slow. I'd suggest to use our BuildEnv, which emulates ARM with qemu, so you can build directly on your PC, for your BuildEnv and your Pogoplug. And i don't think that you have to start from scratch, we got lot of packages already in repo

Last edited by rott_at (2009-12-21 19:03:15)

IanJB

Member

Registered: 2009-12-21

Posts: 4

Re: Archmobile on a Pogoplug?

Thanks for the quick response!
The pogoplug has 256MB RAM and 512MB flash with about 400MB available on a third mtd block, a USB port but no SD. I want to keep the pogoplug functionality, so I need to keep the original 2.6.22.18 kernel. I've previously been able to get optware ipkg running but I would like to move over to pacman. X would be good for NX or freeNX but is not essential. I'm more looking for web server, printing, media storage and streaming and similar stuff that I would needs to be available 24/7 without sucking up too many watts. I was able compile natively and it wasn't that slow (patience is a virtue ) ). I downloaded the pacman package and tried to install it manually but it complained of missing dependencies which I downloaded and tried to install but eventually complained about glibc being too old (it's 2.5 on the pogoplug). For a list of what's on a Pogoplug look here: http://pogoplug.com/opensource/

rott_at

Member

Registered: 2009-01-24

Posts: 37

Re: Archmobile on a Pogoplug?

You would have to install all our Packages if you want them, because of Deps and "Up-to-date-ness". But we/you can package the Kernel and add it to the repos, so you can do a normal AM Installation and see if it works. But i guess 512MB are too less for X etc, because we don't use Busybox and this stuff, also full X and no kdrive.

You may join us on IRC on #arch-arm on Freenode. As soon as the holidays started, i can put some more time in AM

IanJB

Member

Registered: 2009-12-21

Posts: 4

Re: Archmobile on a Pogoplug?

I would be happy to package the 2.6.22.18 kernel if you can point me in the right direction.

rott_at

Member

Registered: 2009-01-24

Posts: 37

Re: Archmobile on a Pogoplug?

How do you mean the right direction? No idea about packaging and the autotools etc? If so, and you don't really want to learn it, i can package it for you during the next weeks.

IanJB

Member

Registered: 2009-12-21

Posts: 4

Re: Archmobile on a Pogoplug?

I'm interested in learning about packaging, and I would like to contribute. I tried to package the kernel-headers for 2.6.22.18 by changing the PKGBUILD from a later version and appeared to be making progress but hit a error with a duplicate definition of getline. Google tells me that bug was fixed in a later version of the kernel but I wasn't able to find the patch to fix it. Now it seems I need to learn about patching.

Back to the original question about pointers. What I really need is a list of packages that I need to create that will work with kernel 2.6.22.18 and glibc 2.5 and the order (if there needs to be an order) in which they need to be created.

Again thanks for the help.

rott_at

Member

Registered: 2009-01-24

Posts: 37

Re: Archmobile on a Pogoplug?

Using glibc2.5 would get you into a lot of troubles i guess, and you would have to compile everything by yourself. I'd suggest to use your kernel, and the stuff(glibc,...) from our repo and see if it works.

You may look at LinuxFromScratch, there they describe the whole things, also CrossLFS.