HOWTO_iPAQ

Introduction

• Fundamental Goals:

• the ability to create a rootfs image to install on the ipaq.
• environment for cross-compiling on a host computer

• Short Term Goals:

• Using a Gentoo embedded stage, create a howto a basic rootfs that boots to terminal.

• This would be very basic - just a kernel, baselayout, and busybox.

Helpful Projects

The first should not be too hard; but making it easy to do may be difficult. Much of the basics are already covered in the Gentoo Handbook and TinyGentoo; where as configuration specifics can be acquired from the OpenEmbedded/Familiar projects.

Also see Radek Podgorny's project

X-compile

While I don't think creating an image that boots up into a terminal would be difficult, and Xorg compile may be difficult (I wonder if "modular X" would be better/easier).

Application stacks

Also, there are already gpe ebuilds in bugzilla (http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=101393).

More to come soon...

Getting Started

set up portage to build arm packages for use in the ipaq

HOWTO setup a PORTAGE BINHOST server

Cross Compiling Guide

This may be exactly what we need

Backing up the ipaq

instructions here

compile ARM kernel with specific options (need to find out what is needed)

create a initram image using squashfs or cramfs based on a stage3 ARM tarball

needs to be stripped down

no buildutils, except portage points to the connected computer for binary packages

is it possible to do this dynamically? (may not be a useful feature)

need to keep any read/write files & directories outside of initram & squashfs/cramfs.

copy image using serial cable

boot

install packages

???

Profit!!!