Gentoo Archives: gentoo-embedded

From: Ned Ludd <solar@g.o>
To: gentoo-embedded@l.g.o
Subject: Re: [gentoo-embedded] Gnap and google SOC
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:41:03
Message-Id: 1238107214.16056.26.camel@hangover
In Reply to: Re: [gentoo-embedded] Gnap and google SOC by wireless
1 On Thu, 2009-03-26 at 12:19 -0400, wireless wrote:
2 > Ned Ludd wrote:
3 >
4 > >> Does it make sense to try to put embedded gentoo on an old x86
5 > >> machine? (486 or 586)?
6 > >
7 > > Sure.
8 > >
9 > >
10 > >> If not what embedded nix distro would anyone recommend for these
11 > >> very old machines, keeping in mind that kids and teenagers will
12 > >> be playing with them for projects.......?
13 > >>
14 > >>
15 > >>
16 > >> any suggestions are welcome.
17 > >
18 > > export ROOT=$PWD/ROOT
19 > > export PORTAGE_BINHOST=http://tinderbox.dev.gentoo.org/uclibc/i386/
20 > > emerge -G system
21 > > qmerge -fsv | less ; # (to look at the additional packages)
22 > > emerge -G <additional packages.>
23 > > cd ROOT
24 > > tar jcvf ../ROOTFS-`date -u +%Y%m%d`.tar.bz2 ./
25 >
26 >
27 >
28 > OK
29 >
30 > Directly on the old machine,
31 > use this after booting from what image/media?
32 >
33 >
34 > Or does this give me extra detail specific to
35 > a 386 arch, using the gentoo-embedded-handbook?
36 >
37 > I'm looking for a well documented, easy proceedure,
38 > so I can let the kids perform the installation, while
39 > I hang out and help those that get stuck, or have
40 > broken hardware. Kinda a class for embedded beginers
41 > sorta approach. All of the embedded gentoo project
42 > I have done, all seem to be a "random_walk" type
43 > of process. That's what appealed to me with
44 > GNAP..........
45
46
47 For teaching students. I'm not sure I'd follow the method I suggested to
48 you. I was more giving you a hint on how to quickly build an appliance.
49
50 If I were teaching students about embedded I would focus on things like
51 the AVR platform personally and walk them threw the classic hello world
52 (via LEDs) examples.
53
54 Good luck.
55
56
57 --
58 Ned Ludd <solar@g.o>
59 Gentoo Linux