-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1



> I'm trying to setup a linux box on an Advantech PCM-3350, which is an
> PC/104 board.
>
> Follow link for details:
> http://www.advantech.com/products/Model_Detail.asp?model_id=1-D6LUW&bu

yep used something similar.

>  I plan to boot everything from the CompactFlash card (128MB). I also
> installed 256MB RAM. I will use an I/O and a multiport RS232 card.


>  I already tried some installations(basically started with slackware,
> but also tried others) but always failed. It boots ok into DOS but fails
> booting with LiLo(it returned LI 04 - which shall be "sector not
> found"). It runs ok if I boot from a rescue floppy and the chroot to
> CF's /.

Be very careful with your lilo options. Make sure the specify what the boot 
device is at bootup (not /dev/sda1 when its attached to you card read/
writer). I remeber I did something with the bios=0x84(?) options in lilo to 
make it work (I had a harddrive and a compact flash to that may of been 
related). I'll email my former collegue to attempt to obtain the lilo 
configuration. I do remember facing a similar problem. lba related maybe but 
I can't remember exactly.

Have you tried grub as an alternative?

>  Then I found on the net someone with similar problems. He(can't find
> the link right now) claims that this CPU does not run as i686, but you
> have to compile it as i585. And presumely this is the reason of my
> problems.

I haven't tried processor optimisations.

>  Now, I have a Gentoo 1.4 running working machine (freshly installed
> last week) with a USB card reader which connects the CF card as
> /dev/sda1 and I (presumely) don't have problems with that.
>  I need some help how to prepare a system for basic linux functionality
> on the PC/104 platform. When this gets over, I would like to have
> compiling tools and RHIDE on the box for easier debugging. I presume
> i'll have to compile the kernel for i585 and ripped of any non required
> functionality. Would it be better to run it entirely from RAM instead of
> running it from CF?

Depends on your application. Have you enough spare ram to do this and is the 
access speed realy critical. By default a lot of ram gets used as a disk 
buffer anyway- and better still it gets freed if application need it. Measure 
the performance for your application. There are some fast access compact 
flash cards around more designed for the photography market.

> I would mount the CF for writing settings and some
> info.
>  At the end I would like to have the major work done on the PC/desktop
> and only finalize/debug on the PC/104 box.
>  Don't need fancy things, just working environment. It won't have a
> standard display/keyboard on runtime, anyway.

Look at the serial conole options for the kernel and lilo if you havent' 
already.

>
>  How would "crossdev-0.2", "base-layout lite", "uclibc buildroot/
> toolchain", ...  help in this process? How to get them?

crossdev = emerge crossdev
uclibc buildroot = still being worked on although there is an exampe in bug 
29312 (http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=29312)
base-layout lite = still in design phases.

If your arch is the same on both machines. Compile binary packages with the 
correct optimisations and to a binary install onto the compact flash. Use the 
"env ROOT=(CF mount point)" to install them.  Always do a pretend first as I 
have seen some occasion pecularities where it doesn;t want ot install to 
$ROOT (ref http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=34887)

To save disk space do a bind mount (or symlink) on the CF /usr/share/doc some 
other documentation directories (/usr/share/info /usr/share/man) to local 
disk space.


> Thanks,
> Goran

Welcome. Sorry for the delay.

- -- 

Daniel Black
- --
Proudly a Gentoo Linux User.
GnuPG/PGP signed and encrypted email preferred
http://pgp.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0x32A64DC8
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.2.3 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQE/2QlzTDSbtjKmTcgRAkTVAKCXI6KzaNXOLVPKmAkvPutZsEFqHQCeJwyh
9MkNjXv+9Al7gWWKYg1yAA0=
=XH2H
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----


--
gentoo-embedded@g.o mailing list