On Thu, 2009-03-26 at 12:19 -0400, wireless wrote:
> Ned Ludd wrote:
> 
> >> Does it make sense to try to put embedded gentoo on an old x86
> >> machine? (486 or 586)?
> > 
> > Sure. 
> > 
> > 
> >> If not what embedded nix distro would anyone recommend for these
> >> very old machines, keeping in mind that kids and teenagers will
> >> be playing with them for projects.......?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> any suggestions are welcome.
> > 
> > export ROOT=$PWD/ROOT 
> > export PORTAGE_BINHOST=http://tinderbox.dev.gentoo.org/uclibc/i386/
> > emerge -G system
> > qmerge -fsv | less ; # (to look at the additional packages)
> > emerge -G <additional packages.>
> > cd ROOT
> > tar jcvf ../ROOTFS-`date -u +%Y%m%d`.tar.bz2 ./
> 
> 
> 
> OK
> 
> Directly on the old machine,
> use this after booting from what image/media?
> 
> 
> Or does this give me extra detail specific to
> a 386 arch, using the gentoo-embedded-handbook?
> 
> I'm looking for a well documented, easy proceedure,
> so I can let the kids perform the installation, while
> I hang out and help those that get stuck, or have
> broken hardware.  Kinda a class for embedded beginers
> sorta approach.  All of the embedded gentoo project
> I have done, all seem to be a "random_walk" type
> of process. That's what appealed to me with
> GNAP..........


For teaching students. I'm not sure I'd follow the method I suggested to
you. I was more giving you a hint on how to quickly build an appliance.

If I were teaching students about embedded I would focus on things like
the AVR platform personally and walk them threw the classic hello world
(via LEDs) examples.

Good luck.


-- 
Ned Ludd <solar@g.o>
Gentoo Linux