RE: [gentoo-embedded] x86 SBC Gentoo Embedded HowTo

I agree with Kammi - this is an incredibly useful howto.

I'm also getting ready to install gentoo on my epia board, I'm using the
ME6000. A major difference, though, is that I want to create the system
on a Compact Flash card.

I've already done bootable CF systems using a mix of all sort of notes
I've found on the web. As a result, I have a mix of things I don't
understand and I'm sure some things I don't need. This time I'd like to
do it from scratch so that I understand every step.

In the past I've built the filesystem on my desktop, then compressed it
using cramfs, which gets written to the CF card. I think I'll do the
same this time, but I'd be interested to hear what you all might
recommend.

Does there exist a howto that describes this whole process? If not, would 
others find it useful?

Any tips, pointers, and suggestions welcome.

Michael


On Fri, 29 Apr 2005, Kammi Cazze wrote:

> Hi,
>
> first of all i like your id of putting such a howto up. I hope you will get
> much help from the devs. I think the problem is that this project is in full
> development and ways of accompishing things here vary very quickly and are
> always made better and easier to do.
>
> Here is some stuff you could put into it, because it won't change alot in the
> feature ;)
>
> - You could mention something about how to set the timezone on the uclibc
> box. There is a full expl. on this site:
> http://leaf.sourceforge.net/doc/guide/buci-tz.html
>
>> ROOT=/Embedded RootFS emerge busybox uclibc
>
> You could also put baselayout-lite in it. I don't know what the status is by
> now (ask iggy)!
>
> As on such a system devfs or udef is mostly unwanted, you will have to create
> your /dev nodes manualy, because baselayout-lite only makes the most neaded
> once, like /dev/hd* and /dev/sd*
>
>
> Pierre Cassimans
>
>> From: Heath H Holcomb <heath@×××××.com>
>> Reply-To: gentoo-embedded@l.g.o
>> To: gentoo-embedded@l.g.o
>> Subject: [gentoo-embedded] x86 SBC Gentoo Embedded HowTo version 0.03
>> (unfinished)
>> Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 08:49:21 -0500
>>
>> Version 0.03
>> Please add, delete, modify. Thanks!
>>
>>
>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> Embedded Gentoo How-To for x86
>>>
>>> Commands to setup a Gentoo embedded environment, you must be root.
>>> These commands are to be run on your developement system,
>>> any x86 Gentoo Linux computer will do.  The system should be fast,
>>> to speed developement.  The target can be any x86 based SBC.  I'm
>>> using a Geode based SBC.  Latter I'll use a Via based SBC.
>>>
>>> version 0.03
>>> 2005.29.04
>>>
>>> Heath Holcomb (heath at bulah.com)
>>> Ned Ludd (original commands posted)
>>> Yuri Vasilevshi (contributor)
>>> Mike George (contributor)
>>>
>>> Development RootFS = what you use to build the Embedded RootFS
>>> Embedded RootFS = rootfs you deploy to the target system
>>> SBC = single board computer (here it's an x86 based)
>>>
>>> References
>>>> //www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/index.xml
>>>> //www.epiawiki.org
>>>> //epia.kalf.org
>>> Gentoo embedded mailing list (gentoo-embedded@l.g.o)
>>>
>>>
>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>> create the Development RootFS
>>> I use i586 becasue of target is a Geode processor
>> mkdir -p /opt/i586-gentoo-uclibc-linux/usr/portage
>>
>> # download the latest stage 1 tarball
>> wget \
>> http://gentoo.osuosl.org/experimental/x86/embedded/stages/stage1-x86-uclibc-2005.0.tar.bz2
>>
>> # untar the stage to the Development RootFS
>> tar -xvjf stage1-x86-uclibc-2005.0.tar.bz2 -C
>> /opt/i586-gentoo-uclibc-linux/
>>
>>> mount the Development RootFS proc and portage directories
>>> don't understand this someone please add comments
>> mount --bind /proc /opt/i586-gentoo-uclibc-linux/proc/
>> mount --bind /usr/portage /opt/i586-gentoo-uclibc-linux/usr/portage
>>
>> # copy over DNS information to the Development RootFS
>> cp /etc/resolv.conf /opt/i586-gentoo-uclibc-linux/etc/resolv.conf
>>
>> # chroot into the Development RootFS, create new environment, load
>> variables
>> into memory
>> chroot /opt/i586-gentoo-uclibc-linux /bin/bash --login
>> env-update
>> source /etc/profile
>>
>> # modify make.conf file to your liking
>> nano -w /etc/make.conf
>> # this is for my target, Geode x86 processor
>> CHOST="i586-gentoo-linux-uclibc"
>> CFLAGS="-march=i586 -Os -pipe -fomit-frame-pointer -mmmx"
>> CXXFLAGS="${CFLAGS}"
>> FEATURES="buildpkg"
>>
>> # work around for bug 90306
>> mknod -m 0444 /dev/random c 1 8
>> mknod -m 0444 /dev/urandom c 1 9
>>
>> # start the bootstrip script
>> cd /usr/portage/scripts
>> ./bootstrap.sh -p -v
>> ./bootstrap.sh
>>
>> # emerge system
>> emerge -e system
>> # fixes a emerge ebuild bug, this should go away soon
>> emerge python
>> # continue with the rest of the emerge system
>> emerge -e system
>>
>>> modify make.conf and set you USE flags for the target embedded build
>>> these use flags build a smaller system with no documentation, man or
>>> info
>> pages installed
>> # the make-symlinks option of for busybox to automatically create the
>> symlinks
>> to it
>> nano -w /etc/make.conf
>> USE="make-symlinks nodoc noinfo noman"
>>
>>> build busybox and uclibc, put into the Embedded RootFS (/Embedded
>>> RootFS)
>>> don't understand exactally how this works, someone please add comments
>> mkdir /Embedded RootFS
>> ROOT=/Embedded RootFS emerge busybox uclibc
>>
>> # emerge other software you need for you embedded target
>> ROOT=/Embedded RootFS emerge xxxxxxxxx
>>
>> # install a kernel into Embedded RootFS
>> ROOT=/Embedded RootFS emerge vanilla-sources
>> cd /Embedded RootFS/usr/src
>> ln -s linux-
>>
>> ......... more stuff here ...........
>> ......... install xorg-x11, less than 10MB hopefully
>> ......... install light window manager (blackbox, windowmaker, ???)
>> ......... install very light X11 toolkit (?????)
>> ......... purge to the Embedded RootFS of unwanted files and libaries
>> ......... edit all config files
>> ......... set up the test harddrive on the target SBC
>> ......... install grub or lilo on the test harddrive on the target SBC
>> ......... transfer Embedded RootFS to the test harddrive on the target SBC
>> ......... debug system, and rebuild
>> ......... deploy Embedded RootFS from the test harddrive to flash
>> ......... (DiskOnChip, Compact Flash)
>> ......... tweak, rebuild, redeploy
>>
>> --
>> Heath Holcomb
>> heath@×××××.com
>> www.bulah.com
>> --
>> gentoo-embedded@g.o mailing list
>>
>
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