Re: [leaf-user] setup LEAF from Windows

[jeanrocco jr <bla...@gm...>]

Hello Victor and All,



On Tue, Dec 30, 2025 at 7:56 PM Victor McAllister <vic...@so...>
wrote:

> I am updating a home router for a friend that has been running for years
> on a WRAP. The only box I could find on E-bay was a used PCEngines ALIX.
> Since there has been a discussion on this list about using Windows to
> install LEAF, I thought I would document a Windows install.
>


An installation using Windows is also/already documented here, if you care
too look at it :
https://bering-uclibc.zetam.org/wiki/Bering-uClibc_7.x_-_User_Guide_-_Installing_the_Disk_Image#Copying_a_syslinux_Image_to_a_Flash_Media_from_a_Windows_PC



If you use 7.5.1 you will also have to correct these bugs still present in
the distribution, and enable/assign a range to Dnsmasq's DHCP server.

. correct the bugs in:
>      . /etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.annotated.conf   #  line 100 should
> be server.username  = "sh-httpd"  ( to see line number 100 type: cat -n
> /etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.annotated.conf Enter.)
>
         . /etc/lighttpd/conf.d/auth.conf  #  server.modules += (
"mod_auth" )  ### uncomment the line !
            auth.require               = ( "/" =>
                                (
                                  "method"  => "basic",
                                  "realm"   => "Login",
                                  "require" => "valid-user"
                                ),
                              )
        . in /etc/dnsmasq.conf  #  in line 167,  set
dhcp-range=192.168.1.100,192.168.1.199,12h ( cat -n /etc/dnsmasq.conf
Enter)

   . Do a s) Save configuration and REBOOT !

Bye
Jeanrocco


> ###Hardware
>
> Puchase a cable USB to serial DB9 male - with a FTDI chipset
>
> Useful --- Cable Matters crossover ethernet adapter for initial setup
> outside of your network hardware
>
> Purchase an Extreme CF adapter (Red color) on Amazon that allows an SD
> card to plug into Compact Flash frame. This adapter is thin enough to
> plug into the ALIX CF slot.
>
> ###Programs you will need for your windows box.
>
> Putty for Windows or Tera Term 5 for Serial RS232 connection for initial
> setup
>
> https://teratermproject.github.io/index-en.html
>
> Tera Term is hosted in Japan.
>
> https://putty.org/index.html
>
> Download the latest version of syslinux-6.04.zip from
> https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/
>
> Extract the bios subdirectory, to c:\Documents\bios
>
> You don't need the other subdirectories.
>
> Download 7zip installer for windows
>
> https://www.7-zip.org [1]
>
> run the exe file to install 7-zip
>
> Download the version of LEAF you wish to install. In my case it was
> Bering-uClibc_7.5.1_geode_syslinux_serial115200.tar.gz
>
> ###Proceedure
>
> I plugged the SD card (between 1GB and 2 GB) into the Windows box and
> formatted it for fat32. On my Windows it was drive H:
>
> Run the 7-zip program and navigate to the Download directory
>
> extract Bering-uClibc_7.5.1_geode_syslinux_serial115200.tar.gz to the SD
> card, in my case drive H:
>
> If you try to extract by right clicking the .tar.gz file, it may
> complain about unrecognized file type or filename too long. This is a
> Windows problem? since it works from the 7-zip menu.
>
>  From Windows Start Menu scroll to the Terminal program, right click to
> run as administrator.
>
> cd Documents\bios\win32
>
> .\syslinux -i -m -a -f -s -d syslinux H:
>
> This installs syslinux in the directory syslinux, marks the partition as
> active, and installs the mbr all with one command
>
> Start the Tera Term or Putty terminal program
>
> Select serial, select the USB com port it recommends and set the baud
> rate to 115200
>
> Then plug the SD into the CF adapter boot LEAF  on the ALIX box - the
> terminal should spew text.
>
> If some of the text is garbled, but some is ok, reset the local and the
> remote terminal from the terminal program menu.
>
> Login as root give yourself a password
>
>  From the lrcfg menu type q to exit
>
> set the UTC date by adding or subtracting the proper number of hours for
> your time zone.
>
> date -s YYYY.MM.DD-hh.mm
>
> This will set the date and time so your configuration files will show
> the correct date
>
> hwclock
>
> it will show you hardware clock date
>
> hwclock --systohc
>
> Sets the hardware clock to the system clocks
>
> In my case, the ALIX board did not have a RTC battery, so I will solder
> one in.
>
> lrcfg
>
> and begin setting up the ALIX through putty or Tera Term's serial
> terminal.
>
> ####
>
> Using putty from a Linux box, in this case Kubuntu
>
> Install putty
>
> Run kate, the kubuntu terminal program
>
> whoami will let you know your login name which will be $USER in the next
> command
>
> sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER
>
> This gives putty permission to access the USB serial port
>
> reboot Kubuntu so putty gets its permission
>
> on putty,  select serial /dev/ttyUSB0 115200
>
> login to LEAF etc...
>
> Victor
>
> Links:
> ------
> [1] https://www.7-zip.org/
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