Re: [openpsion] Source & website

[klaasjan gm <kla...@gm...>]

Dear Ed and David,

A few comments as quick feedback:

On Sat, Apr 9, 2011 at 4:04 PM, edw...@ti...
<edw...@ti...> wrote:
>>Unfortunately the current killer issue is that the Psion kernel only
>
>>supports 2.4 with the old ARM ABI, which means that no modern software
>
>>will work on it. (Even once you've found a repository of the right
>
>>architecture, chances are the version of libc it's been built against
>
>>requires a 2.6 kernel...)

What I tried, and what seems workable is to use an old version of
Debian (in a virtual
machine, using virtualbox in fact). If there is interest I can try and
summarize my notes.

>>
>>Even just building the 2.4 kernel is
> horrible; it'll only work with gcc
>>2.95, and cross-compiling that is
> something only angels or fools would
>>even attempt.

This was easy in the virtual machine: install the old emdebian
crosstools for gcc-2.95.


>>
>>Possibly the
> most useful thing to do is to get a working 2.6 kernel for
>>the Psion.
> Alas, I wouldn't know where to start.

The old version of debian should be happy with 2.4 also.

> This would be nice, but I
> think it is also rather a lot of work. A small effort is being made at
> the moment to get a more recent 2.6 kernel working for the netbook
> pro.

Can you say more about this?

> There is an early port of something like 2.6.7 to the 5mx I
> believe... last I checked it was somewhere on Tony Lindgren's site.

Yes, and I still have my malaybook...

> To
> start off with I'm just going to try and remember how all this actually
> worked, get the source tidied up, and update the website a bit.

That would be great.

> I
> think getting the old kernels to build with gcc 4 will be far less work
> than porting them to 2.6.

Again, the simplest thing is to go with an old debian and a crosscompiler.
(in my experience of a few months back, anyway).

> I recently got another series 5 (a rare one
> with a transparent case - a never released prototype) which is what
> sparked all this off. The series 5 is more-or-less identical to the
> 5mx/revo (which is our only really 'complete' kernel)

No, it is very different (armv3 vs. armv4 cpu). Also the fragmented memory
in some series 5 machines is a complicating factor.

but was never
> finished and was stuck at kernel 2.2. However, a one man effort by
> Stanson brought it up to 2.4, but I am not sure how complete his
> patches are.

The 2.2 kernel for the series 5 was done by Werner Almesberger. This
was quite 'professional'.

In a way the netbook/series 7 port seems a bit of a lost
> cause to me, because there was never really enough knowledge about the
> hardware and performance suffers.

The main issue was lack of knowledge on interrupts from the pcmcia and cf ports.
This made accessing these periferals slow, buggy and difficult.

> The netbook pro is a lot more
> promising though.

Tell me more, tell me more...
Hint, hint...

> As always, time is the real issue.

Yes, and memory (in more than one sense of the word).

best,
Klaasjan