Intro

Before you can boot Linux on your tool, you need to have two things:

• a boot loader
• a kernel

The boot loader part is very easy – simply download it (see listed below).

The bit part is a bit harder, as you must use one that is particularly developed for your system. The easy means to obtain one is to download and install one from my ftp site (see listed below). You could develop your personal bit (BYOK), yet this paper doesn’t get into that (if you intend to BYOK please see my Kernel Building HOWTO).

Booting Linux from Windows CE isn’t really that hard, so please offer it a try, as well as if you do, please allow me recognize how it goes ([email protected]).

Getting a Windows CE Boot Loader

There go to the very least a few Windows CE boot loaders them available. I advise the latest one, passionately named CyaCE.:–RRB- Steven Hill and also I made it based upon pbsdboot (see below). It has a great user interface, as well as all the configuration is done in a plain-text config documents, cyacecfg.txt. It will certainly additionally open up the serial port for you, so you do not have to make use of the serial console tip discussed below. You could obtain it from my ftp site at ftp.ltc.com.

There is likewise pbsdboot, the boot loader from the PocketBSD job. I utilized to make use of a version of pbsdboot until I made CyaCE. It works fine, however it doesn’t do auto-booting from a config data like CyaCE does. Last I checked you could get it from here. A caution on this: older versions did hardware-dependent screen clearing up, which was really bad on the Casio E-100/ 105 since while it thought it was contacting the E-105 framebuffer, it was truly completely filpping out the E-105 graphics controller registers rather. IMO the boot loader should either leave the display alone, or clear it in some hardware indepenent (Win32) means. At this time, CyaCE does neither, yet hardware-independent screen clearing is on the order of business, listed below dealing with initrd and pressed kernels. Anyway, it looks #if 0′ ed out in latest pbsdboot resources, so it ought to be OKAY now, but I haven’t checked it.

Obtaining a Ready-Made Kernel from my FTP Site

There are several bits up there currently:

• The -clio ones are configured for the Vadem Clio, with assistance for the display screen and key-board.
• The -e-105 ones are configured for the Casio E-100/ 105.
• The -serial ones are set up for the console on the serial port, and also no screen assistance.
• The -sas indicates that they use the stand-alone covering, which is smaller and also might be needed for equipments with much less compared to 8MB RAM.

I additionally compressed a few of them to a number of various compression layouts, specifically bzip2 (use bunzip2) as well as zip (use your favorite unzipper).

To get a prefabricated kernel

• Obtain the ideal vmlinux apply for your system from my ftp site at ftp.ltc.com.
• If essential to end up with a vmlinux documents, uncompress it (. This is the bit picture documents.)

Starting the Kernel

Here’s how to boot it when you have your boot loader and kernel (vmlinux bit photo data).

Obligitory Warning Notice

Do not go any type of more on this page if you care about any of the information in your device. No, starting Linux on your gadget will not pysically damage it, nullify the service warranty, or include years to your life (at the very least not that I understand of), yet it can (as well as constantly does when I do it) eliminate all of the information in the device’s memory. Backup any kind of information that you care regarding. OK? Push the reset button on your gadget to get back to Windows CE (most likely with your data all gone) when you are finished playing with Linux. If that doesn’t work, try doing a tough reset inning accordance with the device maker’s directions (if booting Linux didn’t eliminate the memory, then this is virtually guaranteed to do so). Oh, as well as please do not assume that I’m liable if you lose something – you can’t say that I didn’t caution you. Another point – IF YOU GO MUCH FURTHER ON THIS PAGE YOU ARE PRATICALLY GUARANTEED TO ERASE ALL OF THE DATA IN YOUR DEVICE’S MEMORY! There. Now have fun.

To boot Linux from Windows CE.

• Copy the boot loader as well as the bit photo to the Windows CE gadget. I prefer to replicate them to the origin of a CF card utilizing my laptop, then pop the CF card into the CE gadget.
• If the bit is configured to make use of a serial console, then link your tool to a serial port on another computer, pull up your serial terminal software program (I utilize minicom on Linux), and also established it to 9600 baud.
• Pause, think carefully, “Do I mind if I wipe out this tool’s memory?”, due to the fact that the next step is the one that practically for certain will certainly erase all of your gadget’s memory.
• Introduce the boot loader (see listed below for pointers on that particular). It will most likely instantly boot after a few secs if you are using CyaCE. If you are making use of an additional boot loader, you could need to fill in some spaces as well as strike “Boot”.

Changing the Boot Loader Settings.

You might need to readjust the boot loader setups. The best ways to do this depends on the bootloader you are using.

Adjusting CyaCE for Ramdisk Root.

For ramdisk root, you should modify the cyacecfg.txt data to tell the bit to get the root from the/ dev/ram0 device. Adjust your cyacecfg.txt data to look something similar to this:.

• image= vmlinux.
• label= linux.
• append= origin=/ dev/ram0.

Note: earlier kernels really did not need this, but newer kernels do. Those very early kernels brokenly always installed/ dev/ram as genuine origin when initrd was set up, whereas the more recent bits do not.

Releasing the Boot Loader.

This could be a little hard, particularly if you have a Palm-size PC. Below are some choices:.

• You could merely navigate to the boot loader and also double-click on it if you have an H/PC.
• You may be able to obtain a “run” dialog ahead up despite the fact that it doesn’t appear on the Start menu (see below).
• Some Casios have a method to obtain them to auto-boot (see listed below).
• You could require to add the boot loader to the Start food selection if none of those choices job.

Start Menu Run Dialog.

Why exists no Run choice on the Windows CE P/PC Start food selection? I can’t answer that concern, yet despite the fact that it doesn’t show up on the Start food selection, you still may be able to obtain a Run dialog up on your tool. Attempt this exactly as defined:.

• Bring up the on-screen keyboard.
• Click Start twice (the Start menu appears after that disappears). Don’t double-click it – simply click it as soon as, let it open, then click it once again and also let it close.
• Type run23 on the on-screen keyboard.
• Once it comes up, you might, as an example, key in “\ storage card \ cyace” (consisting of the quotes) to launch CyaCE from your storage space card.

( By the way, for some factor the Clio names the storage card “\ Storage Card” – with an area at the end. I wonder if the brand-new Clio will be “backward compatible”?

If you can not obtain it to work, try resetting your device after that trying again.

Auto-Booting on Casios.

Some Casio PsPC equipments (however apparently not the E-10) will automatically run \ CE \ R4100 \ AutoRun.exe on a CF card when the CF card is put.

To benefit from this attribute, relabel your boot loader to AutoRun.exe and also placed it in \ CE \ R4100 \ on your CF card.

Including the Boot Loader to the Start Menu.

Here is a means to include the boot loader and also bit documents to the start menu (based upon contribution by Greg Haerr). It requires the use of Windows CE Servces.

• Open Up Mobile Devices on the PC.
• In Mobile Devices, open up the folder for your tool.
• Open the “Windows” folder.
• Open Up “Start Menu”.
• Drag cyace.exe, cyacecfg.txt, as well as vmlinux in.
• Click on the Start food selection on the device.
• Click on cyace.

Adjusting Memory Settings.

If you obtain a “cannot allocate load” error from the boot loader, you could need to change your CE memory setups in order to offer the boot loader more area to pack the kernel. Go to Start, Settings, System, Memory, and also set the slider for minimal storage memory as well as maximum program memory.

Tip on Using the Serial Console.

This tip is only useful to people utilizing old variations of CyaCE or pbsdboot. The more recent variations of both of those programs have a function that makes this tip obsolete.

If you are booting a bit set up for serial console, as well as you are not getting any kind of outcome on the serial port when you boot the bit, try booting it while COMPUTER Link is running. Some systems power down the serial transceiver wiring via a GPIO when it’s not in use to conserve power. Having PC Link running while you are starting the bit leaves the serial transceiver wiring turned on for Linux to make use of.