iPAQ H3600 Linux Update Instructions -
v0.19
WARNINGS:
If this installation fails then your iPAQ could become (temporarily)
unusable.
This version is very unlikely to result in an installation failure. We
are trying very hard to make this procedure bullet proof, and we think
we're there with the boot loader. The boot loader can not be overwritten
by accident; it does an end to end checksum before writing flash, and
short of losing power during the actual writing of flash memory, an
unlikely scenario, is believed bullet proof. Some additionial bug is
certainly possible, but we think it is unlikely. If you have not
upgraded your boot load to version 2.9.5or later, please do so
immediately.
Compaq Research will ensure that you do not permanently turn your
iPAQ into a paperweight, but it is very inconvenient
for all of us if we have to fix a unit that was rendered nonbooting by a
failed installation (or WinCE restoration).
Windows CE Restoration
If you save an image of your Windows CE software as described in the WinCE
restoration instructions then you will be able to restore it again
after installing Linux.
The restoration process is not simple. It is error-prone. Be
extremely careful. But it is available. We will help anyone who has
trouble with it.
We are working on an improved process, but it is not ready yet.
WinCE has been successfully restored by many people on many different
iPAQs. The current status of the save / restoration of WinCE is available
at http://www.handhelds.org/projects/wincerestoration.html.
Errata
Requirements:
Installation:
- Plug your iPAQ into the serial port of your Windows machine using a
serial cable.
- Run your terminal emulator on whatever machine can talk to your serial
port with the settings of: 115200 8N1 (115200 baud, 8 bits, No Parity, 1
stop bit) and Flow control: 'None'.
- While booting the iPAQ, in your terminal emulator, hit the space
key on your keyboard on your machine: you should see a
'boot>' prompt. You can type 'help' at the
bootloader at the 'boot>' prompt to get a list of
commands.
- This one step is dangerous: do so with the unit under AC power (so
that even if your battery happened to fail that instant, it wouldn't
matter). At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load
bootldr', then start an xmodem download of the file bootldr-0000-2.10.4.
A bootldr
tarball corresponding exactly to these boot loader bits is available.
Note this is a new version of the bootloader, which should work better
with some xmodem implentations and worth updating.
- Your iPAQ will say "verifying ... done.". The loader
program has a simple sanity check in it (it verifies a checksum contained
in the bootldr file) to ensure that only a bootloader can get installed
into flash at the iPAQ's bootloader's address.
- Be paranoid. Make sure the bootldr flash sector is protected:
- qflash 2
- should print 00010001.
- Otherwise, protect the flash sector manually.
- pflash 0 0xffff 1
- At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load
kernel', then start an xmodem download of the file zImage-2.4.0-test11-rmk1-np3-hh2.
When finished with the download, you will see "Erasing, Writing, Verifying
flash" messages. A
kernel tarball corresponding exactly to these kernel bits is
available.
- At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load flash
0x100000', then start an xmodem download of the file init-2-67.cramfs.
This takes approximately 2 minutes. When finished with the download, you
will see "Erasing, Writing, Verifying flash" messages.
- At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load flash
0x200000', then start an xmodem download of the file root-2-56.cramfs.
This takes approximately 5 minutes. When finished with the downlaod, you
will see "Erasing, Writing, Verifying flash" messages.
- At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load flash
0x500000', then start an xmodem download of the file usr-2-60.cramfs.
This takes approximately 10 minutes. When finished with the downlaod, you
will see "Erasing, Writing, Verifying flash" messages.
- At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'set linuxargs
"noinitrd root=/dev/mtdblock4 init=/linuxrc console=ttySA0"'.
- At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'set copy_ramdisk
0x0'
- At the 'boot>' prompt, type ' set baudrate
115200'
- At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'params
save'.
- At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'boot'.
- At the (none) login: prompt, type 'root'
- At the prompt, type 'mkfs -t ext2 /dev/mtdblock6'
- At the prompt, type 'mount /usr/local'. This will allow you to
use /dev/mtdblock6 as /usr/local for persistent storage. Please note that
you may only make one hundred thousand (100,000) writes to a particular
sector of flash.
Congratulations! You should be up and running.
Note: if you need to get back into the boot loader after you have Linux
running, restart the iPAQ and quickly hit the space bar a few times during the
boot process. You can restart the iPAQ with the Linux command shutdown -r
now.
If you have any problems, please post to one of the followig lists:
General problems with setup, installation, user-land software or configuration: ipaq@handhelds.org.
Issues believed to be related to the kernel: linux@handhelds.org.
Thank you.
Modified January 4, 2001 by Jim Gettys.
Please send comments on this document to Tom
Lawler (tom.lawler@compaq.com).