iPaq H3600 Linux Installation Instructions - V0.1

WARNINGS:

• If this installation fails then your iPAQ could become unusable.

  This procedure has been tested on less than a handful of units.

• If you install an Linux at this time then you can not return to WinCE.

  Work is underway to enable you to save your WinCE image before installing an operating system, but at this time implementation is not complete.

Requirements:

• A computer that runs Windows 95/98/2000/NT.
  • Install the ActiveSync application (Async) from the iPAQ H3600 Pocket PC distribution CD that came with your unit onto your Windows system.
  • You will also be using hyperterminal (or other terminal emulator capable of the xmodem protocol, such as minicom on Linux)
• The following files:
  • ftp://ftp.handhelds.org/pub/linux/compaq/ipaq/v0.1/bootldr-c000-2.3
  • ftp://ftp.handhelds.org/pub/linux/compaq/ipaq/v0.1/bootldr-c002-2.3
  • ftp://ftp.handhelds.org/pub/linux/compaq/ipaq/v0.1/cramfs-mini-2-0
  • ftp://ftp.handhelds.org/pub/linux/compaq/ipaq/v0.1/cramfs-usr-2-0
  • ftp://ftp.handhelds.org/pub/linux/compaq/ipaq/v0.1/zImage-2.3.99-pre8-rmk1-np4-hh1
  • ftp://ftp.handhelds.org/pub/linux/compaq/ipaq/v0.1/CEloader.exe
• iPAQ H3600 with a serial cable (USB is NOT supported at this time)

Installation:

1. Plug your iPAQ into the serial port of your Windows machine using a serial cable.
2. Use the ActiveSync application (the file name is Async.exe) to connect to your iPaq 3600..
3. Copy CEloader.exe to your iPaq from your Windows machine. You ignore the "may need to convert" message you will get.
4. Copy the bootldr-c002-2.3 file to your iPAQ: it MUST be in the root directory (the root directory is reffered to as "My PocketPC"), and be MUST be renamed bootldr.
5. On your iPaq H3600, find CEloader wherever you put it, and then excecute CEloader.
6. Select the Tools->Bootldr->Run after loading from file menu entry. The iPAQ screen should go blank.
7. Disconnect the ActiveSync application (it is holding onto the serial port you need).
8. You may have trouble getting ActiveSync to free your serial port. You might want to use some more friendly operating system to run minicom or eterm or,...
9. 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)
10. In your terminal emulator, hit the enter 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.
11. This step is dangerous: make sure you perform it exactly correctly. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load bootldr', then start an xmodem download of the file bootldr-c000-2.3.
12. Your iPAQ will say "verifying ... done.". The loader program has a simple sanity check in it to try to ensure that only a bootloader can get installed into flash at the iPAQ's bootloader's address.
13. Reboot or power cycle your iPaq H3600: the boot loader should come up. Don't be scared about the message "Corrupt kernel image", because you don't have a kernel installed yet. Whew! You are through the risky part of the procedure.
14. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load kernel', then start an xmodem downlaod of the file zImage-2.3.99-pre8-rmk1-np4-hh1. When finished with the download, you will see "Erasing, Writing, Verifying flash" messages. A kernel tarball corresponding exactly to these kernel bits is available.
15. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load usercode', then start an xmodem download of the file cramfs-mini-2-0. This takes approximately 22 minutes. When finished with the download, you will see "Erasing, Writing, Verifying flash" messages.
16. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load flash 0x00800000', then start an xmodem download of the file cramfs-usr-2-0. This takes approximately 22 minutes. When finished with the download, you will see "Erasing, Writing, Verifying flash" messages.
17. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'set linuxargs "noinitrd root=/dev/flash3 ramdisk_size=2048"'.
18. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'params save'.
19. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'boot'.

Congratulations! You should be up and running.

Note: if you need to get back into the boot loader after you have Linux running, reset the iPAQ and quickly hit the space bar a few times.

Please post any questions to [email protected]. Thank you.

Modified May 5, 2000 by [email protected].

Please send comments on this document to George France ([email protected]).