iPAQ H3600 Linux Update Instructions - v0.17

WARNINGS:

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

  This version is less likely than the previous installation processes to result in an installation failure. We are trying very hard to make this procedure bullet proof, and we think we're very close with the boot loader. The boot loader can not get over not get overwritten by accident now. Some additionial bug is certainly possible, but we think it is unlikely. If you have not upgraded your boot loader to version 2.9.5, please do so immediatly.

• If you install Linux at this time then you may not be able to restore 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. WinCE has been successfully restored by thirteen (13) people on fifteen (15) different iPAQs. So far we do not know of a restoration failure. The current status of the save / restoration of WinCE is available at http://www.handhelds.org/projects/wincerestoration.html.

• Errata

  • Some web browser's default download settings is 'ASCII' mode instead of 'binary' mode, this will make the downloaded files corrupt. For example, Netscape requires that you hold down the shift key when you click on an item for downloading in 'binary' mode.

    WARNING: Please verify the 'md5sum' of any file before using.

  • Unless you really really know what you are doing, do not mix kernels, ramdisk and cramfs files from different V0.?? releases. Each V's can have different memory mappings.

Requirements:

• A computer that runs Windows 95/98/2000/NT. A few people have installed Linux on the iPAQ using a Linux computer. There are Linux conectivity instructions at http://www.handhelds.org/minihowto/wince-link/index.html and http://www.handhelds.org/pipermail/ipaq/2000-Auguest/000061.html
  • 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 from ftp://ftp.handhelds.org/pub/linux/compaq/ipaq/v0.17:
  • init-2-56.cramfs
  • init-2-56.cramfs.md5sum
  • root-2-49.cramfs
  • root-2-49.cramfs.md5sum
  • usr-2-55.cramfs
  • usr-2-55.cramfs.md5sum
  • zImage-2.4.0-test8-rmk5-np2-hh2
  • zImage-2.4.0-test8-rmk5-np2-hh2.md5sum
  • bootldr-0000-2.9.5
  • bootldr-0000-2.9.5.md5sum

• iPAQ H3600 with a serial cable (USB is NOT supported at this time). For those of you that can not wait for a serial cable, Peter Monta has instructions for a home made cable which invalidates the warrenty on the base station at http://www.handhelds.org/pipermail/ipaq/2000-Auguest/000061.html

Installation:

1. Plug your iPAQ into the serial port of your Windows machine using a serial cable.
2. 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'.
3. 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.
4. 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-0000-2.9.5. A bootldr tarball corresponding exactly to these boot loader bits is available.
5. 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.
6. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load kernel', then start an xmodem download of the file zImage-2.4.0-test8-rmk5-np2-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.
7. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load flash 0x100000', then start an xmodem download of the file init-2-56.cramfs. This takes approximately 2 minutes. When finished with the download, you will see "Erasing, Writing, Verifying flash" messages.
8. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load flash 0x200000', then start an xmodem download of the file root-2-49.cramfs. This takes approximately 5 minutes. When finished with the downlaod, you will see "Erasing, Writing, Verifying flash" messages.
9. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load flash 0x500000', then start an xmodem download of the file usr-2-55.cramfs. This takes approximately 10 minutes. When finished with the downlaod, you will see "Erasing, Writing, Verifying flash" messages.
10. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'set linuxargs "noinitrd root=/dev/flash4 init=/linuxrc console=0"'.
11. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'set copy_ramdisk 0x0'
12. At the 'boot>' prompt, type ' set baudrate 115200'
13. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'params save'.
14. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'boot'.
15. At the (none) login: prompt, type 'root'
16. At the prompt, type 'mkfs -t ext2 /dev/flash6'
17. At the prompt, type 'mount /usr/local'. This will allow you to use /dev/flash6 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.

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

Modified October 30, 2000 by [email protected].

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