Hack a Day Retro Challenge - Linux on Wyse 3235LE
WYSE WinTerm 3235LE running Debian Linux for the Hackaday Retro challenge - I believe a 2001 system is still somewhat retro. CPU: Geode GX1, 300MHz RAM: 32MB on-board + 256MB SODIMM, SDRAM Flash: 16 MB 100% compatible with HP/Compaq Evo T20 When booting, the onboard Wyse BIOS loads a file from the Flash and runs it. Instead of the original WinCE image, the file contains a modified GRUB 0.97 bootloader and the Linux kernel (2.6.19, there's a typo in the video). The root filesystem is mounted read-only from a ReiserFS USB stick. An init script then loads a more recent kernel (2.6.27.62), skipping the real-mode part, which somehow doesn't work on this board. I decided to use the oldest stable kernel, as I am planning to connect a UVC webcam to this system. The Linux disro I used is Debian 6.0 (squeeze) created with debootstrap. A few files have been modified to make it run read-only (/etc/mtab linked to /proc/self/mounts etc., see http://wiki.debian.org/ReadonlyRoot). apt has an additional source defined for lenny (4.0) packages, so that Xorg 7.1 could be installed. The latest version of X provided with squeeze does not support the GX1 framebuffer natively (xserver-xorg-video-nsc is not present), and VGA emulation with SMM interrupts is extremely slow. Displayed on a 17'' CTX CRT, filmed with a MS LifeCam VX-500, cut with MS Live Movie Maker - sorry for low quality.
WYSE WinTerm 3235LE running Debian Linux for the Hackaday Retro challenge - I believe a 2001 system is still somewhat retro. CPU: Geode GX1, 300MHz RAM: 32MB on-board + 256MB SODIMM, SDRAM Flash: 16 MB 100% compatible with HP/Compaq Evo T20 When booting, the onboard Wyse BIOS loads a file from the Flash and runs it. Instead of the original WinCE image, the file contains a modified GRUB 0.97 bootloader and the Linux kernel (2.6.19, there's a typo in the video). The root filesystem is mounted read-only from a ReiserFS USB stick. An init script then loads a more recent kernel (2.6.27.62), skipping the real-mode part, which somehow doesn't work on this board. I decided to use the oldest stable kernel, as I am planning to connect a UVC webcam to this system. The Linux disro I used is Debian 6.0 (squeeze) created with debootstrap. A few files have been modified to make it run read-only (/etc/mtab linked to /proc/self/mounts etc., see http://wiki.debian.org/ReadonlyRoot). apt has an additional source defined for lenny (4.0) packages, so that Xorg 7.1 could be installed. The latest version of X provided with squeeze does not support the GX1 framebuffer natively (xserver-xorg-video-nsc is not present), and VGA emulation with SMM interrupts is extremely slow. Displayed on a 17'' CTX CRT, filmed with a MS LifeCam VX-500, cut with MS Live Movie Maker - sorry for low quality.