linux for 486sx

For small embeded unit 486 -sx I need to find some small distro .

All I tried did not work because they are apparently compiled only for the 486dx (FPU missing).

any ideas what should I try

Reply to
Otto Sykora
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Well, for old technology, you could run an old distribution. I can make the InfoMagic Linux Developer's Resource from August 1997 available on a ftp site for you if you like. It contains RedHat 4.2, Debian 1.3.1, Slackware 3.3, and kernel sources 2.0.30 and 2.1.50.

Phil

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Reply to
Phil Carmody

uLinux or LFS?

Greetings, Rene

Reply to
Rene

No problem, simply enable the fpu emulation in your kernel. It does not make things faster, but work. You should use a cross toolchain that only creates softfloat. It will run your programs a litte bit faster, because it does not need an exception on every FPU opcode.

jbe

Reply to
Juergen Beisert

No problem, for you fine, for me yes, have to learn first how to compile kernel at all...;-)

I just realized that most finished distros , also the miniatur once are meanwhile for 486dx minimum.

Reply to
Otto Sykora

ok will have look on those, DSL and similar today all need 486dx minimum so as they are for download :-(

Reply to
Otto Sykora

well yes, but so old is the unit here not. It is brand new, but it is

486sx. But it will need usb support etc, 2.4 kernel had this but 2.6x would be much better in that for example. AFAIK bellow 2.4x there was no usb support at all, so this might be a limit downwards.

the unit is 486sx, 300mhz, 128mb ram, something like PC104, but much cheaper and kind of 'consumer' quality.

Reply to
Otto Sykora

AFAIK, the 2.6 Kernel is configurable to support restricted hardware. But maybe you need to configure and compile it yourself. So either you compile the Kernel on a full featured PC or you use a restricted distribution to boot the 486 and compile compile a 2.6 Kernel.

Debian can be booted from a very minimal Media and will bring up itself completely from the Internet. (It takes some time to do that, but it's fun :). ) I don't know whether this "minimal boot media distribution supports 468 without FPU, but it's quite likely it does. You'll find instructions on the Debian website.

-Michael

Reply to
Michael Schnell

Maybe they enabled the embedded config option (CONFIG_IKCONFIG=y) in their kernels. Read the help of the corresponding menu entry (run "make menuconfig" in your own kernel tree, enter "/", then enter "IKCONFIG" to get an idea where this menu entry is). Extract the config of their kernel as mentioned in the help text and use it as a template in your own kernel tree. Next enable "[ ] Math emulation" (in menu "Processor type and features"), to get a "CONFIG_MATH_EMULATION=y" in your own .config file. Build this kernel, run it and be happy. Hmm, and you should select "Processor family (486)". BTW: You can build this kernel with your host compiler. Kernel's build system will instruct the compiler to only use opcodes the 486 is able to handle (even if your host is a new shiny XYZ-Pentium-Opteron).

jbe

Reply to
Juergen Beisert

Not exactly: They need at least a 486 CPU. But they do not enable the FPU emulation in their kernel, that is why they need a 486dx. It's only the CONFIG_MATH_EMULATION symbol in their kernel configuration that is still 'n'. All you need is "CONFIG_MATH_EMULATION=y".

jbe

Reply to
Juergen Beisert

OK, this is nice info, I am just reading some howtos for kernel compiling, have some 'config' from similar system for compilation from config script, so will try to modify or add this and see if I succeed. Is that correct this way? Add it to the config for compiler and it will be set so?

Well I am so far just a user, kernel etc did not much buther me so far, but now I have to bite myself into it somehow.

Reply to
Otto Sykora

Oh many thanks, will try this.

I think I will now install a debian on one of my normal PC, experiment there and then later try to adapt and install all into the embeded PC when halfway thinking it works.

Reply to
Otto Sykora

Otto Sykora ha scritto, Il 15/08/2009 12:02:

KaeilOS embedded linux supports also Vortex86SX

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happy hacking

-- helix

Reply to
Helix

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