Linux on Linksys PSUS4?

Linux on Linksys PSUS4?

[Andrew Wiley]

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I stumbled onto this website while doing some research on a Linksys
printserver I retired a while back (the firmware kept crashing, but I don't
think it was a hardware problem), and I'm wondering if it would be possible
to install Linux on it. It has an ADM5120P, and the hardware seems to be
supported, but how would I go about installing anything? Is there a serial
port header that I need to use? Would using it equate to soldering a serial
port to it?
Is it even feasible to have a linux system running on 1MB of flash and 4 MB
of RAM?

Andrew Wiley

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Re: Linux on Linksys PSUS4?

[Florian Fainelli]

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Le Tuesday 28 April 2009 13:58:38 Andrew Wiley, vous avez écrit :
> I stumbled onto this website while doing some research on a Linksys
> printserver I retired a while back (the firmware kept crashing, but I don't
> think it was a hardware problem), and I'm wondering if it would be possible
> to install Linux on it. It has an ADM5120P, and the hardware seems to be
> supported, but how would I go about installing anything? Is there a serial
> port header that I need to use? Would using it equate to soldering a serial
> port to it?

Soldering a seria port is not an option if you want to do something serious 
with it.

> Is it even feasible to have a linux system running on 1MB of flash and 4 MB
> of RAM?

That's too small you would need at least 2MB Flash and 8MB RAM.
-- 
Best regards, Florian Fainelli
Email : florian@openwrt.org
http://openwrt.org
-------------------------------

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Re: Linux on Linksys PSUS4?

[Andrew Wiley]

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On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 8:01 AM, Florian Fainelli <florian@openwrt.org>wrote:

> Le Tuesday 28 April 2009 13:58:38 Andrew Wiley, vous avez écrit :
> > I stumbled onto this website while doing some research on a Linksys
> > printserver I retired a while back (the firmware kept crashing, but I
> don't
> > think it was a hardware problem), and I'm wondering if it would be
> possible
> > to install Linux on it. It has an ADM5120P, and the hardware seems to be
> > supported, but how would I go about installing anything? Is there a
> serial
> > port header that I need to use? Would using it equate to soldering a
> serial
> > port to it?
>
> Soldering a seria port is not an option if you want to do something serious
> with it.


Then how would it normally be done? I'm hoping to do this more for the
experience than for the final product, if only because there's a chance that
the reboot problem is hardware related, and the whole box is fairly useless
right now.


>
>
> > Is it even feasible to have a linux system running on 1MB of flash and 4
> MB
> > of RAM?
>
> That's too small you would need at least 2MB Flash and 8MB RAM.


Could 2MB hold a full kernel? If I can compile in the right USB drivers, I
can put the rootfs on a flash drive in the USB port (this is a printserver,
so it has one), right?


Andrew Wiley

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Re: Linux on Linksys PSUS4?

[W.P.]

Użytkownik Andrew Wiley napisał:
> On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 8:01 AM, Florian Fainelli <florian@openwrt.org
> <mailto:florian@openwrt.org>> wrote:
>
>     Le Tuesday 28 April 2009 13:58:38 Andrew Wiley, vous avez écrit :
>     > I stumbled onto this website while doing some research on a Linksys
>     > printserver I retired a while back (the firmware kept crashing,
>     but I don't
>     > think it was a hardware problem), and I'm wondering if it would
>     be possible
>     > to install Linux on it. It has an ADM5120P, and the hardware
>     seems to be
>     > supported, but how would I go about installing anything? Is
>     there a serial
>     > port header that I need to use? Would using it equate to
>     soldering a serial
>     > port to it?
>
>     Soldering a seria port is not an option if you want to do
>     something serious
>     with it.
>
>
> Then how would it normally be done? I'm hoping to do this more for the
> experience than for the final product, if only because there's a
> chance that the reboot problem is hardware related, and the whole box
> is fairly useless right now.
>  
>
>
>
>     > Is it even feasible to have a linux system running on 1MB of
>     flash and 4 MB
>     > of RAM?
>
>     That's too small you would need at least 2MB Flash and 8MB RAM.
>
>
> Could 2MB hold a full kernel? If I can compile in the right USB
> drivers, I can put the rootfs on a flash drive in the USB port (this
> is a printserver, so it has one), right?
>
>
> Andrew Wiley
>
Look for "midge" distribution (midge.vlad.org.ua), especially forum.
Look for "Bifferos" posts, he has "squidge" Linux for 2MB USB print server.

W.P.

Re: Linux on Linksys PSUS4?

[W.P.]

Użytkownik W.P. napisał:
> Użytkownik Andrew Wiley napisał:
>   
>> On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 8:01 AM, Florian Fainelli <florian@openwrt.org
>> <mailto:florian@openwrt.org>> wrote:
>>
>>     Le Tuesday 28 April 2009 13:58:38 Andrew Wiley, vous avez écrit :
>>     > I stumbled onto this website while doing some research on a Linksys
>>     > printserver I retired a while back (the firmware kept crashing,
>>     but I don't
>>     > think it was a hardware problem), and I'm wondering if it would
>>     be possible
>>     > to install Linux on it. It has an ADM5120P, and the hardware
>>     seems to be
>>     > supported, but how would I go about installing anything? Is
>>     there a serial
>>     > port header that I need to use? Would using it equate to
>>     soldering a serial
>>     > port to it?
>>
>>     Soldering a seria port is not an option if you want to do
>>     something serious
>>     with it.
>>
>>
>> Then how would it normally be done? I'm hoping to do this more for the
>> experience than for the final product, if only because there's a
>> chance that the reboot problem is hardware related, and the whole box
>> is fairly useless right now.
>>  
>>
>>
>>
>>     > Is it even feasible to have a linux system running on 1MB of
>>     flash and 4 MB
>>     > of RAM?
>>
>>     That's too small you would need at least 2MB Flash and 8MB RAM.
>>
>>
>> Could 2MB hold a full kernel? If I can compile in the right USB
>> drivers, I can put the rootfs on a flash drive in the USB port (this
>> is a printserver, so it has one), right?
>>
>>
>> Andrew Wiley
>>
>>     
> Look for "midge" distribution (midge.vlad.org.ua), especially forum.
> Look for "Bifferos" posts, he has "squidge" Linux for 2MB USB print server.
>
> W.P.
>
>   
Forgot: squidge has approx 800kB footprint (kernel+drivers, rootfs on
USB stick). You may try to load it on your device. (but don't know if
2.6 kernel will work on 4M RAM).

W.P.

Re: Linux on Linksys PSUS4?

[Andrew Wiley]

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> Forgot: squidge has approx 800kB footprint (kernel+drivers, rootfs on
> USB stick). You may try to load it on your device. (but don't know if
> 2.6 kernel will work on 4M RAM).


I'm not sure how much of a difference there is between hardware that has
this processor. Can I just use the latest version of Squidge, or do I need
to look through kernel settings and recompile it?
Can I just use linksys-tftp to load the Squidge firmware in?

>
>
> W.P.
>
>

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Re: Linux on Linksys PSUS4?

[Andrew Wiley]

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Well, I've got everything I need set up, but now I've hit the problem of
actually flashing it. I was counting on using the normal Linksys tftp
flashing method, but I can't get a tftp response from the printserver. Could
I be missing something there?
Besides that... serial was discarded as impractical and I don't have JTAG
schtuffs (but how hard would it be to do that?).
Oh, and I'm pretty sure flashing it straight through Linksys's web interface
is out of the question.
I may be trying to do the impossible here, but how could/should I procede?

Andrew Wiley

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