Full Linux distributions

Full Linux distributions

[Brian Silverman]

I'm looking for advice into what Linux distributions (rootfs) people are 
using for the PowerPC.

Specifically, I'm currently using busybox for my core rootfs, but I'm 
looking for an alternative that will allow me to:
    - easily add new packages
    - is binary compatible with the PPC405. 440, and Freescale 85xx cores.
    - can be large (compared to the usual embedded devices), say in the 
100MB to 1GB range.  It will sit on an SD card.
    - Can be built/maintained under cygwin, and can generate a ext2 
image (e.g. with gen2extfs)

I've been looking at:
    1) rolling my own
    2) Mainstream distributions (e.g. Debian/Ubuntu have lingering 
support from PowerBook days; Gentoo seems like a possibility)
    3) OpenEmbedded (doesn't seem to currently support cygwin)

Anybody have any preferences based on what they've used?

-- 
Brian Silverman
Concept X, LLC

Re: Full Linux distributions

[Leon Woestenberg]

Hello Brian,

On Thu, Jul 3, 2008 at 9:25 PM, Brian Silverman
<bsilverman@conceptxdesign.com> wrote:
> I'm looking for advice into what Linux distributions (rootfs) people are
> using for the PowerPC.
>
> Specifically, I'm currently using busybox for my core rootfs, but I'm
>
buildroot I guess, not busybox (alone).

> looking for an alternative that will allow me to:
>   - easily add new packages

>   - is binary compatible with the PPC405. 440, and Freescale 85xx cores.
>
binary compatible? You mean it can build binaries for those cores?

>   - can be large (compared to the usual embedded devices), say in the 100MB
> to 1GB range.  It will sit on an SD card.
>   - Can be built/maintained under cygwin, and can generate a ext2 image
> (e.g. with gen2extfs)
>
>   3) OpenEmbedded (doesn't seem to currently support cygwin)
>
My preference is to use OpenEmbedded and do so under a Linux host
system (any will do).
As I don't want to be tied to a certain host OS, Emdebian or
Gentoo-Embedded are no-go for me.

I have used tools and rootfs systems like crosstool, buildroot, LFS before.

There is also LTIB by Freescale, tried that?

Regards,
-- 
Leon

Re: Full Linux distributions

[Brian Silverman]

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Thanks for your response...

Leon Woestenberg wrote:
>
>>   - is binary compatible with the PPC405. 440, and Freescale 85xx cores.
>>
>>     
> binary compatible? You mean it can build binaries for those cores?
>   
What I meant (but said poorly) was that it has pre-compiled binaries.  
But its fine if I can build it under cygwin.  And I am thinking that I 
may drop the cygwin requirement, because its painful to do linux builds 
under it.
>   
> My preference is to use OpenEmbedded and do so under a Linux host
> system (any will do).
> As I don't want to be tied to a certain host OS, Emdebian or
> Gentoo-Embedded are no-go for me.
>
> I have used tools and rootfs systems like crosstool, buildroot, LFS before.
>
> There is also LTIB by Freescale, tried that?
>   
I need to look closer at LITB - but I was guessing it didn't have PPC4xx 
support.

Thanks!

-- 
Brian Silverman
Concept X, LLC


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Re: Full Linux distributions

[Daniel Stonier]

On 04/07/2008, Brian Silverman <bsilverman@conceptxdesign.com> wrote:
>
>  Thanks for your response...
>
>  Leon Woestenberg wrote:
>
>  - is binary compatible with the PPC405. 440, and Freescale 85xx cores.
>
>  binary compatible? You mean it can build binaries for those cores?
>
>  What I meant (but said poorly) was that it has pre-compiled binaries.  But
> its fine if I can build it under cygwin.  And I am thinking that I may drop
> the cygwin requirement, because its painful to do linux builds under it.
>
>  My preference is to use OpenEmbedded and do so under a Linux host
> system (any will do).
> As I don't want to be tied to a certain host OS, Emdebian or
> Gentoo-Embedded are no-go for me.
>
> I have used tools and rootfs systems like crosstool, buildroot, LFS before.
>
> There is also LTIB by Freescale, tried that?
>
>  I need to look closer at LITB - but I was guessing it didn't have PPC4xx
> support.
>
>  Thanks!
>  --
> Brian Silverman
> Concept X, LLC

I've been using the ELDK for an amcc440EP ppc board. It's turned out
to be rather convenient, especially when running a networked
environment. The guy who primarily maintains it is very helpful also.

Re: Full Linux distributions

[Detlev Zundel]

Hi Daniel,

> I've been using the ELDK for an amcc440EP ppc board. It's turned out
> to be rather convenient, especially when running a networked
> environment. 

I'm glad to hear that the ELDK is useful.

> The guy who primarily maintains it is very helpful also.

To be honest, the ELDK is maintained by our company.  It has become too
much for a single individual.

We of course invite others from the community to get involved
here. There is a mailinglist[1] to discuss ELDK related topics and all
sources needed to build it are available from our git server[2].

One of the inconveniences preventing likely many attempts to get
involved is our old build system, which ensures excellent distribution
compatibility however.

So one of the first goals I try to invest spare time is to fix the build
process into being runnable on modern distros also.  We just cannot drop
support for the old build environment to be as widely compatible as
possible. 

Cheers
  Detlev

[1] http://lists.denx.de/mailman/listinfo/eldk
[2] http://git.denx.de/

--
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HRB 165235 Munich,  Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-40 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: dzu@denx.de