iPAQ H3600 Linux Installation Instructions - v0.14

WARNINGS:

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

  This procedure has been tested on less than a handful of units. This version is less likely than the previous installation processes to result in an installation failure, as many safety features and bug fixes have been added.

• If you install Linux at this time then you may not return to 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 seven (7) people on seven (7) different iPAQs. The current status of the save / restoration of WinCE is available at http://www.handhelds.org/projects/wincerestoration.html.

• Errata

  Do not use the Tools->Bootldr->Run command. The OSloader program contians an older version of the boot loader program, that could make your iPAQ fail to reboot. This will be fixed in the next OSloader release.

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/v0.14:
  • init-ramdisk-2-38.gz
  • init-ramdisk-2-38.gz.md5sum
  • cramfs-2-38
  • cramfs-2-38.md5sum
  • cramfs-usr-2-38
  • cramfs-usr-2-38.md5sum
  • zImage-2.4.0-test6-rmk5-np2-hh1
  • zImage-2.4.0-test6-rmk5-np2-hh1.md5sum
  • bootldr-0000-2.9.5
  • bootldr-0000-2.9.5.md5sum
  • bootldr-c002-2.9.5
  • bootldr-c002-2.9.5.md5sum
  • OSloader-1.3.0.exe
  • OSloader-1.3.0.exe.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

  WARNING: Some web browser's default download settings is 'ASCII' mode instead of 'binary' mode, this will make the downloaded files corrupt. Please verify the 'md5sum' of any file before using.

Installation:

1. Plug your iPAQ into the serial port of your Windows machine using a serial cable.
2. Configure your iPAQ to use the serial port for ActiveSync.
   • Select settings from the Start Menu (the Microsoft flag icon)
   • Click the Connections tab, and then double-click the PC icon.
   • Ensure the Automatically synchronize when serial cable is connected using is checked.
   • Change USB to 115200 Default.
   • Click OK (top right of the screen).
3. Use the ActiveSync application (the file name is Async.exe) to connect to your iPaq 3600 from you PC.
4. Copy OSloader-1.3.0.exe to your iPaq from your Windows machine. Ignore the "may need to convert" message you will get.
5. Copy the bootldr-c002-2.9.5 file to your iPAQ: it MUST be in the root directory (the root directory is referred to as "My PocketPC"), and MUST be renamed bootldr.
6. On your iPaq H3600, find OSloader-1.3.0 wherever you put it, and then execute OSloader-1.3.0.
7. Select the Tools->Flash->Save to files.... Four (4) files, 4MB each in size will be created. After each file is created, copy the file to your computer, then delete the file from the iPAQ to make room in the WinCE ramdisk for the next file. The current status of the save / restoration of WinCE is available at http://www.handhelds.org/projects/wincerestoration.html.
8. Select the Tools->Bootldr->Run after loading from file menu entry. The iPAQ screen should go blank.
9. On the PC disconnect the ActiveSync application (it is holding onto the serial port you need).
   • On the PC, right click on the ActiveSync logo in the tooltray.
   • Select the Connections Settings.
   • Deselect Allow serial cable or infrared connection to this COM port.
10. You may have trouble getting ActiveSync to free your serial port. You might want to use some more friendly operating system to run minicom or eterm or,...
11. 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'.
12. In your terminal emulator, hit the enter 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. Reboot or power cycle your iPaq H3600: the boot loader should come up. Don't be scared about the message "Corrupt kernel image", because you don't have a kernel installed yet. Whew! You are through the risky part of the procedure.
16. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load kernel', then start an xmodem download of the file zImage-2.4.0-test6-rmk5-np2-hh1. When finished with the download, you will see "Erasing, Writing, Verifying flash" messages. A kernel tarball corresponding exactly to these kernel bits is available.
17. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load ramdisk', then start an xmodem download of the file init-ramdisk-2-38.gz. This takes approximately 4 minutes. When finished with the download, you will see "Erasing, Writing, Verifying flash" messages.
18. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load flash 0x400000', then start an xmodem download of the file cramfs-2-38. This takes approximately 10 minutes. When finished with the downlaod, you will see "Erasing, Writing, Verifying flash" messages.
19. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'load flash 0x800000', then start an xmodem download of the file cramfs-usr-2-38. This takes approximately 20 minutes. When finished with the downlaod, you will see "Erasing, Writing, Verifying flash" messages.
20. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'set linuxargs "initrd root=/dev/flash4 ramdisk_size=8192 console=0"'.
21. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'set copy_ramdisk 0x01'
22. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'params save'.
23. At the 'boot>' prompt, type 'boot'.
24. At the (none) login: prompt, type 'root'

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 linux@handhelds.org. Thank you.

Modified September 8,, 2000 by france@crl.dec.com.

Please send comments on this document to George France (france@crl.dec.com).