Installing Angstrom on ARCHOS 5 Internet Tablet, while waiting for my pandora :)

[som99]

Well I had nothing to do tonight and after an attempt to get linux running on my xperia play and I bricked it I had to move to my next device (I have unbricked the Xperia play ofc).


So my hands fell on my ARCHOS 5 Internet Tablet (Not to be confused with the Gen6 device named Archos 5 since this is a much faster Gen7 device) I wanted to get rid of Android and get Ångström on it, First I installed the SDE FW and played around with the broken Angstrom on it but then I decided to install the latest Angstrom and atm im still in the process of getting it to work but I can share a few pictures taken during the First steps before this and ill update this thread as I go along

This old piece of junk is scrapped new pics coming soon!

This old piece of junk is scrapped new pics coming soon!

I have great trouble getting the device to boot when I replace the rootfs.img and try to install the latest Ångström, I have not figured the reason yet but I get stuck with the Developer Edition startscreen for a few mins then the device shuts down :/ But im working on it


EDIT: Rebuilding a new rootfs.img now let's see how it goes


EDIT: New rootfs works! Eureaka!


EDIT: Crashed the bloody thing again when trying to add x11/gnome and some other things like drivers, working on a fix.


EDIT: Can't get past Ångström boot atm halts at the last % Ill have to rebuild a new rootfs ^^ and try to figure out what went wrong.


EDIT: Getting tired of writing mount -o loop ^^


EDIT: Getting things sorted out, now I got to make a larger rootfs to have space for what I need Soon gotta go to work so will update tonight


EDIT: Got problems with boot when I exceed 800MB rootfs, working on it, won't make anymore small edit updates until I have pictures and a big update on the progress


EDIT: Pictures are down since UG went down, Don't know why yet.


EDIT: Finally been able to figure out how to let the FW allow the use of larger rootfs images, currently got a working 1,3GB one (opposed tot he original ~300MB one) Now I got space to work with, would post pictures but UG is still down for unknown reasons


EDIT: Current status- Pulling my hair since I can't get wifidriver to work


EDIT: Nearly solved the wifi driver issue (I hope), Im looking for the Pandoras rootfs if anyone could give me a link to the full latest one


EDIT: Busted the touch drivers (and some other) when updating to a new kernal, Working on fixing the issue.


EDIT: New kernel works now with the driver issues fixed and XFCE somwhat working (Minor issues) So a screenshot from the device will soon come. Current rootfs size approx 2,2GB.


EDIT: Most recent screen dump from the device.

Tho the device screenshot went like that the real image i can see on the device is not as good since all fonts are invisible and all borders are black, I have not figured out what the problem is yet.


Edit: Been a bit slow, I got problems with matchbox/XFCE and some drivers, if someone here could help me a bit with some kernel issues give me a PM.

 

[Darkknight512]

Thats pretty cool, hows the performance? I beleive it is the same core as the Pandora?

 

[som99]

It runs super smoth!


It's a OMAP 3430 @ 800MHz


RAM: 256MB


Screen: 4,8" @ 800x480


GFX: PowerVR SGW530


So quite similliar to the Pandoras hardware

 

[amyren]

I noticed there is a video on youtube which looks like the same device that you have, running angstrom.


http://youtu.be/wkP_Pw1K3IY


Does it run aprox. like in this video?


The video is in french so its not so easy to follow everything.

 

[som99]

I noticed there is a video on youtube which looks like the same device that you have, running angstrom.


Does it run aprox. like in this video?


The video is in french so its not so easy to follow everything.

My machine runs ALOT faster then that.


He got the standard Archos 5 gen6, it has lower specs then my gen7 device and also uses a Proprietary OS instead of Android as my machine used.


He has just a 600MHz CPU and 128MB ram and no GPU accelerator and he is running an older kernel but he is using the same matchbox.


http://www.umpcporta.../Archos/5/250GB

 

[gruso]

Changed embedded video to a link.


So, do you plan to hack in PND support? Seems the next logical step!

 

[som99]

Changed embedded video to a link.


So, do you plan to hack in PND support? Seems the next logical step!

Thanks.


That's exactly my plan Tho atm I got problems when I exceed 800MB rootfs, I do not know why yet but im working on it, I have quite a few things like wlan gui etc I got to have


Edit: Well ive broken something, can't get the device to boot after FW even with my old rootfs images, so something have gone wrong *sight*... Well ill get back to you all on that when solved. Esolved) Was problems with /boot/

 

[Gekko90]

Can you post the steps that you did??


got my self an 5a IT (8gb) last week (to keep me busy until my wifi trouble pandora arrives)


So i would love to play with a newer angstrom on it.


I do have the sde firmware on it already and also froyo and gingerbread.

 

[som99]

Can you post the steps that you did??


got my self an 5a IT (8gb) last week (to keep me busy until my wifi trouble pandora arrives)


So i would love to play with a newer angstrom on it.


I do have the sde firmware on it already and also froyo and gingerbread.

Easier said then done, ive built mabe 30-40 new rootfs images and it's a work in progress, nothing that can be retraced easily.


But the first thing you have to do is to make a new rootfs image that is atleast 800MB in size and just format it in ext2, then compile a new kernel then add everything you want in your build including drivers. So scrap the entire ångström rootfs you got now and build a new one on a linux machine on a new loop mounted rootfs.


Then if you run into trouble just post here and ill help you


Edit: It's no easy task if you ain't got any experience with this sort of work before tho.

 

[Phelsumania]

ive been considering this for a while now but my archos has 450gb of films and music on it that still needs backing up first. i would be devostated if i bricked it and lost all that data