Linux on the Psion 5MX/5MX-PRO HOWTO

DEPRECATED!

This HOWTO is now deprecated. The new 5MX HOWTO is 5MX HOWTO . It is a translation of this howto into a more portable format, and it is undergoing revision and update. A PDF of the HOWTO is available there.

Please update your bookmarks and links accordingly.

The PsiLinux Project, www.psilinux.org

1. Disclaimer

2. Credits

3. Introduction

• 3.1 What Works, Generally
• 3.2 Psion Series 5MX Specifications
• 3.3 A PsiLinux Screenshot

4. How Does It Work?

5. Preparation

6. Copying Files to the Psion and Making Partitions on the Compactflash Disk

• 6.1 Serial Ports, Minicom, and Comms
• 6.2 PLP Tools
• 6.3 Partitioning the Compactflash using initrd
• 6.4 Partitioning, Formatting, and Copying to Compactflash using a Desktop Computer
• 6.5 Using RSH/RCP and PPP Between the Desktop and PsiLinux

7. Compactflash Comments

• Compactflash Benchmarks

8. Booting using ARLO

• 8.1 Installing ARLO
• 8.2 Getting a Kernel
• 8.3 Getting the Kernel Booted from EPOC
• 8.4 Autobooting ARLO from Reset
• 8.5 How Do I Get Back to EPOC?

9. Using your New System

• 9.1 Mounting /proc and Compactflash Partitions
• 9.2 The Keyboard and Setting Keys
• 9.3 Setting the Font
• 9.4 Setting Framebuffer Depth
• 9.5 Pointers and Things that Work
• 9.6 Serial Connections: Wire and Infrared
• 9.7 Setting up PPP
• 9.8 /etc Adjustments
• 9.9 Keeping Time between Reboots
• 9.10 Installing New Packages
• 9.11 Sound Support

10. Installing PicoGUI Windowing

11. Installing X11 Windowing

• 11.1 An X11/Blackbox Window Manager on PsiLinux Screenshot!
• 11.2 Prerequisites
• 11.3 Packages to Install
• 11.4 Configuring the Blackbox Window Manager
  Screen shots of WindowMaker and IceWM window managers.
• 11.5 Mouse Issues
• 11.6 Memory Issues
• 11.7 Keyboard Issues
• 11.8 Useful X applications

12. Rolling your own - Cross Compiling a Kernel for the 5MX

• 12.1 Prerequisites
• 12.1 The Cross Compilation Environment
• 12.2 Compiling a Kernel

13. F.A.Q.

• 13.1 Please see the FAQs on the main PsiLinux page.
• 13.2 Q: Which Psion 5MX model do I need (5MX, 5MX-PRO (24MB), 5MX-PRO (32MB))?
• 13.3 Q: How come after PsiLinux boots up the text is faded so as to be illegible?
• 13.4 Q: My disk gives errors when my psion wakes up from sleep mode, or otherwise?
• 13.5 Q: Can I have a dual boot system (EPOC and linux)?
• 13.6 Q: How come when I turn my psion off for the night, it turns itself back on again?

14. Resources

• 14.1 The PsiLinux Website
• 14.2 Plp Tools
• 14.3 ARLO
• 14.4 Precompiled Kernels
• 14.5 Initial Ramdisks (initrd's)
• 14.6 The Mail List
• 14.7 The Psion PDA Graveyard (sob.)

15. Cleaning up Your Disks, Freeing Up Disk Space

16. Future Plans