相撲外：Running Debian GNU/Linux on HTC Universal

Other Debian GNU/Linux on the HTC Universal tips

Running Debian GNU/Linux on the HTC Universal is simple.

Prepare the SD card for running Debian GNU/Linux: You run Debian GNU/Linux from an SD card. On a Linux PC, insert the card in a card reader and create one ext2 partition on it. Don't use ext3, as the frequent writes to the card will destroy it fast. You can use any size SD card, I'm using a 32GB Kingston card without problems.

I've experimented with different card setups, notably having the first partition as vfat, storing the HaRET and kernel on it, and putting GNU/Linux in the second partition etc, but it resulted in significant card I/O read/write errors, most probably due to starting HaRET off of the card and then accessing another partition on the card. So I advise against such setup. With just one ext2 partition and HaRET on the Universal flash, I experience no such issues.

Therefore, assuming the card is mounted as /dev/sdb on the PC:

# parted -s /dev/sdb mklabel msdos
# parted -s /dev/sdb mkpartfs primary ext2 0 — -1

Download HaRET, the linux kernel, and HaRET initialization file to the Universal.

Following the Installing Debian GNU/Linux on the Universal guide, originally found here, download three files and put them in a directory on the Universal, in main memory.

If your Universal's RAM has been upgraded to 128MB, download: zImage.128mb startup.txt.128mb haret-w.exe Rename startup.txt.128mb to startup.txt.

If your Universal's RAM has not been upgraded, and you only have 64MB, download: zImage.64mb startup.txt.64mb haret-w.exe Rename startup.txt.64mb to startup.txt.

Copy Debian root filesystem to the SD card from a PC. Choose one of the following root filesystems and untar them with tar xjvpf to the root of the SD card from a PC, so that you preserve file permissions.

Available **rootfs**es: Full Debian GNU/Linux Universal rootfs (245MiB), based on the rootfs originally found here, with X set up, mplayer installed, root password root, aptitude full-upgraded as of 2008-05-07.

To run Debian GNU/Linux now, insert the SD card into the phone, start haret-w.exe on the phone, and GNU/Linux will boot. Make sure Wi-Fi is not enabled on the phone prior to starting HaRET, or this will lead to problems in running GNU/Linux.