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Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:04:01 -0800
From: Andrew Sharp <andy.sharp@onstor.com>
To: andy@netfall.com
Subject: Fw: General info on kernel status for vr4121/MobilePro 780
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Begin forwarded message:

Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:07:48 -0700
From: Ben Hodgens <ben@hodgens.net>
To: linux-mips@linux-mips.org
Subject: General info on kernel status for vr4121/MobilePro 780


I'm attempting build a system around an NEC MobilePro 780, and as there
does not appear to be full support (ie, can't seem to get a kernel to
boot) in either the current 2.4 or 2.6 kernel trees.

Here's what I've found and tried so far:

* The Linux VR project's "latest" kernel, circa 2001 or something like
that - linux-vr-0.1.1.tar.bz2. This does not actually have an option
for the MobilePro 780 in the kernel config, though there is the 770.
* The kernel on http://www.handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/NecMobilePro780.
This one -appears- to be the most complete I've found with regard to
the 780; however, the tree is a 2.3 base (2.3.99 or something like
that, I think), and not only pretty damn old, but I'm having a
difficult time building it with the MIPS Technologies toolchain as a
result. (Nothing I think I won't be able to figure out eventually -
just makefile issues - but I don't want to persue it too much if
there's a better alternative to start with). Additionally, this page
has a binary kernel (and rootfs) which boots, but it doesn't boot with
either a Debian sarge or etch bootstrap-installed rootfs (this is
probably related to devfs, Ithink).
* Both the latest 2.4 and 2.6 kernels don't have explicit support for
the MP. I don't know where to go from here to where I want to go,
though if there's nothing current in the current trees, I figure I'll
learn to port drivers (provided I can figure which is the current
latest support for the MP).

So I'm asking: does anyone know where else I might look? If there is no
current kernel tree which builds, does anyone know where the
current/most up-to-date device support for the MobilePro is kept, or in
which kernel it's in?

Any/all help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Ben Hodgens
ben@hodgens.net

