[IMPORTANT] Ubuntu 9.10(Karmic) and newer versions WON'T work on the sheevaplug

[Raúl Porcel]

Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala is not going to work on the sheevaplug because as of Karmic, Ubuntu builds with ARMv6+VFP instructions(and as of 10.04 with ARMv7 instructions), which the ARMv5TE processor on the sheevaplug can't do.

The 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope version will get ONLY security updates by Ubuntu until 2011 or so However you won't get the latest updates/packages like you'll get with 9.10 and future releases.

A solution is switching to Debian or another distribution.

[tbm]

See the following page for instructions for installing Debian: http://www.cyrius.com/debian/kirkwood/sheevaplug/install.html

[mgillespie]

See the following page for instructions for installing Debian: http://www.cyrius.com/debian/kirkwood/sheevaplug/install.htm

I think you mean:   http://www.cyrius.com/debian/kirkwood/sheevaplug/install.html

There is also an alternative method, which I found to be easier (as I wanted Squeeze on the internal flash):

http://plugcomputer.org/plugforum/index.php?topic=878.0

[mhtsaras]

Hi.
Because the sheevaplug works with Ubuntu 9.04, is it better to have the same version of Ubuntu on my desktop pc (to play with sheevaplug like make it boot from SD memory card or from a usb hard drive or transfer apps from my desktop pc , etc) or it will work fine if I have Ubuntu 9.10 on my desktop pc ?

[DamonHD]

IMHO, for most normal purposes, having slightly different versions is no great shakes.  Usually I have entirely different operating systems on dev (MacOS or WinDoze) and server machines (various Linux on x86 and ARM and Solaris SPARC) for example!

If you are cross-compiling or doing something intricate with the kernel that you need to test elsewhere, then maybe the closeness helps, but I've actually bought a spare plug for that purpose.  An x86 version of the 'same' Ubuntu doesn't help me much validate ARM stuff, eg which Java builds are available and work well/fast enough...

I think that the newer Ubuntu may break the JTAG/serial support however, so for that reason staying with the older Ubuntu may be better.  I'm sure others will correct me here.

Rgds

Damon

[fragfutter]

jtag and serial console has nothing todo with the os installed on the sheevaplug. As long as there is support on the Host computer. And i would be surprised if ubuntu would suddently drop support for the usb driver doing this.

Go ahead update you desktop.

[dcardille]

Is anyone aware of what it would take to continue compiling the Ubuntu releases for the Sheeva processor?

Sychronizing with the source code repository, cross compiling with an auto build package, then setting the sheeva to search the local repository rather than the Canonical servers?

Am I crazy for even thinking about this?

[Kev]

Is it right, that the next ubuntu (lucid - 10.04) won't work on the sheeva/guruplug, too?
Because it will use armv7 instructions. (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ARM)

That mean you shouldn't use ubuntu 9.04 after 2011, because there will be no security updates anymore.
My conclusion is that ubuntu doesn't have any future on the sheeva/guru plugs and will die there.

Is there any hope that ubuntu will support armv5 in the future again?

[restamp]

Probably not, which is why most of the forward looking work is being done on the Debian side.

[kai]

See the following page for instructions for installing Debian: http://www.cyrius.com/debian/kirkwood/sheevaplug/install.html

Thank you - with this instruction it works now.

[littlebigman]

Hello

The "alternative Debian install method" mentionned above was written back in 2009.

Before I go ahead...
1. Will the latest Debian (6.0.6 Squeeze) work reliably on the SheevaPlug?
2. Do those instructions also apply to that release?

Thank you.

[birdman]

1. Will the latest Debian (6.0.6 Squeeze) work reliably on the SheevaPlug?

Yes: I have

Code:

[plug]: grep uk.debian /etc/apt/sources.list
deb ftp://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/ squeeze main contrib non-free
deb ftp://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/ squeeze-updates main contrib non-free

I can't remember how I got it installed, though.  But I do remember that it wasn't all that difficult.