Gentoo Forums
Gentoo Forums
Gentoo Forums
Quick Search: in
Gentoo on Nintendo DS?
View unanswered posts
View posts from last 24 hours

 
Reply to topic    Gentoo Forums Forum Index Gentoo on Alternative Architectures
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
TheChuckster
Tux's lil' helper
Tux's lil' helper


Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Posts: 91

PostPosted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 8:16 pm    Post subject: Gentoo on Nintendo DS? Reply with quote

Personally, I think that the Nintendo DS portable gaming system is extremely viable as a Linux PDA. It's $150 price tag is an unbelievable deal for a PDA in general considering its dual backlit LCD screens, its touch screen on the bottom (keyboard anyone?), its 802.11 wireless, its microphone/stereo speakers, its real-time clock, its IO ports, its ARM 5 and 7 CPUs (SMP kernel -- Linux runs on ARM processors), and its long battery life.

I would like to see developers to take interest in porting Familiar, a handheld Linux distro, or a handheld Gentoo Linux to the Nintendo DS. Once how to run arbitrary executable code on the DS is figured out (flash cartridge?), writing a boot loader and drivers for the hardware components is all it will take. I commend any hackers up to the challenge.


Last edited by TheChuckster on Mon Nov 22, 2004 10:33 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
TheChuckster
Tux's lil' helper
Tux's lil' helper


Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Posts: 91

PostPosted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's a shame that it only has 4 MB of RAM and ~70 MhZ processors. Looks like it may not be possible after all.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
GenTimJS
Guru
Guru


Joined: 03 May 2003
Posts: 406
Location: NH, USA

PostPosted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 1:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

possible: likely so ...
desirable: unlikely so ...

lol, same story as linux on motorola 68k (oldworld macs and stuff)
_________________
-Tim Smith
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
TheChuckster
Tux's lil' helper
Tux's lil' helper


Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Posts: 91

PostPosted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 10:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are you kidding me? Who wouldn't love to be able to browse the web, play MP3s, watch movies, run emulators on the best handheld gaming system out there? I can't see how you can compare this to running Linux on an antiquated desktop.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mugget
n00b
n00b


Joined: 05 Mar 2004
Posts: 54
Location: BrisVegas, Australia

PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2004 11:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TheChuckster wrote:
... run emulators on the best handheld gaming system out there?


huh? you want to run an emulator on a specifically built handheld game console? :lol: that's kind of funny to think about... well it would be better be dual-boot, so you can still play the DS games properly. :P
_________________
G'Day mate :D
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Redhatter
Retired Dev
Retired Dev


Joined: 20 Sep 2003
Posts: 548
Location: Brisbane, QLD, Australia

PostPosted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 3:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Might be worth a try... 70MHz might seem slow, but then again, it may be all you really need.

However, the 4MB RAM is going to be a significant problem. I'd suggest sticking CFLAGS=-Os in your make.conf, and linking against uClibc to keep the size of the binaries down, as every byte of RAM is going to be precious.
_________________
Stuart Longland (a.k.a Redhatter, VK4MSL)
I haven't lost my mind - it's backed up on a tape somewhere...

Gentoo/MIPS Cobalt developer, Mozilla herd member.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Kumba
Developer
Developer


Joined: 16 Jul 2002
Posts: 393
Location: Sigma 957

PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2004 12:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gentoo on the DS is a fairy tale right now. In order for that fairy tale to come true, one has to port Linux to the DS by wishing upon a star. Right now, there are several people working diligently upon this "Wishing Upon a Star" bit by building their own spaceships by which to travel to a star to wish upon.

Translated, that means two people specifically, ChaosKnight at dslinux.org and DarkFader are working on an interface between the PC and the DS Cartridges in the hopes of dumping the contents of the games for analysis and understanding the DS boot process.

After this step is completed, there remain many, many, more before Linux will boot on one of these puppies.


--Kumba
_________________
"The past tempts us, the present confuses us, the future frightens us. And our lives slip away, moment by moment, lost in that vast, terrible in-between."
--Emperor Turhan, Centauri Republic
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
chris...
Apprentice
Apprentice


Joined: 26 Sep 2006
Posts: 179
Location: Melbourne, AU

PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 1:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

and now 3 years later
linux does run on the ds console
does gentoo work on it?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
GNUtoo
Veteran
Veteran


Joined: 05 May 2005
Posts: 1919

PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 11:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

it's uclinux not linux...that means that the cpu doesn't have a mmu...so no swap is possible
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
TheChuckster
Tux's lil' helper
Tux's lil' helper


Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Posts: 91

PostPosted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Gentoo on the DS is a fairy tale right now. In order for that fairy tale to come true, one has to port Linux to the DS by wishing upon a star.


I guess I believe in fairy tales now. :D Just noticed this thread today when DS Linux now has wifi, framebuffer console, touchscreen keyboard, and sound. Granted, Gentoo will never run on it, but it's still a huge accomplishment for Malcolm, et al.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Requisition
Tux's lil' helper
Tux's lil' helper


Joined: 29 Apr 2006
Posts: 117

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe something that uses the R4?
_________________
Registered Linux User #417411
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Gentoo Forums Forum Index Gentoo on Alternative Architectures All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum