Success: MicroSDCard boots Devuan on Jornada 720

Thanks, although its more about having had lots of practice, as I do this sort of thing for a living. I only wish I had more time for my own projects (like jornada and psion).

I would definitely be interested in getting a microsd card with this setup. If you get around doing it, count me in. Stefan's site has been down for a few days now and I cannot get my hands on the required downloads. Thank you in advance!

Great work Joval, I might give this a go myself!

Although if you are going to do a run of SD cards then count me in!

@_dev-null

If you are having hosting problems, please do make use of the HPC:Factor GitHub for things. You should have full access to it?

Hi All!

I took some time off for the Holidays, and a breather from this project...still quite a bit of fine tuning, etc.

For the ethernet set up Wil Haley's site : https://willhaley.com/blog/raspberry-pi-wifi-ethernet-bridge/
has the 2 scripts for the RasPi for a static ethernet ip address... I use the 2nd one on his page. Just copy the code and save in text file named something like ethtowifi.sh on the raspi desktop or documents, then run it in terminal with the sh command. It will assign the ethernet port on the rasPi to 10.1.1.1. and provide dhcp for the J720 ethernet link, in my case now 10.1.1.27.

I may have left out how to configure the /etc/network/interfaces file which is required to set up the J720 for the ethernet pcmcia card (and/or wifi cards). I'm slowly chipping away at documenting all these many details and at some point will add photos. Bit of a slow grind but I'm making progress.

FYI usefull commands in terminal
ip a --gives ip address
df -hT --shows partition info like ext2 or ext4
ssh 10.1.1.1 -X --logs onto RasPi static ethernet ip with x -forwarding
more to follow like how to allow x-forwarding if I haven't already discussed that. Stuff like that.

There's a jungle out there! Best regards and happy hunting!!

Great to see the progress with Devuan and the work Stefan did really did help the cause. If you decide to make the sd card available or even the img image it would be great.

I’ve not revisited this on my own 720 for a while but I intend to do so.

Hmmm...it's still a work in progress...too many hoops to jump through and some reliability issues with some microSDcards and recently microSD adapters. My hope is to make the corrections and create an updated tar.bz file (once I learn how to do that correctly) so the menu fix, the network fix, the vncviewer fix are no longer necessary. Stefan's "new and improved" wiki site is looking good and has the basic files.

I want to learn enough scripting so that the J720 just boots up into the internet browser ready for action... which is a far cry from where things are now, ie.: log in to Devuan with name and password, start the startx program, open up bash terminal, check ip address/ping may need to change to root to start dhclient eth0, exit root, then ssh into RaspPi and provide password, then run vncviewer, then open browser! For sound setup, open terminal on RasPi and run alsamixer, F6, headphones, etc. Really needs simplifying...once you're online it's great and can remain for days if powered, etc.(but it auto-disconnects when it goes into sleep mode--needs a fix to keep awake, etc). Not to mention all the funny key combos needed to change full screen vs window on each layer of above. Not to mention how to simplify saving files so they are viewable on the J720 offline in WinCE mode. We're getting there, I just want it to be much easier for the rest of you.

So, still a work in progress

Joval

Just want to mention the backup battery alert that keeps popping up in WinCe when you permanently remove it (necessary in order to overcome the white screen anomaly when returning to WinCE from Devuan by performing a "hard reset" --followed by restoring your HP backup and resetting date and time).

Anyway, years ago CE Geek posted the attached program which must be installed in the windows folder to fix/eliminate that alert. Battery.cab. When back in WinCe say listening to an audiobook the battery alert can goof up the external button controls, or mess up viewing my datetimeclock display, etc.

Works great...many thanks to the Geekman!

I am confused as to why you've posted this in the Duvian for J720 thread when when the mod is a MUI hack for CE .net EN-US devices?

Let me shed some light: I am using the J720 in what one might call "pseudo" dual boot. After shutting down Devuan it boots back into WinCe but with a white (nearly impossible to read, low contrast) screen after-effect which can only be eliminated by a hard reset. The hard reset requires removing both main and back-up batteries as well as any power cord, then replacing the batterie(s)... which boots up with "normal" (contrast) screen. From there one does a hp restore from backup followed by resetting to proper date and time, all this is necessary since Devuan wipes all WinCe programs, documents, any files in general including date/ time... thus the "pseudo" qualifier

So, the onerous task of removing and replacing the coin cell battery is eliminated in switching between the two OS options by simply removing it altogether (and backing up your WinCe files before booting into Devuan). But when back in WinCE mode/OS, the nagging battery alert pops up if reading a (Devuan downloaded) webpage article or running a clock or listening to an audio book and you lose the use of the start stop etc buttons on the outer case. Soooo, the battery fix takes care of that.

Joval

That cab shouldn't work on a 720 though, the minver is set to CE 4.00

When installing it does say it's incompatible and may not run... just click yes and it installs anyway...but needs to be placed/installed in the Windows directory. It works fine although low backup battery icon remains on taskbar. Make sense??

Joval

Fair enough then

I have added it to the SCL:
https://www.hpcfactor.com/scl/1100/kirkifer/Battery_Warning_Fix/vers...

The enemy of good is perfect.

I'm posting this from Firefox running on the Jornada/RasPi combo/hybrid. It runs well and easily after logging on to the RasPi with ssh -X pi@10.1.1.1 via the ethernet card+tether... although a bit slower...but great for posting. The screen geometry is 640x240 too (unlike the VNCviewer which 640x480 and bugs me with the need to scroll, I've yet to learn configure it smaller 640x240).

Seems to crash if I set up sound.... so needs work there. Today I'm booting from a CF card Ext4 partitioned, NTP time is not auto-updating, and the ethernet card has a "dhclient" issue. I sort of burned out on all the trouble shooting for a while there... but now I'm back and will fix these issues via config files or whatever.

Stefan's New and Improved website looks real good.... even has access to the 4.x kernal! A big "Thank you" to Stefan for all his work and continuing effort...and willingness to share!!

Let me get these kinks ironed out and I may just give a few working microSDcards away in return for a small voluntary donation of your choice to HPC:Factor (if that is OK with the powers to be).

joval

Posted on my Jornada/ethernet/Devian/RasPi via Firefox.

OK, I'm back here now on my Jornada/Devuan/ethernet/RasPi set up.

Now I'm running Devuan from a microSDCard (32Gb) with Ext2 partition...part of my "pseudo Dual boot" arrangement.

I'm logging on via VNCviewer instead of Firefox which requires a couple of extra steps... but gives you the full RasPi desktop
to run any application you want, whereas Firefox is only a browser.

Ntp automatic time and date are working fine on this card, as is the auto ethernet/network. The network interfaces file just needed configuration, and from there Ntp was easily installed. All this was done some time ago...but I set this microSDcard aside to work on/ create some extra copies, ran into numerous glitches, forgot about including config files on the newer copies...basically ran around in circles troubleshooting those. I just rediscovered this one and am happy to have everything working.

Stefan's Devuan files are truly a treasure, however, there's so much extra configuring to get online with the RasPi (which needs some configuration itself such as the static ethernet port setup).
For example, automatic Time/Date update is really a blessing to have...it requires the ntp install and a rather exotic TimeZone setup, too. MC is a great file manger to have installed on the J720 Devuan, too

If this microSDcard based Devuan works out as robust...and I can learn to make accurrate copies for others... then it's a done deal to get others online with a J720 via ethernet pcmcia card. Not perfect, yet good enough.

I would like to keep the ethernet card on continuously since now it disconnects when Devuan goes into standby/sleep? if left unattended for a while. That way, as long as plugged into power it will have a "pseudo-instant-on" feature, yet save the display backlight... just a matter of learning how to configure that.

Also, netware's vncviewer speedy workaround ( which lacks sound) bypassing X-forwarding isn't easy to impliment on the RasPi as it stands. So videos are a bit choppy and in general, the display image is a bit fuzzy due to compression losses. I have it working with sound and faster speed using some of his ideas and mine... but it requires quite a few tricks and steps that I want to simplify.

Because there is no mouse right-click, setting up the RasPi sound output to speaker jack requires use of terminal to run alsamixer, then the J720 "F6" equivalent key (top row calender key). So there's a clue for you.

Once it's up and running though it's so nice sitting in an easy chair, listening to a music/video or audio book and posting on the HPCFactor or elsewhere cruising the net.

Give me some feedback if this sounds adequate to any of you. I can perfect things later. Then, if C:Amie approves the idea of a reasonable donation to the HPC:Factor (assuming shipping/mailing costs are minor or can be covered/shared). Bear in mind you will have to purchase a full sized SDcard to CFcard adapter,some of which I have found defective (do not buy the microSDcard type adapter IMO)... and I can make no guarantee of reliability or functionality of the cards. Backup files will be included either on the Fat partition of the card or maybe on an accompanying CD ROM.

And a special thanks to Stefan (Dev_Null) for making this all possible and giving his permission to distribute his Devuan OS / J720 port!

joval (from my J720/Devuan/RasPi)

Edited by joval 2021-05-08 10:32 PM