Easy Devuan J720 install from disk image!!

Timo: I just checked and verified the 4Gb image from the sugarsync site ... I'm posting this now by running that very Devuan image...on a 4Gb SanDisk Utra II CF card.... so all is good with that one. Funny, usually I make the FAT32 partition at least 2GB but instead went with approx 900Mb on that image. You can shrink the Linux partition with Gparted and increase the FAT32 ext2 partition... or I can post an older image which lacks the autostart of Jornada-config but is around 2Gb.

I favor 50:50 Fat32:Linux partition sizes up until 15GB Fat32 max as I mentioned above so WinCE and Devuan can share the partition/files and store WinCE backup for "pseudo-dual boot". IMO above 15Gb the FAT32 partition starts showing incorrect partition sizes in WinCE mode.

I will check the 32Gb image in the near future and verifiy it. Be sure to check the params.txt file and set correct mem=size, 32 or 64, or 128 (128 requires a different bootloader)
I will check and verify... hopefully soon. Also, set root delay to at least 2 seconds (64Mb ROM) up to 5 seconds(128 ROM) with CF cards or you may get "kernel panic" error.

Lastly, I haven't checked the images hosted in the repository.hpcfactor.com site but assume(pray ) they are faithful copies!

joval... posted from J720/4GbDevuanImage/WPAwifi/RasPi4/VNC Hybrid HPC

The 32Gb image is defective so I suggest you delete it until I have fixed the issue. Thanks.

Joval

ADDENDUM: a new 32Gb image will be uploaded soon

Edited by joval 2022-02-27 6:43 AM

Timo:

OK I am hosting a new 31GB disk image which works (at least before zip compressing it and uploading it... I will verify that aspect later). Find it here: https://app.sugarsync.com/iris/wf/D4898663_09915533_66697

The FAT32 partition is about 13GB on the image, with Linux about 15.5GB, and I left 1Gb unallocated because some CF or SD cards vary in size by that much. If you want the Tar.bz2 for the rootfs I can provide it ~400Mb size, PM me if so.

It automatically boots up into IceWM desktop and opens a window with Jornada-config running, another tiny battery power window, and a Terminal window. As you know you can reset the login to require password, or console only vs full featured Icewm desktop via your Jornada-config program/window options. Buttons are not set up. Need help with sound, MOC gives errors, and didn't automate sound driver install.

Feedback on how it runs or if it's not working appreciated. It's sluggish on a J720 but gets the job done, runs quite well on the J728/64Mb Rom.

If everything is working properly, I believe C:Amie will update the repository site as well. I might re-do the 4Gb image splitting it into 1.8Gb Fat32 and 2.0Linux GB partitions... again, I need some feedback and any fixes for above mentioned issues. Thanks in advance. Screenshots to follow and a re-write on the ReadMe.txt.

Joval



Edited by joval 2022-02-28 6:11 AM

Hello,

Finally I could use linux, but there is not other keymaps than english or german, and something strange happend afterwards I power off linux, the screen goes all white and brightness controls do not work properly.

Unfortunately, every time you shutdown after running linux, you have to remove the battery and backup battery. Wait about 5 minutes, then reinstall backup battery and battery, then power on 720. Then you will see the HP logo and then you can go through the setup routine.....display calibration, etc....

The only way around this would be to have a special ROM board....but they are not available.

Best,

Mark

Thanks Mark... IMO, more like 5 seconds rather than 5 minutes will reset the screen if you permanently remove the backup battery... in most cases.







Hi blauhut...

I assume the Devuan disk image worked for you, right?

Yes, the keymaps need improvement, even the English keymap included has missing keys. Quite easy to install if someone creates them. Karpour and Mark and others have worked on them and are more knowledgeable. There is a workaround for the "right mouse click" too.(involves using xmodtool as I recall). The Main Menu needs work also. But these things are just icing on the cake... compared to how far we've come in simplifying the Devuan-Linux install and features!

I suggest you discard the backup battery and install the "battery.cab" (in the Jornada 720 "Windows folder" to avoid the battery alert driving you nuts... always save document files to the SD card and be sure to make HPBackup of your WinCE configuration BEFORE booting into Devuan-Linux. Then the backup battery change-out isn't really needed.

My "theory" is Devuan-Linux runs within a WinCE "pseudo-shell" The white screen is due to the WinCE "TSR" (terminate and stay resident ) "shell" program gets partly overwritten by Devuan-Linux, so a "hard reset" removing the batteries is necessary to reinstall the TSR correctly. Maybe there is some way to reload the TSR from a command, rather than via the "hard reset" ... but that's way beyond my job description and pay grade!

regards,

Joval



Edited by joval 2022-03-03 2:17 AM

Joval,

I have updated repository as requested. Can I suggest including versioning the files so that people known when they need to update, even if it is just version 0.9 build #### and you just increase the build counter when you rebuild or 0.9.20220228 using the ISO date.

blauhut, Joval is referring to https://www.hpcfactor.com/scl/1100/kirkifer/Battery_Warning_Fix/vers...

C:Amie:

OK, I just checked the repository.hpcfactor.com site ==>You might want to include the 4Gb image file as well for those with smaller CF cards. That image works fine and did not need an upgrade, the 32Gb image was faulty but that has been remedied in the new 32Gb image you updated.

Presently the image name reveals the content: D7 = Stefan's port of Devuan for Jornada 7xx, 32 Gb indicates image size of CF or SD card to use, AUTO==> means Automatically boots into desktop (manual log in and password not required), Ice ==> uses Ice window manager "desktop" GUI, Jc or Jconf means image includes Timo's handy Jornada-config utility, Zr or Zram ==> image includes Zram memory compression, Sd or Snd indicates includes Timo's sound driver. Thus," D7_32Gb_ AutoJcZrSd.zip"

Further changes will include versioning... probably just the version date.... but I am pretty much at the end of the trail on new upgrades... everything works well "enough" and can certainly get others started to make their own changes and updates, keyboards, menus, etc., if desired. I learned a lot of Devuan/Linux in the process too. I intend to consolidate all the ReadMe.txt files eventually.

I will be ending my sugarsync hosting of Devuan disk images soon, so all future downloads will have to be from HPCFactor at the repository.hpcfactor.com. Enjoy.

Thanks,

Joval

Edited by joval 2022-03-10 7:51 AM

You told me to delete it lol

........................................................ Hi C:Amie! ........................................ "sorry about that Chief" .......I guess I didn't clarify, I meant to say delete the defective 32Gb image ( D7_32Gb_yadayyada) ......as the 4Gb (D7_4Gb_etc,etc) image was working OK (just that Timo wanted a larger Fat32 partition). Give me a few days and I will create a new one more to Timo's liking ......and maybe also revise/consolidate the 3 ReadMe.txt files.... then you can update the repository. ................................................... joval on J720/WinCE +WRP/open-wifi to WPA2 via built in ESP8266/PIE4

Addendum: meant 32Gb image, not 15Gb as posted earlier... now corrected to 32 (image is actually 31Gb for 32Gb CF/SD card.

Edited by joval 2022-03-12 1:23 PM

Hi All!

I put aside Devuan/Linux on the J720 for awhile working on WinCE/WRP proxy and the LED backlight upgrade... so here I am returning to Devuan, and I am so pleased with how wonderfully it is working on the J720 with VNCviewer running from RasPi4!!

Seems that RasPi had a major software upgrade/update which has really improved the VNC speed when using the RasPi Desktop google chrome to surf the net and watching Youtube videos... such as Network Chuck's Bash scripting tutorials. Firefox however is running quite poorly... major DNS issues.

Amazed to see full screen video working so well... just a little choppy but overall very impressive! The bright LED backlight really makes a huge difference as well. I highly recommend J720/Devuan/WPA/RasPi4/VNCviewer/Chrome combo with bluetooth speaker for sound.

I've had over 300 downloads (estimate 30%-50% are redundant/updates) of the Devuan disk image so I know at least more than a few of you may have given it a test run. It is now being hosted here on the HPCFactor.

I can hardly find any low cost Jornada720's on ebay lately and even less so WPA capable wifi cards (MA401, WPC11 ver 3 or less...don't get ver4 cardbus won't work)... so some of you may be the culprits... not the supply chain.

The IceWM desktop looks super on the 31Gb image which auto logins... ie boots into the desktop with Jornada-config window showing!

There can be some wifi card issues... not being recognized but there is a workaround such as deleting with "sudo rm -r /etc/udev/rules.d/70persistent*" and eject and insert wifi card, and another is to stop and restart connman with "sudo /etc/init.d/connman restart." Check wifi status with "ip a " command. (Remember: Home router must be set to WPA/WPA2). Then run Jornada-config wifi setup if needed.

Definitely my preferred way to post here on the HPCFactor, and the disk images work incredibly well with the stock J720 with only 32MB ROM... a little slow
until you get the RasPii/VNC connection going... then it really takes off on a speedy flight on the web... as I'm doing here now! Stock J720 works!!

Anyway, enjoy!

joval via his snappy J720/ Devuan/WPA/ SSH/RasPi4 /VNCdesktop/ Chrome hybrid HPC




Edited by joval 2022-04-15 5:02 PM

Back on my J720

Is there a new link to download the updated image? Also I am trying to use wifi card but I am not sure if the distro has the right driver for it. the WinCE side recognize it no problem, but on the linux side I just get the notification message that the system see the PCMCIA card, but no lights are on.

Ordered a LAN wired card, hoping that it will work better than the wifi card; I don't really need to be online except when I grab packages or libraries in the end Glad to see this Linux project still going, you guys rock!

It's https://www.hpcfactor.com/downloads/1942/Devuan_D7_Images/version_20...

It's https://www.hpcfactor.com/downloads/1942/Devuan_D7_Images/version_20...

Thanks!

Looks like the 32 GB image is broken; I get an error of archive end of file not correct when I open it. The 4 GB open no problem.

If I have a larger card than 4 GB, can I still flash it with the 4 GB image?