Getting started with Linux on CM-iAM
Contents
Overview
Linux for the CM-iAM/SB-iAM is based on Ubuntu 9.04. The Linux package for CM-iAM includes a ready-to-run NAND flash image, Linux kernel configuration and source code, dedicated repository with graphic drivers, media player and kernel related packages.
Package contents
The CompuLab Linux package for CM-iAM contains the following components:
run-time disk images
- sb-iam.ubuntu-9.04.NAND.img.bz2 - archived image of local NAND disk. Contains fully configured Ubuntu 9.04
kernel
- 2.6.28 kernel sources and configuration file customized by Compulab.
- The kernel is also present as a package in debian repository.
debian repository
- To be consistent with Ubuntu/Debian packaging standards, we created a simple local repository that resides in /opt/compulab/ in the run-time image.
- This repository contains binaries and sources for all the custom packages provided by CompuLab, such as kernel, graphic drivers, libraries, etc. Please read more about working with a repository in Debian Repository HOWTO
scripts
Miscellaneous useful scripts
- image_mount.sh - utility to mount run-time image partitions on a host workstation
- image_creator.sh - utility to create installation and recovery image for bootable USB flash drive. Run this script from scripts directory in the package, sb-iam.ubuntu-9.04.USB.img will be created in the images directory.
Boot from external device
It`s possible to boot not only from the local NAND disk, but also from an external storage device such as a USB flash disk, SATA disk or MMC/SD/SDIO card. At it`s initial state, the local NAND disk is empty and booting from an external device is the only option. Below booting from disk-on-key is described.
- Obtain any Linux workstation and download Linux kernel package for CM-iAM to it.
- Prepare an external storage device, 4GB or more capacity will be enough.
- Connect the USB flash drive to the Linux workstation. We assume here it's recognized as /dev/sdb.
- Run image_creator.sh script from scripts directory in the package, sb-iam.ubuntu-9.04.USB.img will be created in the images directory. You will need to get root permissions for this purpose.
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Currently created sb-iam.ubuntu-9.04.USB.img is nearly identical to sb-iam.ubuntu-9.04.NAND.img. The images differ only in device numbering in /boot/grub/menu.lst and /etc/fstab. Also sb-iam.ubuntu-9.04.USB.img contains archived sb-iam.ubuntu-9.04.NAND.img in /home/user/Desktop/ |
- Extract the USB image directly to the connected USB flash drive using the following command:
dd if=/path/to/compulab/package/images/sb-iam.ubuntu-9.04.USB.img of=/dev/sdb bs=2M
- Insert the USB flash drive into an empty USB slot on the SB-iAM baseboard, ensuring that no other external storage device is connected.
- Power on the SB-iAM. In BIOS, choose your USB flash drive as the first boot device and reboot.
- Welcome to Ubuntu 9.04 for SB-iAM, username: user, password: 111111
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Bootable USB image sb-iam.ubuntu-9.04.USB.img contains a filesystem with 1.2GB empty space. If your storage device is bigger than 4GB - you can easily reformat it with the fdisk and resize2fs utilities to get more empty space. |
Boot from local NAND disk
- Boot from some external device as described above.
- sb-iam.ubuntu-9.04.NAND.img.bz2 image file will appear on the desktop.
- Get root permitions using the su command, root password is "111111".
- Extract the image file directly to the local NAND disk using the following command:
bzip2 -dc /home/user/Desktop/sb-iam.ubuntu-9.04.NAND.img.bz2 | dd of=/dev/sda bs=2M
- Reboot, choose in BIOS, local NAND disk as first boot device, save changes.
- Welcome to Ubuntu 9.04 for SB-iAM, username: user, password: 111111
