Initially started on IRC, Jonimus has suggested that you can get Linux on the Nspire, since it's ARM (Linux supported), and that doing such a thing doesn't require modifying boot1/boot2/OS. Of course, it will modify memory, reset parts of the HW, etc. to get it working, but other than that, it's definitely possible. Run a ndless program, and you're off!

Some other notes:
= Look at Harlet/Lab Boot/uBoot and base the bootloader off them
= Use Angstrom Linux for the distro
= We need to know exact HW specs for Nspire (including memory mappings, LCD controller, etc.), and potentially find a dev board that has similar HW and use software provided with that dev board

So, can we do it?

Edit: Also lets keep this thread about the kernel and bootloader, we can figure out where to put the rootfs later.

EDIT by DJ_O: Appended Jonimus quote so people can see. Members cannot enforce rules about what is discussed in a thread, but I'M adding this so it won't drift away from the main topic too much.

Step 1 and 3 are the big things, we can choose a distro or roll our own once we have something booting.

If we can find a similar board with at least close memory mapping and hardware we will save huge amounts of time and work. Currently afaik non of us know enough to start from scratch so this is where I think we should start.

Edit: Also lets keep this thread about the kernel and bootloader, we can figure out where to put the rootfs later.

Also space concerns on a non issue, busybox easily fits on routers with 2MB's of flash we so we have plenty of space.

Would Linux need to be reinstalled every reboot, since it would not be an entire new OS installed like the real OS 2.1, for example? Or would it do like the 1337sp33k mod by Compu? It would be nice if we could have OS patches that basically overwritten the OS and installed Linux.

It's prob not, considering it's got an existing OS on it

DJ_O that is out of scope of this thread. Once we have a working kernel we can decide those logistics but without the kernel any other speculation of how things will work is pointless.

But in response to your question:
For booting Linux on a Windows Mobile device you can either install linux to replace Windows Mobile or you can use what is called a chain loader to boot Linux from Windows Mobile so that you can still use both, we'd most likely go with this second option.

OK I thought you were making it save space and make an awesome calculator that ran Linux.

-reads more- Now I understand what this is about never mind my above post. this is like the TI-89 loading a PC right?

To clarify this thread should be about getting the Linux kernel booting on the Nspire if you don't know what that means or you are not familiar with the Nspire hardware, ARM devices in general, the linux kernel, or arm bootloaders than this thread is not of interest to you. If you cannot contribute in one of those areas please keep this thread clear of unneeded cruft. Encouragement and questions are good except when they drown out the conversation and content the thread is intended to contain.

Yeah, I'm semi familiar. Maybe a good start would be getting ahold of a good kernel base to start with. The terminal can run off the serial for all I care, really the proof of concept must come first, then we can build from there.

Also, I don't see X11 on the nspire, myself. Maybe a severely cut down version, but not in its current state by any means. Besides, what's the point, when really, all we need is a decent shell to get us from prog to prog, and who knows, if it's slow enough we could get long enough batt. life to run it continuously!