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Dual Booting the iPaq?

Posted by Cliff on from the and-you-thought-only-PCs-needed-it dept.

dualBootless asks: "I just got an iPaq 3670 on eBay, and I plan to try out the Sierra Wireless Aircard 555 PC-card with it (I am fortunate enough to live in an area supported by Verizon's 144kbit G3 service). Unfortunately, there is not yet Linux support for the 555, so I'll be stuck with WinCE. I would like to play around with Linux too, but re-flashing the rom every few days seems out of the question. Has anyone been able to dual-boot WinCE/Linux on these hand-helds? I'd be willing to put Linux on a compactflash if necessary, and swap the PC-card expansion pack for the compactflash one whenever I want to use Linux."

2 of 9 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I don't think it's possible... by willfe · · Score: 4, Informative

    Not true. The OS lives in the 16MB (or 32MB on newer models) of flash ROM. The iPaq itself is a barebones Strongarm 206MHz CPU with 64MB of RAM, a touch screen and a few buttons for input, an LCD and speaker and LED for output, a serial and USB port, and a bus for expansion devices.

    It'll run whatever you can shove on it and get to run on the Strongarm.

    --
    Read my stuff.
  2. Bootldr - version 2.18.07 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This bootldr has some preleminary support to load the kernel/initrd off the first/second partition of either flash (the rom) compactflash cards (in the slot) or miniIDE like the IBM/toshiba drives.

    Check the messages on familiar with support for the bootldr.. a message was sent last week concerning exactly that ...
    (to get quick installs directly from flash, etc..)

    Have fun dual booting
    (it is not there yet, but they are definitly working really hard to make it easy to use - ie: yopu can use it now, but you need a serial console to start it right...)