[Soc-coordination] Creating a N32 MIPS port for Debian, report, Week 4

[sha liu]

Hi everyone,
    Sorry for not showing up at weekend meeting. I hope you all enjoyed
that:-). First let me summerize what I've been busy with in the last two
weeks and the status of the project.
    *Abstract:*
    1. Make a self-build minimal linux system running on fuloong2f box.
    2. Building binutils, gmp, mpfr under mipsel on fuloong2f. However, it
turns out I use some wrong flags and option when building them
    3. Learn zhangle's(r0bertz) loongson overlay; Learn bash and vim. Learn
stuff about automake, autoconf and libtool.
    4. Play a little with Gdium Liberty 1000.
    5. Applying visa: Make appointment with Spain Consulate on next Tuesday
and asking Anto for invitation letter(still not received).

    *Details:*
1. Last night is the most exiting time since I've been accepted in this
year's GSoC. I've finally built a N32 mipsel system and run it on my
fuloong2f box! Last week, I've talked with zhangle(r0bertz) on how to create
such a system. I could either directly build packages on debian-mips on
fuloong(because I've installed multilib tool-chain on it) or build packages
on a x86 maching using the clfs method. Later, I found this[0] which use the
second method. This's a very detailed guide and due to the fact that
building packages on fuloong2f is relatively slow compared with my laptop, I
choose the second method. The only drawback is this n32 system is not Debian
and thus has no Debian specific features!

2. When I tried to build binutils on fuloong, an error "invalid asm
constraint" happened. Fai point out several links to this problem and
r0bertz gives me the patch in his loongson overlay. This overlay is, from my
point of view, a collection of patches and scripts r0bertz has created when
building gentoo on loongson. But I have little knowledge with gentoo and the
patches in it have few instruction on when or why to use them, so I guess
I'll bother him a lot in future. :-)

3.I've received a Gdium Liberty 1000 netbook[1] a week ago. It has a system
based on mandriva running in it. I play aroud it a little until I failed to
install the pppoe which I use to connect to my ISP. I plan to install debian
on it when I have more time to kill. If you guys are interest in getting a
developer's version of this netbook you can visit[2].

4.The visa stuff is really A BIG HEADACHE for me. The Consulate finally
agree to give me a interview on next Tuesday but Anto still haven't emailed
me the invitation letter. If I still haven't received the letter by
tommorrow, I'll definetly impossible go to debconf9.

    Plans next few weeks:
1. Make the N32 system "more debian".
2. Upload it to ??
3. Building more packages like X
4. Start writing documentation and prepare for mid-term evaluation

[0]http://zdbr.net.cn/download/Loongson64-2.0.htm
[1]http://olph.gdium.com/wiki/doku.php/hardware:start
[2]http://olph.gdium.com/
--
Best,
Sha Liu
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