Hacking SCDS1 and DSLinux

[Kingwad]

I know that when it was first released, The DSONE could not run DSLinux. I was wondering if this is still an issue with the newer firmwares, cause I've found some dang good prices for it!

 

[754boy]

Works just fine with it now

 

[DanTheManMS]

Works just fine with it nowÂ

The reports I've heard is that mostly everything works except the Retawq and Links browsers, even when using additional slot-2 RAM.

 

[Kingwad]

All I need is wnc (and networking), ssh, and scp to work.

 

[DanTheManMS]

The guy at SCDev who was testing this stated that wireless networking and ssh worked for him. Not sure about scp though, sorry.

 

[Kingwad]

Great!

scp is just the cp copy command through ssh so you can copy to/from a remote server.If ssh works, so will scp (cause DSL uses dropbear ssh, so it's really the same executable)

 

[DanTheManMS]

Gotcha. I actually recently setup inetd in DSLinux to try out the new Samba networking support, and I know that at least Samba and ftpd work fine connecting to my (Windows) computer. It's the same process you'll need to use to get SSH working if I remember correctly. Just make sure to read the DSLinux wiki's article on Using DSLinux, scrolling down to the wireless networking section.

There apparently were some changes sonny_jim made that screwed up DSLinux booting on the SCDS and other slot-1 devices, though he's found the problem and the fixes should be appearing on Kineox's page soon.

 

[cutterjohn]

That would be me that reported links and retawq fail to run when dslinux is launched from a SCDS1 SDHC running either OS3.0 SP1 OR SP2. 11/22/07 and 12/14/07 dslinux builds. The same ds linux installs work perfectly when run from my Cyclo DS Evolution, although it doesn't matter ATM as I'm awaiting a replacement Evolution which should be here any day now... I'm, also, waiting for a newer build to try it again as I doubt that the other December build will have fixed this... I've seen no one else try this to report whether or not retawq/links work for them with the SCDS1 SDHC, so if you get the SCDS1 try them out and let us know.)

ssh seemed to work, although I did NOT test it extensively, i.e. made a connection to one of my local servers putzed around a minute or so then logged out. [EDIT] The DS hardware seems to bandwidth limit wireless bandwidth to around 20KB/s which is pretty useless IMO for any kind of large file transfers, which is why I didn't bother to extensively test that feature, along with FTP. MUCH quicker IMO to load the uSD into a USB adapter and copy files that way, and only use scp/FTP/etc. as a last ditch option when a uSD adapter is not available, then again I'd also not expect to have my AC adapter either which would mean a race between the battery being drained and/or having enough power left to run for a useful period of time after the file transfer. Wireless is a power pig... [/EDIT]

 

[cutterjohn]

OK guys, just tested out an SCDS1 SDHC with OS 3.0 SP2 and the 1/23/08 dslinux-dldi build. Links and retawq are now running correctly.

[EDIT]
Small update:
dslinuxm.nds fails to load, hangs at the now loading... dialog

dslinux.nds loads and boots normally...
[/EDIT]

[EDIT2]
I suppose that I should also note:
Toshiba 2GB uSD, should be same spec as the kingston I was testing with earlier

Latest official ndspatch.dat
Latest jmr version of ndsinfo.dat
[/EDIT2]

 

[Kingwad]

Good news then. I was using DSLinux on my old R4 to code and compile on a remote machine, then scp the compiled nds file down to my card to run it. Worked like a charm, but I started to want some more "feature candy" to play with. I'm just waiting for the mail to bring me my Supercard (and my JP Kingston 2G)

dslinuxm fails to load, eh? Well, from my understanding that just loads some of the gui stuff into main memory on startup. I don't use it, so I don't need DSLinuxm anyway.

 

[cutterjohn]

Good news then. I was using DSLinux on my old R4 to code and compile on a remote machine, then scp the compiled nds file down to my card to run it. Worked like a charm, but I started to want some more "feature candy" to play with. I'm just waiting for the mail to bring me my Supercard (and my JP Kingston 2G)

dslinuxm fails to load, eh? Well, from my understanding that just loads some of the gui stuff into main memory on startup. I don't use it, so I don't need DSLinuxm anyway.

Yeah caches stuff for Pixil and madplay. Pixil was mostly broken the last time that I tried it anyways, and I never use madplay, so it's not much of a loss for me.

Never did get a chance to test ssh myself, and I see that there must be a new build from 1/27/08. Just downloading it now.

 

[cutterjohn]

Hell, just going to do another new post since it's been so long since I had an update:

OK, I loaded up the 1/27/08 build this morning since Sonny Jim @ dslinux.org forums enquired about that build and found:
(same tech info as above, so I'm not going to bother repeating other than it's all the latest stuff from the SC side plus jmr's ndsinfo)

the good:
dslinux.nds and dslinuxm.nds now both boot.

the bad:
wnc freezes in both at the point at which I believe it would try to clear the screen, just like was happening with the browsers in earlier pre-1/23/07 builds.

the ugly:
links behaves exactly as it did with the earlier builds, freezes like wnc, at the point at which I believe that it would be trying to clear the screen.

I didn't try configuring networking manually and testing ssh, as for me, there was little point in doing so. I've gone back to the 1/23/07 build in which wnc works, links works, and at least dslinux.nds boots.

 

[cutterjohn]

Since other people were interested, I have an update:
Tried another new build, the 2/2/08 build which, unfortunately is just as broken as the 1/27/08 build.

As it stands right now, the best build for SCDS1 that I've tried from mid-November 2007 - 2/2/08 would be the 1/23/08, but make sure to run dslinux.nds as dslinuxm.nds will FAIL to boot. dslinux.nds WILL boot AND allow you to bring up the networking, browsers, ssh, etc.

Sonny Jim one of the dslinux developers seems to be getting a little frustrated with the lack of SC support though...