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It is also a total PITA to get 'booted' since it comes blank you need to mkfs a sd card. if you have linux on a computer already, this is pretty easy. but what

by ladyada 16y ago

It is also a total PITA to get 'booted' since it comes blank you need to mkfs a sd card. if you have linux on a computer already, this is pretty easy. but what if you dont have a linux machine ready to go? if you're me you spend 2 days trying to maneuver something, giving up and borrowing a laptop. I've had an easier time getting freebsd onto a Mac SE/30! In the end what i really wanted to do is use the S-Video port on the BB and after much googling, determined that there was no driver, no easy way to do it and i was basically SOL especially without onboard ethernet/wifi. The BB is a great embedded SBC, it completely slaughters the (hopefully now completely dead) PC104 but right now I'm tinkering with a Chumby: Its not nearly as powerful but for $110 you get a full retail package, LCD, composite video out, speaker, wifi, & power adapter. In 2 seconds i was ssh'ed in and porting SDL-based graphical apps with ease.

joezydeco 16y ago
Do you think the lack of drivers and external support for things like the SVideo is a TI deficiency, or a linux community problem in general? I'm trying to decide between i.MX51 and OMAP3/AM37 for an upcoming project and it seems like the level of support from TI or Freescale is going to be the only thing making a difference in the decision...the chips are just too similar in functionality.
- ladyada 16y ago
  im like the last person you should ask about embedded linux. ive done a smattering of projects but nothing detailed enough to advise :) that said, i think the svideo thing is a 50/50 linuxwiki/TI problem. on one hand, the linux community loves to say "oh you know, just recompile the kernel" and on the other hand, TI should have made a completely ready-to-go bootimage one could download that demos -everything- on the board.
  - joezydeco 16y ago
    True, it would be nice if the SDK was complete on first silicon. But that never seems to be the case. And if there is code to demo a feature, it's probably a hack.
swolchok 16y ago
> what if you dont have a linux machine ready to go? Ubuntu or Knoppix LiveCDs didn't work for you?

by ladyada 16y ago

joezydeco 16y ago

Do you think the lack of drivers and external support for things like the SVideo is a TI deficiency, or a linux community problem in general? I'm trying to decide between i.MX51 and OMAP3/AM37 for an upcoming project and it seems like the level of support from TI or Freescale is going to be the only thing making a difference in the decision...the chips are just too similar in functionality.

ladyada 16y ago
im like the last person you should ask about embedded linux. ive done a smattering of projects but nothing detailed enough to advise :) that said, i think the svideo thing is a 50/50 linuxwiki/TI problem. on one hand, the linux community loves to say "oh you know, just recompile the kernel" and on the other hand, TI should have made a completely ready-to-go bootimage one could download that demos -everything- on the board.
- joezydeco 16y ago
  True, it would be nice if the SDK was complete on first silicon. But that never seems to be the case. And if there is code to demo a feature, it's probably a hack.

swolchok 16y ago

> what if you dont have a linux machine ready to go? Ubuntu or Knoppix LiveCDs didn't work for you?