Quantum Scientific wrote: > We are investigating the possibility of installing Sarge into an embedded > device with a Broadcom BCM4704KPB MIPS processor. > > I see that, although I believe MIPS processors are endian-agnostic, there are > two Debian releases? I don't know which is suited to the 4704. I've been > unable to get the datasheet.
MIPS CPUs can run in both endianness modes, this is determined by either the board wiring or by the firmware. As a rule of thumb, the small Broadcom CPUs tend to be used in little endian mode. > This embedded device has the Broadcom processor with hardware IPSec and two > ethernet ports, 32MB flash, 128MB DDR SDRAM, a BCM5325A2 switch, JTag and > what looks like a serial port. A basic Debian installation needs about 128 MB disk space, so you will have to remove unwanted packages and documentation. > My plan is to install Debian Sarge into a UML image for it and compile the > basic apps usually used in embedded devices. But how to determine which > drivers are appropriate, by just looking at the board? I'd rather Debian > autosize the hardware if possible for things I don't know exist, in the > processor for example. Which driver is best for this hardware IPSec? The > Wifi radio is as yet unsupported in Linux, so has anyone used NDisWrapper in > embedded? I have a hard time to understand this paragraph. What exactly do you want to do? > Am I best advised to set up Sarge and trim out the unneeded files (docs, > etc), > or to just use a distro like OpenWRT? This depends on the purpose. If you just want to run it as a WAP, then OpenWRT seems to be a good choice. > Are there any special toolchain > considerations for this processor/ would Broadcom have a free toolchain? The processor is to my knowledge MIPS32 ISA compatible, this shouldn't pose any problem. Thiemo -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
