The instructions in this article are outdated. Until they are updated to match the last version of the Familiar Linux distribution, I recommend to follow the instructions provided by handhelds.org.

Contents

News

2007-08-05 I opened the KeyPod Web site on building a Portable Opensource Device (aka "Pod") for playing audio files. Please visit it here !

2005-06-12 I opened a blog on Linux/Hardware/Embedded design. Please visit it here !

2004-11-23 Protest against Software Patents in the EEC. Please Visit NoSoftwarePatents.

2004-10-27 The instructions on this site are outdated. Until they are updated to match the last version of the Familiar Linux distribution, I recommend to follow the instructions provided by handhelds.org.

2003-01-18 The Windows CE™ mini FTP sever download link http://www.oohito.com/wince/arm_j.htm mentioned in 1.4.1.2 appears to be dead. Please use these local links to get the source or executable archives.

Abstract

Why do you want to install Linux on an iPAQ?

Well, PDA (Personnal Digital Assitants) have both suporters an detractors: you can criticise the idea of keeping your data into an electronic device, that can be short of battery, that can be stolen or destroyed, using a silly small pen, instead of using your old address book...

This is not the subject here. Instead of trying to convince you of the above, the goal is clearly to have fun by installing an Open Source operating system on one of the moment's most powerfull handheld device.

Just as a reminder, here are the iPaq's technical specifications:

  • 206MHz StrongArm processor
  • 32 Mb of flash storage
  • 64Mb of RAM
  • 320x240/16384 color screen
  • USB/serial/infrared builtin connection
  • additional MD card slot
The device is delivered with Microsoft's PocketPC 2002 operating system (no choice). When you discover that a full Linux can replace it, bringing the Unix power to this small footprint wonder, then your only technician's dream is to change this situation.

Online version

The online version of the document can be found here (or here for single page).

Download

The document is available in several formats, as described below:

Format File Size
(source) DocBook SGML Linux-iPAQ-HOWTO-1.1.sgml.tgz 300Kb
dvi Linux-iPAQ-HOWTO-1.1.dvi 456Kb
HTML Linux-iPAQ-HOWTO-1.1.html.tgz 152Kb
HTML (no chunks) Linux-iPAQ-HOWTO-1.1.html 264Kb
PDF Linux-iPAQ-HOWTO-1.1.pdf 252Kb
PostScript Linux-iPAQ-HOWTO-1.1.ps 588Kb
RTF (Rich Text Format) Linux-iPAQ-HOWTO-1.1.rtf 284Kb
Tex Linux-iPAQ-HOWTO-1.1.tex 832Kb
Text Linux-iPAQ-HOWTO-1.1.text 108Kb
All the above formats Linux-iPAQ-HOWTO-1.1.tgz 1452Kb
Support files Linux-iPAQ-HOWTO-1.1.support-files.tgz 4Kb

Translations

Currently, there is no available translation, although I promise I will work on a french version as soon as I can get some time!

Change log

v2.0

  • Added this page to my blog

v1.1

  • Corrections as suggested by Jamey Hicks

v1.0

  • First version of this document
Created by Michel Stempin
Last modified: Sunday, August 5, 2007