Hi,
The kernel release 2.6.32 is almost out. I have just downloaded and tested 2.6.32-rc7 successfully (I hope there will be no more fixes required).
After unpacking it, I run:
ARCH=arm make ams_delta_defconfig
then build the kernel in a usual way.
Using old E3_release_v2.tar.gz with uImage replaced with the one just built (arch/arm/boot/uImage), I was able to boot the machine, log into the install-initrd, both from ttyS0 and framebuffer console, get access to a USB stick, verify on-board flash is accessible. I did not proceed with ams_delta_install, but I think it would run without problems.
Compared to that old 2.6.16-omap1 with ams_delta patches, 2.6.32 mainline kernel doesn't yet support the detachable keyboard (mailboard) and doesn't provide a driver for LCD contrast and backlight setting, but it has LED support introduced in 2.6.17. There is still no support for the camera (it was present once in 2.6.19). Full framebuffer/LCD driver, frozen in the OMAP tree for a long time, finally found it's wat into the mainline.
Old sound driver has been replaced with a new one, ASoC based. Both ALSA and OSS interface are fully usable. The new driver supports full duplex and handset/speakerphone switching using the hook switch and/or a mixer control. To get those features working, ldattach utility (sadly not present on the old initramfs) must be used in order to load a line discipline #19 onto the modem line (has been moved to ttyS3). The hook switch state can be simply detrmined by examining /sys/class/gpio/gpio4/value file contents, it also generates regular input events over the /dev/input/event1 device interface.
The kernel with ams_delta_defconfig applied supports both old distributions, like Familiar that E3_release_v2 was based on, and new, like Angstrom, that may require EABI + Thumb instructions turned on. Power management is turned on by default with not much visible results yet.
Starting with this kernel release, the machine, equipped with a network adapter and a suitable userspace software, can ultimately be used as an IP phone. Personally, I use asterisk combined with lirc for the purpose.
Thanks, Janusz
Hi,
Just a few updates.
Friday 13 November 2009 05:14:14 Janusz Krzysztofik wrote:
Compared to that old 2.6.16-omap1 with ams_delta patches, 2.6.32 mainline kernel ... doesn't provide a driver for LCD contrast and backlight setting,
Actually, it's possible to turn the backlight off/on. Try using
setterm -blank [force|poke] </dev/tty1 or echo [4|0] >/sys/class/graphics/fb0/blank
or arrange for auto powerdown while blanking with:
setterm -powersave powerdown </dev/tty1
... The hook switch state can be simply detrmined by examining /sys/class/gpio/gpio4/value file contents, it also generates regular input events over the /dev/input/event1 device interface.
I was told by the input subsystem maintainer, Dmitry Torokhov, that applications should use EVIOCGSW ioctl to query the initial state of switches. Sadly, there is no utiliti available for doing this from scripts. Thanks to ASoC subsystem maintainer, Mark Brown, I managed to get the hook switch (as well as other GPIO-based ASoC jacks found on other boards) being exported over gpiolib sysfs for debugging purposes.
The kernel with ams_delta_defconfig applied supports both old distributions, like Familiar that E3_release_v2 was based on, and new, like Angstrom, that may require EABI + Thumb instructions turned on.
If you are using OpenEmbedded (like me) for building the kernel, please note that simply using a copy of the kernel arch/arm/config/ams_delta_defconfig source file as defconfig for linux.bb recipe may give a different result, with support for old ABI possibly missing. The resulting kernel may not be usable for old install-initrd. To get old ABI compatible kernel, I run:
bitbake -c clean linux bitbake -c configure linux
then from the kernel sources root:
ARCH=arm make ams_delta_defconfig
and finally (while back in OpenEmbedded build root):
bitbake -c compile linux
Thanks, Janusz
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Janusz Krzysztofik