[cobalt-developers] Re: Qube Sausalito Sources

[Will DeHaan <will@xxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 27 Jun 2003, Noah silva wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I just bought a Qube 1 second-hand, and while digging up info, found the
> Qube 3 sources.  I have spent a few days reading over how they work, etc.,
> and realized that the Qube1 is totally different.  I was also very
> surprised to learn that Qube3 had been EOLed.

Yeah, we were disappointed about it too.

> I don't know much about the Qube2, except that it is also mips, and the OS
> will run on the Qube1 with a few minor tweaks.

Just like the Qube 1 but adds two 10/100 ethernet interfaces, a serial
port and a 250Mhz cpu (qube1 uses 150Mhz).

> At any rate, I have a few questions, which I hope you can answer if you
> have the information and time:
> a.) Is there a guide on how to install a new kernel on a Qube1 ? (It seems
> to be very picky, and there is no lilo - it has to be very small and not
> use the serial port?).

I suggest getting the kernel-source rpm from ftp.cobalt.sun.com and
patching.

Copy a backup kernel image to /usr/games/.doug then when booting the
system hold all four arrow buttons to boot .doug instead of the usual
kernel in /boot.  Test all this before you compile a broken kernel because
the earliest Qube1's couldn't do this with their stock rom.

> b.) Is the Qube2 OS more similar to the Qube3 OS or the Qube 1 OS
> (i.e. Includes Sausalito?).

Qube1, Qube2, RaQ 1, 2, 3, 4, CacheRaQ 1, 2 all share the same software
architecture "special-sauce"

Qube 3 and the RaQ 550 use the newer, now public software architecture
"sausalito".

RaQ XTR is a hyrbid of both architectures.

All use custom Cobalt rom images.

> d.) Why are some of the packages in mendo not in menlo (f.e. Webmail), is
> menlo to be an overlay.

Menlo is a feature upgrade for the Qubes that was never released.

Webmail was stripped out because I was integrating openwebmail or
something similar instead.

> In case you are interested, I have the following plans:
> a.) upgrade the OS my Qube1!
> b.) remove sun branding on the OSS sausalito release so I can distribute
> it.
> c.) get the OSS sausalito menlo release building on a qube3. (baby steps).
> d.) Get the menlo release working on debian, redhat.

Many people are interested in this.  Co-ordinate efforts on the
cobalt-developers mailing list to save yourself work.

> e.) remove old browser hacks, use more CSS, PNGs.

I thought it does use CSS.  No PNGs yet though.

> f.) Make sure everything validates as XHTML Transitional 1.0.
> g.) develop some new themes, and possibly a plug-in for configuring Jabber
> server.

We had some in-house that were really cute but violated copyright laws and
we couldn't release them.  One was an all-pink "Hello Server" complete
with flowers.

> h.) Release a new restoreCD for Qube1, 2, and 3 that incorperates menlo
> overtop of a 2.4 kernel.

Start with the RaQ550 restore CD.  I only ran the menlo code over the
550's distro.

> Let me know if you have any thoughts on these, and thank you for whatever
> answers you can provide,
>
> thanks,
>     noah silva

No, sorry, nothing comes to mind :-)

Keep in touch, I've got great connections with the Japanese cobalt users
group too and they'd love to do the same.  With a double-byte twist.

I've got the sausalito project on sourceforge but haven't taken the time
to start public revision control yet.

Cheers,


	-- Will

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