8/17/05
Added latest version of "selector" program, which runs on linux and uploads
pictures to the frame.
8/21/04
Added a page which contains Colin's original files. If you're looking for flashdump.S, look there.
5/17/04
Updated the links in Ceiva-mini-HOWTO.html to point to local files. All links should now work.
12/29/03
I put the files needed up in a more obvious location on my web site (see below). I now have more serial port adapter kits available. Send me $15 via paypal (brad@heeltoe.com) and I'll send you one in the mail.
02/22/03
I now have a Ceiva picture frame which runs linux and display pictures. I download new pictures automatically (and continuously) from my local server via the serial port. The buttons (brightness and picture) work as before.
These two tar file should contain all the binary files you need to convert the Ceiva picture frame to linux.
Here's a local copy of the "how-to" Ceiva-mini-HOWTO.html
The "drop2" tar file has executable versions of hermit and shoehorn as well as the raw html which describes the process.
The "drop1" tar file has the kernel and root file system images to copy into the Ceiva flash as well as the linux program to drive the drive via the serial prot.
drop1/ drop1/selector.tar.gz drop1/rootfs.img drop1/hermit drop1/Image.gz drop1/sz drop1/zcommand -> sz drop1/mkcramfs drop1/README drop1/rootfs.tar.gz drop2/ drop2/hermit drop2/shoehorn drop2/loader-ceiva.bin drop2/loader-ceiva-boot.bin drop2/loader.bin drop2/Ceiva-mini-HOWTO.html
[wouldn't it be cool if Ceiva put out a version which had, say 8mb of ram and a crystal 8900 ethernet chip on it? or a pcmcia slot for a wireless card?]
My Ceiva picture frame broke a few months ago - the backlight stopped working. They wanted $100 to fix it so I decided to open it up and look inside. Then I found Colin's Page which described how to boot linux. It's basically an ARM chip with 4mb of ram and 2mb of flash with an LCD.
I ordered a new backlight converter from ERG for $25 (only about a 10x markup ;-), still less than $100. The transformer core was broken on the old one (fractured - perhaps the unit was dropped at some point).
I then built a little RS-232 converter board and solders a 10 pin header on the board. Linux came up cleanly and I started hacking. I modified the fbv program to read a control file with multiple file names in it. I then changed the file system to mount a ram disk and run the "rz" program at boot. With this I can download picture and control files to the unit and have them displayed.
Note that I tried running a kernel with TCP and PPP but it was too large. The Ceiva only has 4mb of ram and 2mb of flash. Remember that a decompressed 640x480 jpeg needs 1mb of memory.
I now can build the kernel and the entire file system from scratch using uclibc, busybox and tinylogin. I'm concidering setting up a source forge project to put all of the files into a cvs repository. Send me email if you would find this interesting.