NightHorse,

You can use a Gentoo x86 stage3 but you will have to rebuild it all. No cross compiling is required but you need a host that is backwards compatible with your CPU.

Do a gentoo install in a directory, so you can chroot into it in the normal way. Once there, your 486sx install is in use but supported by the hosts kernel and services and more importantly, its much more powerful CPU. In all other respects, your system is like your target 486sx.

Continue by building all the packages you need and testing them on the host. When you are ready, you can copy the packages to the target. You will never build anything there. All the maintainance will be carried out on the host in the chroot.

As others have said, enable floating point emulation in your kernel. Consider a ulibc system instead of glibc too as its smaller.

I think pentium D processor would be backward compatible. right?? Also what do you mean by building it all?? I only tried Gentoo live CD and I didn't have to build anything. And btw I tried copying the slackware installation I have in pc/104 into one of my folders and chrooted to it worked fine. Thanks for that, I would never knew something like that. !! And it's a great feature actually.

Do you mean when I install it at first place?? How can I compile the kernel without having a running one??

Sorry if my question sounded bit dump but I am totally new to Gentoo.

NightHorse,

Your Pentium D will be fine and you will need a running kernel to build another one but a liveCD will provide that.

You have two options ... do a 486sx compatible Gentoo install on a real partition on your Pendtium D host system
With some care you will be able to boot into it and test most of it.
... do a 486sx compatible Gentoo install into a directory (or a file) on your host. You will not be able to boot this - you will have to chroot into it

Either way allows you to build a kernel and anything else you need. You also get the binaries you target system needs. You can leave behind the sources and the toolchain whe you install on your target since you will never build anything there.

The install you need pretty much follows the Gentoo Handbook but keep in mind you are installing for your target not your build host.

You will need the x86 stage3 tarball, (not the i686 tarball).

This won't mean much yet. Be sure you set FEATURES="buildpkg" in your /etc/make.conf so the install process saves all the packacges you build. That way they are all ready for your target.

Follow the handbook about setting up /etc/make.conf
After you have your stage3 and portage snapshot, update it with followed by If in doubt ask - here, on the Gentoo forums or in #gentoo in irc.freenode.net. This is a fairly standard approach for building Gentoo on one (more capable) system where its intened to run on another less capable system.

Hello again and sorry for long absence. I had a lot of loads at work and I had to do more searches on gentoo before asking any questions. :$

I finally got it installed on there and now trying to strip it down and boost up boot times cause it's so slow. I found it interesting cause the ability to optimize everything for my system. Thanks a lot for put me on the way.

NightHorse,

did you install gentoo or slackware? Here comes some questions if gentoo...
1) Did you compile kernel on *sx device or using crossdev?
2) Could you give links on manuals was used? Thanx )))

Well, I got both gentoo and slackware installed. I could install Slackware up to version 8 or 10 not very sure, and gentoo.
For slackware, I installed it directly on the board using a DVD.
For gentoo, I mounted the flashdisk on my laptop and extracted the root over there, then chrooted to it and compiled the kernel but remember to add support for FPU emulation. It won't work without it.

About manuals. There is no much manuals. But if you looked for x-linux, you could find a configuration file for the Kernel. You can use it if you are compiling for the same board. Sorry I can't post the link for you, as I can't look it up now as am using a slow connection right now 64kb.

I hope that gonna help you. It's been long time since I was working on that device but If there is anything I could help with I will do my best.

Please check the link for x-linux. http://www.dmp.com.tw/tech/os-xlinux/

One thing to note I could not keep going with Slackware or Gentoo cause they were very slooooowwww on that device.

what you want boy is the easy option and to be quite blunt you will not find a ready made configured gcc compiler on any linux system,its either installed as a package or on an external disc/soft.because of course --backward compatability issues--so you either buy it or install it.

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Really, now???

Every version of Linux I've ever run has SHIPPED WITH a GCC compiler. Instructions for building it from source abound on the Internet, and you CAN'T 'buy' something that's already free. Is there a point to any of the replies you're making in threads?

Hi,

Would be so kind and provide links that support this statement?
Where did you find this out about gcc?

Davethesnake,

That is simply not true. Gentoo builds everything from source. Its stage tarballs provide a fully working toolchain, including gcc. Without that you could not install Gentoo.

You can of course rebuild the toolchain to your own tastes but there is no need until an update becomes available.
Whatever you CHOST, you still get emitted binary code for your -march

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Could you please stop posting disruptive FUD?