ALIX 2C2

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Contents 1 Specification 2 BIOS Flash 3 Tech Specs 4 How to install 5 Connecting over Serial 5.1 Using USB to RS232 converter 6 Installing OpenWRT Backfire

Specification

• 256MB RAM
• 1x Flash card slot
• 2x Mini-PCI card slots
• 2x LAN ports
• 2x USB ports
• 1x Serial port

See LinITX website for more details.

BIOS Flash

Came with 0.98d, we have upgraded to 0.99.

The BIOS is tinyBIOS, and the downloads are available on the site at http://www.pcengines.ch/alix2.htm .

Instructions with FreeDOS of how to do it are http://www.pcengines.ch/freedos.htm , and can be done from Windows XP. Rub sb.com on the card on the board to flash BIOS.

Tech Specs

lspci

00:01.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] Host Bridge (rev 31)
00:01.2 Entertainment encryption device: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Geode LX AES Security Block
00:09.0 Ethernet controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6105M [Rhine-III] (rev 96)
00:0b.0 Ethernet controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6105M [Rhine-III] (rev 96)
00:0e.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5006X 802.11abg NIC (rev 01)
00:0f.0 ISA bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] ISA (rev 03)
00:0f.2 IDE interface: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] IDE (rev 01)
00:0f.4 USB Controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] OHC (rev 02)
00:0f.5 USB Controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] CS5536 [Geode companion] EHC (rev 02 )

How to install

1. Put OpenWRT image on Compact Flash card with dd. Input is the image file, x86 architecture. Output is CF device

# CHECK /dev/sda IS CORRECT!
dd if=/download/openwrt-x86-squashfs.image of=/dev/sda
# flush any remaining writes to the filesystem.
sync

2. Boot into OpenWRT as normal (remembering telnet only enabled first, passwd to set password then use ssh)

3. Install madwifi

4. Follow usual config

Connecting over Serial

Using USB to RS232 converter

1. Make sure Gender Changer and Null Modem adapters are connected.

2. Connect USB to laptop (Linux preferably) and then connect to powered up (for long enough to finish booting) ALIX board.

3. Run the following line to find the device name for the board:

  sudo grep -r pl2303 /var/log/messages*

4. Connect to the device using the following line for minicom (replace ttyUSB0 as appropriate):

  sudo minicom -b 38400 -D /dev/ttyUSB0

5. You should have a terminal as like you SSH-ed in.

Installing OpenWRT Backfire

Assuming sdX1 already has Grub installed on it with the appropriate Linux kernel.

1. Download OpenWRT Backfire 10.03 x86 image from:

 http://downloads.openwrt.org/backfire/10.03/x86/openwrt-x86-ext2.fs

2. Backup old image (optional)

 dd if=/dev/sdX of=/path/to/backup/image.fs

3. Write the image to the flash using dd, then flush writes to the filesystem

 dd if=/path/to/image/openwrt-x86-ext2.fs of=/dev/sdX2
 sync