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Thread: how to get modern ubuntu to run on old arch (i586)

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2012
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    3

    Help! How to get modern ubuntu to run on old arch (i586)

    Hi,

    I have some embedded device that is using a Vortex86MX CPU (at 1GHz), it have 1 GB of RAM so it should be sufficient to run Lubuntu 12.04 LTS (it currently runs Ubuntu 9.04).

    Unfortunately, Canonical dropped support for i586 processors till version 10.10 (from both kernel and gcc build it seems). As a result the new Lubuntu 12.04 LiveCD won't start on this machine. The problem is that this processor is lacking the cmov instruction support.

    I'd like to know which steps I will need to ba able to run modern ubuntu on this processor.
    I'm aware I will need to recompile the kernel changing the config to support i586 processor family.
    But I guess I need too to recompile GCC and so all the packages I'm using, right ?

    I will do the whole needed rebuild on a stronger i686 as host, using Lubuntu 12.04, but what I really don't know is where to start... Do I need to rebuild a new GCC targetting i586 on the host before to rebuild the kernel ? Or should it be the kernel first, then GCC, etc...
    I'm really lacking some knowledge on how to achieve this so any help will be appreciated.

    Thank you.
    Last edited by jimmikaelkael; May 3rd, 2012 at 06:39 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
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    2

    Re: how to get modern ubuntu to run on old arch (i586)

    I would like to know this as well. I realize it would be a long and involved process but would like information on how to do it regardless.

    Thanks!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
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    14,783

    Re: how to get modern ubuntu to run on old arch (i586)

    Use Debian...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    1,151

    Re: how to get modern ubuntu to run on old arch (i586)

    New ubuntu version require sse instructions. Use debian as Temujin suggest

    http://www.debian.org/CD/torrent-cd/

    they target i386
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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    germany
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    1,020
    Distro
    Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

    Re: how to get modern ubuntu to run on old arch (i586)

    Quote Originally Posted by idoitprone View Post
    New ubuntu version require sse instructions. Use debian as Temujin suggest

    http://www.debian.org/CD/torrent-cd/

    they target i386
    may be this link will help you

    http://askubuntu.com/questions/11774...es-not-present

    good luck
    "What is the robbing of a bank compared to the FOUNDING of a bank?" Berthold Brecht

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Beans
    3

    Re: how to get modern ubuntu to run on old arch (i586)

    I will suggest what the others are suggesting

    On my side, I ended up using debian-testing-i386-xfce+lxde cdimage on this machine and this is really perfect as I really needed a lightweight system.

    I just had a problem to compile with default gcc install (4.6) ending with illegal instruction... But I installed gcc-4.5 and all is good.

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