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Virgin Linux


Welcome to the home of the Virgin Linux project. This is an effort to create a specialized distribution of the Linux kernel and utilities to work on the Virgin WebPlayer Internet Appliance.

For up-to-the-minute project status, check out Stephen's hacking journal.


About Virgin Linux

The Virgin Linux project will create a specialized version of the Linux Operating System for the Virgin WebPlayer/i-Brow hardware. This distribution will meet the following criteria:

  1. It will support, fit on, and boot from, the WebPlayer's included 48MB Disk-On-Chip solid-state drive. Status: Looks good!
  2. It will support the WebPlayer's MediaGX chipset, including CPU, IDE controller, USB, graphics, sound, and power management. Status: Mostly done!
  3. It will feature a read-only root partition and devfs-based /dev to make it reliable in less than ideal conditions (like around my house). Status: Not started.
  4. It will support common WebPlayer accessories like USB Ethernet adapters (including D-Link and SMC), internal IDE disks, and USB mice and keyboards. Status: Looks good!

We intend to use Debian GNU/Linux as our development environment and Transmeta's Midori Linux as a basis. We will eventually create a generic Disk-On-Chip image. Status: Kernel work done, but Midori is broken still.


About the Virgin Linux Project

Project milestones include:

  1. Create a binary Linux kernel customized for the WebPlayer hardware. Status: Beta as of 05/01/01!
  2. Develop a Midori MLZ package with all necessary WebPlayer-specific drivers and packages, including the built-in kernel MTD driver. Status: MTD supports the WP's DoC as of 05/01/01!
  3. Develop a Midori MLZ package to support common WebPlayer peripherals. Status: Midori is badly busted. This is our next task.
  4. Create a bootable Virgin-Linux disk image based on Midori
  5. Support improvements in WebPlayer hardware support within the Linux kernel

Our SourceForge page offers more information about project developments. You should also check out our mailing lists if you want to keep up to date!

Virgin-Linux is a completely open, user-driven project and has no association at all with the Virgin Companies. We have little experience with Virgin, but hopefully they won't mind our adaptation of their name and logo to this project.


Customizing the Linux kernel for the WebPlayer hardware

We are happy to report that the 2.4.x series Linux kernels support almost all the hardware found in the WebPlayer. It just takes some tweaking. Here is the state of the various hardware support:

Geode GXLV CPU
The Geode/MediaGX CPU is supported by the kernel and GCC fairly completely. It is correctly detected and configured, and the bugs are worked around. Note that this CPU is slow, and does not have MTRRs, an APIC, or AGP/DRI support.
Geode CX5530 Companion
This chip provides sound, graphics, IDE, serial, USB, and other functions. All are supported by the 2.4.x Linux kernel:
Sound
CX5530 audio support is provided by the OSS SoundBlaster 16 driver. The sb module must be passed the "mpu_io=0" parameter, and ISA Plug and Play must not be used.
Graphics
The VGA console is flaky with the Geode, but the VESA framebuffer console is supported fully, with the "vga=0x303" parameter. XFree86 3.3.3 offers good X support for this chipset, but later (3.3.6 and 4.0.x) versions do not work as well. An XF86Config file is available for 3.x.
IDE Controller
The CX5530 IDE controller is supported natively by the kernel, including DMA transfers and multi mode.
USB
The included USB is compatable with Compaq's OHCI specification, and the included Linux OHCI driver supports the hardware well enough. This needs more testing.
other
Serial, PCI bridging, etc is supported well enough. There are no ISA Plug and Play devices in the WebPlayer.
Power Management
The Linux ACPI driver does not detect the ACPI support of the Geode. The APM driver does work well enough generally, but will not power down the system on shutdown, leaving the power cord as the only real power switch.
Disk-On-Chip
The M-Systems Disk-On-Chip 2000 found in the WebPlayer is supported by the open Linux MTD driver included in the kernel, after applying this patch.

Downloads


About the WebPlayer

The Virgin WebPlayer is a small Internet Appliance created by Acer or maybe Boundless or National Semiconductor It was part of a hardware giveaway run by Virgin's failed Virgin Connect Internet service company.


WebPlayer Links


SourceForge Logo (We need a webmaster!)

Last updated: 05/08/01

pedxing@users.sourceforge.net