Tag: debian

Fast Cross-Compile of Linux 2.6 for Armel

Unless you have new, high-powered, ARM system to build with, the fastest and most practical way to build software for armel (early ARM CPU versions) is to
cross-compile on an x86_64 machine (Debian and offshoots call this the amd64 architecture, even for non-AMD CPUs). This article is specifically about buildinga Linux 2.6 kernel. Obtaining a working toolchain that is able to build this old a kernel is probably the hardest part of the exercise. This supersedes
https://www.wildtechgarden.com/post/building-armel-on-linux-x64-cross-compilation-method

Raspberry Pi as an Ansible Server

As a base service for bare metal infrastructure I prefer my provisioning and configuration management servers to be bare metal which can be accessed without requiring other hosts or infrastructure. For small deployments the Raspberry Pi makes a great choice because it is inexpensive, uses little electricity, takes little space, and yet has enough power for the relatively low demands placed on the server (which also makes a full x64 server overkill).

Raspberry Pi Server

For small deployments (or home or small office use) you may find yourself in need of a ‘bare metal’ server, but not want or need the expense of an x64 machine. If the workload is not too demanding, a Raspberry Pi can be a good choice. The Pi has the benefit of being inexpensive, using little electricity, and taking little space.

Fast Builds of Old Software for Armel on Linux x64 (amd64)

The cross-compilation toolchains builtin to most
modern Linux distributions do not support older versions of GCC. For old kernels (and other software) that require GCC4 or lower for building, this poses a challenge. One either needs to build a cross-compilation toolchain or use virtualization. This article describes setting up a cross-compilation toolchain. _This post superseded by https://www.wildtechgarden.com/post/fast-build-of-linux-2.6-for-armel-on-x86_64/_

Building Old Software on Armel on Linux x64 (amd64)

The cross-compilation toolchains builtin to most
modern Linux distributions do not support older versions of GCC. For old kernels (and other software) that require GCC4 or lower for building, this poses a challenge. One either needs to build a cross-compilation toolchain or use virtualization. This article describes setting up a virtual ARM environment for doing armel (ARMv5) compilation using docker containers.

Package Installation and Updates on an Isolated Network

For your self-hosted systems there are likely hosts you don’t want exposed to the wilds of ‘The Internet’, even for outgoing traffic, but you still want to be able to do package updates. Here is how you do that using NGINX as a proxy on a host on an isolated network and is also on an internet connected network.

Debian Custom CD

Check the Debian Wiki first! Before reading this page you should try looking at the DebianCustomCD Page on the Debian Wiki because it is updated more frequently, and by more contributors. Possibly Simpler Alternatives One possible “alternative” to this procedure is to use the package simple-cdd. It is basically a wrapper around debian-cd and debpartial-mirror… Continue reading Debian Custom CD