Subject: linux on ARM7TDMI

From: [email-masked] (Claudio Granatiero)
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 16:48:25 +0200

Hello everybody,

I'm new to the list and to the ARM processor...
Could someone tell me if it's possible to run linux on the ARM7TDMI ?
As far as I know this processor lacks of the MMU. Could this be a
problem?

Thanks in advance,
Claudio
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From: Philip Blundell <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 20:07:35 +0100

>As far as I know this processor lacks of the MMU. Could this be a

ARM7TDMI is a core, not a processor.  If you have no MMU you will not be able 
to run Linux as such, though you might have luck with ucLinux.

p.

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From: Ben Williamson <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 09:54:51 -0700 (PDT)

> As far as I know this processor lacks of the MMU. Could this be a

Definitely a problem.  I believe you're out of luck, Linux/ARM and in fact
any Linux needs an MMU.  It's a pretty fundamental component to having
seperate address spaces and protected resources.

There is a strange beast called uClinux (micro-controller Linux) which
runs on m68k and z80 CPUs without MMUs.  Everything shares the one address
space; the user space memory allocator has been hacked into the kernel
space allocator etc.  I've seen a demo running on a Pilot, quite bizarre.
I don't believe there's any intention to have an ARM uClinux port, but you
never know.  If you really want to run Linux on something without an MMU,
that's the place to start.

Hope that helps.

- Ben.

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Ben Williamson       [email-masked]     http://www.pobox.com/~benw/

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From: Ormund Williams <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 1999 03:48:44 +0000

> As far as I know this processor lacks of the MMU. Could this be a

Hi Claudio

I am planning a port of uCLinux to the ARM7DI (no 'T' or 'M', but it
should work).  The hardware is still under development but I should
begin work on the code in earnest around mid September.  There is
someone else working on an ARM9 port and we had planed on collaborating.

No MMU?, NO problem :)

--
Ormund

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From: Alex Holden <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 12:45:20 +0100 (GMT)

> runs on m68k and z80 CPUs without MMUs.  Everything shares the one address

I don't think uClinux ever has (or is likely to) run on a Z80 based
system. I believe ELKS has done at some point in the past though.
Depending on what the system is intended to do, both uClinux and ELKS are
possibilities, but a lot of work would be required either way.

--------------- Linux- the choice of a GNU generation. --------------
: Alex Holden (M1CJD)- Caver, Programmer, Land Rover nut, Radio Ham :

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From: Kay Engelhardt <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 1999 23:28:45 +0200

Dear ARM-Linux Fans,

> to run Linux as such, though you might have luck with ucLinux.
[...]

is there a specification or an other paper that describes the
requirements
for such a MMU?
I'm searching for a way to get Linux running on the ARM evaluation board
with
an ARM7TDMI.

Thanks, Kay.

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From: Philip Blundell <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 1999 23:52:41 +0100

>> If you have no MMU you will not be able
>requirements for such a MMU?

Well, for Linux as it currently stands you need the canonical ARM MMU, as 
described in the architecture manual.  It would be possible (and maybe quite 
interesting) to add support for a different type of memory manager if you so 
desired.

p.