Psion 5MX - Kludged Linux

Description

For the Psion 5MX there are some older versions of Debian ARM Linux which can be installed onto a compact flash card: Woody, Etch and Sarge. I did install Etch on it.
Here is a very good guide how to install Kludged Linux: https://ajwellsnet.wordpress.com/

I did install an older version of my L1VM: 1.0.15 which can be build on the Psion. It needs less RAM as a current version of the L1VM. The screen shots show my L1VM jargon file reader program. You can search the jargon file for entries and read them.

On Kludged Linux there is the gcc compiler and tools to build software. So you can build your own programs on it. I do use a 8GB compact flash card for the Psion.
It has the following partitions on it: 64 MiB boot fat16 for the Psion OS, 2.0 GiB ext2 for the Linux root and home, 511.0 MiB for swap, 2.0 GiB ext2 for Linux.
If you copy your Psion OS files into the fat16 boot partition then you must copy the "sys$rom.bin" file as the first file to make the Psion boot.

Details

I found out how to use double numbers in the Psion L1VM. The bytecode of the L1VM (.l1obj) uses the modern IEEE 64 bit double numbers. The ARM CPU in the Psion 5MX uses a different format for double numbers. So how can this be fixed? In my "math circle" program I defined Pi as a string. Then the string is converted to a double number. This just works fine. You need to do this with any double number you want to use.

You can find more information on my blog: https://midnight-coding.de/blog/psion/2024/02/10/psion-linux-kludged.html There is also a download link for the Kludged Linux: Debian Sarge. This includes the older full archive with the include files and the gcc compiler. So you can build your own C and C++ programs there!

Discussions

theshinyknight wrote 10/20/2023 at 19:12

Is there a pre-made image for the whole distro? As it can boot directly from CF card I was thinking it would be great to have everything on one single img file, as most of the pieces are spread all over and the software for the old linux build for example is even harder to find (the links in some tutorials to specific software for this linux version do not work anymore).

Awesome how such limited machine can run Linux so well; and yet modern machines have problems. Also the physical keyboard is really nice.

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Jarosław Mazurkiewicz wrote 07/25/2022 at 06:28

I installed Kludged Linux (Debian etch) on my Psion 5mx in 2018. It works perfectly - below is my video from that time that shows the capabilities of this solution:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwPiiId0bgs

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jay-t wrote 07/26/2022 at 15:10

Thanks for sharing this!

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bastetfurry wrote 07/15/2022 at 21:27

So, my hubby had one stored away in a box and man is the MX5Pro finicky about the used CF card. o.O
Can someone who succesfully installed and used this upload the whole CF card image somewhere?

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jay-t wrote 07/16/2022 at 08:10

I also have a MX5 Pro. You must create some partitions on the CF card: a boot partition in fat16 maybe 64 MiB. Then a Linux partition in ext 2 with 2 GiB. Then a swap partition. You must copy the "sys$rom.bin" as the first file onto the Psion OS partition. I did use a 8 GB CF card from Kingston, this works. I also have a CF from pqi which also works.

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bastetfurry wrote 07/16/2022 at 08:41

I had, as a test, made an image of the original card and dd'd them to several others, among them a Transcend 4 GB. The MX5Pro didn't want to boot from them, even with the same bytes on there as on the original one.
The only one the system liked that i have and that has a somewhat usable size is a 512 MB TRS "Industrial Grade".

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powiadam.ci wrote 07/13/2022 at 09:33

I'm unhappy my laptop. this psion have x11 and working 2-3 days https://jm.iq.pl/psion-5mx-z-linuxem-na-pokladzie/ I need sony vaio pocket or old transmeta laptop but with normal mechanic keyboard and week working time. Lokk around. Many people dreaming about similar device

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bastetfurry wrote 07/12/2022 at 06:16

I think i want one... *looks at ebay prices* i think i don't... ^^'

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tywy wrote 07/13/2022 at 15:39

new with new components or old device?

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tywy wrote 07/11/2022 at 20:45

Question is why today nobody create similar device

good keyboard, mechanic keys (meybe chocolate for more keys on this same place)

linux, fit to pocket and working time on one charge a week or two

every hacker dreamig about this

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bastetfurry wrote 07/12/2022 at 06:14

Because the mainstream has their tablets and smartphones and they are happy with them.

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Psion 5MX - Kludged Linux

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