# Installing a minimal system to compile a kernel in arm arch



## Maisondouf (Sep 4, 2011)

As I am new here, first a big HELLO to everyone. We are somes SheevaPlug users who want to test FreeBSD. One of them have found a tutorial to compile FreeBSD kernel for Kirkwood processor (armel). So I have to install on my own PC, a little system to do this. I don't know at all the packages I need...

I have freed 12 GB on my second hard drive (as fourth primary partition) and since yesterday morning, I discover the hard reality of sysinstall  I have finished to keep all options in automatic mode after a lot of attemps. At this time, my PC can boot FreeBSD in console mode (root) via the grub2 of ubuntu (shotgun method). Do I have to install X11 and Xfce, or gnome to compile? This night, when I try to make this, FreeBSD says that the disks are full...


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## wblock@ (Sep 4, 2011)

Maisondouf said:
			
		

> Does I have to install X11 and Xfce, or gnome to compile ?



No, that's just an optional user interface.



> This night, when I try to make this, FreeBSD says that the disks are full...



Port distfiles can eat up a fair amount of space, but usually not that much.  Could also be a problem with how disk space is allocated into various partitions.  The auto options of sysinstall should be fine for a 12G disk.


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## Maisondouf (Sep 4, 2011)

Thanks, for your answer. I have installed X11 with [cmd=]pkg_add -r xorg[/cmd] then create an xorg.conf file (quite the same as for ubuntu). I have installed xfce4 the same way, and now [cmd=]startx[/cmd] launches the xfce desktop but without any action from keyboard and mouse. I suppose that config files are missing. I prefer to have a litle graphical interface with a disk browser and an editor to have an easier way to configure kernel.

Now I try to remove xfce and install e17. Note that my mouse run in text mode with a white arrow cursor.


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## wblock@ (Sep 4, 2011)

The warming glow of the Handbook X11 Configuration chapter shows all.


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## Maisondouf (Sep 4, 2011)

Good, effectively somes messages when launching xfce talk about "hal". I don't really pay attention to them. With hal and dbus enabled, mouse and keyboard are ok in e17. I re-install xfce :lol:

Thanks


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## Maisondouf (Sep 5, 2011)

Xfce is ok.
csup has downloaded all sources (1h15)
I have patched some files as described here : http://cooltrainer.org/projects/freebsd-kirkwood/building/
I have added a new config file for eSATA Sheevplug (with ata support)

Now my old PC build the world in arm.... zzzz, rrrr, zzzzz


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## Maisondouf (Sep 10, 2011)

Last news : kernel.bin is ready and mount filesystem from USB key.

My plug run FreeBSD... but as I'am a stupid guy, I have idiotically copied the supfile for csup and this is the 8.1 version...

I retry later with 8.2


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