Compilation steps

After preparing the whole development platform (development board and linux environment), we can move on to compile DSLinux for your NDS or NDS Lite.

Let's start the compilation at the dslinux folder in home directory of root. (/root/dslinux)

We can customize the linux kernel and built-in functions with DSLinux by following steps.

  • # make menuconfig

  • Select "DSLinux build type selection" by up-down arrow on your keyboard and press Enter.

  • Choose "Compile a release build" under DLDI by moving the cursor and press Space Bar. Please note that you can choose the type of modules by pressing Space Bar several times. The type legend is shown in the headline of the selection menu. What we choose here is "built-in" type.

  • Move the cursor to Exit by left-right arrow on your keyboard and press Enter to exit menuconfig.
  • Save kernel configuration.

  • # make
  • This step starts the compilation. It depends on the speed of your computer and it can last for more than 20 minutes.

  • Compilation finish and you can see dslinux.nds and dslinuxm.nds are ready.

Now, the DSLinux is ready to be deployed to your NDS. We have to copy the image to a micro SD (TF) card and put it in the development board.

  • 1GB micro SD (TF) is used in this example.

  • Plug the micro SD card together with the card reader to the compilation platform computer. A new volume (usbdisk) and mount point will be detected in RHEL4.

  • Copy files under path /root/dslinux/images to the micro SD card.
  • dslinux.nds
  • dslinuxm.nds
  • The whole folder ./linux

  • We have to unmount the micro SD (TF) and the card reader before removing the micro SD card. Right-click the icon "1.0G Removable Media".

  • If your development platform is on a virtual machine, you have to disconnect the card reader from the virtual machine also.

Finally, we can put the micro SD (TF) card and the development board in your NDS. Besides the slot-1 development board, we have put a RAM pack in slot-2 which is optional.

Boot dslinux.nds while dslinuxm.nds give extra functionalities. However, it consume more memory. Hence, it will fail to boot dslinuxm.nds if there is no RAM pack.

  • Boot the software with the development board. The screen will be different with different development board.

  • On-screen keyboard will be displayed at the bottom screen.

  • Console messages will be displayed at the top screen.