Gentoox Stardust ---------------- -0.5 - DISCLAIMER 0.0 - Preamble 0.1 - Whats new? 1.0 - Installation 1.1 - Booting 2.0 - Help, I'm still stuck! 2.1 - Known Issues 3.0 - Plans for the future 4.0 - Thanks ----------------- -0.5 DISCLAIMER This Linux distribution contains no copyrighted Microsoft code, no hacked executables, no illegally compiled executables and no other illegal material to the best of my knowledge. If anything is later discovered to be illegal, when given reasonable proof, this distribution will be taken out of circulation and destroyed and you must do the same. This software comes with absolutely no warranty and I will not be held liable for anything bad that comes of using it. I will not be held responsible for any losses incurred from using this software. This software has the potential of ruining all the data stored on your Xbox including your TSOP or modchip. You use this software and any subsequent software downloaded by this tool at your own risk. ----------------- 0.0 - Preamble Stardust is the Gentoox Linux installer for the Xbox. Put simply, its a highly automated system that will download and install Gentoox on your xbox. It is also a new era for Gentoox, it no longer requires the user to use a hacked BIOS or illegal software (such as EvolutionX or X2/ EvolutionX BIOSes). However, it does have XBEBOOT functionality for those using hacks rather than new BIOSes. 0.1 - Whats new? Complete cromwell integration for the installer itself AND all versions of Gentoox installed with this installer. The installer support all official Xpads (including the S-Type pads). ----------------- 1.0 - Installation First off, start by burning the stardust.iso file to a CD. I use NERO or cdrutils to do this. Burn it as a standard ISO disc-at-once with finalisation enabled. This should work, if it doesnt - try track-at-once and a lower speed. There are now more methods of installation, the first of which is by using Cromwell. Inside the archive you should have received a file named "bios.bin". To use this method you will need to either flash your modchip, or TSOP with this file. I'll let you decide how to do this. It only requires a 256K bank but you may double it up to take up 512K or even a full 1MB. Once you have this BIOS installed, boot your Xbox. Your CD tray will open automatically after about 5-10 seconds - if it doesnt, either Press 'A' on your Xpad or reboot. Once the tray is open, place the Stardust install CD in the tray and either press 'A', push the tray closed, or press the 'eject' button on your Xbox. The installer will then load. If at any point it gets stuck (sometimes happens at "Starting Linux") or the LED goes a constant red colour, turn off the Xbox and repeat the proceedure. If you have DHCP support - after a few seconds a welcome screen will be displayed with instructions. If you do not have DHCP you will be assigned the following IP information: IP: 192.168.1.13 Netmask: 255.255.255.0 Gateway: 192.168.1.1 If this is the case (i.e. you do not have DHCP support), configure your network to work with the Xbox so that it has internet access, then login to it via SSH and the installation will resume. The login details for the Stardust installer are the same as Gentoox: Username: root Password: xbox Either way, the process from here on is fully documented via onscreen prompts. If you cannot get cromwell to work, or flash your BIOS, you can use your existing BIOS to boot the CD, simply place the CD in the drive and reboot your Xbox and follow the above proceedure. If you cannot get the CD to boot, extract the contents of "Stardust.iso", then upload them to /E on your xbox and execute "default.xbe". If this doesnt work, try removing default.xbe and renaming "default.xbe.old" to "default.xbe" then launch the file. Once Stardust has booted, follow the above proceedure. 1.1 - Booting If you have a flashable TSOP or modchip, you can tell the installer to flash it with a modified Cromwell BIOS for Gentoox. This BIOS will make Gentoox autoboot each time the Xbox is turned on. Again, this BIOS only takes up 256K so you can still have other BIOSes on a 1MB chip. If you have a Matrix modchip and later decide you no longer want this BIOS, you can reflash it from within Gentoox using raincoat. You will never be stuck with just Linux on your Xbox. If you cannot use the BIOS solution, you can launch Gentoox by running: "E:\gentooxx.xbe" Again, this should work with the font hacks. ----------------- 2.0 - Help, I'm still stuck! If you cannot get this CD to work, dont worry. The previous installation methods are still supported. Just check the website or the README files included with the releases. Your most valuable resource regarding Gentoox is its homesite: http://gentoox.shallax.com If you need some dynamic assistance, feel free to drop in to the official channel on irc: Server : irc.freenode.net Channel: #gentoox ( Windows mIRC users can run the following url: irc://irc.freenode.net/gentoox ) 2.1 - Known Issues * When booting directly from the CD without cromwell, it can take a good 30 seconds to boot, be patient. * Sometimes cromwell will lock-up during boot. * When booting from the CD, sometimes USB doesnt get initialised properly, this means no Xpad or keyboard. If this happens, just turn off the xbox, then start over. Repeat until it works. * Unrar progress % is inaccurate. * Loud startup - lots of junk echoed to the screen, just ignore it. * If the script is interrupted, you may lose space on drives which cannot be reclaimed until you format. * If mouse-drift occurs, hold down the right trigger to improve accuracy ----------------- 3.0 - Plans for the future There are no plans to update this CD unless something SIGNIFICANTLY changes that means it will no longer work. The CD should never need updating as it downloads patch scripts from a central server. ----------------- 4.0 - Thanks Thanks goes out to everyone who has supported me, offered suggestions and criticised (constructively!!!) my work. You are the people who motivate me in my task to product (what I feel) is the best Xbox Linux distribution around! Without you, I probably would not have bothered going beyond the initial "FINAL" release (as the name would suggest, I didn't plan on releasing any updates, hehehe!). I'd also like to thank Xantium from Xbox-Scene for posting news relating to Gentoox. Thanks to the Xbox-Linux team for Cromwell HUGE thanks to the creator of BusyBox - that is an amazing piece of work! Also, thanks to the creators of Slackware and Slothbox, this CD was originally largely based upon Slothbox but had to be changed due to an outdated BusyBox - I learned a lot from it though! Thanks to Soundgarden and The Beastie Boys for providing me with something to listen to :) Thanks to Hellimod, Pedro, Dave, Blake, tytyty, Disp, Byte, Xolution, Genlee, Pb, Pi, jat def, wik, Ziekke, Coolberg, nitra, h3inrich, Rocketeer, xboxmastr, Bucko, paulproteus, Xenia bioterror, Turdhat, Jester, Artifex.... And THANKS to everyone else I've forgotten (Sorry! Your help and support was much appreciated!) Thanks to you for taking the time to read this instruction manual! Remember - feedback is the only way I'll know when there is a problem - ShALLaX ([email protected]) [eof]