Since Linux 3.y.z, the kernel support arm devices via a device tree. The idea behind is to make an unique kernel which supports every platforms. This tree describe the devices of the platform in order to initialize them.

The bootloader passes a device tree binary (DTB) to Linux. If the bootloader can't pass the DTB to the kernel, you need to append to it.

You need a toolchain for cross-compiling the kernel

There is 2 kind of LaCie devices :

• those supported by the mainstream linux kernel
• those supported by the lacie-nas.org kernel
• those unsupported

Here is some commands to get kernel source from a git repository although there are other way to get the mainstream kernel.
These repositories ensure that you have the latest updates.

Get the source from the git kernel repository :

git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git -b master

Get the source from the lacie-nas git repository :

git clone git://lacie-nas.org/linux-lacie.git -b kirkwood/master

If a work is on-going on a board, then a dedicated branch is created. This branch shoud be up-to-date (and maybe also unstable). For example, for a LaCie CloudBox, you may use the branch kirkwood/cloudbox.

First, you have to get a kernel configuration for your kernel version and your board. The default configurations for LaCie boards (Orion and Kirkwood) are available in our FPT repository. Pick-up the one which suits you best.

For example, to configure a Linux 3.7.x kernel for a Kirkwood based LaCie boards:

cd lacie-linux.git
wget ftp://lacie-nas.org/kernel/kirkwood/linux_3.7.0-rc6_kirkwood_lacie_defconfig -O .config
make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabi- oldconfig

If you are not happy with our default configurations, you can use the one provided with the kernel. For Kirkwood boards:

make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabi- kirkwood_defconfig

Now, you can build your kernel:

make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabi-

This will build kernel image, and dtb for all kirkwood platforms.

Now you have to append the DTB to kernel. DTB are in the arch/arm/boot/ directory. Choose the one corresponding to your device (here this is a network space 2 lite) :

cat arch/arm/boot/zImage arch/arm/boot/dts/kirkwood-ns2lite.dtb > zImage+kirkwood-ns2lite.dtb

Now you need to add an header for u-boot loader. First get the “mkimage” command :

Make uImage. This is the binary to be loaded by u-boot :

mkimage -A arm -O linux -T kernel -C none -a 0x00008000 -e 0x00008000 -n Linux+dtb -d zImage+kirkwood-ns2lite.dtb uImage

You can now boot this image :

U-Boot 2012.10 (Dec 03 2012 - 12:59:10) NS v2 Lite

SoC:   Kirkwood 88F6281_A1
DRAM:  128 MiB
WARNING: Caches not enabled
SF: Detected MX25L4005 with page size 64 KiB, total 512 KiB
In:    nc
Out:   nc
Err:   nc
Net:   egiga0
88E1318 Initialized on egiga0
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
ns2>
ns2> tftp uImage
Using egiga0 device
TFTP from server 192.168.1.19; our IP address is 192.168.1.65
Filename 'uImage'.
Load address: 0x800000
Loading: #################################################################
         #################################################################
         ######################################################
done
Bytes transferred = 2689852 (290b3c hex)
ns2> bootm
## Booting kernel from Legacy Image at 00800000 ...
   Image Name:   Linux+dtb
   Image Type:   ARM Linux Kernel Image (uncompressed)
   Data Size:    2689788 Bytes = 2.6 MiB
   Load Address: 00008000
   Entry Point:  00008000
   Verifying Checksum ... OK
   Loading Kernel Image ...