2005-03-15  How to install cbm4linux for Fedora Core 3

cbm4linux is a linux utility for data transfer between your 1541 disk drive
and linux PC, using XM1541 or XA1541 cable.

This is a short documentation, how to compile cbm4linux for Fedora Core 3.

The cbm4linux site:

http://cbm4linux.sourceforge.net
http://www.lb.shuttle.de/puffin/cbm4linux/

"$" = user commands, "#"= root commands

Let's get the source and patch:

$ cd /home/packages/cbm4linux
$ wget http://www.lb.shuttle.de/puffin/cbm4linux/cbm4linux-0.3.2.tar.gz
$ wget http://skalaria.japo.fi/patch-FC3-kernel2.6.diff

The source is not directly suitable for series 2.6 kernels, so we need
this patch. The patch also contains the parport-enumerate patch you
find on the cbm4linux site.

$ tar xzf cbm4linux-0.3.2.tar.gz
$ cd cbm4linux-0.3.2
$ cp -v ../patch-FC3-kernel2.6.diff .
$ patch -p0 < patch-FC3-kernel2.6.diff
     patching file config.make
     patching file kernel/cbm_module.c
$ less -i README

Let's compile it, make the device node and install. The latter two
should be done as root:

$ make
# make dev
# make install

Check the file /etc/ld.so.conf. Make sure the directory /usr/local/lib
was added to your ld search path, if it was not there already:

# echo "/usr/local/lib" >> /etc/ld.so.conf
# ldconfig

FC3 runs with udev. The module is not designed for udev, so we still have to
do some Fedora specific adjustment:

# cp -a /dev/cbm /etc/udev/devices/
# joe /etc/udev/permissions.d/50-udev.permissions

I used joe as an example editor. Add the following into the end of the file:

,----------- file: 50-udev.permissions -------------
|
| # cbm.ko kernel module for XM1541 / XA1541
| cbm:root:root:0666
|
'----

Now it is a good idea to reboot, to see that hotplug, udev and things are
set correctly at the boot time.

After this, we are ready to test the transfer finally works. You must stop
the printing daemons and the kernel module "lp", because otherwise they
would interfere with cbm4linux transfer:

# service cups stop
# rmmod lp

Now, turn on your 1541. The following command will load the cbm module,
probe the cable. This should take approximately 5 seconds.

# modprobe cbm

Now we can finally try it out! Issue a command

$ cbmctrl status 8

You should get a message "73,cbm dos v2.6 1541,00,00". If not, try 
cbmctrl reset instead, then check your cable, and make sure there is no
another printer daemon conflicting the printer port, and your printer
port address and irq are correct. It might be a good idea to disable
haldaemon (service haldaemon stop). Also note that the cable will not
work with USB parallel printer ports!

The following commands might help you for troubleshooting (as root),
or if your parallel port doesn't get a correct parameters by
default:

  cat /proc/interrupts
  cat /proc/ioports

  rmmod lp
  rmmod parport_pc
  rmmod parport
  modprobe parport_pc io=0x378 irq=7
  modprobe cbm

Check that your lpt port works. remove the cbm module and try printing
(If there was a printer attached & configured for your lpt port):

  rmmod cbm
  service cups start
  lpr something.txt

That was all about troubleshooting. I assume everything went fine
with 1541. There is one thing left. Because of the udev thing, FC3 does
not autoload the cbm module anymore, when you issue cbmctrl.
You can try adding modprobe cbm to /etc/rc.d/rc.local, but your 1541
must be turned on during the boot. Instead, you can try adding this
to your root's ~/.bashrc :

alias cbmprobe='service cups stop ; rmmod lp ; modprobe cbm'

Now you can finally just go for transfering some nice bits between 1541 and
linux...

This information and patch was written by Agemixer. Big thanks and greetings
go to Michael Klein, Pekka Takala, Mixer, Grue, Alih, mic42, and some
helpful souls in #fedora.fi for the information about patching, coding,
udev, hal, hotplug, and aswell a lot about kernel modules, especially this
one.

2005-03-15 Agemixer of Skalaria