Editing Psion netBook Troubleshooting Guide (section)

== Linux on the netBook ==

The OpenPsion project (formerly PsiLinux) ported a 2.4 kernel to the netBook. Two boot routes exist: '''ArLo''', started from a running EPOC system, and '''bookboot''', which builds a Linux OS.img the bootloader loads directly, bypassing EPOC entirely.<ref name="openpsion" />

Three limitations are permanent and are not faults in your machine:

* '''No power management.''' There is no way to switch a Linux netBook off. The documented workaround is to reboot and switch off at the startup screen.<ref name="openpsion" />
* '''No battery level reading.''' Nothing reports the state of the main or backup battery, so there is no warning before it stops.<ref name="openpsion" />
* '''No sound, and no infrared.''' Sound out of a Linux netBook was never reported working; an infrared patch was never delivered despite a standing offer of a free modem for one.<ref name="openpsion" />

'''Separate kernels are needed for 16, 32 and 64 MB machines.''' A Series 7 kernel gives you 16 MB regardless of what is fitted; the effect of a 64 MB kernel on a 32 MB machine is undocumented and not worth discovering.<ref name="openpsion" />

Transferring 10–15 MB into a ramdisk gradually consumes all memory and freezes the machine — use ramfs or tmpfs instead.<ref name="openpsion" />