You may try out the uClinux on your Altera Nios dev board before compiling anything. You can learn how to run a compiled program on your board. It is a very basic and important step. The kernel image was built from uClinux-dist with the default config. Both the sof and ptf files come from the example project, and there is no change. The sof and kernel image version must match, otherwise it will not run.
Please check UClinuxDist for booting up message and usage. After you get uClinux boot up successfully, you can build the kernel image with the ptf file of the same hardware project.
You will need Quartus and Nios2eds installed. Download the sof and zImage files for your board to a working dir, eg c:download on Windows or ~/download on Linux. Note the drives mapping in Nios II command shell (cygwin), drive c: is named as /cygdrive/c/ and c:download is /cygdrive/c/download.
Open a Nios II command shell on Windows from Windows Start-->Programs-->Altera-->Nios II 7.2 -->Nios II Command Shell, and change to the download dir.
cd /cygdrive/c/downloadOr open a shell terminal on Linux and change to the download dir.
cd ~/downloadNote: If you don't have a Nios II license and have generated the .sof file yourself then its usage will be restricted. Follow the following instructions but run the
nios2-configure-sof instruction from one command shell and run the
nios2-download and
nios2-terminal instructions from another. This allows the
nios2-configure-sof to keep in contact with the processor so as to allow it to keep running.
For Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition, including Cyclone III starter kit (aka the "NEEK")
Easiest way to run Linux on the NEEK:step 1: Copy the unzipped content of the
NEEK-uCLinux-eek.zip file as a subdirectory ("uCLinux") into the "Altera_EEK_Applications" directory on the SD-card provided with the kit.
step 2: With the Application Selector you now can select and start "uCLinux"
View the embedded file
info.txt (e.g. in the Application Selector) to see what it can do and how it's done.
Another Application Selector Application is
SLS_Console.zip uploaded with permission of SLS Corp. This distribution shows the Linux starting messages on the NEEK's LCD screen and opens a shell that is displayed on the LCD screen and can be used with a PS2 keyboard attached to the NEEK.
Without using the SD-Card you can do this:step 1. Configure the FPGA,
nios2-configure-sof cycloneIII_embedded_evaluation_kit_web_server.sofstep 2. Download and run the kernel image,
nios2-download -g zImage_cycloneIII_embedded_evaluation_kit_web_server
nios2-terminal The kernel image was built with cycloneIII_embedded_evaluation_kit_web_server_sopc.ptf in the Cyclone III Embedded Evaluation Kit Web Server files.
However, the TSE MAC driver is not ready yet, and the ethernet won't work.
