How to install Debian Linux on a TI-Nspire

DISCLAIMER: I AM IN NO WAY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING THAT MAY HAPPEN TO YOUR CALCULATOR OR COMPUTER AS A RESULT OF FOLLOWING THIS GUIDE

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These instructions are written for use on a computer running Debian (If you don’t have a computer running Debian you can use Virtual Box). Steps with a “~” in front will take a while. If you use a Raspberry Pi, you can skip installing qemu-user-static and binfmt-support, and skip step 5

You will need:

• A TI-Nspire CX running a version of TI-OS supported by Ndless
• A flash drive. The flash drive should ideally be at least 2GB, but 1GB might work.
• A Mini-B OTG USB cable.
• A powered USB hub if you want to plug anything else into the calculator.

1. Install Ndless. Ndless lets you run 3rd party programs on your TI-Nspire.
2. Prepare a flash drive. Use gparted (or mkfs.ext4) to format the drive as one ext4 partition.
3. ~ Install programs on host. “sudo apt-get install qemu-user-static binfmt-support debootstrap”. These programs let you create and setup a rootfs on one computer.
4. ~ Debootstrap. Mount the flash drive using “sudo mount /dev/sdbX /mnt” substituting sdbX for your flash drive. Now run “sudo debootstrap –arch=armel –foreign stable /mnt“. This command will install a Debian rootfs onto the flash drive.
5. Copy files to rootfs. Run “sudo cp /usr/bin/qemu-arm-static /mnt/usr/bin” to copy the arm emulator, and “sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list /mnt/etc/apt/sources.list” to copy the apt list file.
6. ~ Finish debootstrapping. Change into the new rootfs with “sudo chroot /mnt“. This will automatically run the arm binaries in the qemu emulator. Finish the job with “/debootstrap/debootstrap –second-stage“. This will install all the programs on the rootfs.
7. Set a root password. Run “passwd” to set a root password.
8. ~ Set up apt-get. Update the apt-get sources with “apt-get update”.
9. Install any extra programs. You will need to download any extra programs you want now, because the calculator doesn’t have internet. Run “apt-get install -d ” to download the packages. The “-d” is important, otherwise it will try to install the packages as well. You will finish installing the packages when booted into Debian on the calculator. I recommend making a file with all the installed package names so you don’t forget what ones you downloaded.
10. Install the kernel, device tree, and linuxloader2. Download the three files indicated in my handy graphic, located here. If you are using a TI-Nspire CX or CX CAS, you need the “DTB for CX”, “DTB for Touchpad” is for the touchpad models (duh) and I think you can figure out what the last one is for Rename the kernel file to “zImage.tns” and rename the dtb file to “nspire.dtb.tns”. Send all three files to a folder called “linux” on your calculator.
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12. Set up boot script. Add “ext.ll2 linuxloader2” to the end of ndless.cfg.tns (in the ndless folder). This is easily done using nTxt. This line allows you to use a script to boot linux, and saves a whole lot of typing every time you want to boot linux. Download start_usb.ll2.tns and put it into the linux folder, along with zImage.tns and linuxloader2.tns.
13. ~ Boot! Make sure Ndless is installed and the flash drive is plugged into the calculator and run start_usb.ll2.tns. If all went well Debian should be booting! It takes a while (~2 minutes) to boot, so be patient.
14. ~ Finish installing packages. Log in as root, and “apt-get install ” for any packages you downloaded in step 9.
15. Add users. Use “adduser ” to add any users to the system.
    Done! You have successfully installed a full installation of Debian onto your calculator.

(Credit for linux on the calculator goes to tangrs on omnimaga)

Please leave comments with any suggestions or things I might have missed.