Author Topic: Linux on your Canon DSLR? Why not? (Read 204254 times)

a1ex · « **on:** April 01, 2015, 08:00:24 AM »

We, the Magic Lantern Team, are very proud to present you a new milestone in DSLR customization!

LINUX ON CANON EOS CAMERAS!

(edit: after playing a game, making it look like an April's fool, we can ensure: this is not a fake!)

Starting from our recent discovery about display access from bootloader, we thought, hey, we could now have full control of the resources from this embedded computer. At this stage, we knew what kind of ARM processor we have (ARM 946E-S), how much RAM we have (256MB/512MB depending on the model), how to print things on the display (portable code), how to handle timers and interrupts, how to do low-level SD card access on select models (600D and 5D3), and had a rough idea where to start looking for button events.

So, why not trying to run a different operating system?

We took the latest Linux kernel (3.19) and did the first steps to port it. As we have nearly zero experience with kernel development, we didn't get too far, but we can present a proof of concept implementation that...

...boots the Linux kernel 3.19 on Canon EOS DSLR cameras!
- it is portable, the same binary runs on all ML-enabled cameras (confirmed for 60D, 600D, 7D, 5D2 and 5D3)
- allocates all available RAM
- prints debug messages on the camera screen
- sets up timer interrupts for scheduling
- mounts a 8 MiB ext2fs initial ramdisk
- starts /bin/init from the initrd
- this init process is a selfcontained, libc-less hello world
- next step: build userspace binaries (GUI, etc)

Demo video:

Download: autoexec.bin

Source code (WIP): https://bitbucket.org/hudson/magic-lantern/branch/linux-bootloader

We hope this proof of concept will encourage you to tinker more with your new embedded computer. Maybe you want to run Angry Birds on it, or maybe Gimp?

Enjoy!

Audionut · « **Reply #1 on:** April 01, 2015, 08:31:29 AM »

This opens up so many possibilities. Just wow!

DeafEyeJedi · « **Reply #2 on:** April 01, 2015, 08:38:16 AM »

Definitely another pipe dream coming true for many!

edilson · « **Reply #3 on:** April 01, 2015, 08:48:26 AM »

I've just notice that I haven't had an properly account yet --
anyway ... just had to comment this great new, it's amazing! Thanks for share

rbrune · « **Reply #4 on:** April 01, 2015, 08:49:43 AM »

1. April? :/

vroem · « **Reply #5 on:** April 01, 2015, 09:04:06 AM »

If this is as true as you seem to imply on Twitter, you sure chose a great day to announce it!

edilson · « **Reply #6 on:** April 01, 2015, 09:07:49 AM »

hahaha
yes ... inopportune day to announce

rbrune · « **Reply #7 on:** April 01, 2015, 09:31:51 AM »

If it is real: how much do we know about the usb interface chip?
It would be great to get something like adb working to have an interactive shell.

Walter Schulz · « **Reply #8 on:** April 01, 2015, 09:38:21 AM »

Playing with expections: Boss level!

Danne · « **Reply #9 on:** April 01, 2015, 10:07:04 AM »

Awesome. Now we can run exiftool straight in the cam

ItsMeLenny · « **Reply #10 on:** April 01, 2015, 10:28:02 AM »

It's quite easy to tell that this whole video is computer generated.
And if you read closely what is written on the SD card it says "April Fools".

a1ex · « **Reply #11 on:** April 01, 2015, 03:06:32 PM »

If you are not exactly a Linux fan, you might want to try this: http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=14853

nitrosito · « **Reply #12 on:** April 01, 2015, 03:17:32 PM »

WOW! Congrulations! This is big!

Excelent notice

thearczoro · « **Reply #13 on:** April 01, 2015, 03:47:56 PM »

Hhhmm... That would be awesome.

insippo · « **Reply #14 on:** April 01, 2015, 05:57:59 PM »

great. I can use facebook with my d600

tob · « **Reply #15 on:** April 01, 2015, 06:39:59 PM »

April fool?

g3gg0 · « **Reply #16 on:** April 01, 2015, 09:42:06 PM »

should i be honest?

Walter Schulz · « **Reply #17 on:** April 01, 2015, 09:45:28 PM »

Where is the fun in that?

g3gg0 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 01, 2015, 10:02:01 PM »

we had enough fun seeing responses that were somewhere between "AMAZING!" and "haa, haa...."

so.. enjoy the demo. we had fun with creating it

you will be the first ones who boot linux on their DSLR.
and i hope there will be some more soon

we updated the first post, check it

Walter Schulz · « **Reply #19 on:** April 01, 2015, 10:15:50 PM »

Ok, I tried it on 7D and had Linux running and my first kernel panic on DSLR.

g3gg0 · « **Reply #20 on:** April 01, 2015, 10:17:32 PM »

see, you are one of the first people ever having a kernel panic on the 7D.
very few people can tell this

the kernel panic is due to my hackish "init" process, that only prints a "hello world", exiting back to kernel.
thats a good thing.

Walter Schulz · « **Reply #21 on:** April 01, 2015, 10:24:37 PM »

Yes, first person officially reporting 7D with kernel panic!
And 650D, too.

Not that much Endorphin released, though!

On second thought: This is pretty much "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" opening the door after falling down the rabbit hole. I cannot imagine all the options ...

Greg · « **Reply #22 on:** April 01, 2015, 10:27:40 PM »

rbrune · « **Reply #23 on:** April 01, 2015, 11:15:12 PM »

EOS-M also seems to boot it.

Is there already a git/hg for kernel/initrd/userspace set up?

nikfreak · « **Reply #24 on:** April 01, 2015, 11:34:14 PM »

pranked by BSOD but this autoexec doesn't even power on 70D.

News:

Author Topic: Linux on your Canon DSLR? Why not? (Read 204254 times)