I've been looking for ways to do this since I got my Chumby One a few years ago but I finally got something to work.

(This will probably work on other devices too, like the chumby hacker board)

I assume you are using Linux with an FTDI cable connected to your Chumby.  If not, good luck.

Basically we're just taking a working OpenEmbedded (Angstrom) image and dropping in the debian filesystem.  We'll keep the old OE kernel as well as the OE modules.

Here is the basic solution which shows how to do this on a similar device (although this didn't quite work on the Chumby).

If you want to know the details refer to this link but it doesn't exactly work as is:
https://github.com/OLIMEX/OLINUXINO/blo … README.TXT

First download the following Angstrom boot img  which includes the openembedded rootfs.  We'll just write over that 2nd partition with the debian rootfs later (but this is a perfectly working openembedded Angstrom system with many extras):

http://tinyurl.com/ob5ppwu   (angstrom image)

Next, from the reference page above, download the debian rootfs:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-bAEPM … d1Qlk/edit

NOW ON YOUR x86 LINUX WORKSTATION:

-uncompress the angstrom image (tar -xvzf or bunzip2 then tar -xvf)
-plug in your mini sd card using a usb converter (probably best if the sd card is wiped with a fresh vfat format)
-unmount the empty sd card if it shows up on your desktop (for me it was /dev/sdb1 at /media/????)

# umount /media/?????

-run "fdisk -l" and look for the usb device in the output (should be /dev/sd?)
# fdisk -l

**BE CAREFUL HERE THAT YOU KNOW WHICH DEVICE IS YOUR USB FLASH (yours may NOT be /dev/sdb)**
** DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK **

# fdisk /dev/sdb"
     delete partiton 1
     write

** replace ANGSTROM.img with the real name of the OE image that you downloaded/uncompressed above **
# dd bs=4M if=ANGSTROM.img of=/dev/sdb
# fdisk -l

You should see two partitions:
1st is id 53 OnTrack DM6 Aux (/dev/sdb1)   LEAVE THIS ONE ALONE
2nd is the Linux partition with the Angstrom rootfs (/dev/sdb2)

  mount the Angstrom fs and chdir to /lib
# mkdir /mnt/part2
# mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt/part2
# cd /mnt/part2/lib

  backup the angstrom modules and firmware then unmount
# tar -cvzf ~/modules.tgz  modules/
# tar -cvzf ~/firmware.tgz firmware/
# cd
# sync
# umount /mnt/part2

  reformat this partition
  (OPTION: you could use fdisk to delete partition2 and create a new max size partition now if your card has more space)
# mkfs.ext2 /dev/sdb2

# mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt/part2
# df -h
# cd /mnt/part2
# pwd

  make sure it is blank,
# ls -l

  if stuff is here then delete it (CAREFULLY)
# rm -rf *

  untar the debian rootfs in /mnt/part2
# tar -xvzf ~/debian_rootfs.tgz

  chdir to lib and place the modules and firmware back
# cd lib
# tar -xvzf ~/modules.tgz
# tar -xvzf ~/firmware.tgz

In order to get wireless working I had to download the wireless tools deb for squeeze armel:
http://packages.debian.org/squeeze/arme … s/download

and also its dependency

"libiw30"
http://packages.debian.org/squeeze/arme … 0/download

copy those .deb files into your root homedir at /mnt/part2/root/

  unmount the sd card
# cd
# sync
# umount /mnt/part2

** BACK TO THE CHUMBY NOW **

  pull the micro sd out of the usb converter and place into your chumby
  connect to the chumby serial port using your FTDI cable and plug in the power cord

Debian should now boot.

user: root
pass: RootPass

install those deb files first:

# cd
# dpkg -i  *.deb  (if it barfs try installing libiw30 before wireless tools)

You might need to google on how to bring up wireless in Debian command line but I set up a static ip in /etc/network/interfaces
then I manually run the following.  I need to automate this.

# ifdown wlan0
# iwconfig wlan0 $ESSID on
# ifup 

That should get you up and running on wireless for now but there is plenty more to do (any help appreciated)

TODO:

-Get TSLIB working for the touch screen
-Build a newer kernel in OE that is closer to what Debian Squeeze really uses in place of this old one. (need help here)
-Get this running with Debian Wheezy (I have Debian Wheezy armel running on my Rasberry Pi which is a better build env)
-Get all of the kernel modules/devices working like rotary knob, top button, audio, midi (I think I might have these somewhere)
-Turn off any extra services and use busybox services wherever possible (I think sshd may have a memory leak - switch to dropbear)
-expand to a larger sd card (maybe 4gb)

Enjoy!