Regarding tweaking the Zaurus:
There's the ability to alter the ROMs, besides OpenZaurus:
http://openzaurus.sourceforge.net/oz_website/content/overview
Not sure about where you're driving for the ability to tweak/compile software on the Zaurus - there's packages for Perl, HTML, MySQL, Apache off the top of my head. The FAQ lists a few places for software:
http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/zaurus-faq/sections/software.php3
-----Original Message-----
From: Curtis Sloan [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 6:37 PM
To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'
Subject: RE: (clug-talk) (news) Qtopia chosen over Palm and Pocket PC - or , Everything you wanted to know about Linux and PDAs
Yeah, I don't think Trolltech is hurtin' too badly. ;-)
http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2003Feb/gee20030218018672.htm
I'm a Pocket PC owner and I regularly tout the Pocket PC's features over
Palm, but often recommend Palm to users for simplicity and price point.
After all, Palm is more ubiquitous and works with Linux (thanks to the SynCE
project, this is changing for Pocket PCs).
I love my Pocket PC. But lately -- get this -- I have been wanting Linux on
my PDA because I want Linux to be very quickly accessible. I want the
flexibility of Linux at a moment's notice. A bootable CD-ROM on a laptop is
just not fast enough for me anymore (or so it would seem). 8-O I want the
power and control that Linux brings to any platform. Yes, that's right, I
said POWER and CONTROL! Now vote ME for President!! Just kidding. :-)
Unfortunately, there is no Linux distro for XScale CPUs just yet (the
architecture on which my Dell Axim and most new PPCs are based), and even
more unfortunate is that the Zaurus, et al. are not true Linux PDAs, in the
traditional sense -- rather, they are Linux-based PDAs. Their OS is Linux,
but it is not a "distro" that you can tweak, update, or compile new software
like you would your desktop distro. The Sharp Zaurus is a bundled unit just
like the current offerings from Palm and Pocket PC (IIRC - feel free to
correct me if I am wrong or if this has changed). Don't get me wrong --
that's great for consumers and regular users, but not for me. :-) I want
to tweak, break, update, and compile new software like you would a regular
distro.
That being said, there are a couple of current Linux-distro offerings for
StrongARM-based PDAs (Intel's predecessor to the XScale):
Intimate: http://intimate.handhelds.org/
Familiar: http://familiar.handhelds.org/
Intimate runs blackbox by default, but can run KDE happily as well
(Hooway!).
Familiar also runs blackbox by default, but also uses the following 2
desktop environments:
Opie: http://opie.handhelds.org/
GPE: http://gpe.handhelds.org/
Opie and GPE are great looking PDA-style environments, but again, what I
really want is my regular desktop Linux software available, not just a
subset of specialized "Linux PDA apps". I realize there will be
limitations, and specialized software based on architecture, but I like
knowing my platform is flexible and highly configurable, even if it isn't
quite as robust as my desktop. For instance, the thought of being able to
apt-get any currently available StrongARM-compatible .debs for my PDA is
really exciting. I want that.
The Kompany produces some great looking software for the Zaurus, but it all
comes with a price tag (nothing wrong with that, unless you are looking for
a free Linux distro-type solution). And, until recently, the Zaurus
couldn't even sync with a Linux desktop, even though it is Linux-based.
Bah. (That's fixed now, thanks to Qtopia. Hooway again!)
So... hmmm, how to get back on topic? Ah yes, Qtopia appears to hold much
promise for application development for PDAs, which could then be used on
either Linux PDAs or Linux-based PDAs -- good for both consumer and
consummate geek. ;-)
BTW, I was tempted to get a Sharp Zaurus but there were 2 factors that
stopped me:
1) Price point. Dell has come in at rock bottom pricing for a very sturdy,
reliable product. Highly recommended for geeks on a budget. :-D
2) Ease-of-use. Some early problems with the 5500 left me willing to wait
for the 5600, which looks to be a truly great product. I love the built in
hardware keyboard. Very cool.
Well, that may be more than you ever wanted to know about Linux and PDAs,
but there are exciting times ahead for Linux in all markets, it would
appear.
Personally, I would love to see a Linux distro ported to XScale in the near
future, but I'm not going to rush developers that are already working for
free. ;-) But if they could time a release for next February when my
warranty expires, I would be truly grateful. ;-) Oh, one last thing -- I
guess I'll need a Pocket PC emulator on my Linux PDA so I can still play
Snails and all those other "important" PPC apps. ;-) A February release
for that also would be timely. hehehe
Curtis.
