Minor Suggestions Options

[HardenCoonor]

As the topic says, i would like to make some suggestions concerning features of pdaXrom. Some might already be obsolete, because already included, but who knows.

I would like to start with certain packages(to give this posting some structure).

glibc : compile with

CODE

--enable-omitfp

This reduces the size of some .a by compiling them once with and once without framepointer, strip those debugging libraries out(ie delete them).
I already use this feature on my x86-gentoo box, and it makes really a difference.

gcc : Use gcc-3.4.3 (as a gentoo-user, i have to say that, i don't even know if it can generate valid code for arm)

binutils : Use newer binutils (2.15.92/94.*), The changelogs are quite long, so some bugfixing and/or new features might be applicable for the arm-architecture as well. Optimizing such as LDFLAGS=-Wl,-O1 and so on might add some performance.

kernel : 2.6 of course, +udev, more modules, less builtin stuff (i don't need wireless, infrared and so on), so the user should be enabled to turn on kernel-features as he/she needs. Maybe some file like kernel-2.6, like in Gentoo, where one can include the names of all modules to be loaded. Use udev+dbus+hal.
Yes, i have read some threads concerning 2.6 support here in the OE-forums)

X11 : Mhm, again i should say something like XOrg 6.8.2, but this is probably more difficult than the others. Still, performance of X11 is said to be increasable when compiled with newer gcc (>3.4).

prelink : Might be done for the standard rom package, though i don't know whether pdaxrom was/is compiled with -fpic.

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Now some general suggestions:

Strip the packages even more before they are put into the ROM. I often end up deleting stuff right after flashing. This takes up valuable space and is at least to me of no use at all.

-deletion of more X11-stuff (unnecessary xkb/* etc). There is just one keyboard for each zaurus, and extra files for external keyboards may be available as ipkgs. There is a lot stuff that is not necessary, geometries, symbols, keycodes.


-more fhs-compliance (so i don't have to switch between my box and the zaurus)
/media as the directory where all the mountpoints are located, not /mnt
/usr/apps into /usr/share/apps

- a command to put the zaurus into suspend mode via a pure console, with no x11

- maybe some install-options (in/exclude certain packages or locales)

- don't include xmms by default, i don't think there are a lot of people who use the zaurus as an mp3-player (me already putting on the nitro-cooled fire resistant full body suit)

- some security stuff (standard user not root)

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To Santa Claus:
- KDE + krusader OR Gnome OR XFCE (Well, maybe I should try this myself at home)
- OpenOffice.org-2.0
- Fluxbox (to me much nicer than matchbox)

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That for now, please turn on your flamethrowers if you feel so. Still I hope some things in this post are useful.

Now i have to click some banners, since this is the only way for me to support the developers.

Thanks to all the pdaXrom-developers, they make the zaurus really a nice geek toy, ah, i mean a usefull tool.

[jandr]

I don't disagree in principle with anything HardenCoonor said, but want to make a plug that any such major changes (e.g. kernel-major/gcc/binutils/X versions) wait for pdaXrom 1.2, and that first priority be given to getting the bugs out of 1.1.0rcX as currently configured, so that it can be officially released.

and as always, thanks for what's by far the best ROM out there! (Well, actually the only one for me

[radon88]

one more suggestion

X11: compile with

CODE

-DMUSTCOPY or -DMUSTCOPY2B

In XFree430, there's a bad assumption of structure size. (it's bad for ARM but for x86).

Without this define, XDrawString16 works incorectly.

[alan]

hi HardenCoonor !

a command to put the zaurus into suspend mode via a pure console, with no x11

launch

CODE

apm -s

or

CODE

apm -suspend

That is not a major contribution to this conversation, but that is the best my poor little non-developper brain can do

[HardenCoonor]

apm -s

Thanks. Where did you find it?

I have to say that with my x86 box i use acpi and no apm, so i did not even consider this.

I don't disagree in principle with anything HardenCoonor said, but want to make a plug that any such major changes (e.g. kernel-major/gcc/binutils/X versions) wait for pdaXrom 1.2

Well, yes, good point. Just another year(s) to wait . Probably i will have to try this myself, setting up a cross-build-chroot and so on. We will see.

[kingmob]

And why not uclibc, rather than glibc?