Hey guys and gals. I just recieved my new pda in the mail today. I got a Zaurus SL-5500. I also use Ubuntu on my home PC (as well as a very small partition for Win XP for those 1 or 2 things that I haven't figured out how to run in Linux ).
I'm not quite sure how to best utilize my new pda. I came from a Dell Axim X3 (don't worry, it was free) and a Palm m100 before that. I know that the 5500 uses a Linux OS...but that's about it. From reading up on some stuff on the net, it seems like there a bit of customization that can be done, same as my PC Linux OS. Am I right in assuming that?
Also, I'm trying to figure out how to sync my pda to Ubuntu so that I can xfer info and backup my data. Any help as far as programs, links to how-to's, or any other tips would be awesome.
My specs are: 2.6 MHz Pentium , 256 Mb RAM, cable modem, Ubuntu Linux Breezy Badger 5.10

if you install kde pim pi, you can setup ssh sync with your desktop's kde.

how?

you will need to setup public and private keys for passwordless access to the desktop. Go to the sync->configure and you will see the remote sync option and then it will give you the ssh section. kde pimpi's documentation describes it best.

I believe it gets the .ics and and the vcf files, syncs with them locally and then sends them back to your desktop.

I generally don't sync, but replicate my stuff so I just have an scp pull to my desktop. For security reasons I rather let the desktop have passwordless access to the Z, than have it the other way around. If kopi/kapi had commandline sync, I would have synced my data instead.

I'm not sure if I really need to sync with my pc. I'll probably get a multi-card reader and do the data xfer that way, but how do I install new programs to my Zaurus? With my Axim, you had to run the installation program on your pc, then when you sync, it installs the program onto your pda. Is the Zaurus the same way? If not, is the OS the same, or similar enough, to my home version in a way where it read and execute the same files? Or does it recognize only certain extensions?

The zaurus has an installation program (add/remove software) so you don't *need* to install the sharp pc apps. If you're going to sync using a flash card, you can also install packages from there too. Add the ipkgs to the card and put the card in the zaurus. When you startup the add/remove software, you will be able to choose the packages on the card to install.

Great. This has been a lot of help. So, are there any really good web sites to look for apps? I'm going to google for some, but there's always going to be a few good ones that search engines won't find.

the most obvious one is elsix.org. After that, searching these forums and asking works too.

There's also http://www.zaurususergroup.org/UpDownload.phtml (the ZUG downloads section), and http://www.killefiz.de/zaurus/ (the Zaurus Software Index), and http://zsi2.stonekeep.com/ (a ZSI mirror).

If you decide to get 'way out on the cutting edge and install OpenEmbedded, you'll have to use their feed to install stuff, Or So I Hear.

Ok, so I went to the Zaurus user group site and they have a bunch of ROM's that can be downloaded...Cacko, Hybrid, X11...what are these exactly? Is it like Gnome or KDE for Ubuntu? If so, do these replace Qtopia? And what's the difference between open source and closed source as far as usablility? It seems as if there are some restrictions when using an open source version, but there are obviously going to be advantages.

You might have allready found this out, but the diffrent roms are more like a new distro. Look at them as ubuntu, suse, knoppix and such, and like these distros they might use diffrent ways to display a graphical interface like gpe, qtopia and opie. This can sort-of be compared to kde and gnome:)

openzaurus with your choice of gpe or opie is sort of like ubuntu and kubuntu except it goes deeper. Your choosing X11 or qtopia UIs instead of windows environments