I've been enthralled with the Zaurus ever since I saw a video of it online. And since I did nothing but talk about it for months, my family decided to get it for me for my birthday (either to make me happy, or shut me up).

I realize that I have no linux background, and basic programming skills but I really wanted the zaurus to be my springboard for learning as much as it was fun.

I decided to give pdaXrom a try. I flashed it with no problem using an SD disk i had laying around. Then I got stuck.

My family also bought the Planex wi-fi card for me, and this doesn't seem to be working. When I put it in the zaurus when I had the sharp rom it seemed to recognize it as it started blinking. The pdaXrom will not have my card blink (though it will recognize that it's there).

I tried to fix it as someone on this forum had recommended, but I have no idea how to go about doing that.

I also started 3 instances of clock on my pdaXrom and now i can't close them out of the toolbar.

The zoom feature seems to be disabled in pdaXrom as does the ability to use the zaurus as a USB drive.

The windows opened appear to be to big to fit in the zaurus screen and there's no way to resize them.

So, either I am asking advice on what i'm having problems with, or maybe someone could suggest a different rom. I would also like to be pointed in the direction of a basic user manual for linux (moving around files). I am good at DOS, but the terminal seems unforgiving.

I eventually, want to be wireless & load up scummvm as well as several PIM/Office programs. Thanks! I admire you all.

~John

stick with pdaxrom and if you cant handle it, install the default sharprom and use my backup file in zaurusthemes for the 3200 users if you cant use pdaxrom. then you can load up the game emulators i have and themes, and use meanies pdaxqtrom.

Pdaxrom is good but it depends on what you really want to use your pda that should determine your choice of environment.

Another idea is OZ/GPE? I'm a strong supporter of this (Although I can't make mine work right because it's not yet a fully-supported platform and I'm thick) , it has X11 like PDAXROM but uses GPE. It's a bit better loaded on install, with better GUI apps (PDAXROM is designed sorta as a customising X platform I feel) preinstalled. You'll get on with it much better, and It should run most of the same software.

So which one is more supported?
I know from experience that doing simple things in pdaXrom is difficult and there is not much support for extreme beginners such as myself.

Where would I get OZ from?

Also, how do I install software if I can't use my zaurus as a usb drive. I tried to install a file manager program, and it looks installed - but I can't access it. There is no icon. What's the normal procedure for a program install? what files am I looking for, how do I transfer them, and how do i access the program once its installed?

for daily use, stick with sharprom. Openzaurus is for more advanced users in my own opinion. I guess I have everything i need in my z which openzaurus cannot do. But....I do have it loaded on my second pda just as to support the group.

I'm assuming you're using the default WM that comes with pdaxrom, the zoom does work but what it does is different to what the Sharp rom does. Zoom in pdaxrom changes the screen resolution from 640x480 to 320x240, zoom in Sharp rom changes the font size.


This will help:
http://mail.pdaxrom.org/docs/keyboardandmouse


For someone without Linux experience jumping into the deep end with pdaxrom might not be the best way to go. Although if you're technically competent, aren't afraid to get your hands dirty, willing to read documentation and know how to use a search engine, there's no reason why pdaxrom can't be made to work for you. Otherwise just stick with the Sharp (or even better, Cacko) rom for the moment. NB if you intend to stick with pdaxrom just make sure you're using beta3, beta4 is apparently quite unstable and not for the faint hearted.


I would strongly recommend that you visit your local library and pick up a few linux related books.


I'm not sure whether your Planex card is supported in pdaxrom, best you search or ask on the pdaxrom forum.


Scummvm works fine on pdaxrom, kdepim/pi is available, as are Abiword and Gnumeric (and also Openoffice).

try cacko.

the default ram is easier to hose by not knowing the feeds, etc. cacko is better sorted out.

pdaXrom is great, and not too tough with a little linux under your belt- in fact it is more like a regular linux desktop than sharp or cacko. Beta 3 is pretty stable with tons o software- I used it for months. beta4 is pretty much an alpha for experienced test dummies. It promises to become very cool, but don't go there yet

OZ is possibly the most theoretically interesting, but also probably the easiest to get into trouble with (barring pdaXrom beta4). give it a whirl after you are used to messing with your Z. the upcoming angstrom version of OZ promises some great things.

.

Crescendo if ScummVM is important to you I would recommend using either Cacko or SharpROM since they have version 0.8.2 available for them (search the software forum on this site for it). The latest PdaXROM and Open Zaurus versions available are 0.6.1. There have been significant improvements and many games added to ScummVM since 0.6.1. It would be best if the latest stable version of 0.9.0 was ported to all of the ROMs but, it doesn't look like the development community is interested.

Side Note:

Hopefully, things will change by the time 1.0.0 is released since that version will have support for Sierra's AGI games as well so, one interpreter will let you play the LucasArts (eg. Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max, Indiana Jones, Monkey Island, Loom, Zak McKracken, Maniac Mansion, Full Throttle and The Dig), Revolution (Lure of the Temptress, Beneath a Steel Sky, and Broken Sword), AdventureSoft (Simon the Sorceror, and the Feeble Files), Wyrmkeep (I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream and Inherit the Earth), Westwood (The Legend of Kyrandia), Coktel Vision (Gobliins), Binary Illusions (Flight of the Amazon Queen), Delphine (Future Wars and Operation Stealth) and finally Sierra (King's Quest 1-4, Space Quest 1-3, Leisure Suit Larry 1, Police Quest 1, Manhunter 1-2, The Black Cauldron, Mixed Up Mother Goose amd Gold Rush) games. That's a ton of adventure gaming goodness in one interpretor.

Que? Ångström has *nothing* to do with OZ, I repeat *nothing*.

right. it will however be an OE built distro that runs on a Zaurus, right? You realize that it takes longer to say it that way, and is still kinda confusing. If I just said Angstrom sounds like it will be a good option the pooor guy (who said he's just getting started)will
go looking for something that hasn't been released yet. It seemed the simplest way to express the idea that the developers-soon-to-be-known-as-the-developers-formerly-known-as-the-OZ-devs have a new and intereting project.

Well, it looks like I spoke too soon. Look what PdaXROM got today. Thanks Alez for your hardwork.

Based on the rivalry that PdaXROM and OZ have with each other; maybe OZ will get 0.9.0 in a day or two.

I've been running 0.9.0 on my c700 with OZ since it was released

Sounds a familiar story - I just got myself a C1000 after many many months (years really) of wondering about the Zaurus. Like you I dived straight into pdaXrom despite knowing next to nothing about Linux.
I have actually installed pretty much all of the other distros on my Z (both flavours of OZ and Cacko) and although OZ GPE in particular seemed very nice and offered a lot more "out of the box" I am just cannot shake the feeling that pdaXrom is the one for me - less PDA more micro notebook. Now, like you, I just have to get the darn thing working how I want!

I had exactly the same problem when I first loaded up pdaXrom! To fix it tap and hold on the task bar and then select remove from the menu that pops up and remove the items you do not want.

In the menu select system tools then usb. At the bottom of the window that opens you will see where you can click on the radio button for storage and select which card you want the desktop machine to see.
Hope that helps abit if you decide to stick with pdaXrom. the other page you might like to visit is pdaXrom beta3 fixes which gives some good and fairly easy to understand tweaks including a fix for the zoom and brightness keys.
Another thing I have done is install Rox as my desktop/Windows manager instead of the one that comes with pdaXrom by default. Seems much better and has a built in file manager. I really want to get xcfe4 working as my Window manager but it seems a lot more work.

Which feed is that from? I looked all through the feeds on EWI and could only find 0.6.1. The package installer in 3.5.4.1 GPE only shows and installs 0.6.1 as well. Did you build it yourself? If so, do you have an ipk available? I need details, man, details... Thanks.

I don't have OZ on it anymore, so I'm using http://www.angstrom-distribution.org/repo/...ils&pnm=scummvm now. The recipe has been in OE for ages, it's just a 'bitbake scummvm' away.

Wow! Angstrom has really come along since last time I checked out the site at the end of June. The repository is very impressive in size and scope. I'll be trying out the latest test build for sure on my Akita. Thank you for all your hard work Koen.

Right now we're having massive SHM problems with glibc 2.4 which needs fixing before we release a beta or RC. But atleast we're having fun

Does Angstrom work on the 3200 zaurus because it looks cool