As much as I love my new C1000, installing packages is just driving me crazy!

Okay, so I come from the pampered world of the Pocket PC and Windows, but installing packages in linux (pdaXrom in this case) just seems mad. I have yet to successfully install anything much on my C1000 except Rox and wifi radar. What is causing me all the grief is dependencies. pretty much everything that I install seems to end up missing some file or the other that I then cannot find. Good examples are the gpe PIM stuff for pdaXrom which after installing at least 20 different packages still will not run (although the icons for some of the programs do appear in the menus). Another example is mplayer - I installed the packages mentioned in the forums but it still comes up with an error (about libavcodec.so) when I try to run it from the console.

Am I missing something - is there an easy way to work out what dependencies a package needs. Can it really be that hard.....

Two things may help:
1. Use the Package Manager and install things online: before installing anything, go online, start Package Manager, go to the Setting window, remove the original arcane feed address and add the current ones ( e.g. http://mail.pdaxrom.org/download/1.1.0beta...rus-Cxx00/feed/ , depending on your pdaXrom version. Adding the C7x0-860 ones also coz they may have more packages), press the turning arrow button to refresh, then check to see if a whole list pops up in the Available window. Then normally all the required files/dependency will get installed automatically together with your target package.

(Or in the terminal: Edit /etc/ipkg.conf, add "src http://... ", save and then run "ipkg update", finally "ipkg install xyz" (xyz = the package name, not the package file name). Same results)

2. Search for things in the Filelist: If you look at the feeds pages, there are two links on the top called "Filelist" and "Packages". Packages tell you the dependencies, and Filelist will list all the files contained in the packages. Usually a simple search in the Filelist will locate the missing library or file there.

I agree that Zaurus/Linux really needs some getting used to. But undoubtedly it has capacity, flexibility and potential far beyond the PPCs and Palm PDAs. Well of course if you are just looking for a pure and simple PDA, I would recommend a Palm device.

Hope that helps.

ZDevil - thanks for the info. I have been without a broadband connection for the last week (the entire length of time I have had my Z!) so I have been trying to install things manually.

Fortunately my broadband is back up and running today so i am looking forward to getting home, slipping in my wifi card (one of the things I have gotten working so far!) and following your tips!

I have been using PDAs for a good 7 or 8 years now since my first Newton (which has been followed by about 3 Newtons and 5 or 6 Windows Mobile devices) and it is the desire to get something more powerful that has lead me to the Z. For its day the Newton really was more handheld computer than simple PDA and that is what i have been searching for ever since! I am frustrated at the moment, but I fully intend to stick around and get the most I can out of the Z

uMP2K,

Welcome on board.

Are you new to Unix world? At what IT level are you: users, advance ussers, programmers, developers?

Based on your complaints, you have a lot to catch up.

If I were a newbie to Zauraus World, I will start with Sharp ROMs without embarking on other OSes, which I should try after establsihing solid foundation on linux.

By the way, I still using Zaurus SL-5600 with the original Sharp ROMs although I have more than twenty years of Unix experience.

However, do post your problem here. The users are very helpful to solve your problem with their best abilities.

To be honest, I am no IT person and consider myself still a newbie in Linux. Yet I feel very comfortable with using pdaXrom as it is quite straightforward and very close to a real desktop experience. I started out learning linux on Zaurus before I use desktop linux. It's also a good way to learn some linux as I can apply a lot of things I learned from using Z to my desktop Linux setup. It doesn't really matter to me how much linux knowledge I have. What I care about is to get things done, not to bother with hacking that is not relevant to my practical use in daily life. Even some basic knowledge and skills can give you some milieage. Plus there are so many friendly and polite users in the forum who are eager to help. I've benefitted tremendously from these nice folks.

thanks for the responses/comments. That has helped a lot.

one question - looking for firefox in the official pdaXrom feeds and all I find is Mozilla. Is that what I am after...?

yes

Firefox Package

Late

Once again - I am overwhelmed by the great response. I now have firefox loaded and working.

I am really developing a taste for pdaXrom....!