Just one question on the pdaX ROM: Is it possible to use binaries from the Debian repository on it?

If not, would it be possible to implement some kind of dpkg system to allow it? Because that way we'd have access to lots of already-compiled apps, which are not easily usable on other ROMs due to lack of X server.

Right now I'm using the Xqt / pocketworkstation hack to use Debian repositories, but it's a little complicated mantaining the two systems.

Thanks!

yes, you can use them. I have a program i wrote to convert the debian packages to IPK's. You can download the IPK for it on my website. http://dtors.ath.cx/index.php?page=deb2ipk.php

Oh, that's great! But, where those debian packages, which can be converted and used for pdaXrom? are there any X11 applications?

www.debian.org

That's great, thanks! I'm flashing it right now

Those looking for Debian packages can find them in alphabetical order for every architecture here:

http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/

There are many thousands of packages to sort through. So, it is best to know what you are looking for.

Good Luck!

bleh... looks like more trouble than it is worth. I converted the xvncviewer deb file and looked at the control file... 6 dependents. Converting 6 dependents is not what I am worried about, I'm worried about files that may be overwrote while installing those 6 dependents. You would basicly have to pic through each deb file, see what you already have installed with the base rom, and then restructure the ipk based on that info. Maybe I have picked a bad example to look at, but it still looks like to much trouble.

Upgrade the ipkg release used in the X11 image. The more recent ipkgs ( last 6 months or so) support debs directly.

thanks treke

omin0us,

I downloaded and tried your deb2ipk script. It errors out at line 57 saying it can't find the "ar" program after it renames the ".deb" file to a ".ar" file? Should that program be "tar" not "ar" (spelling error)? If not, where do I find the "ar" program... must be doing something stupid. Please help...

No a .deb is the same as an OZ ipk - an ar archive rather than the less efficient tar.gz archive which the Sharp based ROMs still use.

Therefore you'll need to find ar. It'd probably on killefiz in one of the multi pack tool tarballs.

Si

nope, its not an error. i wrote this back before pdaXrom came out and we were using X11 Cacko Linux. Back then the 'ar' command came with the zgcc image. if you can find that image somewhere, you can still use it if you just manually mount it.

deb2ipk perl script converts a .deb to a pdaXrom compatible ipk package and also strips the control file of unneeded stuff. it does not require ar but needs perl. of course the latest .deb wont work on pdaXrom since debian has moved to using glibc 2.3 while pdaXrom is using the more stable glibc 2.2.x
older debian packages prior to sarge should work fine provided you resolve all the library dependencies...

where is it ??

its part of my ipk-tools package

You are totally ignoring the hardfpa vs softvfp problem.

Yes... it seems the debian libraries are hardfpa, while what pdaX uses is softvfp. So some debian packages don't work.
Plus the debian apps run slower because they are not compiled for pdaX.
For me it is a last resort, if compilation fails.

and some wont compile ones you start installing other hardfpa's likethe later libc

IMO, the difference in speed is not always that noticeable. The real problem (for me) is maintaining an entire operating system (debian) on top of another (pdaxrom). ( I use the chroot method).

Chrooted Debian The Other Easier? Way

It's twice the work for less than the same amount of payback as an x86 system.