I will be receiving a C3000 from Conics.net in a few days, and would like to dump the Sharp ROM ASAP. I know that most of these issues will require research and testing on an actual unit, but I want to get an idea now of how difficult the porting process will be. I will, of course, help out in any way I can (non-technical user).

Potential Issues:
-C3000 has 16MB Flash ROM, versus the 64 or 128MB in previous C-series Zauri. The 4GB Microdrive is designed to take the place of the user memory (storage), but it is not yet known if any of the OS files reside on the HDD.
-C3000 uses the new Intel PXA270
**EDIT: C3000 uses the built-in graphics of the PXA270; previous C-series Zauri used the ATi Imageon 100
-C3000 has USB Host capability - not present on previous C-series Zauri.

To add a new device to OE, you just need to:

1) wait until the kernel source is released
2) add a dedicated kernel .oe
3) add a couple of machine specific configuration files (see lots of examples) to OE

Wow, that sounds easy. I am a Linux noob, though, so I will need someone else to do the porting... unless the Opie team has made stuff very easy, as in "for dummies" style step-by-step guides.

I don't know where to find the source for the C3000 ROM. Maybe it's on the CDs?? I'd imagine that it's not yet available, since the C3000 was just released. What are the requirements for making code available, in order to be compliant with the GPL?

GPL requires them to release their patch - which they did in the past. Requesting the source may speed up that process.

Out of curiosity, I'd appreciate you giving me the output of:

dmesg
cat /proc/cpuinfo
lsmod
ls -l /dev
mount

I would not know who to speak to or how to get in touch with them, considering the language barrier involved. I did send an query to Conics, though, asking about the source. How much time does Sharp have to make the source available?

I will send you the output you requested as soon as I receive my C3000.

Didn't have time yet to go and buy one, will do that tomorrow, I'll send my impressions as soon as I will have a little toyed with it

could also help.

As far as I have understood some of the Photos and screen shots on ZUG the ROM version is called 1.45JP. So it seems to be a minor step from 1.4JP of the latest C860 models and the kernel is probably the same.

I would expect that they had to change:
* pcmcia driver to handle second CF slot (for microdrive)
* mount HDD to /home instead of internal Flash

-- hns

The kernel is 2.4.20. Now the interesting question is if they also upgraded the machine support for the older models... Considering the experience with Sharp I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't.

Where is the source for the other C-series Zauri available for download? Is it somewhere on Sharp Japan or eZaurus.com?
Can anyone recommend a decent Japanese-English web translator? I found a Q&A section for the C3000 here

All the source code is at http://developer.ezaurus.com

Yeah, it's just as I suspected: the source for the SL-C3000 is not available yet.


Mickeyl: Please check your private messages

Does anyone know how long it took from the the release of each of the C-series Zauri before Sharp made their respective source code available to the public?

It varies. In some cases they were fairly quick, but in others they took a couple of weeks.

Mickeyl:
Here you go!
(the output is in the attached file)

The C3000 source is now available:
link

Hey everyone.

I've been reading the OE Forums for a few weeks now and have been very impressed with all the great discussions. I am about to order my first Zaurus and have decided on the C1000. I assume at the moment I have no alternative ROM options as the C1000 is so new? The Open Zaurus web site does say it is compatible with all but one Zaurus although I imagine that was written before the C1000/C3000 was released. Now the C3000 source code has been released (is the C1000 source out?) has any progress been made? I am a CS student and would be happy to put some work in myself although I am very new the Zaurii and fairly new with linux....

Sorry to post if this is a silly question but i'm actually finding it hard to find a definitive answer.

Cheers,

Ben

C1000 source code is not out yet. I think OZ for C3000 is nearly completed, just a matter of some people owning the hardware doing some tests/polishing/fixes.

Cheers for the responce. Will it be trivial to get an Open Zaurus rom working for the C1000 when it's source code is released? (assuming the C3000 rom is completed.)

[/quote]

Cheers for the responce. Will it be trivial to get an Open Zaurus rom working for the C1000 when it's source code is released? (assuming the C3000 rom is completed.)

[/quote]
Well, if the code is compilable, and the kernel built from that code boots and does what is expected, then I'd say it will be fast, if the C3000 support is finished by then, as I expect the key maps to be equal.
I've already booted a opie initrd on top of the stock C1000 rom, and everything more or less worked, except for the special keys.
I just wish sharp would hurry with the kernel source...

[quote=jbbrs,Apr 13 2005, 02:14 PM]
[/quote]

Cheers for the responce. Will it be trivial to get an Open Zaurus rom working for the C1000 when it's source code is released? (assuming the C3000 rom is completed.)

[/quote]
Well, if the code is compilable, and the kernel built from that code boots and does what is expected, then I'd say it will be fast, if the C3000 support is finished by then, as I expect the key maps to be equal.
I've already booted a opie initrd on top of the stock C1000 rom, and everything more or less worked, except for the special keys.
I just wish sharp would hurry with the kernel source...

[/quote]

So do I! Anything we can do to hurry them along?

If we can find a appropriate email address, we can pest them to release the source as specified by the GPL.

Seeing that there are now installation instructions for OpenZaurus on SL-C3000 (at http://openzaurus.org/wordpress/installation/sl-c3000/) am I correct in thinking that Sharp have made all the necessaries available and that this wee beastie is now fully supported?

And I've not been able to find anything about how I would revert to the original settings if I decide that OpenZaurus ain't for me. Is this possible?