Messages

1

General Discussion / Searching for an hour. Web Audio Streaming. HELP !

« on: June 04, 2004, 12:49:27 pm »

I use my Z to play music during our backyard BBQ\'s/parties by using SAMBA to mount the root music directory from our server. Then I have a script that\'ll link a sub-directory( genre ) into the /home/zaurus/Documents/Audio directory so that all the MP3\'s in the underlying directories will show up in the Media Player.

This way, there\'s no special audio streamer needed and all I had to do was install the SAMBA stuff and write a couple of scripts to mount, unmount, and link the correct directories for the standard Media Player.

2

General Discussion / Zaurus aka IrDA sniffer

« on: May 29, 2004, 07:57:09 pm »

Tried sersniff? Let me know how it goes too..  
...
Source tarball (16kb)  
...

I have no facilities set to compile it in Zaurus ipk.

suruaZ

Sure you do. Go get zDemoLinux CD and do it from there( hint, no need to install anything ). A search should get you to it.

3

User Request for Applications / Zaurus: A "Complete OS" with "Incomplete Apps

« on: May 23, 2004, 04:29:41 pm »

Why are there not more full blown GNU/Linux applications for the Z?

Screen size( remember there are many many 5x00 versions out there ), Memory size, cpu, and the default SDK( Qtopia is not full Qt ) are IMHO, why there are not more full blown GNU/Linux apps running on the Z these days.

Also IMO, the price of the 6000 will keep it a niche device and development for it less than mainstream. But, the screen size, memory, and cpu of the 6000( plus host USB support ) are big plus\'s in it\'s favor for the POSIBILITY of fullblown GNU/Linux apps running on it.

4

General Discussion / 6000L user base?

« on: May 23, 2004, 04:14:02 pm »

I\'ve been told by someone with the pre-released version of the 6000 that the Sharp I/O connector is the same but it is upside down. Therefore, the original Sharp serial cables would have the larger side of the connector case sticking up toward the keyboard on a 6000 instead of down toward the back( away from the keyboard ) as with the 5x00 models.

This also means that unlike how the 5000/5500 could use the 5600 cradle, the 6000 won\'t. Or atleast it won\'t be facing forward if it does fit. ;-)

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General Discussion / Encoding Video for Zaurus...

« on: May 21, 2004, 12:30:44 pm »

I agree. Actually, I would take it one step further... piece by piece the entire software development market will get replaced by open source... and then all of the developers (like me) are out of a job. But... unlike many congressmen, I can see past that and realize that the world WOULD be better off that way instead of trying to force people to pay money for something that they shouldn\'t have to.

I know this is off topic but this thread has already gone down that path. Software developers will not be out of jobs as OSS gets more popular. They will be hired to work and improve on the OSS and/or create new OSS projects. And there will still be proprietary applications too. It\'s just that you won\'t have so much wasted public money on reinventing the wheel and people will be paid to improve things instead of reinventing.  Software development will move more and more to a service industry. It may be that more jobs will get created because it\'ll be common for even 5 person business\'s to have a software person to tweak/customize their office software systems. Instead of waiting for Microsoft to release something that works alittle better than the last version but requires a new computer to run it. ;-)

I\'m not sure where people get these ideas about free software and the end of software development. It sounds alot like how people think that conserving fuel will remove profits from the oil industry and therefore remove money from the economy.... The money will still be spent and will now be used for other things. Embracing OSS means moving forward. IMHO.

lob
BTW, the latest beta version of Knoppix has NTFS R/W capabilities

6

General Discussion / Encoding Video for Zaurus...

« on: May 21, 2004, 12:02:27 pm »

That mentioning of Knoppix earlier was because I suspected you were a Microsoft user. Knoppix is GNU/Linux on a CDROM that\'ll boot from the CDROM and that means it does not need to be installed on your hard disk. If your work computer can boot from the CD then you can use it there too. And it does a darn good job of automatically setting up everything from network to display. It\'s got mplayer, mencode, and tons more stuff on the CDROM so you should be able to mess with using those scripts to see if it\'ll generate something your Z media player can play.  You can mount filesystems for reading or R/W\'ing once you get though going or use a USB HD to save off the file for later xfer to the Z. I don\'t recall if Knoppix connects out-of-the-box with the Z or not.

Or, you can wait until Microsoft releases a version of their software that\'ll let you export for playback on your Z.  Isn\'t funny how fewer and fewer options are available on the MS platform as Microsoft puts more and more software developer out of business...

1) go to http://www.knoppix.net
2) go to the download section and download the 700MB ISO image
3) burn the ISO image to a CDROM
4) shutdown your HD based OS
5) insert the Knoppix CD and boot your computer from the Knoppix CD
note: the BIOS needs to be set to boot from CD and it doesn\'t install anything on your HD

lob

7

General Discussion / Encoding Video for Zaurus...

« on: May 20, 2004, 12:34:35 pm »

I forget what video format ( mpeg 1? ) the Z supports by default but might I suggest Knoppix is tried for this.  For those running MS Windows, you would have to boot the Knoppix CD and then enter whatever commandline/script is required to convert your video before booting back to your regularly scheduled program/OS.

If there are those who feel the desire to convert files for others then that\'s great too. Doing it yourself is usually the way to go or, it is for me....

Just a thought.

lob

8

Software / You call this Linux?

« on: February 26, 2004, 02:45:51 am »

So what is it you need this thing to do or have? All I see is that you want SSH and for some reason you don\'t like or know Qt/Qtopia.  You do know that you can add SSH don\'t you? There are many other tools and apps you can install and since you don\'t use the PIM apps( no sync\'ing ) why does the 3.x ROMs work for you?

9

Off Topic forum / \'We got him\'

« on: December 14, 2003, 07:48:55 pm »

He was found when they heard him cussing at his crashed MS PocketPC based handheld.

And they were looking in his hair(see news clips ) because they couldn\'t figure out why he was scratching his head so much. Turns out, it was because his handheld would crash so much that it became a habit for him to scratch his head. He did it all the time.

;-)

10

General Discussion / Forget the 6000 for ruggedness

« on: December 11, 2003, 02:34:08 pm »

I would say that up until recently, the Zaurus has been on par with my Palm IIIx with regards to ruggedness. Both have handled many 2\'-3\' drops to all kinds of floors but the Zaurus now has it over the Palm. That was a HUGE fall to concrete! Maybe it was just lucky that it hit on the corner but it was the corner opposite the battery after all. Most of the mass of the Z was furthest away from the impact where it could do the most harm. But it couldn\'t.  Sharp sure knows how to build them.

11

General Discussion / Forget the 6000 for ruggedness

« on: December 10, 2003, 02:14:39 pm »

It seems the SL-5600 is pretty darn rugged also.  Yesterday, I was on top of our patio cover working and had been using my SL-5600 for it\'s battery life and spreadsheet. I would just leave it on all the time while I was working( for quick reference ) and had it in my shirt pocket. Well, I bent down to pick up some rope and out pops the 5600. It bounced off one of the wooden slats and the clear cover came flying off. Then, the 5600 slid through a couple slats and headed for the concrete floor over 9 feet below.  I didn\'t see any pieces come off so I was thinking that just maybe, I\'d need a new glass/digitizer. When I checked it out, NOTHING WAS BROKEN.

All of the impact was taken by the upper left corner of the front bezel.  I don\'t want to try this again but what a rush. I wonder if there are any \"tested\" drop specs for the 5600?