Topics

1

Zaurus - Void Linux support / Alpha Testing - Netsurf Browser

« on: January 19, 2023, 01:54:06 am »

Hi everyone,

a while back I did an experimental build of a very basic test image for voidz that included the Netsurf Browser, running in framebuffer mode, rotated and with touch screen support. This voidz image does not have a package feed and is only for testing, so run it of a SD card.

And I need some testers.  Constructive feedback is welcome and will aid building a new voidz rootfs for the Zaurus series.

https://github.com/greguu/voidz-mklive/releases/tag/v0.4



Cheers,
Greg

2

New products and alternatives / MNT Pocket Reform

« on: July 13, 2022, 01:01:33 am »

This is quite exotic concept and design, but I like the modularity of it. Something to watch and perhaps put some money aside for.
Comes with a trackball and mechanical keyboard!







https://mntre.com/media/reform_md/2022-06-20-introducing-mnt-pocket-reform.html

3

For Sale / Wanted / [WANTED] Zaurus for Development

« on: April 12, 2022, 04:12:10 am »

Hi Zaurus folks,

I am looking for donations of working Cxx00 models for modding and kernel testing.
At the moment I got only a single C3100 and do worry it may fail eventually.
A C3200 and/or C1000 would help the effort to keep maintaining a kernel for these.
Other types I have interest in as well, but possibly not the time work on.
If you want your unused Zaurus to end up in good hands. Let me know.
Happy to pay for international shipping via Paypal.

Cheers,
Greguu

4

Gemini PDA - Sailfish OS / Current State of Sailfish on Gemini PDA

« on: April 12, 2022, 03:18:32 am »

Hi there,

This forum has gone a bit quiet.

Are there any active Gemini PDA users out there, with Sailfish OS (Community Version or Sailfish X) as their main driver ?

If yes, please post your feedback here.

Currently running 4.4.0.58 as of this post and have adopted quite well to it.

Cheers,

Greguu

5

New products and alternatives / Mag1

« on: September 30, 2019, 07:25:43 pm »

The MAG1 is a tiny laptop computer with an 8.9 inch, 2560 x 1600 pixel touchscreen display, a backlit keyboard, and an Intel Core m3-8100Y processor.

https://liliputing.com/2019/09/mag1-mini-la...er-for-630.html

[img]https://i.imgur.com/jQFFEgJ.jpg\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-image\" /]

6

New products and alternatives / F(x)tec Pro1

« on: September 05, 2019, 05:22:01 pm »

Interesting:

https://www.fxtec.com/pro1/


"With the Pro1 you have the flexibility with the unlocked bootloader enabling you to load other popular OS’s such as Lineage and Sailfish"

 [ Invalid Attachment ]

https://www.fxtec.com/pro1/#specification

DESIGN
Dimensions: 154 x 73.6 x 13.98 mm

DISPLAY
5.99-inch 2160 x 1080 (FHD+) AMOLED with curved edges
Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3

KEYBOARD
Physical Keyboard layout: 5-row, 64-key, staggered, backlit, landscape QWERTY keyboard
Keyboard mechanism: sliding (angled)

MEMORY
RAM: 6GB LPDDR4
Storage: 128GB, expandable via microSD card up to 2TB

CAMERA
Front Camera: 8MP, fixed focus, f/2.0
Rear Cameras: 12MP (Sony IMX363), f/1.8, 1.4µm pixels + 5MP, fixed focus, f/2.0

VIDEO
Video: capture up to 4K @ 30fps, playback up to 4K@60fps (supports H264 (AVC), H265 (HEVC),VP9)

PROCESSOR
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998

NETWORK
Global LTE (FDD+TDD), WCDMA/UMTS, CDMA/EVDO, GSM/EDGE
Cellular Bands;
GSM: 2, 3, 5, 8
WCDMA: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8
CDMA/EVDO: BC0, BC1
TD-SCDMA: 34/39
TDD-LTE: 38/39/40/41(100mhz)
FDD-LTE: 1, 2/25, 3, 4, 5/26, 7, 8,  12/17, 13, 20, 28

CONNECTIVITY
WiFi: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (WiFi 5)
Bluetooth: 5.0 + LE
NFC (supports Google Pay)
USB Type-C with HDMI support

BATTERY
3200 mAh
Talk time 10hrs
Standby time 480hrs
Quick Charge™ 3.0

SIM
Dual Nano SIM with microSD support (shared with SIM #2),
no SIM tool needed

CUSTOM APPLICATIONS
Landscape-optimized apps: launcher, calendar, email

SOUND
Speakers: dual, stereo
Audio connectivity: 3.5mm TRRS headphone Jack
FM Radio

NOTIFICATION
Flash: dual colour, dual LED
Notification light: Yes (RGB LED)

SENSORS
Fingerprint reader: Yes (side mounted)
GPS/A-GPS,  Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Ambient Light, Hall effect

BUTTONS
Power/lock key, Volume rocker, 2-stage camera shutter key

OS
Android 9.0 Pie
Bootloader unlockable, supports other popular OS’s (Lineage, Sailfish etc)

7

Zaurus - Arch Linux ARM support / Linux Kernel 5.0

« on: April 18, 2019, 01:53:36 am »

I have not updated the rootfs for ALARMZ (ArchLinuxARM Zaurus) for a while. I hope there are still some of you out there using it. It would be really good to know if you are. If you like to try a newer Linux Kernel on your Zaurus, please check out this post on the Voidz section in the forum. If there is enough interest, I will release a newer ALARMZ rootfs including the 5.0 kernel.

https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showto...st&p=291693
Note:  If you like to test and run the kernel, you will need to download, install it and update your boot.cfg manually.

8

Gemini PDA - Hardware / USB Type C to Serial RS232 Adapter

« on: September 05, 2018, 12:55:24 am »

This cable is available on aliexpress and other sites. It does work out of the box thanks to the PL2303 chip set.
It is useful for those of us that need RS232 on the go. The cable is very compact, too.

AliExpress

Example: Connecting on Android to a CISCO switch using the "Serial USB Terminal" app.

https://ibb.co/b5R6He

[img]https://i.imgur.com/Spqsq7J.jpg\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-image\" /]

  Note: This is not a UART cable.

9

Zaurus - Other distros support / brow.sh

« on: July 13, 2018, 02:25:49 am »

For us Zaurus users, no matter what distro used, this is a great browser!

https://www.brow.sh/

It features full Javascript support, even Firefox plugins work. You can watch Youtube ..

To clarify before you ask - No, the Zaurus does not need to run Firefox head-less for this to work. ( I would not recommend even trying )

Instead, just run the docker instance as mentioned on brow.sh on a x86 or ARMv6 computer locally or even host it in the cloud.
Then use ssh to browse via brow.sh remotely ! Or try the live free ssh access provided by brow.sh as mentioned at the end of this post.

Note: Currently there is no keyboard only navigation support. You need a mouse.
You can load custom pages by pressing CTRL+L and entering a page URL.
Scrolling works too, but not interaction with pages.

This is a feature that is being worked on and we hopefully see VIM like key-bindings, soon.
https://github.com/browsh-org/browsh/issues/31

How does it look like ?

https://imgur.com/a/JreaXVt

(Void Linux on Zaurus, tmux, busybox sh, dropbear ssh client)
[img]https://i.imgur.com/LblkMZ3.jpg\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-image\" /]


Want to try it without installing anything ? Just use the free ssh access from brow.sh to get a taste ! Just run:

Code: [Select]

ssh brow.sh
Cheers!

10

Zaurus - Void Linux support / Void Linux Packages

« on: June 27, 2018, 02:52:36 am »

Note: This repo is in a testing phase and will currently allow you to upgrade from a build5 rootfs or older to build6. Additional packages will be announced here for testing.

Many Thanks go to Varti & ibiblio for hosting this repository!


01. Enable the repo:

Code: [Select]

echo 'repository=https://www.oesf.org/repository/feeds/voidlinux/testing/build6' > /etc/xbps.d/00-repository-main.conf
02. Sync and Upgrade (Example):

[size=]

Code: [Select]

~ # xbps-install -Syu
[*] Updating `https://www.oesf.org/repository/feeds/voidlinux/testing/build6/armv5tel-musl-repodata' ...
armv5tel-musl-repodata: 33KB [avg rate: 2342KB/s]
`https://www.oesf.org/repository/feeds/voidlinux/testing/build6' repository has been RSA signed by "greguu"
Fingerprint: 13:09:b2:e3:ba:9b:7f:99:01:a5:45:a3:3b:79:c3:ed
Do you want to import this public key? [Y/n] y

Name        Action    Version           New version            Download size
libcrypto43 install   -                 2.7.4_1                -
libssl45    install   -                 2.7.4_1                79KB
libxbps     update    0.51_20           0.52_6                 76KB
xbps        update    0.51_20           0.52_6                 74KB

Size to download:              230KB
Size required on disk:        1805KB
Free space on disk:           1877MB


[*] Downloading binary packages
libcrypto43-2.7.4_1.armv5tel-musl.xbps.sig: 256B [avg rate: 749KB/s]
libssl45-2.7.4_1.armv5tel-musl.xbps: 79KB [avg rate: 170KB/s]
libssl45-2.7.4_1.armv5tel-musl.xbps.sig: 256B [avg rate: 746KB/s]
libxbps-0.52_6.armv5tel-musl.xbps: 76KB [avg rate: 335KB/s]
libxbps-0.52_6.armv5tel-musl.xbps.sig: 256B [avg rate: 706KB/s]
xbps-0.52_6.armv5tel-musl.xbps: 74KB [avg rate: 108KB/s]
xbps-0.52_6.armv5tel-musl.xbps.sig: 256B [avg rate: 708KB/s]

[*] Verifying package integrity
libcrypto43-2.7.4_1: verifying RSA signature...
libssl45-2.7.4_1: verifying RSA signature...
libxbps-0.52_6: verifying RSA signature...
xbps-0.52_6: verifying RSA signature...

[*] Running transaction tasks
libcrypto43-2.7.4_1: unpacking ...
libssl45-2.7.4_1: unpacking ...
libxbps-0.51_20: updating to 0.52_6 ...
libxbps-0.52_6: unpacking ...
xbps-0.51_20: updating to 0.52_6 ...
xbps-0.52_6: unpacking ...

[*] Configuring unpacked packages
libcrypto43-2.7.4_1: configuring ...
libcrypto43-2.7.4_1: installed successfully.
libssl45-2.7.4_1: configuring ...
libssl45-2.7.4_1: installed successfully.
libxbps-0.52_6: configuring ...
libxbps-0.52_6: updated successfully.
xbps-0.52_6: configuring ...
xbps-0.52_6: updated successfully.

3 downloaded, 2 installed, 2 updated, 2 configured, 0 removed.[/size]

03. Once xbps has been upgraded, sync once more to fetch the remaining packages:

[size=]

Code: [Select]

~ # xbps-install -Syu
[*] Updating `https://www.oesf.org/repository/feeds/voidlinux/testing/build6/armv5tel-musl-repodata' ...

......


21 downloaded, 1 installed, 31 updated, 1 configured, 0 removed.[/size]

04. The kernel was also upgraded, so reboot to have the change take effect.

11

Zaurus - Void Linux support / Void Install Guide

« on: May 05, 2018, 07:42:55 am »

This is a reference guide on how to install Void Linux (armv5tel-musl) on a Sharp Zaurus (C3x00) device.
Please use at your own risk.

Note: C1000 (Akita) is not officially supported, but instructions for Akita are nearly identical. Please use the "Frankenstein" kexecboot kernel and ext3 as rootfs for Akita

01. Install kexecboot kernel

A kexecboot kernel is required to boot Void Linux on your Zaurus. If you do not have already a kexecboot kernel installed, get one from the sources below and follow the instructions.

C3x00 :  Download (Kexecboot 4.14.18 Voidz)
C3x00 : Download (Kexecboot 3.10 ALARMZ)
C1000 : Download

Code: [Select]

1. Extract the tar.gz file to a FAT formatted SD or CF card (SD recommended)
    2. Remove battery and power adapter cable
    3. Wait for a few seconds
    4. Replace battery, close and lock the battery cover
    5. Attach power cable
    6. Push the OK button while pressing on/off switch
    7. The device will enter a menu (Japanese)
    8. From the menu options choose option "4" (Update), next "2" (SD) and confirm "Y"
    8. The device will reboot an present you with a boot-menu
02. Get the root file system

Note: The rootfs is updated regularly and very much experimental at this stage. Each build will feature a build number, eg Build-002. Please use always the latest build available for a fresh install. 

Cxx00: Download

Changes (build7) :
- Linux Kernel 4.19.0 - All packages build with GCC 8.2.0
To install the Void Linux rootfs, please follow the instructions below:

02.1. Format a SD memory card with f2fs or ext4 - make sure to set the correct device

Code: [Select]

mkfs.f2fs /dev/sdx1
   
    mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdc1 -O^metadata_csum
   
    mkfs.ext4 /dev/mmcblk0p1 -O^metadata_csumNote: If using e2fsprogs version >=1.43.9 you will need to exclude the metadata checksum feature upon creation as shown above otherwise the kexecboot kernel will fail to mount it. Keeping the feature enabled (default with newer e2fsprogs) will likely slow things down on the Zaurus.

02.2. Extract the downloaded rootfs tar.xz onto the SD card using the tar command, umount and boot the SD card on the Zaurus.

Code: [Select]

mount /dev/sdx1 /mnt
    cd mnt
    tar xf /root/void-somelongnameanddate.tar.xz
02.3. Logon as root (default password is "voidlinux") and change root password via the "passwd" command.

Code: [Select]

passwd4. Edit /etc/rc.conf and adjust your timezone. (vi or nano)

Code: [Select]

nano /etc/rc.confNote: Leave HOSTNAME and HARDWARECLOCK commented out.

5. Enable dropbear (sshd), udhcpc, ntpd and alsa

Code: [Select]

ln -s /etc/sv/busybox-ntpd /var/service
    ln -s /etc/sv/busybox-udhcpc /var/service
    ln -s /etc/sv/dropbear /var/service
    ln -s /etc/sv/alsa /var/serviceNote: This should bring up ethernet (CF or USB) via dhcp automatically and set the correct time as well as enable ssh listening on port 22 as default.

6. Enable WiFi

Make sure the CF or USB WiFi device is connected.

If you have a prism based card, it may be required to blacklist the orinoco_cs module fist. Reboot or "rmmod" the orinoco modules.

Code: [Select]

echo "blacklist orinoco_cs" > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
Then setup you WiFi connection. The example is for WPA enabled networks:

Code: [Select]

ip link show
ip link set up <device_name>
wpa_passphrase <MYSSID> <key> >> /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant-<device_name>.conf
iwconfig <device_name> mode managed
wpa_supplicant -B -i <device_name> -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant-<device_name>.conf -Dwext
udhcpc -i <device_name>
ping google.com
Note: An automated WiFi setup on boot can be achieved by using wpa_actiond. This needs to be documented and tested. The above commands were confirmed working with prism based CF card DLINK DWL-660W on WPA2 enabled networks. (Firmware 1.8.2)


7. Set up audio (alsa)

To enable sound output, unmute the headphone or speaker channels via alsamixer and store the settings afterwards. Play a sound file to test.

Code: [Select]

alsamixer
    alsactl store
    aplay toptune.ogg
8. Set up the package feed

Note: This is an experimental feed that contains packages for build7. If you installed a previous rootfs, you can upgrade to build7 using xbps-install!

Code: [Select]

echo 'repository=https://www.oesf.org/repository/feeds/voidlinux/testing/build8' > /etc/xbps.d/00-repository-main.conf
    xbps-install -Su
9. Start using Void.

https://wiki.voidlinux.eu/

Note: Void for Zaurus (voidz) is very basic at this stage does not feature any graphical desktop.

_{THIS GUIDE IS WORK IN PROGRESS AND NOT COMPLETE. ANY ISSUES OR QUESTIONS RELATED TO VOID INSTALLATION, PLEASE POST BELOW. THANKS.}

12

Zaurus - Void Linux support / Void Linux

« on: May 03, 2018, 08:38:45 am »

Hi all,

if you are keen to try out a new Linux/GNU flavor on your Sharp Zaurus C3x00 device.. we got some good news for you!

Are you ready and Linux savvy enough to try out the latest build of Void Linux (voidz) for Sharp Zaurus C3x00 series ?

You can find a (very basic) rootfs for C3x00 here : https://github.com/greguu/voidz-packages/releases

Please be aware, this is a very basic and experimental build! You will need some good Linux skills !

See this thread for basic installation instructions : https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=34937

If you like to build the rootfs from source, please read the instructions on the github page first!

https://github.com/greguu/voidz-packages/bl...s-v02/README.md

In any case, please help to keep the Zaurus alive!

Please use this thread for any general feedback related to Void Linux.

Installation, setup and issues are tracked in separate threads.

Please do not post any issues related to Void installation in this thread!

Thanks,

Greguu

13

Gemini PDA - Hardware / Keyboard Mod

« on: April 08, 2018, 11:25:26 pm »

Interesting keyboard Mod. The howto is for Android but can be done also for other platforms.

Source : https://egg.5ch.net/test/read.cgi/notepc/1520308917/750

Google Translate :

Changing the key mapping on Android
Because it is a file rewrite in the / system partition, you need root privilege as a prerequisite.
There is a definition file in / system / usr / keylayout and / system / usr / keychars.
If you simply replace the key, rewrite the keylayout and restart it OK.
In my case, because I want to replace ". ↑, ← ↓" in the bottom two columns with US array, I need to create the following 5 lines of Generic.kl

key 51 COMMA
key 52 PERIOD
key 103 DPAD_UP
key 105 DPAD_LEFT
key 108 DPAD_DOWN

Rewrite as follows.

key 51 DPAD_LEFT
key 52 COMMA
key 103 PERIOD
key 105 DPAD_DOWN
key 108 DPAD_UP

It will become such an arrangement if restarted. comfortable.
https://imgur.com/a/ufief

I do not have it so I do not know what the definition file of the Japanese keyboard is.
IME on / off code should be different for IME.
In Droid 4 + ATOK, it assigns GRAVE and switches with one SYM key.
Since Gemini does not have a good key, I plan to go with the default Alt + Space.

Photo:

[img]https://i.imgur.com/3IPpmKt.jpg\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-image\" /]

14

Gemini PDA - Hardware / Serial number

« on: March 05, 2018, 03:39:52 am »

There has been some confusion around why the serial number is shown as 0123456789ABCDEF on all devices.

This issue was reported on the Indigogo comments section and on a Japanese twitter post and BBS comments.

Example: https://twitter.com/komecha/status/970512034742677504

The serial number is set at boot via a kernel parameter: androidboot.serialno=0123456789ABCDEF on all devices.

A real serial number should be found on the back (inside) of the Gemini as shown in this picture: (top sticker)

http://www.dream-seed.com/weblog/wp-conten...20-17.24.14.jpg

It is unclear if this can be corrected, but maybe Planet Computers can address this minor issue via an software update in the future. (?)

15

Gemini PDA - Sailfish OS / Sailfish OS

« on: February 27, 2018, 03:08:13 am »

Hi all,

we are very excited to hear about the announcement made by Jolla and Planet Computers at MWC 2018 to officially support Sailfish OS 3 on the Gemini PDA!
 
For the curious, here are more details : https://jolla.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/0...t_Computers.pdf

Not familiar with Sailfish OS ? No worries, have a look at these sites:  https://sailfishos.org/ & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailfish_OS

In regards to the current Sailfish OS support for the Gemini PDA: There are still quite a few questions unanswered & some hurdles need to be overcome to make it a smooth experience. The current Sailfish OS port seems to be preliminary, according some reports. https://www.engadget.com/2018/02/26/gemini-...jolla-hands-on/ . (This report contains a mistake, stating the Gemini PDA will feature 6GB of RAM, so take it with a grain of salt)

Nevertheless, we very much welcome the collaboration between Jolla and Plant Computers! This really feels like a good start and looks very promising!  We hope to hear more from Planet Computers and Jolla in the near future in regards to Sailfish OS 3.

Are you an OpenSource Enthusiast ? Please understand that Sailfish OS does rely in some cases on closed source drivers and blobs, same as Android, but most of the UI and base are actually opensource.

Note: Please use this forum section for any Sailfish OS related questions or topics!


Ahoi!

Greguu