Messages

31

Ubuntu / Netbooks And Ubuntu Making Me Lazy! :p

« on: August 20, 2009, 10:48:23 am »

Just popping in to see if there is anything new.  Hope everyone is alive and kickin!

After reading through the threads, esp the one on Zubuntu, I realised how lazy I've become!
Ever since I started using Ubuntu on my main notebook, I learn to take for granted the ease of use of Ubuntu and forget how hard it was to get my Zaurii (sl5500 and c1000) to work exactly the way I want it to.

Now with a netbook running Jaunty, it almost seem ridiculous to me to have to follow any precise steps in installing Ubuntu.  Until I read the Zubuntu thread.  

I'm not complaining abt Zubuntu ... I have it (half) working on my c1000 but it's been months since I use it.  I'm complaining about myself ... ... taking a back seat and not really willing to try out the latest greatest OS.  Why, I even thought of restoring my c1000 back to Cacko just so that I know everything that was working would work as it did.  

I only stopped because I was too lazy to even do that.

I blame it on the ease of use of Ubuntu!!      

32

Ubuntu / Installing Cacko On Sd Partition

« on: April 29, 2009, 11:26:04 am »

Sadly to say adf, I've been drawn away from my Z to my netbook of late.

Not sure when I can or will try some of these distro.  Only got my z to boot up zubuntu once just to try it out ...

/rant ... actually, I really miss my Jornada 720 ... of all the devices I've used, J720 would come in a first with the akita a close 2nd.  I guess the Asus 900HA is the closest the netbooks will ever get to the Jornada 720.  The Sony Vaio P is everything one can ask for, but it is too exp.  Oh well ...
/rant off/

33

Ubuntu / Installing Cacko On Sd Partition

« on: April 18, 2009, 10:57:25 am »

Thanks y'all for the replies.  Will check it out.  

Cacko image ... think 1.23 is floating around ...

34

Ubuntu / Installing Cacko On Sd Partition

« on: March 11, 2009, 01:37:58 pm »

http://www.omegamoon.com/blog/static.php?page=ZaurusUbuntu

So hopefully this is one of the last times you needed to flash your Zaurus. From now on, if you want to try some distro, simply extract the filesystem on a CF or SD memory card. Multiple partitions are supported, and multiple filesystems (gzip, cramfs, romfs, xfs, minix, ext3, ext2, reiserfs, jfs). Simply create a /boot directory in the root of the filesystem. Rename the the kernel image to zImage and copy it into the /boot directory. Create a file named kernel-cmdline containing the kernel startup command line and optionally add a file named image.nfo containing a description of the distro, all in the /boot directory. After rebooting the device your new distro will show up in the boot menu automatically.

Can someone decipher this and give a step by step guide?  Exact terminal commands with example /dev/sdc2 etc would be help.

1. Extract filesystem to CF, SD
Say SDHC card is used and detected as /dev/sdc.  Partition 1 contains zubuntu and is at /dev/sdc1 while partition 2 is going to contain cacko at /dev/sdc2, mounted at /media/disk1.

Extracts cackoimage.tar.gz to present directory, /media/disk1
/media/disk1$ sudo tar xvzf /pathtocacko/cackoimage.tar.gz

2. Create a boot directory in the root of the filesystem. Which filesystem?  /media/disk1?

$ mkdir /media/disk1/boot

3. Copy cacko kernel to /boot directory in the above filesystem

$ cp /mypath/zImage /media/disk1/boot/

4. Create a file named kernel-cmdline containing the kernel startup command line
How do we do that?  In the boot directory as well?  Ambiguous.

Create a new file kernel-cmdline at the boot directory
$ gedit /media/disk1/boot/kernel-cmdline

Insert the kernel startup command line.  Erm ... how??  Sample?

5. Optionally add a file named image.nfo containing a description of the distro, all in the /boot directory

Create a new file image.nfo at the boot directory
$ gedit /media/disk1/boot/image.nfo

Insert a description of the distro.
Is this a unformatted plain text description or is there a format here?  Sample?

Anyone with info on the above?  Please help!  Many thanks!

35

Off Topic forum / Appreciating The Zaurus

« on: February 08, 2009, 05:51:25 am »

Hi all,

For the past 9 to 10 months, I've not been using my C1000 nor my 5500.  I've been busy and neglecting them.
Around the same time, I started using Ubuntu on my 15.4" notebook and around mid last year, I got a Asus eeepc 701.

The eeepc did not get as much usage as my c1000 when I was still using it (the zaurus).  It ran xandros and although one could install other OS onto it, I dabbled for awhile and basically stopped.  I was too busy.

But all these months, I was using Ubuntu on my main notebook.  Now looking back at the zaurus, I really appreciate how it is remarkable in many ways.  For one, it was running linux.  For two, many things just worked.  So much so, I did not really knew that much about how things worked.  For the notebook, sound and graphics were half the time working.  So I spent many hours on the terminal configuring.  I guess there was a realistic limit as to how much one could install and run on the Z, so it limited what one could tweak it to do.  Further, I was just too comfy with Cacko and the apps in it basically did what I expected a tiny device like that to do.

Now I wonder if I should step out of cacko and bring in zubuntu for my c1000.
I wonder if I use it often enough to warrant the investment in time and setup.
hmmm

And the 5500?  After neglecting it for almost 2 years, an over night charging brought it back to life again.  Sometimes I wish it would die so I can get an Asus 900HA eeepc without feeling guilty!   ... but it just booted up to opie 1.2 like nothing ever happened.

I wonder if SHARP will ever restart the zaurus line and take center stage once more.  I wonder.  I hope it does, 'cos it did such a good job with the zaurus hardware.  But I also fear that it does.  I doubt it would go rock bottom with pricing like Asus did.  And I also fear that it (SHARP) would drop the platform after a few lame misguided attempts.  Only this time, there are many other OEMs at the game, so we consumers will not be left in the cold.

I wish my eeepc had InstantOn like my zaurus, and had wakeup / alarm capabilities so I can use it for appointments.  I also wish it (eeepc) had longer batt life like the z, or like the pre-color palm used to have.  Two AA cells for a few weeks!  Try beating that!

Maybe the 900HA will be my zaurus replacement.  It boasts 5hrs batt life although we all know it will be more like 4~4.5hrs or less.  Sure, it is lower than the zaurus, but it will be enough for now.  It has the smallest footprint for a 8.9" netbook, longer (est?) batt life for its size and for a dirty cheap price at $299, it is even cheaper than my c1000 when I got it 2.5 years ago!  It would have a 160gb hdd, so storage is not an issue.  I have mobile broadband ready via USB, and if wifi is around, I can tap onto that.  All without too much tinkering.

So unless SHARP pulls out something from its sleeves at the 11th hour, I see myself getting further away from my zaurus despite all its strengths and features that I love.

In the end, I may still keep the c1000, and once awhile, charge it up and show ppl how way before the netbooks, we had a convertible "tabletpda" running linux, surfing the web on firefox etc.

36

General Discussion / Sharp 9225h- Phone With A Mid Keyboard - Another Zaurus Replacement

« on: October 26, 2008, 09:09:59 am »

Unfortunately, with their history of dropping the baby on consumers, I would personally hesitate getting something from them unless they start showing some commitment to their product lines.  

37

New products and alternatives / $98 Zaurus Alternative: Hivision Mininote

« on: September 07, 2008, 08:30:08 am »

Loose the thick bezel and I'll get one as a z replacement!

I wonder if they got the instant-on in place. hmmm ...

38

General Discussion / Yoo Hoo........anyone Out There?

« on: August 19, 2008, 11:02:30 am »

Now that I'm kinda stuck to a desk job, I find myself using the c1000 lesser and lesser.  I do have a notebook running Ubuntu hardy so the consolation is that I'm into linux stuffs deeper than before.  I have another notebook in my room running Windows XP Pro, but I could easily switch to ubuntu just as well.

I'm keen to try out ubuntu on c1000 sometime.  Then I'm totally ubuntunized!

I do have a eeepc 701 which is running ubuntu as well.  Strangely, like the c1000, it is not getting much love these days.  
I hate the THICK bezel ... *sigh* ...

39

Linux Applications / Firefox Ported To Qt

« on: August 19, 2008, 10:52:26 am »

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080...efox-to-qt.html

Has this been posted?

40

Off Topic forum / Trouble With Forum Login

« on: August 12, 2008, 06:17:30 am »

I've been using Opera 9.5, Ubuntu Hardy and found that surfing on OE forum recently kept prompting me to login.  I then found that the site preference was identifying the browser client as FireFox.  I switched to "Mask as IE" and now it works.  Try this if it bums on you.  

Admins, any idea on this issue?  Mine is just a workaround.

41

Off Topic forum / Firefox 3

« on: August 12, 2008, 06:15:05 am »

I dropped IE and used FF since pre 1.0 but with FF3.0 I find myself switching to Opera.  Somehow, compared to Opera, FF3.0 was slower. My machine is on Ubuntu Hardy.  Also when I did the Zooming feature, Opera would zoom smoothly and quickly, but FF3.0 would freeze and take a looong time to zoom and redraw.

I might try FF again later, but also, FF3.0 broke one too many extensions for it to be meaningful.

42

New products and alternatives / Is The Iphone 3g Your Next Zaurus?

« on: August 12, 2008, 06:06:45 am »

I've used Palms, a PocketPC (for a short while) and recently a phone with touch screen, and frankly, I sorely miss the qwerty kb on the C1000.
I've heard of how the kb made the major diff, but never really knew it was that great.

For me, onscreen keyboards are just not good enuff compared to qwerty buttons.  Of late, I've not been using my Z, but only because of a change in my daily regime.  Also, I'm trying out the (not so) latest UMPCs and figuring out how it can fit into my regime.

So, chances are the iPhone 3G will not be my next zaurus.

43

Off Topic forum / Mouse Gesture Support In Linux (ubuntu)

« on: June 04, 2008, 03:36:33 am »

ok, found an answer to my own question.

Two solutions for GNOME desktop:
http://www.linux.com/feature/125257 <--- source article
http://gestikk.reichbier.de/download#package <--- gestikk App #1
http://www.stressbunny.com/wayv/ <--- wayv App #2

44

Off Topic forum / Mouse Gesture Support In Linux (ubuntu)

« on: June 04, 2008, 01:18:39 am »

Having used the c1000 z for almost two years and finally switching my main machine (notebook) to Ubuntu, I'm well converted to using Linux on a daily basis.
The one thing I miss, actually two things are:

1. Support for left and right mouse wheel tilt-button
2. Support for mouse gestures

I recently got #1 working by installing btnx.  So now I'm onto #2.  Currently FF3 supports it, but increasingly I'm finding Opera providing a much better web experience.

Opera supports gesture, but is shy to display the strokes ... so I'm like gesturing blind! grrrr

Is there some mouse gesture app for linux, mainly Ubuntu, that I can run?

I'm gonna switch to Ubuntu for my eeepc, and with zubuntu coming up nicely, I might just switch my Z to ubuntu as well.

Pointers and advices appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

45

Ubuntu / The Birth Of Zubuntu

« on: May 25, 2008, 11:10:28 am »

Just wondering about APM and speed.  Presumably, it would be noticeably slower than Cacko even when modified to use fluxbox etc, how fast or slow is it?

APM:  Is batt life the same?  Suspend working well with LCD panel closed?

Since it is Ubuntu, support for Chinese characters and input will be standard via SCIM, which would make my transfer over much easier.  I'm already using Ubuntu HH on my main notebook.  Having zubuntu on my Z would make my user experience similar.