Young Padawan Seeks Help With Ipks Et Al...

[TsingTao]

I'm slowing growing in the ways of Linux in general, and the Z in particular.  I've benefited a great deal from peoples advice on this forum and others as well as peoples hard work and generousity with their delicious homebrew software.

   Thanks All!  


 But I'm tired of being a leech.  I want to be able to pursue my own little projects and also to be one of the people posting stuff up to make life and messing with our Z's easier and more enjoyable for all of us.

 So I'm just looking for any educational advice anyone might be willing to share.  

 By way of resources: I've taken a class or two in shell scripting and Perl, and I still have most of my books from those courses (well except my favorite Perl book that got stolen...along with my car...), so I'm probably good there until I get a lot more proficient (and thus need heavier texts).

 I have an excellent pocket handbook for the most common commands, a quick reference 3 page fold out laminate that I am constantly refering to (actually I'm slowly memorizing commands and syntax...but I have the extra hurdle of having to un-learn DOS to a slight degree).  I also have 'Linux in a Nutshell', which probably has everything I'll ever need, but it's  a very dry no nonsense read.

 I have several PC's at home.  All have Windows of some kind, one or two also have various distros of Linux on them via multiboot configurations (I'm pursuing Linux+ certification, so I use them to explore and practice on), one Linspire install, and a Fedora core 3.  However, soon I will start my 1 year in Japan and I will then only have my Laptop which only has Windows XP (of course I have 'live linux' cd's that I can use, but I think I might just buy a small hard drive, install a full distro, and then boot my laptop directly from it via a USB-to-IDE adapter, and then I'll just mount the internal HD so I can play MP3's while I fiddle.  See ?  I'm not COMPLETELY inept   )

 But if anyone cares to recomend any more good books or other resources for the moderately computer savy linux n00b concerning programming, scripting, administration, and anything else you think might be important I'd love to hear about it.

 Of particular interest would be anything Zaurus specific.  I know there are several web pages devoted to it/them (and I know many of them are run by regular posters on this forum...possibly even YOU), but anything published/copywritten in hardcopy/paperback that is specific to the zaurus I'd probably be interested in buying. (VERY specifcally at the moment I'd love to be pointed in the direction of a definitive guide to creating ipks...)

 Once again, let me say thanks to everyone who has ever posted information or advice or a script, a thought provoking question or even a cheery thought.  All that's a big part of what makes hobbys fun !  

   Thanks!

[Stubear]

I recommend Rute Users Tutorial and Exposition

This is one of my favorite Linux references, I must have read it 20 times and I'm still finding new stuff everytime I look. It takes you through installing your first linux to setting up sendmail and beyond

Stu

[nilch]

Along with PERL, you might try delving into Python.

Python with PyQT will give you the ability to develop full blown GUI apps for the zaurus.
Plus Python with its OO language structure and its simplicty and power will make you a pro at Zaurus apps development.

And we could all do with more of applications on the zaurus, cant we ?  :-)

[omro]

There was a big post about "Developer School" which I started a while ago, but reaction seemed pretty luke warm, which is why there are probably fewer developers on the Z than there could be.

People NEED a good foundation to start from and that is severely lacking unfortunately. It's all very well to say, it's out there, look, but people often need some directed teaching before their brain makes enough connections to get there on their own. Not everyone gets linux that easily from the resources that currently exist on the internet.

[TsingTao]

Thanks all!  Some good advice here.  I've downloaded 'A Byte of Python' by Swaroop C H and have start learning the mysterys of python.  It kinda feels like a cross between C++ and Perl.  Not sure I like it yet, but then I'm just starting out.

 I also downloaded Qt Designer.  It's scary complex at first glace.  Reminds me of the general concept behind Visual Basic (version 6.0 is what I studied in college, never got around to the .net stuff).  I only just got it so I know I got lots yet to learn, but...um...how do you actually enter the code ?  In VB you just double click on any of the objects in the design window and it pops up a  window with your code in it.  From the QT Designer flash demo it looks like you create all the actual code completely seperately and then somehow mate it to your new gui later.  

 Any advice on this front (other than 'Keep tying...') ?

 And how do I use PyQt with QT-D ?

 Can one use PERL scripts with QT-D (yes I'm looking for an easy way out since I already now the basics of perl, although python does seem to have more power/potential than perl does...) ?

 I'm just throwin' these questions out in case there are simple answers.  I know in all likelyhood these aren't simple question to answer so ya'll may not be able to help me via this forum.  BUT, if I'm over looking something simple or (again) if ya'll know of any tutorials or such I can download, I'd love to hear about it.  I'm not lookin' to have my hand held through the whole process, just a finger to point me in the right direction.
 
(And no, I don't mean THAT finger  )

 Thanks all!

[Ragnorok]

I recommend Rute Users Tutorial and Exposition

- Nifty.  Where was that ten years ago when I was a Linux n00b??  (whine)  (snicker)

[Stubear]

I recommend Rute Users Tutorial and Exposition

- Nifty.  Where was that ten years ago when I was a Linux n00b??  (whine)  (snicker)
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Yeah, I know.

Spent 4 days downloading 20-odd floppy images on a 28.8K dial-up to install Slackware the first time cause I couldn't get Win95 in English anywhere in Kyoto.

Spent about 2 months trying to understand everything and get X running on my Sharp laptop - RUTE would have saved me heaps of pain

Ahh the good old days

Stu