Restart Opensimpad

[sirtet]

Hi all
after a lot of trouble creating an account, and not finding time to think of my simpad, i finally made it here...
just after i first got my pad and was getting into it, the activities on opensimpad.org faded away, but it looked to me, as there were always some people working on it, but they seemed to be spread all over.
As i read through here, i think some activity is back in the project, and guylhem is interested in bringing it back to live again.
from the MMCthread:

BTW, what about restarting more officially the opensimpad project?

I'd like to see my kernel in the opensimpad project, until we or someone else finds some time to work on 2.6

Guylhem

also, a while ago chris martin  wrote on the simpad-general maillist about handing over the domain to someone else.

2005-10-12 07:13
...
 Also, if someone is interested in taking over the opensimpad.org domain
 I could have it transfered. It would be good if someone working in the
 project could take care of the webpage.
  Just drop me a mail if your interested.
  Regards,
 Chris Martin

Now, i have no skills in programming/compiling etc. for the project, but i think i could help bring up the website again.
i have (slightly dusty)skills in electronics-engineering,
(my pad has an external jtag port, and i would like to add BT and MMC)
and i work partly as webdesigner.

I have a lot of ideas what to do there, but as i wrote, i am more of a user, so i'd like to know what others think of it?
what should the website be good for?
(filebase?wiki?let users write articles?)...

thomas

[fredyd]

Those who know a bit about the OpenEmbedded project will have noticed that the distribution will now be multiplatform. No more OpenZaurus/Familiar/OpenSimpad split:
The next Familiar release (0.8.3) will include a simpad version, and most feeds will be shared with the iPaq and the Z. SIMpad users will then benefit from support and updates to other Familiar platforms.

So, IMHO, there's no reason to restart OpenSimpad, that's just a waste of resources.

As of integrating patches in the 2.4 kernel, I'm maintaining the 2.4 kernel for the SIMpad in OE, so you can contact me and send patches (GPL'ed patches are preferred), based on the 2.4.27 kernel in OpenEmbedded, which already includes many patches discussed here:
- the base version is 2.4.27-vrs1-pxa1-jpm1 (jpm1 was ported from 2.4.25)
- hh1 patch for BlueTooth support
- 128mb ram support
- /proc/syc/board support
- serial CTS/DCD support patch
- PPP MPPE compression patch (dated 20040216)
- tcl1 USB patch (for better hotplug support with USB)

The only missing stuff I see is the MMC card driver, but I can add it as soon as someone sends me a proper patch (it should include the proper kernel config stuff, and changes to the makefiles). Guylhem is distributing patched 2.4.25 sources, which is the wrong way to go, since it makes it difficult to identify various patches and to port them to 2.4.27 (the latest 2.4 kernel with a pxa patch available).

[koen]

Those who know a bit about the OpenEmbedded project will have noticed that the distribution will now be multiplatform. No more OpenZaurus/Familiar/OpenSimpad split:
The next Familiar release (0.8.3) will include a simpad version, and most feeds will be shared with the iPaq and the Z. SIMpad users will then benefit from support and updates to other Familiar platforms.
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=102811\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

The above is slightly incorrect. The correct facts:

* OpenZaurus and OpenSimpad will go away and be part of the Ångström distribution
* Familiar will continue as a kind of 'debian stable' and cooperate with Ångström
* Familiar 0.8.3 will still be incompatible with OZ/OS feeds due to floatingpoint differences.

But Familiar 0.8.3 will indeed have simpad support and it's up to fredyd to decide wether 2.4 or 2.6 will be used.
When Ångström will be released you will have two distrubutions supporting the simpad: Familiar and Ångström

[sirtet]

so the first question is
what do people mean by restart the project...

well, i as a user (non-coder -builder -...) see the website, and there is nothing new, not even info about where new things are going on.

So what i mean is mainly restart/update the website, in whatever needed way.

i think things like
-link to this forum
-links to new images (maybe also test images?)
-update pages like about, contact...
-maybe have a login for users, then they could ex. add pictures to galleries like screenshots, hardware...


i do websites using mambo/joomla, but i there was someone familiar with typo3, i think the same things are possible...


i hope ppl have some constructive input
thomas

[guylhem]

I also mean the website.

Guylhem

[Mickeyl]

In my opinion, www.opensimpad.org should contain information about the SIMpad hardware and the open source alternatives to WinCE - Familiar Linux 0.8.3 and the forthcoming Angström distribution.

Everything else is convered by the Familiar, Angström, OpenEmbedded, Opie, and GPE sites.

The most recent OpenSIMpad images are still provided at the sourceforge download page.

Whoever wants to physically host the page should contact chris martin.

[sirtet]

ok, i plan to put up a new website over christmas.

please, everyone who has inputs on what to do how, post here
see the ideas i mentioned above
thomas

[mr_nice]

Jea bring live back to the opensimpad.org page!

Special the Hardware mods and all compiled images which are all over the internet shuld be  EASILY to find on that page.

I could put some Palm V devices to Simpad descriptions on the wiki.Ther are also some GPS modules for the Palms which are working with PC it should't be hard to get them to the Simpad. Eventually build them into the simpad case ore something. I've bought one and I'm still wating that it arives me.

regards

[mr_nice]

i do websites using mambo/joomla, but i there was someone familiar with typo3, i think the same things are possible...

[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=103116\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

I have some typo3 skills.
regards

[sirtet]

hi mr_nice
and others

well, C.Martin is open to all options,from leaving the site there, and just give someone access to hand over the domainname, and build sth. new whereever.

I think for starters it would be easyest to work with what is there, especially because there was not much respond on new ideas, so why restart instead of reactivate?

i have an answer, but maybe this could be done in typo3 too:
make the website more open to members, more like the wiki.
let me compare the two systems:

current state:
one(few) admin(s)
----------------------
+all info is consistant, only one source
+inconsistant info is being consolidated before published
+no spaming, double information, low quality entries

-all work relies on one person, all dead if person leaves
-additional work to consolidate inconsistant info

Community-Proposal:
members can get different levels of possibilities to contribute
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+more likely to bring all different info in one place, eg.guylhem, till...
+more info in general, because it is easyer to contribute
+more stable through time, as people join and leave

-possible quality loss because lost control
-maybe needs super-admin to compensate quality loss


the wiki adresses some of these needs, but it lacks some features.
what i think would be good is
-a gallery-system for HW-Pics Screenshots etc.
-a downloads-section where people could put their files
(maybe just in form of links to their own storage)
-facility to write articles, with html-possibilities

thomas

[guylhem]

Hello

I'd really like such an unification. Please go forward !

Guylhem

[mr_nice]

I think that we should give the media wiki a try!
The funktions which can not offert by the wiki could be offert by something else. But you can upload images to the wiki and linking to files is also possible.
A testing page would be great. I have a litte webspace left if it is neccessary.
regards

[wavetossed]

ok, i plan to put up a new website over christmas.

please, everyone who has inputs on what to do how, post here
see the ideas i mentioned above
thomas
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=104896\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

1. Make OpenSimpad.org into the best and most complete reference site for the Simpad.

2. Copy information from German language and Polish language sites so that it is available in English.

3. Tell us all about the WIN-CE releases that work on the Simpad too.

4. Explain the how OpenSimpad software is related to Familiar and Angstrom software and point to the most useful sections of the other websites.

5. Get rid of the OpenSimpad forum and point to this forum instead.

6. But don't delete the old forum!!! Look through it for the best and most useful information and post it in a series of new threads on this forum.

[sash]

@wavetossed: I would agree to 1, 2, 4, 5 and maybe 3
But you can't locate all interesting posts in the old forum - there are to much posts.
There should be a link to the old forum (readonly) and a hint to use the new one.

[Berend]

So how's it going? Are there any concrete plans orupdates regarding:
 - hosting, I gather Cmartin is in charge of the current site? what's needed for the continuation of opensimpad.org
 - site structure/contents

My first thoughts:
 - get rid of the news section, put up a simple (wiki) intro page
 - most stuff that's needed could be accomodated by a wiki:
   * link to wikipedia
   * (specific) links to the fora
   * participating simpad owners
   * links to images
   * howtos: upgrading/downgrading, networking, modding, PIM
   * overview of simpad models/specs/linux possibilities
   * wince stuff  (just the minimal, we don't want legal issues)
   * overview of OE, Familiar, Angstrom (early next year was the plan?),  etc.

I'm new to the project but I'm willing to work on the wiki contents and might do some design/installation/figuring out stuff.

My background: doing bachelor degree Mediatechnology here in NL (traditional + new media, interaction, visualisation, design, hardware), python/java/php, some linux knowledge, a bit of hardware knowledge, webdevver/designer atm.

Berend