Learning To Configure And Install The Zaurus

[ultrixdeus]

I am wanting a few opinions on how hard it is to install and setup software, configure it to use the accessories avaliable for it, back up the software and reimage it and stuff for when i screw it up

here is a little background, i am decent with computers, i know windows better then linux but i can install linux manualy, as in configure and compile the kernal, install programs with out using one of the packaging systems out there, i am not very good at it because i havnt spent the time to really memorize the config files and commands but i can get it working given enough time.

but would i end up spending more time playing with the zaurus then actualy using it? i basicly want it for standard PDA functoins, as in reminders, schedule tracking. then for some multi media, music movies, SNES emulator. Email and web browsing, digital books, and last but most important a portable apache/mysql/ruby server so i can do web dev work and then upload it to a server. i know it wont be as quick working with it, small keyboard, small screen but by far the portablity is more important to me

also if some one has a listing of applications they recomend to fill these needs i would appreciate it. i hope i get a decent reponse from this because depending on the info i get here will decide if i purchase it or just deal with just reading books on the comute to work and during slow times while at my job and of course spending about the same kinda money one the half a dozen toys to replace what the zaurus can do

thanks in advance

[brashley46]

I'm not having too much problems, and I'm a bicycle geek. It depends heavily on which machine you have, which ROM you're running, and how aggressive you are with it. I'm running CACkO 1.23 on a C860, and it just works. No difficulties installing from a network feed or from .ipk files off the net, so long as they're compatible. And the Zaurus developers I've seen here are pretty darned good about addressing dependency issues.

I haven't tried running an SNES emulator, I'm not a big gamer.  
Movies are great on the 640X480 screen, especially .avi format played in mplayer with the Kino frontend. MP3 player software installed is good. Ebook reader? Opie-Reader is very adaptable and configurable.
I don't run a server on the Z, but I know it can be done.
The keyboard seems huge after the one on my old treo90.   I use the stock email, calendar and webbrowsers; CACkO has two of the latter, Netfront 3.1 and Opera 7.25.

The only extra applications I have installed at the moment are Wellenreiter 2 for warwalking, aBookReader for comics, Corsair for rss newsfeeds, qPDF2, Shopper for grocery lists, ZBEDic dictionary, QFlashPlayer, the VisualQ photoeditor, and the camera software for the CE-AG06. And JustReader for those few ebooks that Opie-Reader won't open right.

I am wanting a few opinions on how hard it is to install and setup software, configure it to use the accessories avaliable for it, back up the software and reimage it and stuff for when i screw it up

here is a little background, i am decent with computers, i know windows better then linux but i can install linux manualy, as in configure and compile the kernal, install programs with out using one of the packaging systems out there, i am not very good at it because i havnt spent the time to really memorize the config files and commands but i can get it working given enough time.

but would i end up spending more time playing with the zaurus then actualy using it? i basicly want it for standard PDA functoins, as in reminders, schedule tracking. then for some multi media, music movies, SNES emulator. Email and web browsing, digital books, and last but most important a portable apache/mysql/ruby server so i can do web dev work and then upload it to a server. i know it wont be as quick working with it, small keyboard, small screen but by far the portablity is more important to me

also if some one has a listing of applications they recomend to fill these needs i would appreciate it. i hope i get a decent reponse from this because depending on the info i get here will decide if i purchase it or just deal with just reading books on the comute to work and during slow times while at my job and of course spending about the same kinda money one the half a dozen toys to replace what the zaurus can do

thanks in advance
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[ultrixdeus]

that is great, i figured it wouldnt be that hard, but i am used to configing linux boxes and going through hours of forum reading to get things done right, how easy it is for you to use deffently answers my question and coming from some one with a less techincal back ground in computers deffently helps me feel good about it, ive always had to spend weeks messing with linux boxes sometimes, just wasnt sure if iw ould have do to the same thing on the zaurus

thanks again for the prompt response

[bluedevils]

Yes it depends what you want out of it.  For general pda function, it will be very easy for you (knowing your computer background).  You should easily be able to flash the cacko rom (a patched version of the default sharp rom) and install most common programs.  Some programs might not go as smoothly (gaim, kismet, wellenreiter), but they're not that bad.  Accessories vary with the hardware.  Try to stay with the proven ones.

For my pda zaurus, I don't spend much time configuring unless I'm trying that's newly developed software (currently pdaxqtrom).  I just use it.

[adf]

A Z will do what you want without much fuss, I have no doubt.  As to whether you will play with it more than use it.....  Tinkering with the Zaurus can get pretty addictive.  It isn't necessary to make it work well for your purposes that you tinker much. As the previous posts suggest you'll probably be happy with cacko--and maybe with some of meanie's stuff added (like a chrooted debian, or a cramfs of pdaXrom stuff).  And, if you like games, there is also a 64 emulator, an amiga emulator,a psx emulator in progress, nintendo emulators, pocket quake, heretic and doom, to name a few.