Well, in the last couple years, i looked at many projects that are available for the Zaurus, but none of them really were just "rigth on the money" for me. I won't even try to make this list complete, but here are some of my complaints:
OZ, GPE, Opie: All seemed to be based upon impenetrable Python scripts. Last time I looked (and it might have changed, I admit) they were very, very unstable; what built right now might be broken in 5 more minutes. The size of the tools were so huge, my chances of actually getting my head completely around it were slim.
pdaXrom: I like it was based upon GNU Make macros (I could understand these, and repair them myself), but when I tried to contribute, the guy who ran it, Sashz, wouldn't accept any software; it was a case of "say yes, but do no". I tried complaining to oesf members, but got no response, when I offered to shoftware host an archive for our own development. OK, they're out ...
OpenBSD: probably the single most stable, but the problem is, their compatibility level, software-wise, to the GNU tools, is very shakey, and since the QT and GNU tools are important to my end goals, unfortunately, this is also out. Too bad, they were otherwise the best.
There is a development tool that it seems everyone is ignoring, but which seems to be really, really interesting: it's the Pengutronix folks from Germany. This is the stuff that's at the center of the pdaXrom development. in fact, it seems to be more than 85% of what pdaXrom entirely is. this means, if I can get a system based upon ptxdist (Pengutronix's tool) to work, I will be able to re-gnerate the largest piece of what Sashz has been blocking me out of all these many months.
OK, so maybe I have a possible goal. I have already used the crosstools to make myself a arm/softfloat compiler, but I thin I will try to fall back on the one provided by ptxdist. If anyone wants to join me in this, it's still quite early, but send me mail, I will freeze no one out, I ask for no money at all. Tell me please, right up front, if you want me to let yo contribute directly, and (if so) how much you know about ssh and cvs, and whether you would like me to coach you on this. I will do it as fast as I can, and as fast as events allow.
Well, to goals. I am wiling to listen here, so I'm putting out my own goals, because THOSE I know. I want to have two parallel graphics, both available at the same time, and switchable via hotkeys. One of the graphics to be X11: not sure about the GUI: coiuld be GPE, could be KDE, or even something like WindowMaker. The other to be baed upon QTopia, the frame buffer, so as to allow all the stuff originally delivered with the Zaurus.
I have ptxdist happily building, but it's huge, needs some chanes, and I'm not reallyy ready to even commit very much, but if I get some folks together, then, yes, I will commit to an svn archive, and start things off. I only want to get some folks to come along. I won't even freeze Sashz out, if he wants in, but if he tries to strangle development, well, I will keep him out of it then. No one here can talk me out of that, And I'm really disappointed that folks here allow this to go on. I'm going to be ready to begin commit within a week maximum, even if I get no offers of help. Maybe less. I have a lot more questions to get answered.
Why do another dev system? Because this one is very simple to modify, so we can all make our own contributions, without having to die over it. On top of that, I have been a little miffed at some folks who are a lilttle too impressed with themselves, and i will try to keep this as open as possible, consistent with good quality control (I used to be a release engineer).
