Ubuntu Will Develop Mobile Linux

[freizugheit]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6634195.stm

Qtopia has another competitor.

[dhns]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6634195.stm

Qtopia has another competitor.
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Well, after MS having WinCE for years and Apple now working to squeeze MacOS X into the iPhone, finally the large Desktop Linux distributions have recognized that there are mobile devices - neglecting that there is an active community for years around OESF, OpenEmbedded, pdaXrom, GPE, linuxtogo, etc.

So, IMHO, the best thing they can do is to integrate these projects into their distributions - instead of inventing something new.

-- hns

[ZDevil]

I think ubuntu (or kubuntu) may be too much for Zaurus, but xubuntu should do. We already have xfce in pdaXrom, so it shouldn't be too hard to implement a full-fledged system.  

[amrein]

All those projects around are interesting dhns, but mainly for developers. Where is my great and powerful distribution for my Zaurus SL-C760? Where can I download something really stable from those projects? Something that just works out of the box? Something I haven't noticed? Do even one of those projects have succeeded in the market in open source device? Something stable to work with? Something marvelous? Rock solid? I never see this here, nor on handhelds.org, nor ... Well, couldn't find one good distro for this PDA for years. I just have "hope" but can't see anything. I'm not talking of something that "will be marvelous" or that "will be stable". No, I'm talking about now, today, with all those years behind.

If you just play with ssh and don't bother with PIMs and don't need synchronization and don't want to do things that a real PDA can achieve (things like power off/ power on or playing music without the need to cold reboot your device) than you won't understand what I'm talking about. The expected reply could be: "If you wanted those things, why didn't you invest yourself in those projects". But here is how I see all this: your different "efforts" just killed the Zaurus line and killed my hope to use those device as a simple user. Should I helped to achieve this? No of course. I see them like a a wast of time. I contribute small patches to other FOSS but for those ones my answer is no. They received more power, they had more developers, they had more attention from the community but nothing usable came out. Only frustration (for a few of us perhaps). So no. Sorry no. I see them like some kind of trap. I'm not saying to kill any effort but to let other do what they want and let those who don't need more to continue to play with with what is already there. I prefer collaboration instead of just one big project that don't achieve anything good tor "joe six packs".

I'm so paranoid that I even though that you were just a few guys from companies trying to stop Linux expansion in the mobile/embedded market. Can you imagine this? To much Zaurus are just paperweight at present arround me that I'm disgusted. I'm sure that OE is interesting as a distro builder tool. But as a user, I judge on what have been done and not what it can do. Please, tell me I'm wrong and that what I'm expecting from Linux embedded is already downloadable. Where should I point my ftp client to stop crying about my new paperweight? I will really be happy to be wrong. Really.

[adf]

This seems a bit much.  The stable pdaXrom does quite a bit that would be useful for "joe-sixpack," imho. As far as stable--I have windows mobile. It isn't as stable as pdax--not even close. Windows mobile probably syncs better with windows, agreed. What do you get in exchange? pay as you go software? a really crappy web browser? security uncertainties/lack of access to something you own? planned obsolescence of your device?
Do you have to cold boot cacko to listen to music? I know you don't have to cold boot pdaX.  
As to marketing..there is the neo, the N800, and the motorola linux phones, the pepperpad, the h9.  Not a huge list, but it is more than the nothing you suggest.

At any rate, this was about an ubuntu announcement.  If what you were trying to say was that dhns is on the worng track sugggesting that ubuntu use stuff already developed by the extant distros, that seems like too much too. Shuttleworth stikes me as someone witha very good idea of what he is trying to accomplish, a reasonable attitude and a good team and a good product.  I wouldn't worry about ubuntu getting caught up in Zaurus development issues and being destroyed.

If you wan't a solid useable distro for your 3-year old 760 (any 3 year old win gadgets still in use?) try pdaXqt & cacko.  

All those projects around are interesting dhns, but mainly for developers. Where is my great and powerful distribution for my Zaurus SL-C760? Where can I download something really stable from those projects? Something that just works out of the box? Something I haven't noticed? Do even one of those projects have succeeded in the market in open source device? Something stable to work with? Something marvelous? Rock solid? I never see this here, nor on handhelds.org, nor ... Well, couldn't find one good distro for this PDA for years. I just have "hope" but can't see anything. I'm not talking of something that "will be marvelous" or that "will be stable". No, I'm talking about now, today, with all those years behind.

If you just play with ssh and don't bother with PIMs and don't need synchronization and don't want to do things that a real PDA can achieve (things like power off/ power on or playing music without the need to cold reboot your device) than you won't understand what I'm talking about. The expected reply could be: "If you wanted those things, why didn't you invest yourself in those projects". But here is how I see all this: your different "efforts" just killed the Zaurus line and killed my hope to use those device as a simple user. Should I helped to achieve this? No of course. I see them like a a wast of time. I contribute small patches to other FOSS but for those ones my answer is no. They received more power, they had more developers, they had more attention from the community but nothing usable came out. Only frustration (for a few of us perhaps). So no. Sorry no. I see them like some kind of trap. I'm not saying to kill any effort but to let other do what they want and let those who don't need more to continue to play with with what is already there. I prefer collaboration instead of just one big project that don't achieve anything good tor "joe six packs".

I'm so paranoid that I even though that you were just a few guys from companies trying to stop Linux expansion in the mobile/embedded market. Can you imagine this? To much Zaurus are just paperweight at present arround me that I'm disgusted. I'm sure that OE is interesting as a distro builder tool. But as a user, I judge on what have been done and not what it can do. Please, tell me I'm wrong and that what I'm expecting from Linux embedded is already downloadable. Where should I point my ftp client to stop crying about my new paperweight? I will really be happy to be wrong. Really.
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[Capn_Fish]

I would say that pdaX is more "incomplete" than "unstable." Some features need tweaking to work, but it rarely crashes. When it does, at least for me, it is usually due to me trying to do too much at once and overloading the CPU and RAM, causing it to freeze.

[amrein]

adf, why do you need to talk about Windows mobile instability to explain the current situation of the Zaurus distro? Why should I think about Windows synchronization while I only use Linux desktop. Why did you talk about other successful devices and distro instead of the Zaurus ones? Thinks about all this.

I wouldn't use Linux as my only and main desktop if someone used those arguments to explains bugs and instabilities. And yes, I tested them all, as I tested other external synchronization solutions. The facts are there.

Ubuntu? A new hope! This is how I see this. A new hope even if they won't target the Zaurus Line without external contributions.

[Chero]

adf, why do you need to talk about Windows mobile instability to explain the current situation of the Zaurus distro? Why should I think about Windows synchronization while I only use Linux desktop. Why did you talk about other successful devices and distro instead of the Zaurus ones? Thinks about all this.

I wouldn't use Linux as my only and main desktop if someone used those arguments to explains bugs and instabilities. And yes, I tested them all, as I tested other external synchronization solutions. The facts are there.

Ubuntu? A new hope! This is how I see this. A new hope even if they won't target the Zaurus Line without external contributions.
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stable : ko/pi on my zaurus can sync with ko/pi on my linux-desktop (xubuntu).
experimental : dates on my zaurus can sync with google calendar.
experimental : dates on my zaurus can sync with evolution on my desktop.
experimental : dates/evolution on my desktop can sync with my windows mobile phone (hw6515 or beetle)
experimental : trying this last one on my zaurus as well (connection can already be established)

Chero.

[adf]

POssibly I misunderstood you?  I use ubuntu desktops and a debian server.  
I thought you were saying that handheld linux was dead and that it somehow died because of developer centered zaurus distros.  That didn't seem to me to be the case.  I also thought you were pointing out widows mobile as a good alternative, which also didn't seem to be the case.
Finally, I think you should give a version of Meanie's pdaXii13 a spin, if it runs on the 760 (I think it does)., You might be pleasantly surprised.

Finally, I agree that handheld ubuntu is a good thing.  I thought you maybe had reservations?

[amrein]

When I read this : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6634195.stm I'm pretty sure that the wall market is waiting for a good Linux OS for PDA/PDAphone, a good Windows Mobile alternative.

Finally, I agree that handheld ubuntu is a good thing. I thought you maybe had reservations?

None . They bring competition to this market and more than this, other distro will certainly react to this move and try to do something too in the future (if it works). Redhat is talking about embedded distro for years but nothing has come out...

[adf]

When I read this : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6634195.stm I'm pretty sure that the wall market is waiting for a good Linux OS for PDA/PDAphone, a good Windows Mobile alternative.

Finally, I agree that handheld ubuntu is a good thing. I thought you maybe had reservations?

None . They bring competition to this market and more than this, other distro will certainly react to this move and try to do something too in the future (if it works). Redhat is talking about embedded distro for years but nothing has come out...
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fedora on olpc is probably the start

[freizugheit]

The Ubuntu mobile will be available in Oct 2007.

[adf]

The Ubuntu mobile will be available in Oct 2007.
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The proposed "mid" models don't sound encouraging. I kinda like general purpose devices.  Hopefully the ububtu release will heklp with development on the Z