I May Need To Change Rom, Need Suggestions

[jfv]

I might finally give in and flash a new ROM but I'd like suggestions on which to choose. I'll explain my constraints. First, the main reason I might have to switch is that I can't make wpa supplicant work on the Sharp ROM, I don't think the ipks floating around work for it. (But suggestions on how to accomplish this are welcome too).

I use my Zaurus mostly on trips and I travel quite a bit, both for business and personal reasons. At home, I don't use the Zaurus much, other than fiddle with it. My main constraints are the following:

1. Networking and Internet

1.1 Software
I need a good network applet, like the Sharp ROM's that allows me to easily switch between several network configurations and save the settings. I can edit conf files but I don't to want to edit one for a airport hotspot, one for the hotel and a third for a conference center, all in a couple of days. I also need a good browser, which at a minimum will allow me to authenticate at wifi hotspots. I am happy with Netfront and wouldn't like to have to downgrade the browser.

1.2 Hardware
In addition to wifi, I often find myself using wired ethernet and occasionally a land line modem. So I need these to work. I don't have a cellphone which I can use with the Zaurus. I could look into one, if it is a viable alternative as long as it is reasonably priced and works in any country, but it may be asking too much.

2. Presentations

When I travel for work, I often give talks and although I prefer a blackboard (despite the gadget fetish   ) I often have to give slideshow presentations. I use the Sharp presentation program and the IO-Data CFXGA card. I have scripts on my desktop to convert TeX generated pdfs to jpgs so I can use in the presentation program and even have TeX and ImageMagick on the Zaurus just in case. Again, these have to work flawlessly or have equivalent (as good or better) alternatives.

It would be good to have a functioning package manager, movie player and the usual goodies, but that's not essential.

I await your recommendations, thank you.

Also, for those who might recommend Cacko, can I restore a Sharp ROM backup on Cacko?

[Meanie]

I might finally give in and flash a new ROM but I'd like suggestions on which to choose. I'll explain my constraints. First, the main reason I might have to switch is that I can't make wpa supplicant work on the Sharp ROM, I don't think the ipks floating around work for it. (But suggestions on how to accomplish this are welcome too).

I use my Zaurus mostly on trips and I travel quite a bit, both for business and personal reasons. At home, I don't use the Zaurus much, other than fiddle with it. My main constraints are the following:

1. Networking and Internet

1.1 Software
I need a good network applet, like the Sharp ROM's that allows me to easily switch between several network configurations and save the settings. I can edit conf files but I don't to want to edit one for a airport hotspot, one for the hotel and a third for a conference center, all in a couple of days. I also need a good browser, which at a minimum will allow me to authenticate at wifi hotspots. I am happy with Netfront and wouldn't like to have to downgrade the browser.

1.2 Hardware
In addition to wifi, I often find myself using wired ethernet and occasionally a land line modem. So I need these to work. I don't have a cellphone which I can use with the Zaurus. I could look into one, if it is a viable alternative as long as it is reasonably priced and works in any country, but it may be asking too much.

2. Presentations

When I travel for work, I often give talks and although I prefer a blackboard (despite the gadget fetish   ) I often have to give slideshow presentations. I use the Sharp presentation program and the IO-Data CFXGA card. I have scripts on my desktop to convert TeX generated pdfs to jpgs so I can use in the presentation program and even have TeX and ImageMagick on the Zaurus just in case. Again, these have to work flawlessly or have equivalent (as good or better) alternatives.

It would be good to have a functioning package manager, movie player and the usual goodies, but that's not essential.

I await your recommendations, thank you.

Also, for those who might recommend Cacko, can I restore a Sharp ROM backup on Cacko?
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seems the obvious choice for you is Cacko.
and yes, you can restore the Sharp ROM backup on Cacko, but the results may be not what you expect

[jfv]

seems the obvious choice for you is Cacko.
and yes, you can restore the Sharp ROM backup on Cacko, but the results may be not what you expect
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Thanks. But what do you mean?

[jfv]

No other replies? Is Cacko the consensus? I guess I'll wait till it becomes unavoidable.

One thing, though, people always say here that Cacko/Sharp is what you use if you want a PDA and pdaXrom if you want a laptop. I definitely don't use my Z as a PDA (no PIMs) but as above more like a laptop. What gives?

[Capn_Fish]

Well, I think Sharp/Cacko are the only ROMs that support the CF VGA card for starters. pdaXrom also more or less lacks a good browser. FF is slow, Links/Links2/Lynx/w3m/Dillo render oddly, Konqueror-embedded is quirky IMO, and the WebCore stuff is incredibly unstable.

The network applet works fine in pre-beta4 and ii13 and my wlanconfig tool works well in r1xx, so that is covered. WPA works so far as I am aware, just not easily, from what I've heard. YMMV.

The package manager works fine in pdaX, so that's OK. No idea about the modem and stuff, but I think I've heard of people using modems, and I know people use CF Ethernet adapters.

So, in short, pdaX may be good, but it probab;y won't work with your VGA adapter, which is an issue appartenly. Browsing may or may not be satisfactory, I can't tell you, as it's a matter of opinion.

No idea about restoring a Sharp backup on Cacko, but you can do a NAND backup/restore, which is a better method anyway IMO.

HTH

[jfv]

Thanks. Does a USB-to-VGA adaptor work on the C1000/3x00? That might be an option for the future, although the lack of a good browser is a serious drawback.

No idea about restoring a Sharp backup on Cacko, but you can do a NAND backup/restore, which is a better method anyway IMO.

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I meant to ask if I could transfer my settings, personal files, tweaks, etc, from Sharp to Cacko in one go, with a backup/restore, but I interpret Meanie's cryptic remark as meaning that I'd end up with Sharp back and no Cacko. I did ask for elaboration, here and in a separate thread, but got no response.

Thanks again

[Capn_Fish]

No, no USB-to-VGA either. It's been attempted on multiple occasions.  There's a thread somewhere about a camera that fits over your screen to get video-out, which apparently worked fairly well with some DIY construction (it's a PSP accessory).

Seeing as how I don't know what gets backed up with Sharp's tool, I don't know what you'd end up with. You can probably open the backup file somehow and extract just what you want, but I don't know how. There's a thread on a topic similar to that somewhere IIRC.

Glad I can be of (some) assistance, even if I am too tired ATM to get you links.

EDIT: The browser thing may be fixed in pdaX 2.0.0 (I'm lobbying to get Galeon or some such lightweight Gecko browser in the ROM), but you need to try the browsers that are out already. Like I said, it's a matter of opinion (I'm mostly happy with Links2, for instance).

[sdjf]

I am sorry I did not see this thread on a timely basis.  But I am answering in case it might help someone else.

I would do a backup of the Sharp ROM, then install Cacko, then backup Cacko, THEN try restoring to backup with the Sharp backup.  If you end up with Cacko remaining, some files will be where you want, some may need moving or renaming.  If you really do not like what you get, then you can either revert to Sharp ROM and restore that backup, or try extracting the files you need from your Sharp backup, so you keep Cacko but port the specific files you need over.

Yes, CapNFish was right, there is a thread about extracting specific files, I do not know where it is but I know where my page is about how to do that:

  http://sdjf.wordpress.com/2007/01/11/extract/

But it is definitely not a one click option.  Also, I think porting networking settings and options is bound to be imperfect, I know for me, even trying to port networking stuff from my collie to Tosa was not straightforward, differences in username and group membership have to be tweaked, not a simple thing IMO.