Kathrin RC3 ready..

[ikm]

new x fonts in new feed - ttf webfonts and crox cyrillic package. Basic fixed fonts and verdana webfont already in the rom.

I installed the webfonts-courier package, restarted X, but no additional fonts appeared. I had to move /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/ttf/* to /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TTF -- then it worked.

Update: I also tried crox-cyrillic -- X didn't want to start after the installation, once again complaining about the 'fixed' font missing. "cd /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc && mkfontdir" fixed the problem. 'mkfontdir' should really be run from the postinst script, if that is supported by the .ipk package format, of course.

[jerrybme]

In RC2 after I removed the 64 MB limit there was no need to use the Ashley patch. It or something similar was built in, and I got one large partition. You might want to try going ahead without running the patch before you retreat to NAND backups. I believe there is a bit more on this point in the RC2 thread.

I had tried to increase the root partition in RC-2 without much luck. While exploring the NAND flash utilitiy I accidently hit the remove 64mb limit option which is for C760 & 860s only. The resultant flash pattern was not recognizable by Ashley's updater. The NAND restore worked and the Ashley mtdtest script returned a recognized flash pattern.

I then tried to increase root partition with the RC-3 updater and on my C750: 57, 55, 54, 53,52, and 50 MB partitions didn't work. The flash worked with out error but it wouldn't boot past the pdaxrom splash screen. I finally settled on the 45 BM partition I used in RC-2. This might be a bug in the updater that only effect C750s. I'll try Ashley's updater next to see if that'll work (could it be the maintance kernel? The Ashley updater doesn't work on the 750 until the maintance kernel is patched).

Other wise the release looks great, I still would like to see a verbose kernel during boot up. Great work Sashz & team!  

Cheers,

Jerry

[ikm]

On the partition sizes and C750: you have to patch the kernel to mount a big enough partition! The C750 kernel has a hard limit on the maximum partition size, thereas the C760 does not have it. Try using the C760 kernel on your C750, I recall people reporting that it actually worked.

Technical details: The kernel by default uses kmalloc in jffs2 code, thus limiting the internal allocations to the 64k. For the C760 (HUSKY), it uses consistent_alloc instead, using a set of #ifdefs. consistent_alloc allows for bigger allocations.

It is all here: cd linux/fs/jffs2 && grep -r HUSKY *

build.c:#ifdef CONFIG_ARCH_PXA_HUSKY
build.c:#ifdef CONFIG_ARCH_PXA_HUSKY
fs.c:#ifdef CONFIG_ARCH_PXA_HUSKY
nodelist.h:#ifdef CONFIG_ARCH_PXA_HUSKY
super.c:#ifdef CONFIG_ARCH_PXA_HUSKY
super-v24.c:#ifdef CONFIG_ARCH_PXA_HUSKY

These were all that ifdefs. Looking, for instance, in build.c, we see the following:

Code: [Select]

int jffs2_do_mount_fs(struct jffs2_sb_info *c)
{
    int i;

    c->free_size = c->flash_size;
    c->nr_blocks = c->flash_size / c->sector_size;
#ifdef CONFIG_ARCH_PXA_HUSKY
    c->blocks = consistent_alloc(GFP_KERNEL,
         sizeof(struct jffs2_eraseblock) * c->nr_blocks,
         &c->blocks_phys);
#else
    c->blocks = kmalloc(sizeof(struct jffs2_eraseblock) * c->nr_blocks, GFP_KERNEL);
#endif
    if (!c->blocks)
  return -ENOMEM;
And so on. So the problem is quite easy to fix -- the jffs2 behaviour should be unconditional HUSKY for all the models. I made and attached the patch. I haven't tested it, but it should work, as it is very simple.

Maybe this problem should be addressed in RC4?

[sigmaX]

Cool work, pdaXrom !!!! down here, third world country life is not that easy, but I will donate a sum I can manage, thru a friend's paypal or creditcard in order to help with your work !!!

Anyway, I would like to confirm the bug that sd cards doesnt mount. They dont mount at boot, or from the shelll ...

mount /dev/mmcd/disc0/part1 /mnt/card   gives an error ....
I cannot issue a mkfs or an e2chk neither ! So, unless there is something I am not doing right, it seems that SD cards are a no-no in this test release.

Also, Laze, behaviour in this RC with my problem with WIFI, is far more consistent, and the same than with Cacko: now my wifi tries to connect, and after some seconds it decides it cannot. Which is correct...

Regards!!!

Enrique !

[ScottYelich]

Thanks for the great work sashz/laze!  I look forward to testing tonight on c700 ...

Scott

[DaveAnderson]

Great work.  My main concern with RC2 were the screen issues (flickering and what not).  While RC3 fixed the major flickering problems, some still remain.  The entire screen is just, well, shaky.  That is the best way I can describe it.  And I guess the shaky sympton I describe could also be flickering related.  I do have very good eyes, so perhaps that is part of the problem.  

I was starting to worry that perhaps I had a screen problem.  My unit is only a few weeks old.  Initially I had the Sharp ROM and that was fine.  Then I went to pdaX and saw the flickering problem.  While RC3 improved, the problem is still there for me, which led me to believe it might be a screen problem.  This morning, after RC3, I went to Cacko - perfect screen.  So it's definitely pdaX related.  

I'm running an 860, FYI.

I'm going to stick with Cacko for a while - it looks real nice.  But I still plan on funding your development with a paypal donation next week (plus, you guys are responsible for Cacko too!).  I do hope you guys will fix this issue, as I'd like to eventually go back to pdaX.

[jerrybme]

On the partition sizes and C750: you have to patch the kernel to mount a big enough partition! The C750 kernel has a hard limit on the maximum partition size, thereas the C760 does not have it. Try using the C760 kernel on your C750, I recall people reporting that it actually worked.

ikm: thanks for the info. I almost understood the explanation.  You're right the 760 kernel does allow larger partitions. Hopefully RC-4 or the final version will support C750 larger partitions with a patched kernel.

Here's how I got it to work:
Flashed RC-3 with 50 mb partition, rebooted into flash menu with a different CF card with the extracted C-760 zImage.bin and an old cacko updater.sh. Flashed the extracted zImage.bin.

Rebooted, almost success. Can't cd to root directory message upon login. Evidently the .home_default.tar wasn't extracted as there is no /home/root dir. So I ran

Code: [Select]

cd /root
tar xf .home_default.tarThen was able to run startx  

A bit of a pain but it works.

Cheers,
Jerry

[ikm]

Great work.  My main concern with RC2 were the screen issues (flickering and what not).  While RC3 fixed the major flickering problems, some still remain.  The entire screen is just, well, shaky.  That is the best way I can describe it.  And I guess the shaky sympton I describe could also be flickering related.  I do have very good eyes, so perhaps that is part of the problem.

I experience the same thing, and I experienced it with every version of pdaXrom I had installed since the very first ones. It was always there. The problem shows itself best on the left scrollbar of the aterm once it appears. The problem only shows with the high brightness, the higher the better, and it goes away when the brightness is lowered. As I usually work in low-brightness mode (1 or 2, sometimes 3), I don't normally notice it, but the problem still exists.

At first I started to think that maybe it is a problem with my hardware. But I never experienced it on the qtopia roms. Then I thought maybe it was the wrong combinations of colors that produce that effect, akin to convergence problems with CRT monitors. I haven't tried to check that -- I guess it is sufficent to take a screenshot from the pdaXrom, the one where it shakes, and try displaying it fullscreen on the qtopia rom is some image viewer. The screenshot should obviously be in some lossless format, the is, not a jpeg one. I haven't tried that -- maybe someone should check that out.

[DaveAnderson]

Great work.  My main concern with RC2 were the screen issues (flickering and what not).  While RC3 fixed the major flickering problems, some still remain.  The entire screen is just, well, shaky.  That is the best way I can describe it.  And I guess the shaky sympton I describe could also be flickering related.  I do have very good eyes, so perhaps that is part of the problem.

I experience the same thing, and I experienced it with every version of pdaXrom I had installed since the very first ones. It was always there. The problem shows itself best on the left scrollbar of the aterm once it appears. The problem only shows with the high brightness, the higher the better, and it goes away when the brightness is lowered. As I usually work in low-brightness mode (1 or 2, sometimes 3), I don't normally notice it, but the problem still exists.

At first I started to think that maybe it is a problem with my hardware. But I never experienced it on the qtopia roms. Then I thought maybe it was the wrong combinations of colors that produce that effect, akin to convergence problems with CRT monitors. I haven't tried to check that -- I guess it is sufficent to take a screenshot from the pdaXrom, the one where it shakes, and try displaying it fullscreen on the qtopia rom is some image viewer. The screenshot should obviously be in some lossless format, the is, not a jpeg one. I haven't tried that -- maybe someone should check that out.

I'm glad someone else is seeing it.  I definitely could not use the ROM if that condition continues.  It drives me crazy, to be honest.  But I'm actually starting to like Cacko quite a bit.  I don't think I'll be using the Z as a laptop replacement, since I already have a laptop.  On the other hand, I was hoping I could get Evolution running on pdaXrom.  Well, I'll wait it out and see what happens.

[jerrybme]

mplayer doesn't run 320x240 fullscreen mode
(use: xrandr -s 1 | mplayer movie.avi - then press Shift+Alt+Right for move video window on free desktop and press key 'f'

It's great to be able to watch movies again on my Z   But how do you exit from  the magnified screen without having to reboot?

Thanks,
Jerry

Update: found xrandr -s 0 returns the display back to normal

[Laze]

Oops.. The www.pdaxrom.org/feed2/ wasn't updated with the latest files - that might have been causing some of the "early" posters their problems.

We will look into the partion and flickering problems once again :-(

[zaai]

Nice work pdaXrom team! Way to go!
Below some early experiences. Hopefully they are somewhat helpful.

Flashing - okay
Just reflashed from RC2 to RC3 on a C860. The flashing went smooth and flawless. RC2 was installed with one full root partition of 121MB.

Screen - works fine, no flicker
After switching the device on the screen flickers a bit but then it stabilizes.

Taskbar icons disappear - bug
Lost all icons on the task bar simply by opening up 'look & feel' and clicking OK. It restarts X (or mb) and after matchbox shows the taskbar is empty. This is obviously a bug. It is reproducable.
Adding applets and buttons back is easy and works fine.

Wifi configuration - okay
Configured wifi (using Socket CF card) by creating a new profile and setting network type to wireless, auto DHCP and auto DNS, using my AP's ESSID and 128 bit WEP hex key. Immediately after clicking 'Ok' a connection was made and internet connectivity was restored. Beautiful!

Window resize problem
Opened up the default installed applications. Found that I can't resize some applications by dragging the bottom right corner (although the cursor changes shape to indicate it is resizing). Could not resize any of the office applications. All of the internet applications were fine however.
It is nice to see applications that remember their screen position and size. Some don't however and especially when they start up too large it is slightly annoying you have to resize them each time you use them. This might be hard to solve but I'll just note it here since I'm on the subject.

Music - okay
xmms plays mp3 fine, volume applet works fine

Package manager package-version problem (old)
RC2 had the problem that everytime you installed a package it reinstalled all dependencies, including xfree in some cases. This hasn't happened yet
Tried to install firefox. (I'm using 2 feeds (www.pdaXrom.com/feed and feed2)
The package manager lists both version 0.8 and 0.9 in the list (diffent feeds?). Selecting and installing v0.9 did end up installing v0.8 however. Is this a bug in ipkg?
Anyway, removed the old feed and stuck to feed2 which has v0.9. Reinstalled firefox. Works like a charm.

Feature requests:
Easy way to see active tasks (without closing window or pressing alt-tab)
Fix cpu monitor applet - it always show 100% (its on the bug list)

I'll post more when I have tested some other stuff.
So far great work!

[scoutme]

I tried to compile some C code from sciTE - it uses g++.

I couldn't get my code compiled, because the compiler doesn't recognize C procedures like bcopy or strerror (included the right libraries).

Is a problem of installed libraries? How can I solve?



edit - SOLVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wrote half a line in the sciTe c-compiling settings

[xiaman]

i'm haveing a problem with dilo.
i can connect to internet but the web pages do not show right.
the screan only shows the top qaurter of the web page and it has blue lines though the page
is this a bug or have i not checked an option.
i'm using a 750 with scan disk wifi

[pgas]

Some suggestions:

. xmonobut should be added to the rom
. Does anyone play with gtkboard? the window of most game I tried has a fix size that is beyond Zaurus resolution.

. Maybe make should be added to he sdk image