New SL-6000L User/Owner With Many Questions

[lojack]

Hello all,

I'm a new SL-6000L user/owner in the US. After a month of use I must say, it is NOT what I expected. The device looks great, and functions well out of the box. However, adding the apps that I wanted proved to be more of an undertaking than I expected, and with no support from Sharp. For example, I am still unable to get kismet installed and working correctly on this device. In fact, the kismet ipk isn't even recognized as a zaurus package from the 'Package Installer'. When I select the package --stored on an SD-card-- the 'Package Installer' begins but nothing is displayed in the window. And, no error messages are reported. <sigh> (kismet package from http://www.elsix.org/downloads/apps/ and kismet-qt package from http://sourceforge.net/projects/kismet-qte/). kismet-qt installed fine, however, it is useless without kismet (obviously).

pdf files? What apps do people use to view pdf files? I installed qpdf2 (qpdf2-freetype-2.2.1-20040217) but the fonts look horrible (who would have thought...font issues on a Linux device???). I even installed some other fonts, such as fonts-bitstream-vera-sans-mono, but they don't seem to help. Also, qpdf2 doesn't work with the rotated screen.

What apps do people use to encrypt files on their Zs?

What terminal apps do people suggest/recommend for the SL-6000L?

Desktop software? WOW! The software supplied by Sharp for WinXP is HORRIBLE. Qtopia Desktop for Windows doesn't look much better either. I thought the desktop software was much further along than it is. Truth is, I had no itention of using my Z with Windows anyway. I was just surprised to see how unpolished the desktop software was.

That brings up another issue. Synching the Z with Linux. That's an undertaking I haven't even begun yet. I'll be reading through these threads for a while before I try that. Unfortunately, there aren't too many threads in here --or anywhere else for that matter-- that relate to the SL6000L.

Any tips for a new Z user/owner?

ALL tips/suggestions are welcome. Please.

Chris/CMS

[pcgamingsolutions]

I've had my 6000 for about two weeks now, and I think I'm gonna Ebay it and get an 860.  I was disappointed with it as well.  Here is this excellent piece of hardware, but in the end it's a piece of junk because there's no support for it.  At least I can get a case and screen protector for an 860.  I like the way pdaXrom looks on the 860, and it feels good knowing that the apps I run on my Linux desktop I can also run on my PDA.

As far as backing up information, I've been copying files to my CF card and hooking it up to my desktop.  It's easy to backup your notes, but I haven't looked around a lot to see where my contacts and to-do list are (wouldn't be nice to lose those).

Probably the feature I use the most on the 6000 is the keyboard.  It feels so easy walking and typing notes at the same time.  Is it easy to walk and type with the clamshell style 860?  I like that PDAs can be more like laptop replacements, but I don't want to be sitting somewhere just to input information.

[tumnus]

In fact, the kismet ipk isn't even recognized as a zaurus package from the 'Package Installer'. When I select the package --stored on an SD-card-- the 'Package Installer' begins but nothing is displayed in the window. And, no error messages are reported.

Please see this FAQ: http://www.zaurususergroup.com/modules.php...parent_id=0#202

pdf files? What apps do people use to view pdf files? I installed qpdf2 (qpdf2-freetype-2.2.1-20040217) but the fonts look horrible (who would have thought...font issues on a Linux device???). I even installed some other fonts, such as fonts-bitstream-vera-sans-mono, but they don't seem to help. Also, qpdf2 doesn't work with the rotated screen.

I use QPDF2 all the time and do not have any display problems on my 5600. It's probably something they changed in the 6000 and with them being a bit expensive, it's a bit difficult for developers to ensure their apps work on all the different models. Sharp also doesn't appear to care about backward compatibility.

What apps do people use to encrypt files on their Zs?

I don't encrypt files per se, although there is gpg available. Stuff I want to keep secret is usually quite small, like passwords etc, so I use Keyring.

That brings up another issue. Synching the Z with Linux. That's an undertaking I haven't even begun yet. I'll be reading through these threads for a while before I try that. Unfortunately, there aren't too many threads in here --or anywhere else for that matter-- that relate to the SL6000L.

That would be because there is no complete syncing solution for Linux. A few people have concocted some homebrew solutions, but I don't think any of them are true syncing solutions, especially for Sharp ROMs. There is the KDEPIM/Pi project, but again syncing still relies on files being copied manualy or by scripts and generic merges being done. I think they are working towards a nice solution though.

[angst]

Refer to the Kismet on the SL-6000 How-To for packages and directions.

I have the same QPDF2 package installed and it works fine in both portrait and landscape display modes on my SL-6000.

[lojack]

Refer to the Kismet on the SL-6000 How-To for packages and directions.

I have the same QPDF2 package installed and it works fine in both portrait and landscape display modes on my SL-6000.

That's strange. Some of the apps I installed on my SL-6000 won't work at all in landscape mode, such as QPDF2. Whether I start QPDF2 from portrait or landscape mode, QPDF2 always appears in portrait mode.

Chris/CMS

[vthomas]

For  qpdf2 on a 6000 go to the home screen and hold down the qpdf2 icon until the settings come up. I have both  the following settings unset

"Execute with root privilege"
"Display with magnified screen"

I think the latter is your problem.
I also don't have a problem with qpdf2 in landscape. I think it works really well and prefer reading a book that way.