OZ/Sharp ROM and OPIE

[highfell]

Newbie alert (but keen to learn).  

I am keen to understand  the combinations of Operating System and GUI that are possible.

As I understand it, OPIE is an alternative GUI to QTOPIA. From looking at the OZ(?) Feeds directories it looks like OPIE can sit on top of both the Sharp ROM and OZ ? Is this correct? Which Sharp ROM? I have a 5500 and 3.1 ROM at present. I presume that the OPIE files would need to be different in some way for each underlying system.

I have real problems understanding what I need to download in order to get a system that works.  

Whilst I applaud the time that must be spent for the guys doing all the work behind this. I have to say it is incredibly confusing as a newcomwer to know which files that I need to download and if I look at that directory it seems that I have to download about 50 files and then where do they go !!??. I am surprised that there isn\'t a zip file that includes all the files and places them in the correct directories?

I want to try it out but I just don\'t know where to start. Even the FAQ or manual can\'t seem to be downloaded in one go which makes offline reading very difficult.

Any help or pointers would be appreciated.

I hope this isn\'t  taken the wrong way but as a general comment to those developers and trying to be helpful as someone completely new to the \'scene\' - if you are interested in getting \'ordinary\' users to try out OZ & OPIE etc., you really need to present an easier way into understanding the process because it ain\'t easy to get a clear understanding beneath all that fog !!

Nigel Bamber

(Also posted to the OZ Forum)

[soycap]

http://openzaurus.org/oz_website/content/installguide

Most are running Opie off of OZ.  I have been using Opie for over a year and still don\'t understand how or why one would run Opie off of the Sharp ROM.

Most opensource project do not provide the type of documentation you are looking for.  Be prepared to hack around, search new groups, forums, and websites, and kindly ask questions from communities such as this when all else fails.

[lardman]

As I understand it, OPIE is an alternative GUI to QTOPIA. From looking at the OZ(?) Feeds directories it looks like OPIE can sit on top of both the Sharp ROM and OZ ?

Um, perhaps, but it would take lots of work from you to get OPIE working instead of Qtopia on the Sharp ROM. What you can do is run (some) OPIE apps using Qtopia. There\'s an OPIE-apps-on-Sharp-ROM feed somewhere which contains apps which are linked against the Qtopia libs, etc.

I have real problems understanding what I need to download in order to get a system that works.

I don\'t think you should try it (sticking OPIE over Qtopia) then to tell the truth, though just running the apps if easy. Could someone supply the URL to the feed please? Just download apps from the feed and install them as usual.

Whilst I applaud the time that must be spent for the guys doing all the work behind this. I have to say it is incredibly confusing as a newcomwer to know which files that I need to download and if I look at that directory it seems that I have to download about 50 files and then where do they go !!??. I am surprised that there isn\'t a zip file that includes all the files and places them in the correct directories?  

I presume you\'ve been looking in one of the feeds? Lots of .ipk files? These are packaged installation files which you install using either the Settings ] Install applet or from the command line the command \'ipkg\'.

Take a look at the Packages file which sits in the feed directory, this will tell you what each file is, and what dependencies it has. Even better (assuming you can connect your Z to the net) stick a new feed into the package manager applet (I think this can be done through the GUI with the Sharp ROM), then click update and it will automatically sort out the dependencies for you. DO NOT POINT IT AT AN OPIE/OZ FEED. You will in all likelihood stop your Z from working.

In any case most OPIE/OZ packages use a different ipk format which the Sharp ROM won\'t understand (unless you upgrade ipkg, or un-ar and re-tar.gz the file. Try a search of the forums).


Simon

[undrwater]

There\'s an OPIE-apps-on-Sharp-ROM feed somewhere which contains apps which are linked against the Qtopia libs, etc.  

http://opie.handhelds.org/feed/sharprom/latest/

I understand your frustration...for a newbie it may seem that the support for this device is somewhat disjointed.  Part of the issue i believe is that Sharp has provided only the minimum of support, and any development that is happening now seems to be coming from outside of Sharp.  Also, these forums tend to provide a place for linux hackers/developers to discuss and there is the prerequisite impatience with newbies.

That being said, I notice you have taken a large bite in one post, so maybe if you focus your questions to a specific area (such as installing packages) and a specific rom, you can realize more short-term success.

Anyways....like anything linux...read a lot, hack a lot, and good luck!!

[Anonymous]

I\'ve now managed to try out OZ and uploaded all of the OPIE IPKGs onto the CF but I couldn\'t get them all to install properly. They were both stable versions. I got lots of Symlink ? missing or not found messages on some of the packages, or dependency problems which I don\'t understand when OPIE is supposed to run ontop of OZ. I also wanted to/must have the Handcom Apps running but I couldn\'t get them to work out.

I have now settled for the TheKompanyROM, which I have installed successfully , but this seems easier because QTOPIA appears to be bundled as part of the ROM unlike OZ and OPIE.

Unfortunately there doesn\'t appear to be a guide on which files to install or where they should go.

The only other problem that I have is that I cannot get the Zaurus to dial up Sony Ericsson by IRDA it just doesn\'t connect to it at all.The IRDA port does work because I can beam phone entries from the phone to the Zaurus

On the positve note, I am really enjoying the Zaurus and have found Portabase which is an incredibly flexible and well designed database program, which I use for time management work.

Nigel Bamber

[VeeDubb]

For hancom under OZ you need to do 2 things.  
Step 1:  Ignore every perseon who mentions hancom creator scripts and politely tell them to shove off.

Step 2:  Follow the directions here-------] http://www.openzaurus.org/oz_website/faq/faq?id=241


I have had some fairly recent experience with installing differnet interfaces on top of various roms.  There are actualy 3 forks of the Qtopia environment.  THe first is the commercial Sharp version which is what you have with the 3.10 and 3.13 roms.

The second is the more generic Qtopia which is now up to 1.7.0, though I\'ve never seen an installable version of anything over 1.6.2   This a nice fork and there\'s a couple roms built around it.  However, to make it usable requires that you install a LOT of extra stuff.

THe third is Opie.  Opie is the Open source version of Qtopia, though they spilt some time ago and are now quite different.

I have installed opie and qtopia 1.6.2 over a number of roms that orriginaly came with Sharp\'s qtopia and let me say this VERY clearly.   IT SUCKS.   That is a totaly rotten way to do things.  It\'s complicated, usualy buggy and unstable and you gett better results for less effort by installing a ROM based on that environment.

I\'m not sure about the cell phone issue, that\'s a tough one.  You might check out the OpenZaurus mailing lists or ask over at http://www.zaurususergroup.com

[treke]

The second is the more generic Qtopia which is now up to 1.7.0, though I\'ve never seen an installable version of anything over 1.6.2   This a nice fork and there\'s a couple roms built around it.  However, to make it usable requires that you install a LOT of extra stuff.

This isn\'t a fork, it\'s real honest to god Qtopia. The sharp rom is a fork of it, as is Opie.

[VeeDubb]

The second is the more generic Qtopia which is now up to 1.7.0, though I\'ve never seen an installable version of anything over 1.6.2   This a nice fork and there\'s a couple roms built around it.  However, to make it usable requires that you install a LOT of extra stuff.

This isn\'t a fork, it\'s real honest to god Qtopia. The sharp rom is a fork of it, as is Opie.

LOL, can we say \"splitting hairs\"?  


WHat I did screw up was I said he should try asking at this forum, doh!  

What I meant was you should check out http://www.zaurus.com/dev/board