Most important missing/to be fixed in pdaXrom?

[amrein]

Well, according to the first part of thread title "Most important missing/to be fixed in pdaXrom?", most of our posts are out of the subject. Accordind to the last part of the title "Post your wishes/request in this thread", I have doubts...

So here are more wishes, certainly out of the subject (more hope than requests):

_ manage the growing but still very small developper community arround pdaXrom and use the same kind of policy as Debian or Mandrakelinux to get contributions. Open the developpement process to other (the same way OpenEmbbeded is open to other and grow with contribution from all over the world). I mean mailing list, subversion access, easy communication between developpers, contrib repository with all packages source code...

_ Give a way to people to submit patches. Use bugzilla or any simillar strong bug tracking to be able to manage patches, bugs, wiches list and more...

_ revamp the website to something very icecandy. Same icons as pdaXrom for example.

_ manage the growing pdaXrom user community arround the pdaXrom website and from zaurususergroup.com and give them (e.g. give us) simple task to enhance the wall thing.

_ create a structured page for developpers with all kind of links to interesting developper websites. Things like gnu licences, gnu tools docs, libraries docs like http://doc.trolltech.com http://www.gtk.org or http://www.fltk.org, ...

_ think and discuss about how pdaXrom could make money selling the result of the community work to manufacturer like Sharp for example or planning with Sharp to introduce clamshell Zaurus in Europe, Russia or US but with pdaXrom build-in (need pdaXrom 2.0 for that).

_  Do the same thing as German Zaurus website e.g. define the specification of the minimal Zaurus which could be sold in Eu/Ru/US. (something like a bit larger SL-C3000 + wifi + bluethooth and 8 hours of battery life)

<TROLLING>
_  use rpm, rpm binaries and rpm source files or the rpm spec files to manage pdaXrom packages (+ patches, +automatic rpm update, +installation/uninstallation, ...) or completely switch to Debian deb packages and follow the old trolling post ideas (https://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3040)
</TROLLING>

<TROLLING>
_ Think about the future incoming Zaurus and change pdaXrom specification accordingly (e.g. XL-C9000 with x86 compatible processor, 800*600 swiveling screen, a bit larger than SL-C series, Psion series 5mx mecanical keyboard, support for countries specific keyboards, 20 Mo harddrive, usb master 2.0, wifi, bluetooth, irDa, docking station with standard PC monitor connector+mouse+extra usb port+serial connector, audio In/Out, mic and loud speaker, 999 euros, ...)  
</TROLLING>

Well, it's time for me to search for a job... at last. My old financial provision has suffered and won't let me continue my long vacancy policy . I won't be able to stop trolling on this web site thought.

[khafra]

One more wish: mplayer, even without x running and a 320x240 movie, won't play video at a watchable framerate for me.  I'm not 100% positive it's not just me, but I've heard from others with the same problem.  Watchable movies would be cool!

[sylvius]

Just to echo some other comments, right now my 860 is a mini laptop, which is super cool, but it is a really lousy PDA. I really, really need audible alarms working in KOPI for my 860 to be truly useful as a PDA.

Here are some other things I would love:
1) User configurable hotkeys (I would like to use the calender key to launch the calender and would rather use the useless (to me) Japanese for CTRL and ALT).
2) CUPS support so that I could print to a networked printer. Failing that, an Abiword build that doesn't crash when trying to print to ps.
3) It would be great if the rom asked you to set a root password and to create a user for all normal processes by default. If I am going to use it as a portable computer, I want to configure it like I would a computer (where I use root sparingly).
4) Better documentation for the cross compiler. I would love to help out with building new packages (both for myself and for the feed), but I have had no luck getting cross-compiling working.

Otherwise, I think the rom is super sweet and thank you guys for the work you've been doing.

[sonicbuddha]

I'd like to amend a request and add a new one:

 * There is already functionality to expand the root partition so no need to request it... m'be just make it more obvious in the install.
 * There is definately a problem in the power drain for pdaXrom as a non qt based rom.  With this in mind, a more intuitive overclock/underclock app and the ability to set automatic stepping with battery levels/usage would make a big difference.

I would also like to second the comments made previously about expanding the pdaXrom community.  I am a new user but I am already completely sold on pdaXrom.  A greater community based system for submitting bugs, patches, compiled apps, soliciting support/funds, and many of the other things listed by amrein seem like excellent ideas. Hey, pdaXrom is the only really solid departure from a pda towards a "micro-laptop" that I have found, although I have yet to try Debian's release (and Gentoo is working on one, but they are still very beta).  Thats exciting!  Thanks, pdaXrom!

[Laze]

We have many things planned for the pdaXrom website and the community - but at the moment the all our time is spent on making the rom and trying to keep up with all the questions and requests. So please be patient - the new site will feature a better bug/patch program - we haven't choosen one and most likely we will also add CVS.

We might also built the entire documentation and faq around wiki - we haven't decided on forums yet - we don't wan't to split the community into yet another forum so for now we will be sticking with this forum.

Please keep looking and yes we will be updating the entire documentation and charts etc. Hoppefully we will be much more "clean" and "prof" when we are done..

The entire website will get a overhaul and a much lighter theme and probally also more dillo friendly.

[amrein]

I'm just hoping one thing Laze: I hope that the "we" you used in your post also include all volunteers (brains and arms) from ZaurusUserGroup.com/pdaXrom forum.

[Dracula]

2. applet to adjust sound volume??

What's wrong with the existing volume control applet?

my bad, i completely overlooked the applet
forget about this hehe

[Laze]

Okay this i written after going 3 days without sleep so please read with a little causing - i might edit it later..

Could everybody just stop telling me/the pdaXrom team how to run "business" - we are always open to input on bugfixes/patches/ideas. But the "bigger picture" is already planned and we don't need help running our "bussiness". We have a plan and are sticking with it.

Yes the website needs a overhaul and documentation and more needs updates - but there are two reason in the world why webpages aren't updated:

1. The "author" stopped working on the project
2. The "author" is working hard on the project behind the scenes.

We belong to the 2. catergory :-)

We have a "bussiness" plan and we are working hard on getting more finacial support and talking with "hardware"/security partners about joining forces - so feel free to give suggestions to the ROM but we basically don't need help with "bigger plan" for the future for the pdaXrom.

We have decided we won't be doing anything "big" until we think the current 1.1.0 ROM is stable and feature/customizable enough to be presented to firms.

Don't take this the wrong way, we love the community around the Zaurus and we are ourselves a great part of that community but we need to stay focused if we wan't to make the pdaXrom project "bigger". (btw. that also includes a name change at some point :-)

When we get further with the ROM we will start working on the new website, we have a guy dedicated to documentation (but not much point in writing documentation to a unfinished system), the entire developer section will be released with turtorials/examples/documentation etc, there will be different platfom sections available (yes the pdaXrom is already running as a x86 distro on some machines in testing).

In conclusion we are always happy to get input and we are always willing to discuss things. But at the moment the focus in on the actual rom and hence we prefer to dicuss that - when we are "done" with the actual "rom" we will start working and discussing on what to do next.

We are well aware of the current "problems" we have with website/documentation etc. but again we think the ROM is more important right now - so please keep the ideas/post/comments/e-mails etc. related to the ROM development and not the business plans. In the future we will start on the new website/platform - i can already promise these things:
- Dedicated web server for the entire project.
- Developer community with: IPK uploading using FTP, IPK "editor" for adding comments and screenshots, possibilty to edit/add documentation comments etc.
- User community maybe with forum intergrated into ZUG forums.
- Bug/patch system probally based on Bugzilla

And much, much more..

I hope i haven't offended anybody by this post - but again most people don't understand that at the moment we are working on freelance basis (execpt Sash who is working "fulltime" on the project). I known all the ideas/suggenstions are base on "love" for the project and again please bear with me, my "real" work is draining all my energy. (Stupid, stupid new CCB systems).

Laze
Project manager

[amrein]

Ok.

[Laze]

amrein it wasn't pointed directly at you :-) And no i have sleept a bit i might have been a bit harsh - sorry.

Hopefully we can furfill all the wishes/ideas/hopes people have for us.

[DaveAnderson]

Another vote for fixing the screen shake.

[khafra]

http://ftpfs.sourceforge.net/

I've been doing some heavy consideration and research into having a PDA with a 200GB hard drive.  To that end, I'd like the kernel module above, which allows one to mount an FTP site as a local drive.  Seems like the only way to use 802.11b network attached storage like the ASUS WL-500g and Netgear WGT634U, and connect to an internet access hotpoint at the same time.

[scoutme]

please fix Firefox, I NEED the "find as you type" feature

[omega]

khafra - i want that too! ;-)  I remember about two years ago reading about asus's wifi HDD shell, but i never heard that it was publically released...

[omega]

oops! only checked out those two products above after i posted. Those are not what i meant, although the netgear is closer.  I meant something like this- http://www.xpcgear.com/asuswlhdd2us.html
...  there's probably a battery powered one around, or a external battery brick - etc.  It's a helluva lot cheaper than a usb host card + usb 2.5 hdd shelll....