Ångström software?


Wegg

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Mar 3, 2008
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Will all of the software created to work on the Ångström work on the Pandora?

http://www.angstrom-distribution.org/repo/

There appear to be a selection of PIM applications, media players, Gimp, Abiword.

Even Samba! Can I really access my file server from this thing!?!

I'm super excited but at the same time kind of scared. My experience with linux has always been very rocky. While its great as a server, actually USING it has never lasted more than a day or two. I'm always running into missing codecs, plugins and a lot of the frustrating "attitudes" of the linux community when I seek help in resolving my problems.

I can kind of already see that the GP2X/Pandora community is a lot more friendly but. .

Well we will just have to wait and see eh?

<twiddle thumbs>
 
Ångström is a form of Linux. The Pandora will run a form of Linux, partially based on Ångström. Any open source Linux application shouldn't have any issues building for the Pandora.

Stuff like this is covered in the FAQ
 
From the FAQ:

The filesystem is derived from Ångström, and the build system uses OpenEmbedded, which both evolved from OpenZaurus.

So assuming the device and distro conf files are released (if they've not been already - anyone have a link/idea?), we should be able to setup our own build systems and benefit from the existing OE recipes. Ideal :)
 
Wegg said:
Even Samba! Can I really access my file server from this thing!?!
You could even set the Pandora up to be a file server, if you were so inclined.

Wegg said:
My experience with linux has always been very rocky. While its great as a server, actually USING it has never lasted more than a day or two.
You won't need to know much, if anything, about Linux to use the Pandora as shipped.

Wegg said:
...and a lot of the frustrating "attitudes" of the linux community when I seek help in resolving my problems.
Most people who know a lot about Linux are self-taught, and there's often a certain "expectation" that others will at least do a bit of research (read the FAQs, search the web, etc.) before asking for help. If you at least try to help yourself and, if you can't figure it out, ask sensible questions, you will get along just fine.
 
SteveM said:
Wegg said:
...and a lot of the frustrating "attitudes" of the linux community when I seek help in resolving my problems.
Most people who know a lot about Linux are self-taught, and there's often a certain "expectation" that others will at least do a bit of research (read the FAQs, search the web, etc.) before asking for help. If you at least try to help yourself and, if you can't figure it out, ask sensible questions, you will get along just fine.
I agree. Don't forget googling is very successful. There is also google.com/linux for a more targeted search.

While you're waiting for Pandora you could try a distro that comes with loads of codecs and drivers - like Mint. Sabayon was pretty good from that point of view too.

Anyway, back to topic, I must go have a look at that repo - thanks for link.
 
Any open source Linux application shouldn't have any issues building for the Pandora.

Thats the part that I struggle with. I have compiled some applications from source and had them successfully work for a little while but any slight change in my configuration would break that application and because a standard package installer for that application wasn't available. . . I'm out of luck. I have had no other option but re-install the whole operating system. The vast amount of interdependence with Linux software is a major source of frustration to those of us who love the idea, know enough to follow the instructions but not enough to "debug".

So a software repository like this appeals to someone like me. A list of pre-configured apps to pick from. Apps that have been configured to work with my desired platform.

I'm excited to have my Pandora be a great little 2D animation/sketching tool as well as games, movies, web, e-books, a PIM etc. I hope someone else with more technical skills shares my slanted view and will be willing to port applications that compliment it.. :wacko:

I guess if not. . . I'll have to "donate" to compensate for someone's time?
 
Wegg said:
I have compiled some applications from source and had them successfully work for a little while but any slight change in my configuration would break that application and because a standard package installer for that application wasn't available. . . I'm out of luck. I have had no other option but re-install the whole operating system.
I don't know how you managed that, but this won't be (as much of) an issue with the Pandora as the hardware is fixed. Software packages will all come with any dependencies, other than those included with the Pandora as standard, built in.

Wegg said:
So a software repository like this appeals to someone like me. A list of pre-configured apps to pick from. Apps that have been configured to work with my desired platform.
Not sure what "like this" is referring to exactly, but there's already an archive set up for just that purpose.
 
Not sure what "like this" is referring to exactly, but there's already an archive set up for just that purpose.

The link I posted posted on the top of this thread to the Angstrom software repository.
 
I've been using Angstrom for at least a year now with my IPAQ 5450. Prior to this I used the Familiar linux distribution for my IPAQ.

Angstrom has been good, and I did several times successfully set up the build environment and managed to get the system to successfully perform a build with OpenEmbedded. I never actually did perform my own development with it, though.

The OpenEmbedded community is fairly solid; I posted several bugs on their bug tracker website which were rather quickly attended. However, the final patches never managed to make it completely though. I think the reason for this is that my platform (the IPAQ) doesn't have as large of a user base when compared to other supported platforms. I think some of this may change if Pandora takes off. :)

I have noticed several references here to the GPE platform; I will say that it is fairly solid and does have lots of nice handheld-friendly PDA applications and a sync environment. I would be very interested in testing this and making it work on the Pandora!
 
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