Archlinux On Pandora?

[second exodous]

Assuming the same architecture, and providing all required libraries are present, a linux binary should run on all versions of linux. There are some cases where they don't, but I've found that most do. If you are finding a lot of cases where they don't, then you are either very, very (un)lucky, or something is wrong with your setups.
There's no reason that (most) PND files couldn't work across any Linux based OS that is being run on the Pandora.

edit: or perhaps it is I who is lucky enough to have only ever hit programs that are binary compatible.

I've only had to do that once, it was for handbrake, it installed but kept crashing. It was in Ubuntu, before I found out about PPA's, but when I installed through another ubuntu repository it fixed it. I installed it through RPM, the howto I used was really outdated so I'm sure if I had had better resources at the time it would have worked.

Who ever maintains a alternate distro for the Pandora will need to make sure that all the packages from the official distro will work. That shouldn't be that hard to do really, probably will just need to do it once and then it will be all set up for every package.

 

[musicalwoods]

I don't see any reason why PNDs should be cross compatible. A gentoo binary will not run on an Ubuntu system, why would an Angstrom binary run on Arch?
As long as we have the option of a minimal Angstrom image, we will be able to have nearly the same amount of control as Arch, while not distracting from the main project.

Ah, but I've been able to install many RPMs in Debian-based systems and vice versa.

 

[valhalla]

Which version of libc is Pandora going to use? Archmobile seems to use glibc, which is not a good idea considering that Ulrich Drepper does not like supporting "crap architectures"... Hopefully pandora will use µClibc, but that would cause compatibility problems since I'm pretty sure µClibc uses a different ABI...

there is also eglibc, which strives to maintain compatibility with glibc, isn't maintained by an ARM-hater and AFAIK is already used in debian instead of glibc. I don't know what is going to be used on pandora, however: Angstrom already patches glibc to work on ARM.

 

[Sphinxter]

One of the lessons of the GP2X was fragmentation, in our failure to dog pile on Open2x and focus all our efforts toward ultimate firmware never really unleashing the full potential of the device within reach of the average developer much less user. To paraphrase John Wayne the hardware is green, the software gap is wide and were burning daylight pilgrim, you can be part of the solution or part of the problem. Stop and think why linux does not rule the earth.

 

[WizardStan]

Stop and think why linux does not rule the earth.

I'm pretty sure it does. Unless I'm incorrect, the only place it doesn't dominate is the desktop market; everywhere that actually counts is primarily linux (or at least Unix) based.

 

[Alec]

Which version of libc is Pandora going to use? Archmobile seems to use glibc, which is not a good idea considering that Ulrich Drepper does not like supporting "crap architectures"... Hopefully pandora will use µClibc, but that would cause compatibility problems since I'm pretty sure µClibc uses a different ABI...

there is also eglibc, which strives to maintain compatibility with glibc, isn't maintained by an ARM-hater and AFAIK is already used in debian instead of glibc. I don't know what is going to be used on pandora, however: Angstrom already patches glibc to work on ARM.

Yeah, there's the eglibc, but it's not in the Ångström repository... And AFAIK the problem with glibc is not that it doesn't run but that it runs badly since optimizations for ARM are not accepted, but basically every program uses it.

So, does anyone knowledgeable know what libc will come on Pandora?

 

[samuraicrow]

So, does anyone knowledgeable know what libc will come on Pandora?

KLibC

 

[Alec]

So, does anyone knowledgeable know what libc will come on Pandora?

KLibC

klibc as the system libc? I hope you're joking, and I'm won't to believe you unless you link to where you got that from. <_<

 

[God Ginrai]

The devs are very busy working on the official OS / GUI, which is Angstrom / xfce at the moment.

I don't know where you got this information from, but last I heard any mention of the xfce, it was DJWillis mentioning that it was his own personal project and was in no way the official Desktop Environment (GUI) for the Pandora. It is still slated to be e17, AFAIK. If you can point me to a post that says otherwise, please do, I would be very happy to hear that my Pandora will have xfce out of the box.

-God Ginrai

 

[Prometheus]

Here.

Yes, xfce is the current target with E17 as fallback.

I forget if QT libs are in the target image build, but I'll find out. We want lots of libs in there of course, to make porting easier and less load on the .pnd's.

jeff

 

[lulzfish]

The devs are very busy working on the official OS / GUI, which is Angstrom / xfce at the moment.

... It is still slated to be e17, AFAIK. If you can point me to a post that says otherwise, please do, I would be very happy to hear that my Pandora will have xfce out of the box.

-God Ginrai

Skeezix says here that the new default is xfce, with E17 as a fallback (In case they can't get xfce working, I presume) as of October 30th.

 

[second exodous]

One of the lessons of the GP2X was fragmentation, in our failure to dog pile on Open2x and focus all our efforts toward ultimate firmware never really unleashing the full potential of the device within reach of the average developer much less user.

This was in part due to the fact that GPH had problems complying to the open source licenses, not releasing the code early enough. By the time they did everyone was happy with the way everything was implemented and didn't want to change.

Pandora won't have that problem, for one it will have full source code at release, and second they are using a well documented distro. It has been said many times on this thread that you can install packages meant for other ARM Linux distros so it doesn't matter which Linux you use it will just work.

If you want to keep everything the way your Pandora came you can do that. A lot of adventurous people aren't like that and want to try other things. If you keep Windows around on your PC just because it's what you know you probably aren't the kind of Person that will change anything.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with not wanting to experiment either, I like vanilla ice cream when everyone else around me tells me that the place has 1,000 flavors, but I like vanilla ice cream. I like experimenting with OSs when everyone else around me tells me that one OS is the standard, but I just like experimenting.

 

[God Ginrai]

Here.

Yes, xfce is the current target with E17 as fallback.

I forget if QT libs are in the target image build, but I'll find out. We want lots of libs in there of course, to make porting easier and less load on the .pnd's.

jeff

You just made my day. Thank you. I stand happily corrected and updated.

lulzfish-Well, I'm happy that you are the one right, and I the one wrong about this particular matter.

-God Ginrai

 

[gruso]

On that topic...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/koenkooi/4077980580/

Lovely.

 

[quadomatic]

I use Arch on my laptop, and it's great. That being said, I can't say it would make a whole lot of sense using Arch on Pandora. The Angstrom OS being set up is probably going to be plenty minimalist and very well customized, meaning there isn't a whole lot of reason to install something like Arch on Pandora.

 

[transmition]

Why are we using xfce instead of openbox / has openbox been tested?
It seems like it would be much more suited to the pandora, being lighter and far more customizable then xfce. Think of the keyboard shortcuts people!

 

[quadomatic]

Why are we using xfce instead of openbox / has openbox been tested?
It seems like it would be much more suited to the pandora, being lighter and far more customizable then xfce. Think of the keyboard shortcuts people!

Both XFCE and Openbox are customizable. It makes more sense to include XFCE by default since its a more capable desktop environment than openbox (which is only a window manager, not a desktop environment). If people want to use openbox, no one can stop them.

 

[musicalwoods]

Why are we using xfce instead of openbox / has openbox been tested?
It seems like it would be much more suited to the pandora, being lighter and far more customizable then xfce. Think of the keyboard shortcuts people!

Both XFCE and Openbox are customizable. It makes more sense to include XFCE by default since its a more capable desktop environment than openbox (which is only a window manager, not a desktop environment). If people want to use openbox, no one can stop them.

Ah, but LDXE is a DE that utilizes openbox...

 

[quadomatic]

Why are we using xfce instead of openbox / has openbox been tested?
It seems like it would be much more suited to the pandora, being lighter and far more customizable then xfce. Think of the keyboard shortcuts people!

Both XFCE and Openbox are customizable. It makes more sense to include XFCE by default since its a more capable desktop environment than openbox (which is only a window manager, not a desktop environment). If people want to use openbox, no one can stop them.

Ah, but LDXE is a DE that utilizes openbox...

Regardless, a large number of people who are less familiar will probably prefer XFCE. It's fairly lightweight. If anyone REALLY desires LDXE, Openbox, Fluxbox, IceWM, or any other thingamajig under the sun, nothing can stop them from installing them.

 

[transmition]

A well configured openbox + pypanel + feh is all the desktop manager you need.