Holy Crap! Kudos To You All!

[guitarMan666]

This has got to be the single coolest product I have EVER seen! When I save up the money, this will probably replace my PSP, more or less.

I have a couple of questions though, what version of linux is this thing going to run? and it would be freaking cool if it could use a remote login/fileshare feature to play media stored on a remote PC. Is this feature planned already (or present already)? Basically, I'd be using SSH but i'm sure there are better systems for remote filesharing out there.

I have to thank you all again for this bolstering of the open source market!
-=-Eric

 

[javaJake]

Agreed! This product is astounding! I keep getting butterflies in my stomach when I think of the variety of needs (read: big wants) it'll fill on a day-by-day basis.

"Remote login/fileshare feature", if not available officially, will undoubtedly be available by the community through some form of sshfs+mplayer or MythTV or whatever. There's been talk of remote media already.

As for the Linux OS, it's a secret Craigix and Co. haven't revealed yet. They only mentioned it would have two modes for simple and power users.

 

[cb88]

As for the Linux OS, it's a secret Craigix and Co. haven't revealed yet. They only mentioned it would have two modes for simple and power users.

I thought it was going to run a modified Debian ARM build?

Also you could always mount and NFS share over the network since there will probably be .deb packages for nfs.... pretty sure samba/cifs would work but prolly not a good idea

 

[atomicthumbs]

Yes! It's going to be modified Debian ARM.

Anything that's in the Debian ARM repository is ported to the Pandora already.

(I will not post any pictures of bunnies in this thread.)

 

[evol]

Yes! It's going to be modified Debian ARM.

Anything that's in the Debian ARM repository is ported to the Pandora already.

(I will not post any pictures of bunnies in this thread.)

because you don´t know where the cute bunnies hang :rolleyes:

 

[Sphinxter]

I don't recall reading anything official on the OS or firmware.

 

[DJWillis]

Yes! It's going to be modified Debian ARM.

Anything that's in the Debian ARM repository is ported to the Pandora already.

(I will not post any pictures of bunnies in this thread.)

Oh dear . The mis-quotes are out and about .

Don't take ANY of this as the word of law but let's state a few things about the ROOTFS that may well end up on the Pandora.

All being well it will support debs and ship with a dpkg installing solution (APT'ish) that should install most ARMEL Debian packages. Quite how this will work with removable SD's/NAND etc. is still the subject of some debate. Pandora will also have it's own local packaging system that is aware of removable media and you can of course resort to 'copy and play' models that the GP2X and GP32 are well known for.

"Anything that's in the Debian ARM repository is ported to the Pandora already." <- Please do NOT say that, it is simply not true. There is no reason a very large number of Debian ARMEL packages will not just run out of the box but it is just not right to set the expectation all will work. Also, in Debian terms ARM and ARMEL (EABI) are different architectures. We are taking an EABI architectural approach.

It may well be a 'Debian' derived Linux distribution that ships on the device as the underpinnings of the default firmware but right now I have been playing with a hand crafted ROOTFS, some Debian ARMEL style ROOTFS's and a few Open Embedded derived systems (Playing with Ångström at the moment). In simple terms I want to find out how flexible we can be, right now the answer is 'very'.

It is also very reasonable to expect things like raw Ångström or Debian or the other usual suspects to be supported on the Pandora even if the default firmware is somewhat more bespoked as we are talking about a device running a fairly recent and supported 2.6 kernel (not the ancient 2.4 kernels and bespoke compatibility hacks that dog GP2X kernel development).

 

[proflogic]

Lol, all this mistaken certainty about a Debian system came from this post:

Yup, the words "Debian ARM" were all that needed to be said. This is what's exciting about this new console, it's pretty much going to be the best and most powerful handheld console ever, and also an extra small fully featured (well pretty much) personal computer.

Yep, that's the idea. We don't need any x86!

 

[DJWillis]

Lol, all this mistaken certainty about a Debian system came from this post:

Yup, the words "Debian ARM" were all that needed to be said. This is what's exciting about this new console, it's pretty much going to be the best and most powerful handheld console ever, and also an extra small fully featured (well pretty much) personal computer.

Yep, that's the idea. We don't need any x86!



Fair enough. Well anyway, my post above is there to read if people want to. I guess things evolve, change and clarify themselves as stuff moves on.

As usual take anything I say with some planet sized pinches of salt .

 

[craigix]

I was not talking about the Debian ARM comment in that reply.

 

[proflogic]

I was not talking about the Debian ARM comment in that reply.

Upon closer inspection of the following posts, it seems most didn't believe so then, either. I'm not sure when "might want to support Debian ARM packages" turned into "will support Debian ARM packages." Though if I had to guess, I'll bet it was when atomicthumbs wrote it on the wiki... The cited source had no mentioning of Debian at all!

It would be nice if we could leverage some existing binary repository, though. Maintaining the packages might be easier (because someone else is already doing it).

On the other hand, the existing repositories might not fit well with Pandora's design.

 

[Sphinxter]

Don't know how those rumors get started, says none of debian arm will run on pandora right on the front page of the site, stuff that will is only at 90% and not the easy 10% left either.

 

[atomicthumbs]

Don't know how those rumors get started, says none of debian arm will run on pandora right on the front page of the site, stuff that will is only at 90% and not the easy 10% left either.

Where did you read that? I can't find it on openpandora.org or openpandora.ca.

 

[Luna_Lovegod]

(I will not post any pictures of bunnies in this thread.)

Bunnies! Yay! That was a very special moment for me.

I think this device is going to be amazing, too! I really do hope that I will be able to get one... I hope it comes out soon. I just got a psp (so I can play Crisis Core); and I must say, even with all of the homebrew available, it's functionality has it's limits as far as creativity goes. I reeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllyyyyyyyy really really really want a Pandora. It will be much fun. I am a little frightened about Linux though since I don't know much about it, but I want to learn. Any pointers? Sorry, I know I ask a lot of questions.

 

[JakeK]

Will you be able to change the Linux OS (to different Linux compatible versions).

DISCLAIMER

Jake has absolutely no idea about Linux stuff

 

[Sphinxter]

Don't know how those rumors get started, says none of debian arm will run on pandora right on the front page of the site, stuff that will is only at 90% and not the easy 10% left either.

Where did you read that? I can't find it on openpandora.org or openpandora.ca.


On the debian arm site.

 

[DJWillis]

Don't know how those rumors get started, says none of debian arm will run on pandora right on the front page of the site, stuff that will is only at 90% and not the easy 10% left either.

Where did you read that? I can't find it on openpandora.org or openpandora.ca.


On the debian arm site.


What Debian site? I can't see why ANY Debian site would have anything to do with the Pandora work.

There is nothing on the ARM port Debian page, nor is there anything on the ARM EABI port Debian page. They just relate purely to the port status (an interesting read mind you).

Not that any of this really matters. The core Linux kernel is (currently) 2.6.22, 24, even 25 is being worked on. If you have that you can put whatever you want on top as far as the ROOTFS goes .

There is plenty of things to be done but the main aim is to deliver a good solid ROOTFS that is usable by novices and Linux pros alike. Compatibility with some select packaging systems is an aspect of that advanced usability.

For the real hard core you can do whatever takes your fancy but remember out of the box it has to be usable. No, just edit widget.conf to setup your wifi and that sort of rubbish . The default ROOTFS also has to be supportable and maintainable so it can grow and develop.

 

[IcantDeleteThisAccount]

Just give me my console and we'll call it a day.

 

[lubidog]

This thing needs to hide it's linuxness as much as possible!!!!!! Or it won't sell!

This needs to be made SO clear straight away. The market for geeks to buy 'hardcore' linux devices will be too small for Craig to sell this for a profit (which we all want!) By all means the linux-heads can hack and play to their hearts content, but the rest of us just want to have as easy an experience as possible.

I am speaking with the experience of having recently bought an eee pc and an n800. Both run linux. The nokia n800 had a great application manager that automatically searched for new apps, with a description and the option to download. It was so easy. Of course, the option to add repos was there, and it was better if you did! But you didn't have to-you still got a lot of cool free stuff, that just installed itself seemlessly onto the device!

The eee pc under linux (I have now put XP on it, much better) is also great for only the basic things. Under what they call easy mode the core apps that were already installed can be easily updated. But as soon as you want to put something new onto it, it is really hard for a complete linux newbie. It took me days to understand the basics enough for me just to get VLC on there, and sopcast I just couldn't manage. And when I read and asked for help on the excellent forums eeeuser, the language that people used to write me help was still above me. It is all so new. Even simple thins, like press this key to do this weren't mentioned, cos the linux experts just KNEW. But the newbies not! DO you see what I mean? So XP, it had to be!

I know lots of you will just say 'Linux is easy' and I am sure for you it is! But Craig needs to mass sell this and people are scared of linux, with good reason! Most of us here are geeks, but we must realise that techie terms will scare off lots!

I know this has been said, but lots of us don't realise how important it is for people to believe that when they buy this, they will just be able to use it! Not fight with it. I read the other day that itunes, after opening up the sdk for the iphone (?) will be giving out the apps that people write for free via itunes. Whatever you think about itunes, this could be a fantastic thin-people can just visit itunes from their iphones, browse to a new app and download it straight onto their iphones! Simple and quick! If people can just do this, and know that it will be this easy before they buy then lots of people will buy this...

Sorry for my rant, but the post by the luna girl scared me. Why should someone HAVE TO learn linux when they buy this? I really, really don't want to have to learn Linux. Life is too short. I just wanna play!

 

[Sphinxter]

Don't know how those rumors get started, says none of debian arm will run on pandora right on the front page of the site, stuff that will is only at 90% and not the easy 10% left either.

Where did you read that? I can't find it on openpandora.org or openpandora.ca.


On the debian arm site.


What Debian site? I can't see why ANY Debian site would have anything to do with the Pandora work.

There is nothing on the ARM port Debian page, nor is there anything on the ARM EABI port Debian page. They just relate purely to the port status (an interesting read mind you).

Not that any of this really matters. The core Linux kernel is (currently) 2.6.22, 24, even 25 is being worked on. If you have that you can put whatever you want on top as far as the ROOTFS goes .

There is plenty of things to be done but the main aim is to deliver a good solid ROOTFS that is usable by novices and Linux pros alike. Compatibility with some select packaging systems is an aspect of that advanced usability.

For the real hard core you can do whatever takes your fancy but remember out of the box it has to be usable. No, just edit widget.conf to setup your wifi and that sort of rubbish . The default ROOTFS also has to be supportable and maintainable so it can grow and develop.


All I'm trying to say is that it states the difference between the abis, (and yes, a very good read), and once read it's clear that current debian arm will not run on any armel device such as the pandora rendering that package repository moot. True none of this really matters, was just pointing out the fallacy of using arm packages.