Pandora Alternate Os Poll

[Ze_ro]

Aside from KDE vs Gnome vs XFCE, I fail to see any real value in supporting multiple Linux distributions. Aside from the desktop environment (which is mostly just a bunch of libraries that any distro can include), the differences are very subtle and superficial. Having all these available would fragment the development community, and make it harder to help people solve problems due to different software setups.

I'd be far more interested to see something like Risc OS, NetBSD, Plan 9/Inferno, or Windows CE... if only to provide something different.

--Zero

 

[Brockway]

Maemo, Angstrom, and Ubuntu/Debian are really the only viable ones, aren't they? The others aren't even available in ARM version, are they?

I am really fond of Maemo though. I'd actually be more likely to use it than Ubuntu if it got ported to the Pandora.

 

[mittens]

This is a silly poll. Many of those OSes are desktop distros not really suitable for a portable device.

ARAndy: Well, I belive the Gentoo is okay even for a portable device. :huh: isn't it? (yes, I voted for it)

Aside from KDE vs Gnome vs XFCE, I fail to see any real value in supporting multiple Linux distributions.

Ze_ro: +1 here. Even though I prefer my 'pet' distro, Gentoo, if there are resonable updates and setups from community or company (devs or craigx?), I might do not concern about which disto is used.

But, frankly, I'm quite interested in and looking forward to the ongoing gentoo project on Pandora.

Maemo, Angstrom, and Ubuntu/Debian are really the only viable ones, aren't they? The others aren't even available in ARM version, are they?

Brockway: Gentoo is compile-based distro. and It also has ARM package.

The gentoo.org said,

"So far we only support the classic ARM ABI, sometimes referred to as the Legacy or Old ABI. Newer technologies such as Thumb and EABI have not been tested, but in theory they should work. Feel free to help "

 

[Pleng]

AROS!

 

[Mattz]

Voted for Debian, because although Ubuntu is more user friendly, I think I would get more out of debian (more customisability etc).

 

[OrR]

What about Android? Openmoko? Those are interesting and realistic choices, unlike most of the above list...

 

[MDave]

I voted Ubuntu because it's very user friendly for those that arnt acustom to linux. I'm wondering if my 1 GB SD card will be enough for it until I get funds for a bigger card. Hoping to use most of the things that come with it

 

[viridior]

I may be wrong because I don't use Debian/Ubuntu that often, but a port of either on the Pandora will, at least in the short time, probably not be as customized to use the Pandora hardware optimizations then compared to the Angstrom version. This argument being bad based just on the use of a standard gcc toolchain vs. codesourcery's. If codesourcery's patches are GPL, then this might be a moot argument. The benefit of using Debian/Ubuntu however is the much larger software base that you will have immediate access to.

Gentoo currently does not have an official release for ARM based on 2008.0. Support for a official stable release is off and on, but there is a dev version of ARM 2008.0 that is easy to get to.

The gentoo-arm-pandora project could make a stage1 that is optimized for the Pandora, however we decided to develop a ready-to-go Gentoo image that you can boot from a SDHC and be immediately used on the Pandora. This image will be optimized for the Pandora's hardware and get you to a login and command-prompt. From there you will be able to use Gentoo's library of software just like any other Gentoo setup. We are also working on a Pandora-specific overlay to use in conjuction with the standard portage software tree to further provide software optimized for the OPENGL ES 2.0 and NEON. Oh, the packages will be pre-compiled since we are using a common CFLAGS, so don't worry about that unless you want to do your own.

 

[Capn_Fish]

We over at gentoo-arm-pandora will be optimizing for the cortex-a8 and using a pandora overlay to install everything as pre-built binaries. Maybe when we have something finished you will take a look at us.

Not to worry, I will DEFINITELY be looking at Gentoo on Pandora (Gentoo is my favorite desktop distro, mostly because it's FAST).

 

[Consequence_9]

Pandora Fedora! I'd love to have Fedora on it 'cause its what I'm most accustomed to & I love it on my laptop.

 

[PoisonedV]

I voted Ubuntu because it's very user friendly for those that arnt acustom to linux. I'm wondering if my 1 GB SD card will be enough for it until I get funds for a bigger card. Hoping to use most of the things that come with it

It's easy for a few reasons
1. it comes with a very win/mac like layout
2. it has so many drivers built in
thats about it, other than the documentation on getting things to work, which
- wouldnt apply to the pandora
and
- wouldnt matter
because the pandora has a single set of hardware, not several hundreds, so it would be pointless to include all this stuff. once you take away the drivers and the rest of the features that wouldnt be needed on the pandora, its just debian.
for practicality- i dont see it. i can see how it would attract users, though, but ubuntu seems to be a 'name brand' which cant be good

 

[Sphinxter]

Interesting how it seems to be leaning toward the least UNIX-like side of the aisle. Impressive gentoo makes a good showing still.

 

[MDave]

I voted Ubuntu because it's very user friendly for those that arnt acustom to linux. I'm wondering if my 1 GB SD card will be enough for it until I get funds for a bigger card. Hoping to use most of the things that come with it

It's easy for a few reasons
1. it comes with a very win/mac like layout
2. it has so many drivers built in
thats about it, other than the documentation on getting things to work, which
- wouldnt apply to the pandora
and
- wouldnt matter
because the pandora has a single set of hardware, not several hundreds, so it would be pointless to include all this stuff. once you take away the drivers and the rest of the features that wouldnt be needed on the pandora, its just debian.
for practicality- i dont see it. i can see how it would attract users, though, but ubuntu seems to be a 'name brand' which cant be good


Oh, in that case I wish to change my vote to Debian then.

See, it's not just the matter of brand name, but awarness of the products features and how much it fits better to a particular device

EDIT: Fixing typos.

 

[PoisonedV]

It just seems to me that when you format ubuntu to suit the pandora, it won't really be ubuntu anymore

 

[Megamixman]

It just seems to me that when you format ubuntu to suit the pandora, it won't really be ubuntu anymore

Ubuntu specific for a single piece of hardware is still Ubuntu. They write a lot of their own patches and customizations to the source and their packages reflect this. Some of these are ok, but a good deal of them can be more problematic when you want to do something custom with your system. To be fair, they do contribute the patches upstream, but the level of breakage they can cause is quite extreme.

I don't see why people want Gentoo and not something more like Arch Linux. Arch is essentially Gentoo - compile time. Since the hardware is set, that seems like it would be a better option no? Also, considering the hardware of the system, I'm pretty sure you're hardcore Quad Core i7 Gaming rig will be able to compile packages significantly faster then the Pandora.

 

[Megatog615]

NetBSD so I can make a Toastora!

But seriously, Debian .

 

[Klepto]

I don't see why people want Gentoo and not something more like Arch Linux.

I agree that a binary base makes a lot more sense and that is the main focus of Arch, not as many people have heard of it but it's a great little distro IMO.

 

[adamorjames]

I voted for Arch.

 

[CyruzDraxs]

I voted for Arch.

I agree. While Ubuntu is a nice OS for the desktop, it loses it's advantage of wide support when used on a system with a specific hardware set. Arch, on the other hand, provides the freedom of deciding what DE/WM you would like to use while building off a consistent and flexible core. That and pacman is way better than apt.

Personally though, I'd like to see a customized distro similar to gOS but based around a lighter weight core framework.

 

[bawjaws]

It just seems to me that when you format ubuntu to suit the pandora, it won't really be ubuntu anymore

Ubuntu has a Netbook remix and both a UMPC (ultra-mobile PC) and a MID (mobile internet device) version, to suit mobile devices with small touchscreens (UMPC:1024x600px 7-9", MID:800x480px 4-7") and the hardware that goes with them e.g. 3G modems. I don't think that either has been hailed as a UI revolution to rival the iPhone, but they're doing something in this space and they've just hired a bunch of interface designers. They've also got an ARMv7 specific release planned for April.

The only alternative that comes close in those two regards is Maemo, which is designed from the ground up for a MID, and version 5 targeting the same chipset as the Pandora is due April-ish.

(A third quality they share is the likelyhood of proprietary binary-apps being released for them, e.g. skype or Flash)

You appear to be favouring Debian but I'm struggling to see what the difference you would find if you just installed the bare bones of Ubuntu and then put whatever selection of apps and window manager on top.

Don't get me wrong, I hope to see Debian (and Fedora and Android and anything and everything else) on the Pandora (and other similar devices in the future). But I *really* can't see any reason to complain about Ubuntu being an option, or even the highlighted 'featured' option if some kind of deal with Canonical can be done. Particularly for a Debian fan since they're basically the same thing underneath. What am I missing?
o
edited: apparently ubuntu-mobile has recently been given the clearer and more precise name ubuntu-umpc