Port Other Linux Distro's?


OmarNawaz

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is it possible to run other protable linux distro's like opie or maybe intimate?

would it jsut be matter of recompiling with the correct hardware support or would it need alot of code changes?

thanks
 
OmarNawaz posted on Dec 17 2005 at 04:49 PM said:
is it possible to run other protable linux distro's like opie or maybe intimate?

would it jsut be matter of recompiling with the correct hardware support or would it need alot of code changes?

thanks

I don't really see the point. Both those embedded linux distro's are stylus driven, and the entire UI is designed around that. Joystick controls would be awkward, slow, and annoying. It might be somewhat easy to compile it with hardware support, but getting it to work with the second processor would take a complete rewrite, which I imagine would be time consuming.

Sure, it is possible, I just don't really see the point. But, if you want to do it, knock yourself out, good luck, and have fun :D.
 
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Why don't you see the point? The whole point of using Linux is to be able to do as much as you want with your device, that is the beauty of embedded devices. It would be awesome to be able to dual boot into opie for PIM apps and the standard linux distro that comes with the GP2x. The ultimate handheld for media/gaming. You could probably easily work around the fact that there isn't any touch screen, I don't think using the joystick would be that much of a burden (ie. Blackberries). My biggest hope for the GP2x though would be wifi drivers for some SDIO cards. I would love to play some multiplayer NES on the GP2x, they already have that on the Zodiac.
 
OmarNawaz posted on Dec 18 2005 at 12:49 AM said:
is it possible to run other protable linux distro's like opie or maybe intimate?

would it jsut be matter of recompiling with the correct hardware support or would it need alot of code changes?

thanks

It will take quite a bit of code changes. I have a Qtopia port that I keep up-to-date for the Zaurus using the latest sources and it takes a bt of work. There are several patches that need to be applied before the code will run on the units. The GP2X will need control changes, screen changes and quite a bit of architecture changes.

Don't get me wrong, it IS possible. I am sure Trolltech is already working on it since they try to accomodate everything. I do believe it is going to need quite a bit of work though. Once the changes come out from Trolltech, Opie (a fork of Qtopia) should be pretty easy to convert.

David
 
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i would love a debian port with X ;)
there are so many precompiled arm packages which all should run if we get at normal debian system to work. (no need for special porting for some apps anymore)
 
Wolfspirit posted on Dec 17 2005 at 09:17 PM said:
Why don't you see the point? The whole point of using Linux is to be able to do as much as you want with your device, that is the beauty of embedded devices. It would be awesome to be able to dual boot into opie for PIM apps and the standard linux distro that comes with the GP2x. The ultimate handheld for media/gaming. You could probably easily work around the fact that there isn't any touch screen, I don't think using the joystick would be that much of a burden (ie. Blackberries). My biggest hope for the GP2x though would be wifi drivers for some SDIO cards. I would love to play some multiplayer NES on the GP2x, they already have that on the Zodiac.

First off, the Blackberry does not use a Joystick, it uses a Trackwheel. Second, Blackberry's OS was BUILT around the trackwheel and not a stylus. It would be just as hard to use a Blackberry trackwheel on an OS that was stylus-driven.
 
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Dude first of all. I was just commenting on the fact that the scroll wheel works with selecting icons. Don't start trolling me with little flame bits just because you had a bad day. My point was, that using a joystick to move around icons WOULD NOT be a problem because I've had a sharp zaurus before and I've navigated plenty of tines with the directional pad instead of the touch screen in opie/qtopia. I don't see why this would be a problem, you have to move through the GP2x's menu right now with the joystick right? I know the blackberry has a trackwheel, lol, I've owned one. Don't just start jumping people right off the bat. I think the whole point of a user community is to work together to come up with new solutions, not shoot down other's ideas. If we did that then we wouldn't have any applications or software for the gp2x.
 
I'm not saying using a Joystick would be a burden, and I wasn't flaming you, I was pointing out that something coded to work with Stylus would involve a good amount of tweaking to get it to work well with a Joystick, whereas the GP2X's Linus and BOS are built around the Joystick and/or Trackwheel.
 
If porting opie/qtopia is hard, I'm sure it would be a cool project to at least port X over to the gp2x on it's current distro or another flavor of Linux. It would be interesting to see applications running on it too. It would be the ultimate device short of wifi and a big harddrive, and who knows, we may see that as well one day.
 
It would be interesting, and I have nothing against it, I just don't think it would be a piece-of-cake port.
 
OmarNawaz posted on Dec 17 2005 at 07:49 PM said:
is it possible to run other protable linux distro's like opie or maybe intimate?

would it jsut be matter of recompiling with the correct hardware support or would it need alot of code changes?

thanks

Rather than porting the kernels, port the interfaces that you desire. Then you'll keep getting updates ^_^

Edit:
Remember : Distro = Linux + Set of software, the set of software varies but the Linux Kernels DO NOT. (some had special code in them, but this is fairly rare now)

Its best to port the set of software (such as X)
 
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