[Release] Ai Super-Jumbo 2011-03.a - For All Beagle Boards


Hawkey

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[~ it's possible that this is the wrong Sub-Forum, just wasn't sure if this should be placed in "Wishes" or "Software OS", beside I thoughts this could also fit here very well :huh: ]


Hio guys,

How often does users complain about the unfinished and buggy software of the Pandora ?
How often did we have to explain to friends & family why we still wait for something that was planned to ship 2 years ago and still isn't outdated ?

Until now - finally we can show that "old technic" (~ in the common sense of the fast mobile system development) doesn't have to do something with an outdated system :lol:

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Today the developers from Always Innovating (~ the guys behind the Touchbook/Smartbook ) released their Multiple OS Software for the Beagleboard and the BeagleBoard xM + all projects that works with this development boards. All these projects - including our Pandora - could get the benefits from their work and the knowdledge they put into it :)

Through the release of the Image & the source of the system - the "outdated puppy" could be quite capable of running new stable software and revive the whole BeagleBoard Scene with a nice switching OS function. Wtih an easy modified Portation, there will be 4 new operation systems (~ including Android Gingerbread and Chromium OS) as well as the possibility to add your own entry :D

imgyMO.png


Sure - there are some Modifications recommended before the whole system could run perfectly on the Pandora, but still its a good basic for further developments. The AIOS from Always Innovating is based on Ångström too and could be enhanced/merged with the current branch of the Pandora OS (Zaxxon) with the support of PNDs, as well as for upcoming releases. If you don't like to interfere with the work of others, the Pandora OS could just be added as an addtional entry too (~ even though I thought we could get some benefits with the integration of 2 embedded system OS) :D

Furthermore the switching menu should be a part of the Pandora Menu (~ as you press the Pandora Button), so it could be used easily the whole time without closing an Application just to switch or launch another OS. Moreover the Android OS should get a "Google Market APK", which could be added easily like the Archos IT5 showed us before, since many people would probably like to use some applications from the wide market. Another change that seems mandatory is the lightening of Ubuntu 10.10 through the use of alternative components like Openbox or Matchbox. Even though the Pandora has just 256MB RAM, optimized & tweaked it should be runnable well - since it got the same specs as the original Touchbook which is capable of it too :)

The last modification + implementation I suggest deals with the missing sensors of our beloved one:
Just because the Pandora doesn't have an build-in accelerometer or a capacitive/multi-touch screen, it doesn't mean that we can't use these functions at the different systems. I guess it could be very weird if we would try some Android Games without these features, which are wide spread nowadays ^_^
So - why don't we use the unique feature of the Pandora having a fully QWERTY keyboard as well as real nubs & buttons to emulate them. With the dual nubs and the shoulder buttons which can be accessed easily, it shouldn't be to to uncomfortable rotating the screen. Moreother the gamepad controlls could also be used for "multi-touch-input", although there will be some testing necessary for calibration etc. || Using these features we have - we can even avoid looking weird since we dont't have to move our handheld/body, in contrast to others who use their smartphones to play games :D

=> Yotube-Link: *click*

Using the Super-Jumbo Multi OS as the basic for further development, allows us to run Chromium & Gingerbread and use their available wide spreads applications as well.
Even if someone won't like to replace his original Pandora OS (Zaxxon) with another, it could be easly used as an addition to the existing one ;)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Quellen:
=> AI-Tweed
=> official site with introduction
=> AI Wiki with setup & explanation

___________________________________________________________________________________________________


Since I have high hopes for a good integration of System with the Pandora, I already opened a thread at the Germany Pandora forum.
Hopefully there are more people interested in it and we could put our effort in assembling a nice OS Mix which serves for different purposes :)
(~ like AIOS/PandaOS = Games, modded Ubuntu = Work, Chromium = Surfing, Android = Google Market etc.)


Threads:

=> GP2X.de ( German )
=> gp32x.de ( International )
 
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I'm guessing that this OS would need to be run from the SD card, since I doubt it would fit with the existing one in the NAND. (?)

How would this affect emulation speed? Does this OS use more resources than the existing one? Let's not forget that emulation is one of the primary reasons of being for the Pandora.

I've never used any of those other OSes, so I don't know what the advantages would be.
 
imgyMO.png


The good thing is - that the standard Pandora OS + AIOS Hybrid could maintain in the NAND. This one could be the default/main system - which runs up after the booting. Later on it allows to setup & load other systems saved at SD cards. There would come our benefit of having 2 SD card slots, while one contains the 4GB with operation system etc. and the other could be used for standard PNDs/Games/Media Files :)

At least it would be a nice way to please the user who whiches another system running at the Pandora. For instance the Arch Linux from wejp could be easily implented too beside the original one :)


[€dit]
Is there a reason a Pandora related topic got moved to the Canno sub-forum :p
 
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Interesting.. I had a quick look at this and they use AuFS and SquashFS Overlays behind the scenes to make it all work!

They have what looks like the stock rootfs in a SquashFS image for each system, and then an Overlay folder for each system on their ext3 partition, plus a common-data folder where I assume they can all access.

However, I couldn't get it to boot... I might have a look at this later on ( if only to have a poke at their Chromium and Android rootfs ) but, I wouldn't hold your breath, I'm a bit snowed under with stuff!
 
Very interesting :) .

I don't have skills to contribute or to try to run it..but will follow this thing for sure.

A very killer app/feature for Pandora i think.
 
The software is the only thing to come from AI that I think is actually worth the effort.

The hardware, frankly, sucks.

(Two Touchbooks in my house, neither of them work .. AI continues to ignore their bugs.)
 
Wow, this looks most interesting.

@ Hawkey, do you have any intention to post about this on the official boards? Methinks it would be a rather hot topic.

If not then I'll post a link to this thread with a brief overview, don't want to steal your thunder.
 
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This just uses CHROOT for in OS swap.

This works using uboot. Has Pandora got uboot, yet?
 
There is now a bounty offered on the official forums (currently US$300):
http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php?/topic/3410-android-chrome-os-ubuntu-for-beagleboard/
 
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