The Gui/os

[ashadocat]

I know there's been a lot of talk about the gui so I'm sorry for making a new one but I think this merits it's own discussion.

how many people here run Ubuntu?
Do you know Ubuntu is developing a mobile os?
why don't we use it?

pros
-actively being developed
-unlikely to die (there will be updates for years to come)
-larger user base
cons
-not designed for pandora (we could always make a custom distribution of it)
-we're already making one?
-need lots of ram

anybody have anything else that they want added to the list?
Is someone making the os right now? i don't need detail I just want to know if it's in development.

 

[Forko]

I think craigx is doing the OS right now, but I know that theres been discussion of using ubuntu before, but it would require too much RAM. The minimum memory stated on the Ubuntu MID edition page says 256+ and andora1: has 128.

And I'm not running Ubuntu, although I am using Mandriva.

 

[ashadocat]

the ram requirement is to high? too bad. I'll throw that into the cons...

 

[emil10001]

I also think there's a lot of Intel-specific code in there, as Intel helped them design and build Ubuntu Mobile, for an Intel product line (I was on the mailing list and IRC channels for a while watching it happen). Because of the different architectures, I don't think that the community support behind Ubuntu mobile will necessarily be helpful to the Pandora.

If I was a Linux novice and picked up a Pandora because it had Ubuntu mobile, I would be sorely disappointed after visiting the Ubuntu mobile forums to get a question answered, only to find out that the repositories that they are directing me to are only for Intel MIDs, and they don't know that there *exists* an ARM version, much less how to fix my problem.

 

[Pickle]

I think craigx is doing the OS right now, but I know that theres been discussion of using ubuntu before, but it would require too much RAM. The minimum memory stated on the Ubuntu MID edition page says 256+ and andora1: has 128.

And I'm not running Ubuntu, although I am using Mandriva.

OS is LINUX which is being configured by DJwillis
GUI is a C++ app which is being developed by craigx
I think Squidge is the low level driver guy.

 

[javaJake]

Before this thread gets carried away, I know there are at least two threads that have discussed the various aspects of the existing, upcoming, and Ubuntu Mobile GUIs.

 

[Kyo]

If you wanna use ubuntu, go ahead. It's not really a problem as it's an open source device. I'm sure SOMEBODY will make a port

 

[filiphhh]

If you wanna use ubuntu, go ahead. It's not really a problem as it's an open source device. I'm sure SOMEBODY will make a port

it would need to be seriously stripped and optimized,

 

[Kyo]

Yeah, I know. So?

 

[PokeParadox]

If you wanna use ubuntu, go ahead. It's not really a problem as it's an open source device. I'm sure SOMEBODY will make a port

it would need to be seriously stripped and optimized,

The point is that it can be stripped down and optimised, due tot the open source-ness (yes I made up a word...)

 

[Megamixman]

Nokia is funding porting Ubuntu ( the Big Desktop Package ) to ARM. I don't see why Ubuntu Mobile wouldn't be included in the mix. Considering they would be doing most of the ARM optimization ( thats most of the work ), there wouldn't be a lot besides replacing base apps like mplayer for patched versions that use the DSP, etc.

 

[Kings]

Something worth looking at.

7.04 on OMAP3430

 

[chad78]

As someone who has never compiled anything... ever... I will say that the Pandora is an inspiration. Before it's all said and done, I want to put Nokia's ARM port of Ubuntu on here, Maemo, and Windows Mobile. Not at the same time, of course, just trying different OSes.

Of course, it would be important to find out if the Native OS will be re-installable.

Also important to find out, since it only has, what, 256 MB / 128 MB of onboard storage, can I run an OS off an SD card or USB HD?

 

[Tinnus]

Yes, there have been bits and pieces of information that confirm it will be able to easily boot from SD. Dunno is the BIOS will load an OS from USB, but once you have a kernel you cal tell it to read the USB and re-boot from that, I think.