Marcin Juszkiewicz

During last month I did testing how building Poky Linux works under few commercial GNU/Linux distributions. Due to costs I used their free versions (CentOS instead of RHEL and OpenSUSE instead of SLED).

CentOS 5.1

First was CentOS 5.1 as someone asked does Poky works under newest RHEL distribution. With VirtualBox it was easy to start with. But CentOS installation over network is total CRAP. You have to enter HTTP mirror name by hand, then (also by hand) enter path on server… Doing such installations on real hardware definitely require having second machine or long preparation. Of course you can also use CDs as install media. But then better burn all 6 of them or be surprised that #2 is needed for few packages…

But finally I installed it and landed in 2006 software… Out of box CentOS does not have required packages or have them in so old versions that search for unofficial repositories or compile software by hand is required.

Two days later (time of build) I had “poky-image-sato” and “poky-image-sdk” built. But QEmu does not want to work on this distribution so I had to say goodbye to binary locales generation.

OpenSUSE 10.3

Second one was OpenSUSE 10.3 version. This one also has network install CD which require entering name of HTTP mirror and path. But here I got few new surprises… First it ask for IP address of server but accept normal name. Second was that when I made mistake in path it ask them again but gave me old values so I only had to fix instead of typing whole path.

After installation I had to add some packages but this time no extra repositories were needed. OpenSUSE lack gcc 3.x so we added gcc-native 3.4.4 into Poky and QEmu binary locale generation was working.

Summary

Free versions of commercial distributions require a bit of time to install all required packages but then building Poky Linux under them is working like it should (except QEmu problem under CentOS).

Few days ago I shared my thoughts on replacing Zaurus palmtop with other device. According to comments few people do not understand why hardware keyboard is so important for me.

Collie

Nearly 4 years ago I bought my first Linux powered PDA — Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 (codename: “collie”). One of nice features was hardware keyboard:

It is thumb operated keyboard but usable after a bit of learning. You have everything needed to operate in console, writing text — even Vi is usable (“Cancel” key works as Esc).

c7x0

Time passed and I got another Zaurus — this time it was clamshell model — c760 (codename: “husky” or “c7x0”). This device has great keyboard. Keys are small but there is separate row with numerical keys so it is improvement from “collie” one.

Those Japanese keys right to “Fn” one are mapped as “Control” and “Alt” so user can even try to use Emacs :) For Vi lovers there is “Cancel” key which works as Esc.

Tosa

Another months passed and another Zaurus arrived at my place — this time is was SL-6000L (codename: “tosa”). It has keyboard similar to “collie”: but more comfortable due to size of keys:

“Esc” is on “Cancel” like it is in collie.

N810

Recently one Finnish company released new product from their line of tablets: N810. It was their first tablet with integrated keyboard. Thanks to photos provided by Koen I can comment a bit on it too. It it similar to “collie” and “tosa” keyboards when it comes to mapping (no numeric keys, lot of symbols available only with “Fn” key) but it also lack “Tab” key which can make shell using a bit harder.

There is “Esc” key — one of side keys works as one (not visible on photo).

Summary

For now the best keyboard is “c7x0” one — all needed keys are available, lot of others can be made available by editing keymap. And when I have to hack something on device good keyboard is one of most important things. I can not count how many times I ended with having 3-4 consoles running on my c760 with miscellaneous applications started due to amount of hacking required by projects.

Akita/Spitz

UPDATE: Matthias ‘CoreDump’ Hentges reminded me about Zaurus SL-Cxx00 keyboards (used in c1000/c3000/c3100/c3200 models):

Yes — they are similar to “c760” one but have changed cursors into 4-pad and each key is separate one — they are no longer parts of membrane. Many people found that one more comfortable then “c7x0” one but I am not one of them — used both and still prefer older one.

Few months ago I switched my website to“Big Blue” theme created by Bob. Then did some changes to it:

• Wordpress tags are used instead of categories
• Post author is shown
• Doctype changed to XHTML 1.0 Strict
• “Home” link removed
• Archive/search/category views use full contents of posts instead of excerpts
• removed default sidebar contents (use Presentation->Widgets to set them)
• single post view does not show tags

Also CSS changes:

• removed extra font-family settings - only body, pre & code has font family set
• comment form is scaled to 80%
• Calendar widget takes 100% width and has properly aligned Prev/Next links
• blockquote is more visible
• quotes are italic
• BSuite plugin highlighting of search entries
• Author comments are marked

Download archive is no longer available.

There is lot of talk about reading books for children. In Poland there is a big campaign on that subject called “Read your child for 20 minutes, daily” (which has some rhymes in Polish language).

I started reading very early and have no problems with reading (even in languages which I do not fully understand which was useful during our trip to Slovakia in 2005). And I plan to read books for my daughter.

But I wonder what kind of child she would be if I would read computer books instead of children books…

My Zaurus c760 is nice ARM based palmtop. I use it for testing miscellaneous things during my work days.

It was device where I hacked some Python based applications to fit in 10 megabytes of flash (it was fully working console system with Python and those apps). I test Ångström and Poky on it, tested different combinations of software etc…

But it shows age — batteries (950mAh and 1700mAh ones) started to lose capacity (one of them gives less then 60%) so sooner or later this device will stop booting (as battery is needed to boot even on AC).

But how to replace this device? There are lot of ARM palmtops in a world but most of it lack one or more features which c7x0 has:

• ARMv5t instruction set
• Linux support
• VGA screen
• working keyboard
• 128MB flash
• 64MB RAM

Due to first one all devices powered by Samsung S3Cxxxx processor can be ignored. Most of today WindowsMobile powered devices lack VGA screen (not to mention that they also usually lack Linux support). But at least those ones are available in normal shops in Poland.

I already considered few options but each of them has minuses:

• other Zaurus (but they are few years old technologically)
• HTC Universal (hard to get in good state, still boots from WinCE instead of flash)
• Finnish tablet N810 (impossible to buy in Poland and lack any warranty/service)

In worst situation I will slowly switch to using QEmu ARM emulation instead of real device.

During holidays I found another usage for my current phone (SonyEricsson k750i). It is Bluetooth Remote Control functionality.

Basically it turn phone into HID device but the good thing is that user can create own profile for this. There is a tool for it (Microsoft Windows executable) and also those files can be created by hand (instructions are provided by Stefan ‘tommie’ Tomanek as part of his excellent guide about using this cellphone with Linux).

I do not know does it is possible on Neo1973 (IIRC BlueZ only has HID daemon) but I will miss it if it is not…

2007 is ending. It was very good year for me. I am now married man, waiting for daughter birth. Have own company, working as contractor for one of biggest companies in OpenEmbedded world.

January

• Signed contract with OpenedHand — starting from February.
• Became one of 50 selected developers for OpenMoko Phase0 program. Each of us got offer to get Neo1973 GTA01 for free. First it was GTA01Bv3 with battery problem, then GTA01Bv4.
• I ended working for Conecto. Finally end of PHP programming.
• There was information that Sharp ended production of Zaurus palmtops. During next months they were still manufacturing them.

February

• FOSDEM — my first one. It was very nice event and good occasion to meet all those hackers from miscellaneous projects. I spoke with more people that was able to remember.
• Got Nokia 770 tablet donated. Interesting device but underpowered. It also became unsupported few months later.
• My first code entered Linux kernel. It was LCD backlight driver for Frontpath ProGear tablet.
• OpenMoko project released RoadMap.

March

• Vernier LabQuest got released. I was one of members of OpenedHand development team working on Poky for this device.
• Pingwinaria 2007 — I was there with one talk about OpenEmbedded. Then decided that it is time to buy laptop to be able to read mail, do some hacking etc.
• My Neo1973 GTA01Bv3 arrived. Added was Debug board, 128MB MicroSD card, pen/stylus and few other things.
• Three years of using OpenEmbedded.

April

• OpenZaurus project halted — all work is now done for Ångström distribution.
• My oldest Zaurus got SD/MMC driver for 2.6 kernel. Thanks goes to Thomas Kunze. I hope that he will update it to current kernels one day.
• Moved blog to current domain.
• Bought Dell D400 laptop. It is nice and fast machine — I use it as 32bit build machine.
• Nokia 770 which I got two months before became unsupported device.
• Bought 3rdparty Nokia charger to be able to charge Neo1973 battery.

May

• I got Neo1973 GTA01Bv4. As this was “developer update” only battery was added. I also got gllin in rootfs :)
• Bought Linksys NSLU2 — it was working as NFS server for my build machines.
• Played a bit with Vista on my friend 17” laptop. It is not a system for me.

June

• After reading about trademark wars started by handhelds.org I decided to end using their services. It also means that I am no longer OPIE developer.
• With few friends took StarWars marathon. We were exhausted after five episodes so “Return Of The Jedi” was not displayed.
• Due to big amount of visits from Google search I wrote small information about how to buy Neo1973 phone.

July

• GUADEC — I was going there with thinking “what I would do at GNOME conference” but it was also occasion to meet OpenedHand gang and people from other projects. I still remember how badly I lost on first day… and I did it twice ;(

August

• I married my beloved Ania — it was big event with lot of people from our families, our friends…
• Poky Linux 3.0 released — after release we pushed all upgrades which came to our minds and it was still working.
• Got Alix.1c board which PC Engines company donated to OpenEmbedded project. It replaces NSLU2 as NFS server. It still lack case and other services are still not moved to it.

September

• Ania and I were on Zakynthos island (Greece) on honeymoon — nice place if you want to rest.
• I wrote post about my testing of OpenMoko 2007.2 system. It was most popular post ever.
• My blog got new theme.

October

• OEDEM 2007 took place. Nice event, lot of OpenEmbedded developers.
• Maemo started developer program for Nokia N810 tablet. Due to limitations I was unable to take part of it. ARGHH!

November

• Upgraded my desktop system a bit — new CPU and cooler.
• OpenMoko released Gllin with script which starts it using OABI libraries on EABI system.
• Thanks to work done by Dmitry Baryshkov 2.6.23 kernel works nice on Tosa. It pushed new life into this device.

December

• OpenedHand X-mas took place — lot of fun and occasion to meet new guys from OH. Also played with few interesting devices.
• Due to lack of ARMv6 hardware I was working on getting current QEmu working. Now I am using it to test my recent Poky changes.
• Due to flu (which I catch during OH X-mas) we had to spend Christmas at home. It was our first x-mas at home without family.

Few days ago Ångström distribution was released. Currently machine mentors tests images and release them so their devices will be also supported and ready for users.

Users often have CompactFlash cards which we (developers) do not have. Some of them will be hit by miscellaneous problems. For example their WiFi card which was nicely working with HostAP driver now works only with Orinoco one so they can not connect to WPA encrypted access points.

How to solve that? Such users should report those cards. What report needs to contain:

• pccardctl ident output
• information does card was working with other distribution (it can be any Linux distribution — I test cards under Debian on my laptop)

What developer has to do then? Creation of patch to in-kernel driver is simple — there is one table per driver in source and few simple macros. Examples can be found in my submissions to kernel tree.