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More on Putting Linux On iPAQ

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the put-a-penguin-in-your-pocket dept.

wishus writes: "The Compaq iPAQ is Compaq's PocketPC offering, with a 206 MHz Intel StrongARM. Microsoft beware, though, because there are now 2 different ways to put Linux on it - Compaq's own is at handhelds.org and the second, announced yesterday, is from Century Software. They are actually two very different means to the same end - Linux and X running on the iPAQ, complete with handwriting recognition." If only it had 802.11 wireless support, I'd be there.

5 of 80 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Why Linux? Seriously? by MichaelH · · Score: 5

    X Windows and Unix were never really designed for handheld computers. (Yeah, windows wasn't either, but Windows CE is only a little like regular Windows.)

    WinCE has its share of problems, not the least of which is the fact that there's a fairly high bar to getting into developing for it. The simple fact that X's initial design wasn't for handhelds doesn't mean much. The iPAQ is a really powerful machine: more horsepower than the 5x86/133 I once used to run X.

    Slashdot recently linked to my interview with Jim Gettys about the issues involved with porting X/Linux to the iPAQ. Considering he's one of the lead developers of X from 1986, I think his words have some weight.

    At the moment, though, you're right: you wouldn't want to use Linux on an iPAQ for your PDA. Support is rough because they're still laying in the foundation. The long-term view, though, which is what Compaq is taking, is that with an open handheld (as they call the iPAQ) based on tools familiar to Linux developers, they'll have the groundwork for devices that hit the market with a massive developer base built in. No costs for proprietary development tools, a remarkable amount of experience, and the same sort of enthusiasm for development that's been a mark of the Linux/Free Software community to this point.

    Even if the iPAQ doesn't succeed (it's sort of expensive at the moment), Linux handhelds are becoming a reality. The Yopy is based on Linux, and the new AgendaVR3 (which is a lot more like the Palm, only more powerful) is based on Linux. In general, in fact, Linux may succeed more as an embedded platform than a desktop platform. It's in the midst of taking off in that area now.
    ---
    Michael Hall

    --

    Michael Hall
    mph.puddingbowl.org

  2. It *does* have wireless support, Taco by philj · · Score: 5

    I quote, from handhelds.org:

    The Compaq 802.11b wireless PCMCIA card is working

    Looks like you're buying one Taco!

  3. iPaq as development tool? by Masker · · Score: 4

    The Century software press release looks pretty darn interesting:

    Century Software Embedded Technologies, a leader in open source applications technologies for embedded Linux, today announced the availability of a Linux-based windowing system and graphical development environment for the new Compaq iPAQ handheld computer.

    [SNIP...]

    The environment includes the well-known Microwindows graphical windowing system for embedded Linux, along with the recently introduced ViewML Internet browser, and the Fast Light Tool Kit (FLTK) applications framework. A stroke-based character-recognition technology, based on Scribble, provides the basis for handwriting recognition. The Microwindows graphical windowing system was chosen because of it's extremely compact size, and it's support of the ViewML browser.

    One thing that I've been missing on my Palm III is a powerful, useful, on board development environment (PocketC just doesn't cut it for me...). I'd love to have Python or Perl on my handheld, as I frequently think of interesting problems that I could/would solve if I could write a quick script. If Century's system allows you to use a really small C environment with FLTK on board, that'd be worth having.

    --

    ---------The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

  4. HOWTO install linux on it by philj · · Score: 4

    This HOWTO explains how to install Linux on the IPAQ. Enjoy!

  5. Century uses Microwindows, smaller than X by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4


    We use the Microwindows library which compiles to
    300K or so, including true type fonts and a
    Win32-like API, and writes directly to the frame
    buffer (or optionally through X).

    X is shrinking fast, but still needs a meg or two
    more (plus all those runtime libraries), which
    makes a big difference on smaller systems.

    Also, check out our small open source browser at
    http://www.viewml.com/

    mark@censoft.com