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More Fun To Be Had With the iPaq

Posted by Hemos on from the now-if-I-could-get-my-hands-on-one dept.

Veidit writes: "The Compaq Cambridge Research Laboratory seems to have a cool project named "Mercury". They are integrating an IPAQ running Linux with many diffrent types of wireless alternatives like 802.11b, Bluetooth, GSM, CDMA via PCMCIA. The linux version seems to be the one that Handhelds.org has. " We also had an e-mail from Dan Sparks who writes: " The free Compaq TestDrive Program has added two new features allowing iPAQ handheld development online. In the Test Drive Program, we have four DEC Sharks (DNARD) SA-110 based network computers running Linux allowing development on Linux based StrongArm systems. In addition, Alpha2Arm cross-compiler tool chain has been added to every single one of our Alpha Linux machines, including our Brickwall Beowulf cluster. This means that you can compile programs for your iPAQ handheld on our blazingly fast Alpha computers. The Toolchain includes support for C and C++, and is available on all the Alpha-based Linux distributions we have, including RedHat Linux, SuSE Linux, TurboLinux, Kondara Linux, and Debian GNU/Linux."

10 of 31 comments (clear)

  1. sci-fi ? by mirko · · Score: 2

    How long will it be until beowulf clusters are stored in Geeks' pockets and dynamically reconnect themselves to the closest wireless network switch, regardless its standard ?
    I believe this is not that futuristic.
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    Trolling using another account since 2005.
  2. A good browser by gattaca · · Score: 2
    All we need now is:

    1. Re:A good browser by gattaca · · Score: 2

      This is clearly a troll, but I have to say, I quite agree with you. At the moment CE is significantly better than anything the linux community is offering. However, lots of people are working on it, and things are likely to change. WinCE is not perfect, I for one, can think of many things I would like to see done differently.
      The IPAQ is interesting because it is the first PDA with enough oomph to do useful things with. I would prefer to develop those for a Linux environment - probably mainly for reasons of personal taste, but I think there are some good commercial and technical reasons too. Also, it's fun, which is quite important, and to my mind significantly more fullfilling than trolling on Slashdot.

  3. cramfs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3

    At the moment linux on the iPaq uses cramfs, i.e. anything you want stored when the device is turned off (i.e. stored in flash) must be uploaded as ONE BIG FILE. I.E. if you have a one byte bug fix to the kernel or any binaries etc. you must upload everything again. This will be fixed soon, using jffs to allow the flash to be written directly by the filesystem. It will be much more flexible then. Also wrt to the devices in the mercury project, any compactPCI device will work as long as the OS dirvers are available. Another little problem that Compaq will soon fix is that the key events are serialised, so you can't have any logic that depends on more than one simultaneous keypress, which limits that UI possibliites quite a bit. pixelbeat.

  4. Re:iPaq availability? by GlassUser · · Score: 3
    Yes, they're still having supply issues. I'm working on getting a screen fault replaced (their service is impressive - it might help that I'm ten miles from the service center, but they're sending someone over to give me a new one in person, to make sure there aren't any problems with the replacement).

    Now I hear they're coming out with a model with 48 MB RAM (plus 16 MB ROM) available, but not out until March. I suppose you can expect that one to be in even shorter supply. But I'm looking forward to seeing one.

    And as for the other replier that is whining about how bad compaq support and products are, I don't think it's at all true. Yes, mine did ship with that screen fault, but it wasn't apparent at first, and you see the type of service I'm getting to have the issue resolved. I'm nothing less than happy with my unit.

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    funny munging
  5. Java: Kaffe by harmonica · · Score: 2

    The GPL'd Kaffe VM seems to be a good idea for the Java part. It has been ported to many platforms and is aimed at embedded systems.

    1. Re:Java: Kaffe by gattaca · · Score: 2

      Yup, I agree. As far as I know, it doesn't run on embedded QT, does it? This is my problem - I would like Java and a browser; as far as I know the only one around at the moment is Konqueror, so I can have one or the other, but not both.

  6. That's all well and good ... by SuperRob · · Score: 2

    ... assuming you can FIND one. The damned things are sold out everywhere. My boss has been lording his over us, teasing us as he walks around our office with his PC Card backback and his Cisco 802.11 card, checking his e-mail from the break room. I've been looking everywhere, to no avail. It makes me want to cry. :(

  7. itsy by SubtleNuance · · Score: 2

    See here for a good presentation on the Itsy

  8. Re:iPaq availability? by Mr.+Protocol · · Score: 2

    The iPAQ seems to be unavailable except on eBay, not a viable source of supply for any corporate research effort. This leaves the development of the iPAQ as a wireless platform in the hands of a) individuals wealthy enough and bold enough to get supply from eBay, and b) corporations with backdoor purchasing agreements with Compaq.

    Neither of these seem like good options for an open-source platform. I fear we'll have to look elsewhere for the "killer platform" for wireless Linux.