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Linux for the HP Jornada 525?

Posted by Cliff on from the is-there-any-interest-in-this-platform dept.

tfurrows asks: "If any of you have used or own a Jornada 525 you've probably noticed that it's not the lightest, smallest or most advanced PDA out there. But for only $189.00 (or check here) it's not really something to scoff at either; you get a nice piece of hardware at a reasonable price. I've had mine for several months now, I purchased it just after the price drop in November of 2001. I'm very please with it, especially with the hardware (being a Palm convert). My only problem is this: I purchased the unit thinking that many others would be interested in an inexpensive color PDA, and that various hacks and programs would be devised. I was especially looking forward to a Linux Port. How many people out there have one of these things? Is anyone interested in continuing development of hacks (namely loading Linux) for this somewhat outdated PDA (after all, Linux really makes the old stuff shine)? Or is this not such a good deal after all?"' Seeing as the Jornada is based on the Hitachi SH3 processor, it looks like these folks might be the ones that bear some watching. Anyone else with a Jornada 525 have their own Linux port experiences to share?

14 comments

  1. How do you get a refund by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    for the Windows CE license you aren't using?

    ~~~

    1. Re:How do you get a refund by JCMay · · Score: 3, Insightful
      AC wrote (in his f1r57 p057):

      How do you get a refund for the Windows CE license you aren't using


      Although this is only tangentially on-topic, I would have moderated this (+1, Funny), not (-1, Offtopic). I suppose the moderator has no sense of humor, though.

      The price for the HP is right; I just got a Handspring Visor Prism for Christmas, and I am pretty sure that my wife paid the $300 they're asking for it. I'm having a ball with it, just running Palm OS!

      I just have to ask, "Why?" Although Linux on a PDA is cool from a gee-whiz standpoint, I think that it's probably overkill from a day-to-day use standpoint (but then, so is Windows!). I want my PDA to be like a digital toaster: simple to use, predictable and dependable. All extra complexity just gets in the way of speed and on-the-run operability. I don't think running telnet (or ssh) on a tiny little handheld with no keyboard is going to be very fun. I would think that the older, larger HP devices that had a full keyboard would be better suited.
    2. Re:How do you get a refund by acceleriter · · Score: 1

      And have you ever looked at the output of ps aux ww on a PDA :)? I'm a Palm person myself, and it's been more than I've needed in a PDA so far.

      --

      CEE5210S The signal SIGHUP was received.

  2. Here's some useful info.. by Adrian+Voinea · · Score: 2, Informative

    I don't know about Linux, but there is active development of NetBSD (NetBSD/hpcarm) that runs on Jornada 525. I have not tried it, though, so I'm not sure of the current status. Here is the web page: www.netbsd.org/Ports/hpcarm . There is also a guy (in Germany I think) named Keuchel Rainer that has ported lots of UNIX-type tools to Windows CE (focusing on Jornada 720). This includes many command line tools such as tar, telnet, gzip, rsh, etc.. plus Perl (!) and an X Server (!!). Perl seems to work well, but aparently thare are a few limitations due to the WinCE operating system, but I have not had any problems yet, probably because I still a newbie when it comes to Perl :-) The X server also works well (although a little slow) and includes some ported X apps, such as twm, xeyes, xedit, xcalc, and xpdf. I have not yet tried it with remote X apps, but i'm sure it works. He has also ported emacs to CE! Check it out: www.rainer-keuchel.de(click on Software at the bottom).
    There is also a Yahoo! winCE dev group (started by Mr. Rainer: groups.yahoo.com/group/wince-devel If you find out about a Linux port, post it! :-)

    1. Re:Here's some useful info.. by questionlp · · Score: 1, Informative

      The Jornada 52x and the 54x use the Hitachi SH3 processor (as stated here) and not the StrongARM processor which is the one that you linked you. The link to the NetBSD/hpcsh port is http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/hpcsh/. I'm not sure if that port supports the 52x nor the 54x or not... if it does, then I might have a use for my unused 545 ;-)

    2. Re:Here's some useful info.. by biglig2 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Try scrolling down a bit... Status on the Jornadas is that they support the 54x, although it doesn't boot yet.

      --
      ~~~~~ BigLig2? You mean there's another one of me?
  3. Don't forget... by ameoba · · Score: 2

    "Of course it runs NetBSD."

    --
    my sig's at the bottom of the page.
    1. Re:Don't forget... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, actually it doesn't, smartarse.

      Read the page before you link it, and at least link the right page.

  4. Re: Linux for the HP Jornada 525? by Tellalian · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The problem with porting anything to a device like the 525 is that, unlike the iPaq or most other modern PDAs, its OS is permanently embedded into generic ROM. Henceforth, installing another OS onto the 525 isn't exactly as straightforward as writing the new over the old.

    I hastily bought this Jornada a few months before the dramatic price slash, back when it was still selling for over $300. I had yet to become enlightened by the benefits of flash ROM and have been regretting my purchase ever since...