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Linux On The Dell Axim

Posted by timothy on from the michael-are-you-listening dept.

An anonymous reader points to this interesting project to run the Familiar Linux distribution on the Dell Axim. "It includes a picture of the Axim running Linux and directions for loading Linux on the Dell Axim from the CF card. Looks like a good start to this project." It's limited for now (crashes after 15 minutes, must be loaded through the installed version of Windows), but everything starts out that way.

6 of 126 comments (clear)

  1. linux on everything by jnguy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why is the goal now to run linux on everything, from your xbox to your "Pocket PC" I understand the xbox, but will running linux on your pocket pc really be useful? is it even worth the effort, or is it just something cool.

    1. Re:linux on everything by Erwos · · Score: 3, Interesting

      As someone who's done a Linux install on his iPaq 3150, the answer is an unequivocal yes.

      You get far more flexibility, device support, and free software with Linux than PocketPC. Perhaps the only niggle is that you can't really get a browser into 16mb of RAM without constant crashes, but the Axim and newer iPaqs do not suffer from this problem. A nice side effect of storing everything in flash is that running out of battery only resets your clock, not your data.

      It's not for everyone, but I think it was worth my time...

      -Erwos

      --
      Plausible conjecture should not be misrepresented as proof positive.
    2. Re:linux on everything by dubStylee · · Score: 5, Interesting

      will running linux on your pocket pc really be useful?

      I'm someone who didn't pay enough attention to that question a few months ago and is way sorry now, here's my story:

      1. I purchase the Toshiba e740 with pocketPC 2002
      for $600

      2. Six months later pocketPC 2003 comes out and Toshiba declinces to make it available to e740 users.

      I now have no possibility of any kind of upgrade for any of my software. I am stuck with what was available pre-2003 for the rest of the life of the device. Now if Toshiba leaks out enough information about their hardware to allow someone to port linux to it, I could eventually upgrade the software.

  2. linux remote by tobes · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Using the Axim as a X client on a wireless network would be kind of like having a kick ass linux remote control.

  3. Obligatory Zaurus quote by Gothmolly · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The Sharp Zaurus 5500 et al support Linux, in fact, they SHIP with Linux. Install OpenZaurus and you have real Linux, yet with real apps, SSH, etc. etc. And it runs longer than 15 minutes.
    I mean, this is cool, but hardly the breaking story of the decade.

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    I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
  4. Why not? by gpmart · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I know that I will indeed sound like a rube, but isn't a pocket pc really just a toy anyway? I use my Axim to surf the web wirelessly and check my mail, but most of the time I use it just as a toy. Who really does word processing on these things? You can't take notes. Even surfing is pretty painful. On the toy side, however its a relatively useful device. Its multimedia capabilities are pretty good(its a good MP3 player and a good ebook reader(which allows me to read linux docs)) but I think people that have the geek positive gene wouldn't mind playing with something new simply for the toy potential. Ultimately, their are some upsides to these things:
    • SSH(which I have yet to see for ppc.
    • Coding in other languages than the M$ langs
    • xterm
    • testing embedded stuff
    Its a small, shallow pool of users but for cheap geeks who want to play with operating systems(that might be 99% of us) this is a good way to play embedded linux on a system that we use for other things.