Linux on Nintendo DS, Update

fdevliegher writes "Trying to port Linux to various portable devices is hot nowadays. One project is porting Linux to the Nintendo DS, and is making big progress lately. Right after the DSLinux guys had a working bootable 2.6 kernel, they have put lots of effort in making the sash shell work, in which they also succeeded. The latest feature added is the touchscreen keyboard. It allows users to tap in the commands, providing a much easier input method than before (when only the buttons could be used to input text). Only the basics are being worked on for now, but the future uses of Linux on the Nintendo DS are practically unlimited. In other words, it might become a cheap alternative for a PDA, an emulator, movie viewer, maybe even internet browser, who knows."

Comments

Re:Hackaday clonage! *AGAIN*

[Anonymous Coward]

Let me be one of the many to explain to you that Slashdot is a place for people to share the interesting thing they've found on the net with the like minded geeks who would also enjoy them. That why stories from the NY Times, CNN, MSNBC, and yes, Hackaday get posted regularly. It's not a scam, it's not laziness, it's the fucking purpose of the site...

What are the real uses?

[OutOfMemory]

This post mentioned several possible uses for linux on the DS, but what real uses are there? This is a neat trick, but only demonstrates what everyone already knows, the linux kernel is small. I would like to see one of these projects produce something that is actually usefull as something other than an academic exercise.

Re:What are the real uses?

[stanthegoomba]

The DS happens to have a good formfactor and the right capabilities (wireless, stereo sound, TOUCHSCREEN) to make a great multimedia or general purpose PDA for less money than most Pocket PCs or Palms. The DS equipped with Linux, a decent DE, and some 3rd party support would be a very usable mobile computer, with better gaming capabilities than any PDA out there since it would be able to also boot DS games.

I don't know...

[neurokaotix]

I've personally grown tired of hearing about how an electronic device, based on the same basic computing laws as any PC, can run Linux. It was cool when Dreamcast ran Linux and then it basically stopped there. Here's a spoiler: if it computes, it runs Linux :)

feel free to say i'm wrong

[scenestar]

Having a stable linux distribution running on portable handheld console could very well mean the difference between high sales or a a total failure.

with the psp linux project, the gadget has had a huge amount of added features aincluding the ability to emulate other platforms (famicon/snes/gameboy).

The nintendo ds isnt very exciting or sexy as a handheld. The added feature of various linux hacks (eg a media player) could very well make the ds a more attractive toy.

Re:feel free to say i'm wrong

[Bigthecat]

Yep, sorry, you are wrong. The gaming scene has far more users than Linux on computer, and the difference between getting a handheld or not to the average Joe isn't whether it can run a version of Linux or not. It may make it slightly more attractive for some, but saying that it would be the difference between 'high sales' and 'total failure', when the DS has already sold millions and millions without this so far, is ludicrous.

Even on home consoles, mod-chip users are in the vast minority. Although a console's moddability has infact driven a small portion of the sales in the past (Such as with the Dreamcast), the average Joe whose friend installs it for him isn't doing it for a 'stable Linux distribution', he's doing it for the pirated games.

Boring

[Anonymous Coward]

who cares. We all know you can put linux on anything and do nothing with it. YAY!

I think its cool

[dr_leviathan]

I think Linux on the DS is cool. I can think of a few neat applications and I'm sure the creative hackers out there can think up some fun projects for LinuxDS.

There is a company called Charmed Labs that makes a programmable robot cartridge for the old GBA. They're probably working on a similar add on for the DS right now. But with Linux on the DS you don't even need to robot cartridge to have fun, or you could probably by the cartridge for extras like easily accessible ADC/DAC lines. You could make a little hand-held oscilliscope or something.

GBA's were being used as information accessories for some car races. The cartridges that you could rent had wireless units that would get realtime info from the race.

Someone else was using GBA's as little hand-held real-time engine information units. You could tap into your car's microprocessor and get some info out.

Stuff like that would just be easier to do with Linux on the DS. It's all good.

I'd buy a DS just to get Linux running on it. Now if I could only find the time to play with a project like that -- I already work too hard :-(

you are wrong.

[Corngood]

It won't have even a tiny effect on sales. Look how few people use linux on the desktop, and you can quite easily install that without any hacking.

Re:Yup.

[stoborrobots]

If you mount before you fsck her wouldn't you run the risk of screwing her up?

It's true that if you mount without protection while fscking, you are vulnerable to bloating the system, and causing instability - poentially screwing everything up...

That's why, if you're going to do that - use protection! If you mount her read-only you can be sure that you won't leave anything behind in the filesystem... Then you can fsck safely...