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Linux on Palm
thppt writes "PalmStation is reporting that a company called OSK Inc has ported Linux to the Palm hardware platform; they're dubbing it as a kind of "LinuxCE". They have some screenshots of bootup, running apps, telnetting to the Palm, connecting to the Palm's web server, and multitasking. " They've actually got a WindStone ROM Image for evaluation on their web site. I haven't tried to download it yet, but has anyone else tried this?
OSK did not port Linux to the Palm; they're using the ucLinux kernel. OSK has written a PalmOS compatibility layer (analogous to Wine), which lets you run existing Palm applications as well as Linux apps.
What's all this about. First we rant on about windows not being made for palmtops, but for desktops, and now we put Linux on the palmtop.
Exacly which of the two makes more sense than WinCE does? Graphics mode? (fit that in 8Mb) or the console mode? Sounds cool [NOT]. Try to type kill -9 (or perl )on your silkscreen. They must be masochistic.
We have a rather decent palmtop OS, and now we have to replace it with Linux? Why?
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the pun is mightier than the sword
I think that this is kind of excessive. I think that the idea of a GUI Linux for small computers is interesting, but the point is that the reason I don't like CE is it is bloated. PalmOS does a great job at organizing my life, and keeping track of basic info. I don't really thing the nature of the Palm Pilot architecture in general lends itself to power computing or to an environment where a Linux based OS would be advantageous. Now, don't get me wrong, I think this is cool as hell, but more like geek eye candy. I think perhaps some of the cooler aplications would be to get a Linux based GUI embedded on systems like o-scopes and logic analyzers where CE seems to have a strangle hold. Seems to me that using a Linux solution might reduce costs here. Finally, does anyone know if this will work on the Handspring Visor? I'm kind of a sucker for its pretty colors. but I', kind of dismayed by lack of linux support. Is this compatible (since the Visor runs palm OS), and are there any plans of creating Linux software to support uploads/downloads from the visor?
Because some people have the mistaken impression that Linux, like Windows, can be made to fit all roles from tiny little handheld devices to large scale clustered supercomputing. Just because it CAN doesn't mean it is any good at it. Linux on a handheld device is kind of pointless since, like you said, PalmOS does the job much better than Linux ever could. Likewise, if you're really going to build a supercomputer you go to SGI and build a clustered system instead of fscking around with ethernet connections between cubes/nodes. So, basically, people are trying to make Linux into Windows and that is the sad part. NT is excellent for the average user's desktop, Linux is good for advanced unix users and up to mid-range server usage.. workgroup settings, etc. Solaris takes over after that scaling up to near-mainframe level computers, and then you have the dedicated stuff that the average user will never interact with being taken care of by IBM or SGI. I no more want Linux to dominate the desktop and server markets than I want Windows to. Why can't we accept certain OS's have their places and they work best in those places and leave it at that? Use standard, open, interoperable protocols and everyone can talk to everyone without caring what OS they use. That is the OSI 7-layer model!
Well, I was able to get the ROM running on the modified version of co-pilot but when I installed FPSUtil to check out the specs the OS are reporting, my calibration went all haywire ... now I can't even get into the right menu to fix it.
... why do they need a modified version of co-pilot? I mean, if it's not gonna work on stock palm hardware (emulated or not), why bother?
Another thing I can't figure out is, if it's Palm compatible
Anyway, it looks cool I guess even if it was dog slow, has a HUGE footprint, and broke my co-pilot when I installed an app.
This seems like it would be a great idea. But on second thought, what real benifits is it going to give us. The biggest problem with the hand helds is not the OS, it is the interface. Just adding Linux as the underlying operating system isn't going to automatically give us a great interface. And it certainly isn't necessary to a great interface. I've got nothing against Linux, but I can't see that it solves the problem of Palmtop OS's by itself.
Mike Eckardt
meckardt@yahoo.nospam.com
http://www.geocities.com/meckardt