Linux on my Pocket PC

[Anarki]

Well, I finally got my hands on an iPaq (3700) and installed Familiar Linux 0.7.2 on it. I had to modify the USB cradle with a combination of soldering and researching pinouts to install it.

I must say that it's very cool to be able to carry a 206MHz/64Mb Linux 'PC' around in your pocket, even though it only does ~157 BogoMIPS.

I have GPE as my 'Palmtop Environment', and so far have only hit a couple of bugs.

It's very fast, and comes with games, which is always good.

I still have to get a PPP connection up and running so I can install other software, and update the system.
Also on the list of things to do is getting an expansion sleeve and a 256MB+ CF card to play Ogg Vorbis or MP3 files on the go. It would be nice to run something like Kismet on it with a CF Wifi card and go WarWalking.

Here are some links:

Familiar Linux Project

GPE [GTK+2.2 widget set, X Windows] - call it Gnome for Familiar

OPIE (Open Palmtop Integrated Environment) [Qt, X Windows] - The KDE-like equivalent

Questions? Comments?

[birdie]

I have considered putting linux on my ipaq but I haven't found the need.

Whats better about it that compared to Pocket PC?

I have been holding back for a few reasons which I am unsure of:
- Does it have all the Hardware support the Pocket PC does?
- Does it have all the software eqivalents that come with Pocket PC?
- Does it sync with Outlook?
- Does it have many programs, ie games etc?
- One thing that would be cool, does it add usb host capabilities?

[nux]

Originally posted by birdie
I have considered putting linux on my ipaq but I haven't found the need.

Whats better about it that compared to Pocket PC?

I have been holding back for a few reasons which I am unsure of:
- Does it have all the Hardware support the Pocket PC does?
- Does it have all the software eqivalents that come with Pocket PC?
- Does it sync with Outlook?
- Does it have many programs, ie games etc?
- One thing that would be cool, does it add usb host capabilities?

It is basically a Linux PC device.
Support is sketchy, I know for the Toshiba ones have some support, but not too much.
It is a linux OS, and should be able to run linux programs.
It doesnt sync with outlook.
Yes
No (The only PDAs that have this are the Toshiba ones iirc, it is hardware not software)

Basically, if you want to experiment with Linux on the PDA use it, if you want a functioning PDA use MS.

[neo2_tas]

I'm interested in doing this but I only have the USB cradle, can you give some details on how you modded it to Serial?

[Anarki]

This page should be helpful.

Just a correction to nuxie1's post; it's a Linux ARM device, not PC Also, there's some good info here about syncing PktPC devices with linux (Evolution) and windows (Outlook).

[Zardoz]

The nifty thing with this is that you can run standard PCMCIA card swith the PC card sleeve. Useful if you want to add, say, a USB host card and external storage, or a wireless card for site surveys etc.