UbuntuIRC / 2008 /06 /29 /#ubuntu-mobile.txt
niansa
Initial commit
4aa5fce
[00:00] <persia> Note that I've never voluntarily shut down any of my actual handhelds, rather preferring to hibernate, so I'm not convinced that the lack of an easy interface is a bug.
[01:38] <cxo> yes i agree
[01:38] <cxo> i'm using it like a PC OS, so i wanted a shutdown
[01:47] <persia> cxo: You might try playing with the function of the power button. It might be somewhere in /etc/acpi, but I've not looked at those subsystems in a couple years, and understand that they may have changed.
[01:48] <cxo> yeah acpi should work
[01:49] <persia> It's not GUI, but as long as you're dealing with a normally-off machine, shutdown is probably a better response than sleep.
[02:53] <dragonball> Can I install ubuntu mid on samsung q1?
[02:54] <dragonball> what software development packages are included on it?
[02:56] <dragonball> ubuntu mid supports mcCaslin platform but what about menlow?
[03:10] <virtualroadside> anyone know if moblin-media has a scrollbar, or if its just me?
[15:45] <nerdboy> is there a way for ubuntu to login automaticly when a proper usb flash drive is inserted?
[15:46] <persia> nerdboy: Yes. YIf you had asked in #ubuntu, someone would have told you to investigate libpam-usb, but asking here you won't get much support.
=== persia changed the topic of #ubuntu-mobile to: Ubuntu MID released! http://cdimages.ubuntu.com/mobile/releases/hardy/ | https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MobileAndEmbedded/FAQ | https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MobileAndEmbedded
[16:04] <nerdboy> thanks, i did ask there, lol, they told me to try a script that runs after being mounted
[16:05] <nerdboy> libpam-usb is right on the money, google has let me down again
[16:09] <persia> nerdboy: They did? Odd. The other comes up from aptitude search usb, and libpam is the authentication layer. My apologies that you received the wrong answer there.
[17:38] <nerdboy> lol, i am use to it. i actually ALWAYS find better answers somewhere else than #ubuntu. this channel is for help with basic questions. i picked this room to ask the question becasue i figured since there is no live-cd and you have to manually instaqll packages for -mobile there would be more knoledgeable people here and less chatter, more chance of my question being answered
[17:39] <nerdboy> :)
=== nerdboy is now known as Guest59873
[20:44] <mitcheloc> hello, does anyone known if ubuntu mobile will work on a nokia n810?
[20:49] <cxo> what processor does it have?
[20:49] <mitcheloc> sorry, read the fq, and it says it may be ported someday if a developer takes it up
[20:49] <mitcheloc> cxo: i think ARM
[20:49] <cxo> its not hard really to port it
[20:50] <cxo> the linux kernel will already boot on an ARM
[20:50] <cxo> its just a matter of recompiling the rootfs (all the applications) for ARM
[20:50] <mitcheloc> cxo: i'm not familiar with programming on a linux platform, do you compile that a linux pc first or on the device itself?
[20:51] <cxo> you can "cross" compile it on any standard linux pc
[20:52] <mitcheloc> cxo: how would i get the image installed onto the device?
[20:52] <mitcheloc> i know on a q1 you can plugin something like an external cd-rom drive
[20:52] <mitcheloc> i don't think i can do that with the n810
[20:54] <cxo> apparently the n800 is running linux just fine
[20:54] <cxo> http://www.handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/SupportedHandheldSummary
[20:55] <cxo> google around for how to boot the kernel on your phone
[20:56] <mitcheloc> cxo: you mean internet device, the n810 is not a phone.. though they have attempted to brand it as an internet-phone.. heh
[20:56] <cxo> you will need some sort of flashing utility
[20:56] <cxo> here you go http://tablets-dev.nokia.com/d3.php
[20:56] <cxo> damn man, learn to use google
[20:57] <cxo> now you're all set
[20:57] <mitcheloc> cxo: okay, i have a micro sd card, and an sd reader/writer on my laptop
[20:57] <mitcheloc> cxo: lol, it's not about learning how to use google, it's about learning the terms i need for this stuff. i think you've given me enough to get a good start going now, thank you
[20:57] <mitcheloc> ah yeah, i have that flasher tool instalelled
[20:58] <mitcheloc> cxo: that SupportedHandheldSummary table, shows all devices with grades next to them, except by the time you get to the Nokia N800 it has just a "Yes"
[20:59] <mitcheloc> what do you think that means?
[20:59] <cxo> not sure, the headings are at the top
[20:59] <mitcheloc> kk, i'll juust start testing trial and error now :)
[21:04] <lool> cxo: Actually i wouldn't recommend cross building a whole distro
[21:04] <lool> Building natively is slower but much more reliable and painless, especially thanks to the Debian armel port
[21:05] <mitcheloc> lool: So I would load some generic linux kernel onto the n810 and then build ubuntu mobile there?
[21:11] <lool> For instance, yes
[21:11] <lool> Well I'd start by creating a Debian armel chroot and building Ubuntu and ubuntu-mobile there
[21:11] <lool> mitcheloc: Note: vanilla kernels wont support the closed source wifi of the N8x0
[21:13] <mitcheloc> lool: okay, i'll investigate this, i think if i can't get a better OS on the N810, i'll end up ebaying it though
[21:16] * lool finds the OS on the N8x0 pretty good
[21:17] <mitcheloc> lool: i guess you can say the OS is feature packed
[21:17] <mitcheloc> lool: but the apps available for it and the interface is missing a lot of refinement
[21:18] <mitcheloc> for example, the camera doesn't point at your head unless you tilt the device
[21:18] <mitcheloc> which creates an issue trying to look at the screen
[21:20] <lool> Hmm I found the camera decently pointing, but I don't use it much with camera
[21:20] <lool> Concerning the UI, you should try Canola
[21:20] <lool> Otherwise, you can basically build most Debian packages in scratchbox with moderate efforts
[21:21] <lool> There are plenty of third party ports
[21:22] <mitcheloc> lool: it looks like i need to do a lot of research, heh
[21:22] <mitcheloc> lool: i mostly exist in the windows world, so i pick up linux slower then most
[21:24] <lool> Ah; the above suggestions might turn out harder than intended then
[21:24] <lool> You should be able to search maemo.org for extra software for the N810 though
[21:27] <mitcheloc> maybe i will dual boot my laptop with ubuntu
[21:27] <mitcheloc> that should help me have more linux-style tools available
[21:28] <cxo> lool, much more reliable and painless? that's utter nonsense
[21:28] <cxo> a clean toolchain and build environment will produce the same binaries 10 times out of 10
[21:29] <mitcheloc> cxo: so do you use a virtual machine, or your running OS or like a third
[21:29] <cxo> sorry i dont understand the question
[21:29] <cxo> when i cross compile you mean?
[21:29] <lool> cxo: I mean reliability in terms of how many packages will actually build
[21:30] <cxo> lool, that doesnt make sense, could you give an example?
[21:30] <lool> cxo: I mean you'll find that almost all Debian packages build natively for armel but don't cross build
[21:31] <lool> Some packages can't currently be cross built at all
[21:31] <cxo> oh deb pkgs, i dont know how well those will cross compile, it all depends on how well the package uses autoconf/automake and how well the control file was written
[21:31] <lool> Yes; and many upstream programs don't cross build at all either
[21:32] <cxo> yes, but all the popular ones do
[21:32] <lool> For instance when building a C tool which needs to run during the build
[21:32] <lool> Well some popular ones fail :)
[21:32] <cxo> example?
[21:32] <lool> dbus, orbit2
[21:32] <cxo> i've got those cross compiling on about 4 different archs
[21:32] <cxo> mips, sparc, ppc and arm
[21:33] <cxo> i work for a company that does mainly that, "cross compiling"
[21:33] <lool> Nice, so you disable the policy and binding tools?
[21:33] <mitcheloc> cxo: i was referring to this: "a clean toolchain and build environment ", asking how you maintain that environment
[21:33] <lool> cxo: Interesting; do you have some pointers on your company/results?
[21:33] <cxo> we have our own build system that takes care of such, and any stupid unportable scripts or tools that the build uses it patched out
[21:34] <cxo> mitcheloc, its not hard, create a user solely for the purpose, build a cross compiler, setup your environment variables and your off
[21:34] <cxo> ^you're
[21:35] <cxo> lool, sorry we are not open source, but there is talk about making the build system open source soon
[21:35] <lool> cxo: I don't mind web pages on a proprietary company
[21:36] <lool> cxo: What's the company name and business? IOW, who gives you money? :)
[21:36] <lool> (just curious, we had some discussions on cross-compiling recenlty)
[21:38] <lool> I still wouldn't recommend too much cross-building for official packages; it can break subtly
[21:38] <lool> Not longer than some days ago, I was seeing virtualbox' configure calling uname -m to guess the target
[21:38] <cxo> there are arm distros already out there
[21:38] <lool> (with no override)
[21:38] <lool> And sure enough the Debian packaging was patching that to use dpkg --print-architecture, sigh
[21:39] <lool> So it seems many upstream get this wrong still :-/
[21:39] <lool> But xcompiling is a huge win for repeated builds of software targetted at embedded for sure!
[21:52] <mitcheloc> lool/cxo: i'm gonna step out of the room right now, i need to understand a bunch of things first before ya'll overwhelm me :)
[21:52] <mitcheloc> thank you for your help :)