yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
Hi frauhottelmann,

I'm going to tell you the truth. I think it would be better if it's you who admins a site for this project than if I do, for various reasons:

1. I started all this thing, but I'm no owner of anything, by now I just hacked four things to make this phone boot a kernel, but no more.

2. I've seen your work at the ml_ipod sourceforge page, and think it's usable, clean, and nice, and I think that's exactly what we would need (even if it's a little slow just as you stated in your previous post). I could make the graphics for the web :) (I'm quite decent at photoshop), but I have never built a wiki, or a project anywhere else, and I don't know a sh** about it, so that would be another big thing to learn, and for now, I gotta learn more about the linux kernel, and that itself it's huge.

3. I don't think I can handle work, classes, building patches, kernels and bootstrap images and administrate a site, it feels like too much for me :)

Conclussion? I think it's better to let people do what does better, and I'm quite sure you'll do it better than I, so if you want, it's all yours :)

PS: In any case, we will need a name for the project, any suggestions?
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
What I have heard from the ml_iPod developers is that upload to SF is not a nice process either. I still think Google code is better, although it's not as customizable as SF.net. But we could also set up a page on Googlepages (pages.google.com) and then point to the Google code site with the Wiki and downloads!
[HTC Vox] jockyw2001:
I can offer my technical know-how (SPL, GPIOs, etc.)

Since I have little time you should ask me precise questions for which I can try to find the answers.
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
Sorry for the delay...

So we can start using google code, and stick with it if it goes well. We can always change the hosting if something goes wrong! About the wiki, the easiest thing is start with google code too, and simply link the xda wiki to it...
[HTC Vox] secosan:
i can't code, but i can keep you company maybe :)

i am here if help is nedeed
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
But what name do we want to use?

Linux for Vox?
[HTC Vox] prajith:
LinVox !

how does that sound ?

just kidding :)

waiting to get linux running on my vox....
[HTC Vox] h4waii:
Hooked on Vonix!
[HTC Vox] secosan:
vonix sounds ok

can also try "Mobile TUX"
[HTC Vox] kabeza:
wow

this is an incredible news ! linux on the Vox !

I'd love to flash mine with a movibuntu distro =)
[HTC Vox] StefanHamminga:
How do you guys feel about splitting the project up in several subprojects?

Like:

Kernel and driver work: TI OMAP HTC Vox board patch and perhaps drivers

Base system: minimal rootfs and toolkit to utilize all Vox functionality

Usability: GUI and (for instance) Android support

This would also enable us to share the base system & usability work with other 'linux on smartphone' and embedded projects.

I do have a suggestion for the base system:

www.emdebian.org

Very up to date build toolchain for arm (GCC 4.x toolchains) and you can have apt support on the base rom. This would allow access to a huge amount of packages that can be used with relatively little effort. Others I've checked out are the new mobile ubuntu (system requirements way to high), MontaVista (severe lack of proper documentation to get up to speed quickly), uClinux (uses ulibc instead of the faster full fledged one, in my opinion we'd better trade some storage for more speed) and some others I can't remember now...

PS. I've got internet at my new place and I've recovered my bricked wizard from the 'spare electronics bin', so finally I can spend some more time on this :)
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
I think it's the best thing we could do :)

Kernel and driver work: TI OMAP HTC Vox board patch and perhaps drivers

Base system: minimal rootfs and toolkit to utilize all Vox functionality

Usability: GUI and (for instance) Android support

The only problem I see here is the Android part. Making Android work means you have to modify both the root filesystem and the kernel to deal with it.

For example: By default, linux's framebuffer stays on /dev/fb0, right? Android expect it to be somewhere like /dev/graphics/fb0 (or something like that), wich means you have to patch the kernel. But you will need to modify the root filesystem to tell the window manager its screen is 240x320 and not 320x240 (unless you work with the sliding keyboard open all the time)

Both my home server and my workstation uses Debian, so, in my opinion, pretty good idea! I would anyway get a basic rootfs with busybox and few things more by now, and then implement a working GpePhone (wich is the most suitable gui I found btw) when we have a working kernel.

I've spent all week out and I only had my mac for working, so I haven't been able to do anything, keeping back to work on the kernel this week. I promise I will make the keyboard work! And this week I will begin adapting the gsm module to see if it does something useful (it would be great if I could start a call, even if I won't hear anything...)
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
OK, the Page is set up under vonix.googlecode.com .

There is nothing on it so far, if you want to join do it (you'll need a google account, but that isn't a big deal). I created it under GNU General Public License v3! So after you joined you can upload the source and compiled stuff!
[HTC Vox] StefanHamminga:
Can you add me?

stefanhamminga@gmail.com

BTW, is there interest in a VMWare image containing debian and the emdebian cross compiler for arm?
[HTC Vox] StefanHamminga:
Yes, vmware can do this, actually that is how I work currently. So if there is more interest I can post my 'i386 to ARM' vm on the google site.
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
wuuuh... wouldn't that be so big? at least a gig I guess..
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
I added you all as project owners, because this way you can all change the project stuff right away! Go ahead

EDIT:

Hm I just found out that there is a file size limit of 20 MB, pretty bad!

EDIT2:

I am starting a SF.net project! They take some time to review the project, it should be p and running in 1 to 3 business days!
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
So we won't be using google code at all, will we? I have a bunch of pdfs, and some info to begin with the wiki, but will wait for sourceforge then...
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
Yeah I'll delete the Google Code project! To everyone who wants to join the SF.net project: create an account (if you don't have one yet) and start to read into SF.net upload procedure since it's not as easy as with other web sites!
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
Looks good?
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
Looks nice! but maybe with a little photoshopping...How about this?

GOOD NEWS! The N key, Volume up, volume down and camera keys don't dump garbage anymore! Now only arrow keys, dpad center key and the switch are missing!
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
Yeah that's pretty good! I think I might use it for the Wiki page in the top left corner!
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
Hi frauhottelmann! Have you created the project on sourceforge? If so... can you give a link? I can't find it...

thanks!
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
Yes I did set it up, but it's pending. I need you to answer some questions when I am back home today. I'll post them this evening!
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
Hey dev guys, SF.net wants us to answer some questions to make sure we are good guys :p

1. How frequently do you expect to be updating packages within your tree?

-

2. Do you plan to also provide full releases in an ISO file format (or similar)?

-

3. How many members of your team will be directly updating the package tree?

-

4. How many distinct versions or quality delineations do you intend to maintain (i.e. stable, unstable, testing, etc.)?

-

5. What mechanism will your end-users be using to update their local package load?

-

6. How many packages do you expect to exist in each tree (as described in #4)?

-

7. What do you estimate to be your maximal space requirement for all materials you intend to provide?

-

8. Are all materials you are providing under an Open Source license?

-

9. Does your project intend to make use of our project CVS and/or Subversion services?

-

10. What other SourceForge.net features will your project be using?

-Web page hosting
[HTC Vox] StefanHamminga:
My personal contribution can be as follows:

1. once in 1 / 2 weeks a WIP

2. not me

4. i'd say stable and current?

5. downloading of either separate patches and configs or pre-build images (kernel, rootfs, etc)

6. don't know, in my case I'd concentrate on kernel patches and my goal is getting current kernels to run properly, eg 1 patch for generic omap support and 1 patch for the HTC Vox board.

7. dunno, couple of MB for patches and perhaps a few 10's of MBs for images?

8. 100%

9. don't know yet

10. perhaps a web page / wiki for documentation?
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
oh my god! do they need my eye colour too? :P

1. I expect more or less once-twice a week for my part, once I learn to use subversion (I know how to download, but not how to upload -never tried either-), that for the kernel, too soon to tell anything about the rootfs...

2. I'd love to! At least a SD card image with 'dd' but first we will have to get somewhere :)

3. That's something we can't know!

4. I would say unstable and... unstable now. Expected? Stable and unstable

5. what? Download and overwrite?

6. No idea... Minimal would be (if I understood this right)

1 kernel, 4 patches, 2 root filesystems (minimal text, and another one with graphic).. Maybe 8 packages?

That without counting utilities (i.e. Omap-Haret, Arm Toolchain, kernel source package)

7. At this time I have 2.5 Gb used for linux development on the HTC vox, but I don't expect them to give us all that :)

A Gpe root filesystem image will need at least 32mb

Another 40-45 Mb for the kernel tree

maybe 150mb max?

8. Yes they are. Everything I'm using is under GPL (don't know wich version each)

9. I guess for kernel devel it would be good...

10. Wiki.. something else?
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
I guess they wanted to know, because my description of the SF.net usage was a little bit unclear. So now I resubmitted the project request. They just want to make sure we are taking this seriously.

EDIT:

Oh and a link https://sourceforge.net/projects/vonix/
[HTC Vox] qumran:
Oh my god guys! :D this makes me exited! wooohooo! Thanks for the initiative.

Question, is it going to be possible to run vonix on the S730 Wings? What do you guys think?

Peace
[HTC Vox] StefanHamminga:
The S730 uses the Qualcom MSM7200 chipset. It has an ARM11 chip for OS operations, so the base OS could easily be made suitable for both phones, the kernel is a different story tough...
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
OK, they would only let us use SF.net if we didn't distribute as ISO, so I said we're not going to use it. But it is still pending!
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
No worries, we can always make a tar file, or a zip and post instructions :)

But I don't understand why they're taking it that long, and why they don't want us to give iso images... it's not that hard, everything is GPL... if I knew it I would have suggested the xda-developer wiki and the ftp... maybe it would have made it much easier given xanadux is already here... don't know, what do you think guys? Or maybe a free web hosting service or whatever...

Google code dont give us enough space

Sourceforge is slooow, and they seem to be not too cooperative (wich I understand, by the way -they have to be sure we won't use their precious bandwidth and storage space for commercial things-, but pisses me off)

Maybe sticking to xda-devel wasn't that bad at all...
[HTC Vox] omapandroid:
just FYI once you think your kernel is ready for Android:

Android on OMAP

(seems that using a recent kernel >= 2.6.23 will be the easiest way to go regarding Android)

If you are still looking for a kernel related wiki, maybe you like to have look to

Embedded Linux Wiki

As TI has no OMAP related wiki, this is where are already some OMAP related pages.

Regarding OMAP kernel questions, if you like you can ask on OMAP mailing list as well:

OMAP Linux kernel mailing list
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
OK SF.net is working now, including web page. I'll set up the wiki tomorrow, if you still want to use it!?
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
Good news! Have tried and tells me Permission Denied, but I guess it will need work to show something up :)

If I get to have a little time tomorrow I'll start uploading documentation (the little one I have...)

I'm trying to upgrade to the kernel Stefan mentioned on the other post, I think before it was failing because of the framebuffer and the clock management , but no results for now. If I get to something, will post!

Good work!
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
@ Stefan and biktor_gj:

I added you both to the dev team on SF.net, so you should be able to upload now!
[HTC Vox] BoardDWorld:
I was just about to sell my Vox on to get an Iphone and you've just changed my mind...
[HTC Vox] cr2:
hi guys, have you solved the i2c-controlled CPLD problem ?
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
Nope :(

The most similar to solving the gpio thing is... I can make it shut down by wrtiting a (1) to every single pin :) but that's not... too useful... When I try to write to the (wince-mapped) output pins it doesn't seem to do anything. I guess I'm making it all wrong, but with no info... don't know what to do...any ideas?

And have a bigger problem: I cannot even make it boot when I update to a newer kernel. No matter what I do, it doesn't get to boot if I try to port it to something newer than 2.6.16.. Doesn't even start... :(

PS: That's why the sourceforge page is still empty, I wanted to start from scratch with a newer kernel, but don't want to upload anything until I get it working...
[HTC Vox] omapandroid:
I don't know the VOX. Do you have a serial console (UART) on it? If yes, do you get any kernel output at all? Any error messages? What happens if you enable low level debugging

Kernel hacking -> Kernel debugging -> Kernel low-level debugging functions

?
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
OK, the Wiki is set up. vonix.sourceforge.net/wi/ What a pain in the a**. Setting up a Wiki is easier on every server. SF.net makes it difficult.

I have to change some things regarding user permissions and sending E-Mail through the Wiki but you can start using it now.

A rather simple web page will follow tomorrow (I have to sleep sometimes ;-) ).
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
I have uploaded a web page, but it's as simple as possible. vonix.sf.net
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
Hi!

thanks man! I started flying around through the wiki too, but it scared me...

I have disassembled all the phone and took pictures of the internals, but their size is 2 mb each approximately, maybe they're too big? I also took the names of the ICs I found, and I got to say "Hello" on the 2.6.24 kernel, wich is a quite good thing, but then it gets frozen after

MACHINE NAME: VOX

@omapandroid: There's no serial port available, at least not on the connector, just USB+audio, so all the debug I'm doing is shown on screen.. I wish I had a serial and a Jtag, but I don't know enough of electronics to trace it over the board without braking it all..

So I have to keep debugging... but I guess I need to sleep too (Ispent 5 of the last 7 hours migrating code...)

Regards!
[HTC Vox] zipredictive:
awesome... thanx guys 4 the work
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
Ok like I said, a simple front page is set up under vonix.sf.net and from there you can go to the wiki via a link! If you have any ideas for the page/wiki tell me (the page will become better)!
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
I've written a disassembly guide with a little tour through the hardware, but need to make a link on the sidebar to copy it to the wiki... but it tells me page is protected! can you take a look to it?

I've searched through the wiki but didn't find a way to make new pages...

thanks!
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
OK here is how it works. If you want to create a new page just use the URL like http://vonix.sourceforge.net/wi/index.php/Main_Page replace the Main_Page with the page name you want and then it'll say that there is no such page, but you can create it. So create and safe. Please put the link on the front page. Everything in the Wiki should be acessable from there. the sidebar isn't for links. If you need help for writing under the Wiki look here http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting

Otherwise, the side bar is here http://vonix.sourceforge.net/wi/index.php/MediaWiki:Sidebar
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
OK, file upload should work now too!
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
I have uploaded the guide. I'm definitely not good with the wiki... left a link on the homepage, but maybe we should make a decent wiki home with some specifications and pictures (I have lots of photos with images, booting linux, with some leds on or off...) what do you think?

The hardware tour:

http://vonix.sourceforge.net/wi/index.php/HardwareTour

Feel free to modify the formatting of the page, I know it su**s, but I don't know too well how to do it right... The same with the language, my native language isn't english so if you find something you don't understand too well, replace it the way you want ;)

Regards!
[HTC Vox] frauhottelmann:
As you probably noticed, I changed some layout stuff (the tables are pretty useful). Otherwise you've done a great job. I will make a better home page, but not in the next days since I am pretty busy right now. But maybe I'll find some time!
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
No problem! Really it looks much nicer than what I've done :)

I have added some links to datasheets on a new page, and I'll be uploading a GPIO table soon (I finally found the damned PAD and arrow keys!)

Expect a new kernel build for the end of the week, this time with arrow keys :)
[HTC Vox] Rubberducky:
How will the linux port run?

Do you have to flash your phone? Thus erasing WM6.

Or can it run from the microSD card, with HARET or something?

Looking forward to trying it!
[HTC Vox] aaahaaap:
First I would like to say great project! Seems like a lot of progress was made in a short timespan! :)

Hope we can keep it that way!

Any progress on this?

What did the low-level kernel debugging output?

It's kind of strange since Linux on the Tornado (OMAP850 too) uses at least kernel 2.6.22-rc4 (see: http://vivien.chappelier.free.fr/typhoon/index.html)

Maybe we should derive from Tornado instead of Wizard (Wizard patch simply makes a copy of Tornade as HTC_WIZARD and applies some changes (including setting keyboard to standard OMAP, so maybe it can fix something in that part as well)?

See: https://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1540883&group_id=174107&atid=867988

Anyway, keep up the good work!

@Rubberducky:

You can/must run it from Haret

P.S. I added the project to the Handhelds.org wiki:

http://www.handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/SupportedHandheldSummary
[HTC Vox] kabeza:
I just hope you guys can do something good for Vox. I'd love to see a Linux OS running on my Vox.

I'm available for testing
[HTC Vox] dacz:
Ive got a VOX s710 with broken LCD wich I want to make a small server(web, logs, DHCP), low power, no noice, out of with embedded linux, so if I can be at any help just say so. I'm not yet a shark with embedded hw but will give it a try...

What is status of just booting a universal kernel on the phone?
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
Hi again, and sorry for the delay, I'm having more work than expected and I'm not finding too much time to work on this...

@disturbedsaint

I haven't tried much further, the 2.6.24 kernel doesn't boot. I mean, it copies it all onto memory, decompresses, enables the framebuffer an when it gets to the machine initialization part (it prints to screen "Machine: HTC VOX"), it dies. After a while, the watchdog timer makes it reboot. So I think maybe it's because of the framebuffer, an IRQ wich is doing something it shouldn't, or simply because I'm doing it all wrong (I spent 5 hours patching code by hand, and there were some places where the patching wasn't too clean)

By now, got the gpios talking to screen whenever I press the arrow keys and such, but the function input_report_key() is giving me a lot of problems, that's why there's no new kernel yet, and why there are still no patches on the sourceforge page. When I put that to work, I will start uploading lots of other things... but want to give you all something you can play with :)

I know that the first tornado patch (that called 2006-08 something) made a lot of changes to the kernel structure, with some patches over assembly code wich I don't understand, and with all the implementation of the Early Frame Buffer. Im pretty sure that if I find a more recent tornado patch we could adapt it to the vox...
[HTC Vox] aaahaaap:
Everybody is doing everything in his/her spare time, so I think everyone understands it if you (or anybody else for that matter) doesn't have a lot of time :)

Don't feel sorry for it!

Anyway,

Just to be sure (since I wanna start doing some patching this weekend, still have to buy a microSD card) is this a correct list of the things you did?

- Downloaded the 2.6.24 kernel source

- Patch it with the Linux-2.6.24-omap1 patch from muru

- Patch it with the initial Wizard patch htc-wizard-20060815

- And then you did some manual patching?

And the main issue atm is the input-handling.

Just to know on which things I'll have to focus :)
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
It depends on what you want to do. If you want to try something wich really boots (ssh, keyboard, framebuffer) you should begin with the 2.6.16 version.

I can provide you with the patches I've done so far (for cleaning the garbage coming from the keyboard, new board files,frame buffer helper, gpio pinouts...)

Anyway, here is the list of what you'll need for this:

linux-image-2.6.16

patch-2.6.16-omap1 < omap1 generic patch from muru

patch-2006-08-15 < tornado patch -got the link from linwizard-

htc-wizard-20060815.patch < htc wizard generic patch

linwizard 0.1.4 package to get the source for the vsmmfb module (helps the framebuffer and without it gui's don't seem to work -they do it slooow anyway-)

Then, for the keyboard, most of them are on the other post ( here ) but there are some modifications to accomodate the key repeating issue and the gpio lines wich aren't anywhere yet.

If what you want is to begin a port to a newer kernel, then you need the kernel, the patches from muru, the patch for the 2.6.16 kernel supporting the tornado, and the htc wizard.

But you cannot patch them directly (cat patch | patch -p1), because they're not for this version of the kernel and it won't fit. I can make some kind of patch of what I got to with the 2.6.24, but have to say, it will be full of sh**, and I repeat, it doesn't get too much past the first initialization :o
[HTC Vox] aaahaaap:
Thanks for the explanation!

I would like to try to get the kernel up to date, se we can stay up to date with the current omap-kernel.

I'll see how far I can get with patching this weekend.

Could you post/attach the

"patch-2006-08-15 < tornado patch -got the link from linwizard-"?

I haven't been able to find it.
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
Here you've got it!

PS: In case you didn't see it, there's another htc wizard patch here (haven't tried, but maybe useful anyway...) http://miknix.homelinux.com/linwizard/dev-stuff/

Regards!
[HTC Vox] aaahaaap:
Thanks for the patch and the link!

One last thing: Which cross-compile toolchain do you use?

Would be nice if we could settle on the same.

Seems like most projects on handhelds.org use the gcc-4.1.2 EABI from http://www.codesourcery.com/public/...q1-10-arm-none-eabi-i686-pc-linux-gnu.tar.bz2

(the toolchains that are available on handhelds.org itself are quiet out-of-date)
[HTC Vox] biktor_gj:
The toolchain I'm using is a generic I found here. The file is Generic-arm_gcc-4.2.3-glibc-2.3.3.tar.bz2, but it also has some documentation wich may be useful..

Anyway I don't mind using another one, that way we will have less cross compile problems, but got to say, I had problems at first with some older toolchains and with this I didn't have a problem. Try it, if it works, don't bother! :)

Regards!