Python with PalmOS: anything newer than the 1.5.2 PipPy?

[Jorge Godoy]

Anybody here doing Python development on PDAs running with PalmOS? What are
you using?

PipPy is still Python 1.5.2...


TIA,

 

[Lucas Raab]

You could do something about that and develop a new version.

 

[Jorge Godoy]

You could do something about that and develop a new version.

If it wouldn't be extremely out of the tasks we're developing now and if
this was really an strategic point for us --- there is more interest by
myself on the Linux powered PDAs --- I would go after something like that.

For now, I'm just studying the alternatives and seeing if it's viable.

 

[Lucas Raab]

Well, if you were going to do that it would possibly require an overhaul of
the Python library. I mean, you can only fit a certain amount into a memory
card or the internal memory. And a way for Python to install on your Linux
PDA just like it does on a PC. Hey, I'm sure lots of people would run
Python on their PDA for portable programming. Imagine the possibilities,
sitting in a traffic jam writing a spur of the moment application. Hmm, this
could be interesting. I'd say it's definitely viable.

 

[Michael Ressler]

Well, if you were going to do that it would possibly require an overhaul of
the Python library. I mean, you can only fit a certain amount into a memory
card or the internal memory. And a way for Python to install on your Linux
PDA just like it does on a PC. Hey, I'm sure lots of people would run
Python on their PDA for portable programming. Imagine the possibilities,
sitting in a traffic jam writing a spur of the moment application. Hmm, this
could be interesting. I'd say it's definitely viable.

I do this all the time on my Sharp Zaurus SL-5500. Python 2.3 and
numarray-1.0 - all compiled on the Zaurus itself (no, I won't tell you
how long that takes!). A little horsepower for long, cramped flights.

I abandoned my Palm for the Zaurus specifically so I could run a real
Python on my PDA. Pippy just didn't cut it.

Mike

 

[Jorge Godoy]

I do this all the time on my Sharp Zaurus SL-5500. Python 2.3 and
numarray-1.0 - all compiled on the Zaurus itself (no, I won't tell you
how long that takes!). A little horsepower for long, cramped flights.

I abandoned my Palm for the Zaurus specifically so I could run a real
Python on my PDA. Pippy just didn't cut it.

This is exactly what I was saying about the PalmOS X Linux PDAs... But
unfortunately, here --- and I guess it is something global --- PalmOS
powered PDAs are the easiest to be found...

From what I've seen and what I've found on my researches through the web,
there's nothing suitable for PalmOS in the Python realm... I think if I
want something I have to go the C or Java way... unfortunately. On the
other hand, there's a Lua port for it... who knows?

 

[Peter Hansen]

I abandoned my Palm for the Zaurus specifically so I could run a real
Python on my PDA. Pippy just didn't cut it.

Michael, or anyone else who's lucky enough to have one of these babies,
have you by any chance tried running PySerial? I think the Linux
version rides purely on top of standard Linux serial port stuff,
but I don't know enough about the Zaurus yet to know if it looks
like "standard Linux" in this area. (It _does_ have a serial port
somewhere in there, doesn't it?)

-Peter

 

[Paul Rubin]

Michael, or anyone else who's lucky enough to have one of these babies,
have you by any chance tried running PySerial? I think the Linux
version rides purely on top of standard Linux serial port stuff,
but I don't know enough about the Zaurus yet to know if it looks
like "standard Linux" in this area. (It _does_ have a serial port
somewhere in there, doesn't it?)

There's a USB client port and a serial port on the same connector.

 

[Michael Ressler]

There's a USB client port and a serial port on the same connector.

I haven't tried (no need/interest), but you might poke around at
zaurususergroup.com, if you are not already familiar with that site. I
know discussions of the serial port have come up wrt programming,
though probably C++, not Python. As for the "linuxness" of the Zaurus,
gcc thinks it looks like "linux2", all the usual /dev stuff is there
(e.g. /dev/ttyS0), so I would rashly predict that PySerial should
work.

Mike

 

[Peter Hansen]

I haven't tried (no need/interest), but you might poke around at
zaurususergroup.com, if you are not already familiar with that site. I
know discussions of the serial port have come up wrt programming,
though probably C++, not Python. As for the "linuxness" of the Zaurus,
gcc thinks it looks like "linux2", all the usual /dev stuff is there
(e.g. /dev/ttyS0), so I would rashly predict that PySerial should
work.

Thanks, Michael. I inspired myself to go and check out the
Zaurus some more, noting (and remembering sadly) that it's not
available in Canada yet, and also that the 6000 seems to be
the one getting pushed now (wisely so, with the WLAN support).

I did find some stuff in a FAQ or somewhere about configuring
the serial port, and between that and a half dozen other
references I feel pretty confident that as you predict, it
would all work perfectly well.

Now if I can just stall till the price drops to C$500 or so
(by which time Sharp might even have noticed that there is
in fact a country called Canada, with people willing to give
them money), I can finally replace my Palm V and get productive
again...

-Peter

 

[Paul Rubin]

Thanks, Michael. I inspired myself to go and check out the
Zaurus some more, noting (and remembering sadly) that it's not
available in Canada yet,
Now if I can just stall till the price drops to C$500 or so

Try ebay, you can get older models for a lot less than that.

 

[Peter Hansen]

Try ebay, you can get older models for a lot less than that.

Older models don't have the awesome new screen (VGA) and WLAN...

But it's a consideration for one to use as a robot training
pendant, programmed in Python...

-Peter