ruby on the zaurus

[Sy Ali]

I'm happy with the older ruby 1.8.4 which I have for my Zaurus
SL-C1000. I can finally get rubygems up and running and with that
many other gems.. but I cannot get ncurses working.

This is because ncurses is expecting the ruby development libraries,
which I cannot find anywhere.

Does anyone have any ideas as to how I could get enough of a
ruby-devel installed to get ncurses working?

 

[gregarican]

I'm happy with the older ruby 1.8.4 which I have for my Zaurus
SL-C1000. I can finally get rubygems up and running and with that
many other gems.. but I cannot get ncurses working.

This is because ncurses is expecting the ruby development libraries,
which I cannot find anywhere.

Does anyone have any ideas as to how I could get enough of a
ruby-devel installed to get ncurses working?

Good question. Several years ago I did some Ruby programming on a
SL-5500. I can't recall how complete of an install it was. Most likely
bare-bones. And trying to cross compile Ruby for the Zaurus turned
into a train wreck due to my own ignorance. I'll check my files and
see what all I was able to do back then...

 

[gregarican]

Good question. Several years ago I did some Ruby programming on a
SL-5500. I can't recall how complete of an install it was. Most likely
bare-bones. And trying to cross compile Ruby for the Zaurus turned
into a train wreck due to my own ignorance. I'll check my files and
see what all I was able to do back then...

I have Ruby 1.8.3 on my SL-5500 and it appears as if ruby-devel is on
there. I see libruby.so and other so files. If that's the case then
perhaps scope out http://shimi.info/modules/bwiki/index.php?cmd=read&page=Zaurus/Ruby
which is a site that links to an IPK for this version. If it doesn't
appear complete then e-mail me and I can send you the IPK from my
Zaurus.

From what I remember I had some fun developing on the Z. Had Python,

Ruby, and Squeak all running on it at one time or the other

 

[Phlip]

Ruby, and Squeak all running on it at one time or the other

I heard that someone (possibly one of you) got my MiniRubyWiki working
on their Zaurus.

Exactly what I designed it for - very small footprint and easy but
deep interface.

Now if I could only manage to snag a f---ing Zaurus for myself..!

 

[gregarican]

I heard that someone (possibly one of you) got my MiniRubyWiki working
on their Zaurus.

Exactly what I designed it for - very small footprint and easy but
deep interface.

Now if I could only manage to snag a f---ing Zaurus for myself..!

--
Phlip
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596510657/
^ assert_xpath
http://tinyurl.com/yrc77g <-- assert_latest Model

If you're lucky you can get one on eBay. They are becoming scarcer
nowadays. Lately my Linux-based toy of choice is a Nokia 770 Internet
Tablet...

 

[Sy Ali]

If you're lucky you can get one on eBay. They are becoming scarcer
nowadays. Lately my Linux-based toy of choice is a Nokia 770 Internet
Tablet...

There's a new version of that which supposedly has a better battery
life. I like the SL-Cx00 versions because of the integrated keyboard.
Although I still prefer my 200lx keyboard. =/

Thanks for your tip, I checked out that site but those links were
broken. I was unable to sign up to his wiki to get his contact info
and email him about it. (even in my translator-broken Japanese =)

Thanks for sending me the links. It installs fine. Unfortunately it
seems that I mistook my ncurses-ruby building's error message as
needing ruby-devel when in fact it was asking for ncurses-devel!
Argh. I hunted around but I had no luck. I'm giving up for now.

*One day* I'll be able to do muby programming on the Zaurus. =)

For those who are interested, i've whipped up some Ruby + Zaurus notes here:
http://jrandomhacker.info/Ruby_on_the_Zaurus

 

[Axel Etzold]

Dear Sy,

you could try pdaxrom on the Zaurus. It aims to provide a
complete Linux distribution on the Zaurus. I installed
gcc and compiled any Linux software I wanted, including
Ruby, from source on it, without problems.

http://www.pdaxrom.org/

There is a very helpful page with special instructions

http://www.users.on.net/~hluc/myZaurus/pdaxii13.html

If you have questions, there is a very helpful special
forum

http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showforum=73

dedicated especially to Zaurus questions.

Best regards,

Axel

 

[Sy Ali]

you could try pdaxrom on the Zaurus. It aims to provide a
complete Linux distribution on the Zaurus. I installed
gcc and compiled any Linux software I wanted, including
Ruby, from source on it, without problems.

pdaXrom is unfinished and is still alpha, and VERY alpha for
supporting the SL-C1000. I'm using weeXpc which is based off of it,
has been updated and is commercially supported. I can still use
pdaXrom packages though.

I've been investigating doing cross-compiling to target the Zaurus, or
compiling on the Zaurus. This is probably the best thing for me to
try, because even the major Zaurus-supporting groups seem to be
several years behind with their software.

 

[Axel Etzold]

Dear Sy,

pdaXrom is unfinished and is still alpha, and VERY alpha for
supporting the SL-C1000. I'm using weeXpc which is based off of it,
has been updated and is commercially supported. I can still use
pdaXrom packages though.

I don't know what your experience has been, but other than all
software - as all human undertakings - is unfinished, I must say, I found the community for
Pdaxrom very helpful and responsive and I can't say that
pdaxrom is not sufficient to my needs or in any way defective.
Rather, it was the first OS version that allowed me to use
my Zaurus the way I wanted it : use more than pre-packaged ipk
software, and do more than have just an expensive calendar + word +
internet + some other pre-installed software I didn't use that much.

However, I must say that I mainly skipped the previously installed
OS for pdaxrom in order to be able to compile myself.
For SL-c1000 and pdaxrom support, see:

http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=22619&st=0&p=149905&#entry149905

or ask "meanie" a question yourself. I don't think you'll need
to rely on commercial support...

I've been investigating doing cross-compiling to target the Zaurus, or
compiling on the Zaurus.

Direct compilation is what I was suggesting you to do in my last mail. You'll get the compiler gcc in the install image of pdaxrom, and then, you can install any Linux software from source using the usual configure-make-make install process.

Best regards,

Axel

 

[Tom Link]

I'm happy with the older ruby 1.8.4 which I have for my Zaurus
SL-C1000.

Here is a more current version with some extra packages:
http://www.focv.com/ipkg/

 

[Sy Ali]

Here is a more current version with some extra packages:
http://www.focv.com/ipkg/

Thank you.

I did manage to find a 1.8.5 already but that listing of Zaurus
software is really great, thanks.

 

[Sy Ali]

I don't know what your experience has been, but other than all
software - as all human undertakings - is unfinished, I must say, I found the community for
Pdaxrom very helpful and responsive and I can't say that
pdaxrom is not sufficient to my needs or in any way defective.

C1000 support has only been _very_ recently added. It was
specifically not supported with the newer releases of pdaXrom so I
stopped looking at the project. I checked, and Meanie does have some
work to allow c1000 installation quite easily.

I will be checking it out, but I might also check out Poky because it
has had a recent release and it looks like a very promising project.

Rather, it was the first OS version that allowed me to use
my Zaurus the way I wanted it : use more than pre-packaged ipk
software, and do more than have just an expensive calendar + word +
internet + some other pre-installed software I didn't use that much.

This is why I first tried it. But it wasn't working very well when I
tried it. I see that it's been updated since then.

Direct compilation is what I was suggesting you to do in my last mail. You'll get the compiler gcc in the install image of pdaxrom, and then, you can install any Linux software from source using the usual configure-make-make install process.

I wasn't able to figure out how to use the zgcc stuff on my weeXpc,
but I would try it again if I got the newer pdaXrom working.

Poky first, then I'll try pdaXrom.

Right now I'm having fun getting all my small textmode applications
working properly. First I'm going to figure out some more vim
configuration - I got syntax highlighting and code folding working
nicely but I need to get some keys to work better when in insert mode.

I might try emacs as well, if I can figure out how to install it
without running out of space. =) There are a _lot_ of interesting
add-ons for it, and I saw a lot of Ruby-related stuff.

 

[Tom Link]

I wasn't able to figure out how to use the zgcc stuff on my weeXpc,

but I would try it again if I got the newer pdaXrom working.

If you want to stay with sharp rom, the zgcc provdided my meanie
(http://www.users.on.net/~hluc/myZaurus/) works just fine. I used it to
compile vim with ruby support. I used the cramfs. Meanie also provides
some scripts that do all the mounting.

I think your problems were caused by not including the *.h headers (and
maybe static libraries) in the distribution. Other ipkgs don't split the
files into end-user and devel packages and just include everything.

Poky first, then I'll try pdaXrom.

Maybe you could post your experiences on oesf with that. They just made
a new release recently, I think. I read though that it isn't actually
targeted at end-users. The future is supposed to be Angstrom, or so they
say.

 

[Sy Ali]

Maybe you could post your experiences on oesf with that. They just made
a new release recently, I think. I read though that it isn't actually
targeted at end-users. The future is supposed to be Angstrom, or so they
say.

I won't have time to test Poky until the weekend, but I'll give it a
shot. Until then I'll fiddle with vi some more and then take another
stab at using emacs with ruby support.

Actually, I have some heavy lifting to do to fix my ruby scripts so
that they run faster on my Zaurus. They're painfully slow right now.
=(

Poky's latest release looks particularly good. Angstrom was pre-alpha
when I last saw it. Now it's just alpha but there is a lot of
activity. I still place a lot of hope in it. I might even buy a
C3100 just for more full support and development under Angstrom.

 

[gregarican]

I won't have time to test Poky until the weekend, but I'll give it a
shot. Until then I'll fiddle with vi some more and then take another
stab at using emacs with ruby support.

Actually, I have some heavy lifting to do to fix my ruby scripts so
that they run faster on my Zaurus. They're painfully slow right now.
=(

Poky's latest release looks particularly good. Angstrom was pre-alpha
when I last saw it. Now it's just alpha but there is a lot of
activity. I still place a lot of hope in it. I might even buy a
C3100 just for more full support and development under Angstrom.

Out of curiosity how is it doing all of the script creation and
editing on the Zaurus? Personally most of the development I did on the
Zaurus a few years ago was done using my PC and I just copied the
files over to the Zaurus for deployment. I tried using text editors
for Ruby, Python's own IDE for Zaurus, and even a Squeak image. But it
just seemed to tedious. I guess there's a certain coolness factor
involved, plus if you're on the road and don't have a PC handy you can
just work right on the handheld.

Too bad Sharp bailed out on the Zaurus line in the U.S. I know the C
series is doable through importers and the line is a lot more
functional and powerful than the SL series. But it seemed as if things
got stagnant in terms of active application development. So then that
lost steam my interest unfortunately did too.

The suggestion about the zgcc package and cramfs is a good one. It
worked well from what I recall. But it just was so tedious and slow
compiling things directly on the Z that I didn't have the patience.

 

[Sy Ali]

Out of curiosity how is it doing all of the script creation and
editing on the Zaurus?

So far there are no limitations except that I don't tend to have an
internet connection. This severely limits my ability to rely on a net
connection to make up for my faulty memory. Aside from this there
have been zero drawbacks from developing in this form.

I tend to solve one or two problems on the bus to and from work. =)

Actually, the fact is that I tend to be much more focused on what I'm
doing because I generally _cannot_ work on some other task. I simply
don't have other applications or a net connection to draw away my
interests. There's no pausing to check email.. I just keep working.
My breaks end up sending me towards some different piece of code or
some tutorial I downloaded.

On-handheld tutorials is something I'm going to spend more time on.
Nobody has really amassed a useful and portable collection of
documentation. I really need it since I can't do any googling while
on the road. That and some kind of snippets database will be regular
projects. I'll be forced to work on these things, which is actually
kindof nice.

I tried using text editors
for Ruby, Python's own IDE for Zaurus, and even a Squeak image. But it
just seemed to tedious.

If I can figure out the broken cursor and backspace/delete keys for
vim, while in insert mode, then I can use it full time. I really hate
a lot of it, but it's growing on me now that I can figure out basics.
I might end up with gvim though, for the menus.

I got Diakonos working very well, but it doesn't have code folding. =(

I ran out of space trying to install emacs, but I'll play with it
before this Sunday, and I'll borrow an emacs guru for some help
getting ruby support working. I'm a bit scared of all the
control-shift-meta-cokebottle-x hotkeys though. On a handheld those
would suck.

I think I'll blossom by being forced to not use an IDE. Test cases
and solid little blocks of code will do well for me until I become
more advanced. Too many advanced coders tell me that IDEs are an
unnecessary crutch anyways. =)

I guess there's a certain coolness factor involved

Oh yeah. It's *a computer* ..

I just have to bone up on my martial arts so I can punch people out
when they ask me if it can run Windows. =)

Too bad Sharp bailed out on the Zaurus line in the U.S.

They bailed out in Japan too. I understand that It's not being
produced anymore. Sigh. This means that I'll have to buy a half
dozen of them.

I know the C
series is doable through importers and the line is a lot more
functional and powerful than the SL series.

I dunno what you mean. I have an SL-C1000 =)

The suggestion about the zgcc package and cramfs is a good one. It
worked well from what I recall. But it just was so tedious and slow
compiling things directly on the Z that I didn't have the patience.

I wouldn't mind leaving it sitting overnight to compile some essential
tool. Heck, I could have stuff running in the background for a week..
it would be worth it.