Hi!
Since last week, I've been working on an usable kernel for the HTC Vox. I guess you've already looked at this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=368014&page=5
More or less, I have a working kernel. I've tested some images against the modified kernel, and both Gpe and Opie get to the welcome screen (without getting stucked). Nothing is really usable, as they're not even compiled for this specific platform (cannot get to compile opie for arm by myself... yet), but as a base, it's not bad at all.
As I've seen on my previous post, there's people interested on this (3300 views make me believe that), what I would want to know is, are there more developers interested on building a linux port for the Vox? Testers will be needed also, but later, when we get to something useful for testing
If you're interested, reply!
Cannot help u develop anything here, but would be a willing tester for it... thoroughly
I'd love to help, but I'm in the middle of moving to a new place and won't have internet most of the time next 2 weeks.
Do you have a Wiki or other place for collaberating? SourceForge perhaps?
I do have a wiki, but upload is no faster than around 80kB/s
In case you haven't seen it, you have a new build of the kernel on the other post, along with links and a little manual to start a graphic environment on the vox.
@barth666, @StefanHamminga
I've been thinking about it, and... I don't know what to do I mean, I think Sourceforge is the best place to dump it all, and it gives us a wiki too. On the other side, here is the xanadux wiki, and maybe it would be a good idea to let sourceforge host the files, and leave the wiki in here with other HTC phones... what do you think?
Oh! For GPIO dumping, the only thing I've seen working is the linwizard project's Haret_Omap.exe (in case you want to try to guess where the damned keys are )
PS: Anyone has an HTC Tornado? I'd love to know if the tornado kernel makes the leds and vibrator flash, I can't find where they are!
biktor_gj said:
PS: Anyone has an HTC Tornado? I'd love to know if the tornado kernel makes the leds and vibrator flash, I can't find where they are!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a tornado (and vox and wings), so tell me what to test
I know from the ml_iPod wiki (I am the admin) that SourceForge is really slow and the Php and Sql versions are old, in case you want to set up something like MediaWiki! You might want to try http://code.google.com/ , it has a built in Wiki and you can host files!
Just a suggestion
Keep up the good work
EDIT: I could even set one up, if you want, but I am not into coding at all!
Hi! Sorry for the delay, but I'm having lots of work this week and I've been unable to keep on with this...
@Walram: On the following days I'll try to build a kernel for you, wich should put all the lights on and makes the phone vibrate until you take the battery out Obviously just for testing, it shouldn't break anything, but I need to know if the originally-made-for-the-tornado vibrator and led drivers actually work on the tornado... Thanks!
@Frauhottelmann
Didn't know that google gave that service too! will look at it this weekend and post back when I have something done with this.. thanks for the feedback!
walram said:
I have a tornado (and vox and wings), so tell me what to test
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi!
Ok, here's what I want you to try. If you haven't downloaded it yet, download the Linux Test Image:
http://rapidshare.com/files/93938763/test.zip.html
Then, download the kernel for the tornado:
http://rapidshare.com/files/96145010/kernel_tornado_driver.tar.gz.html
Dump the contents of the first file to the memory card, and then overwrite the file "zImage", with the one from the second link. Run haret, and hit "Run".
It should, at least, boot. If it doesn't, tell me where it gets frozen (could be that you only se some dots on the screen, whatever appears, just tell me )
If it boots, don't stop looking at the leds (charge/bluetooth leds mainly), they should, at least, flash -theorically they should stay on all the time-. It also should vibrate, at least for a quarter of second
I just need to know what it actually does!
Thanks!
So what about a dev-page? Then you don't need to upload it to Rapidshare and you can see the progress better!
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?
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!
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.
Sorry for the delay...
frauhottelmann said:
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!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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...
i can't code, but i can keep you company maybe
i am here if help is nedeed
But what name do we want to use?
Linux for Vox?
LinVox !
how does that sound ?
just kidding
waiting to get linux running on my vox....
But what name do we want to use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hooked on Vonix!
vonix sounds ok
can also try "Mobile TUX"
wow
this is an incredible news ! linux on the Vox !
I'd love to flash mine with a movibuntu distro =)
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
Hi,
I already read about the option to remap some keys by editing the keyboard layout file. Is it also possible to switch between keyboard layouts as you type (using a hotkey) - e.g. I need to be able to quickly change between Cyrilic and Latin keyboards.
Thanks.
I think you're talking about hardware keyboard.... But keyboard apps like swiftkey allow for 3 allow for 3 languages simultaneously.
Sent from my ICS Splashed MT4GS using xda premium
Oops haha double post
Hi indeed, I was talking about the hardware keyboard, if it is not possible to use both cyrillic & latin keys and quickly switch between them, this would decrease the benefit of the keyboard for me and I might decide to go with a non qwerty phone in the end.
Thanks for you insight though.
nickexel said:
Hi indeed, I was talking about the hardware keyboard, if it is not possible to use both cyrillic & latin keys and quickly switch between them, this would decrease the benefit of the keyboard for me and I might decide to go with a non qwerty phone in the end.
Thanks for you insight though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In this dev thread: Hardware Key Mapping | Flashable zips & Requests
...user Paitor has come up with and explained how to implement swedish language support for the hardware keyboard.
Given what Paitor has figured out how to do, it is absolutely within our ability to sit down and make exactly what you are asking.
All it takes is someone willing to sit down and invest the time into actually making it happen.
I would volunteer, but I have a lot on my plate already and realistically it's just not feasable for me to do this and keep up with my other projects on this device.
I will however be willing to take a finished keymapping and turn it into a flashable zip file and update the first posting of the key mapping thread with the result.
(and I always credit the author both in the installer package and thread post)
We still have to write in hardware keyboard language support for other languages, and I invite anyone else who wants to use alternative languages to read that thread and see about putting some time into helping us make that available for everyone. What you want to do is not exactly a small project, but pushing what we know to the next level is the reason for XDA's existence.
So, short answer is yes, what you are asking for is completely possible - you can make a key map file that has all of the keys in the languages you would want.
This is XDA, where you can get exactly what you need right down to the last little detail - if you want to put the time into making it happen. We'll be glad to help out where we can along the way.
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Edit:
If I were to tackle this project - this would be my approach:
Some apps, like Drocap2 or soundhound, pop up in the list when you have the Genius key remapped to 'search' and long press it. If there is nothing else that utilizes this shortcut function it will default to the only app that does ( in the case of a stock installation or on my ROM, voice search ).
So what I would do is write in each hardware keyboard layout that I wanted, then design an app that utilizes that Genius shortcut function to run - and the sole purpose of the app would be to switch between hardware keyboard layouts.
To me, that seems like the most elegant and refined approach to your problem without making one monstrously cumbersome key-mapping.
You could just press the Genius button to access the app wherever you happened to be, and then have it just show a menu as an overlay to swap between whatever keymappings you wrote in.
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My time is being invested in my ROM - then once that's set to my satisfaction, on to kernel work on overclock/undervolt leading into GPU work in conjunction with TV-out, and then on to bluetooth work for controller support on a Sense device.
These are big projects and very time consuming undertakings, so as you can see a project like this keylayout issue is a long time coming before I can get to it - but i'm happy to help where I can for anyone who wants to dive in and do.
Figured i'd throw out what my approach would be to give someone an idea on where to start - and while certainly not the only solution, is something to consider.
I think I have very good news for you!
There's a keyboard called "AnySoftKeyboard" (search for it in the Market and click Dev Website if you want more info) which supports hard kbd mapping (and switching bet layouts by pressing Alt + Space), they have a Russian language pack (Cyrillic & Phonetic), and it is all free.
I have never used it, but remembered coming accross it a while back and decided to check it out for you.
Hope it works
Hey guys, thanks for your replies!
I will definitely check this application - i am not sure it supports all hardware keyboards in general (or just the g1/droid as written in the description), but I will give it a try if I get this phone
And yes, I will gladly help in creating a layout for a Bulgarian keyboard. Unfortunately I cannot create an application for switching between the layouts myself, as I am not a developer.
thanks again.
AnySoft does work
Got my phone and installed AnySoftKeyboard. It does allow for switching bet layouts on the MT4Gs, but does seem a bit quirky so far... (that's with Hebrew & English, you might want to experiment yourself)
Hi all,
First post here - looking forward to participating and working hard towards competency in Android development!
In the short time that I've been at this, I've noticed a great emphasis put on the importance of building a layout that will work across a range of Android hardware, or at least work well with both phones and tablets.
From what I've seen so far, the way to deal with this challenge is to compromise, and to not use absolute sizing for views etc..
I'm wondering if there is any kind of API available that would make it possible to detect hardware (at least screen size?) upon start up, which would then allow for switching to the appropriate XML layout?
I've not encountered it in any of the tutorials I've seen so far....
If this API *doesn't* exist, I would guess that the fact that the apps run on a VM might make any kind of hardware detection problematic if not impossible....
I'd appreciate any enlightenment on this that I can get!
Thanks in advance!
russ6100 said:
Hi all,
First post here - looking forward to participating and working hard towards competency in Android development!
In the short time that I've been at this, I've noticed a great emphasis put on the importance of building a layout that will work across a range of Android hardware, or at least work well with both phones and tablets.
From what I've seen so far, the way to deal with this challenge is to compromise, and to not use absolute sizing for views etc..
I'm wondering if there is any kind of API available that would make it possible to detect hardware (at least screen size?) upon start up, which would then allow for switching to the appropriate XML layout?
I've not encountered it in any of the tutorials I've seen so far....
If this API *doesn't* exist, I would guess that the fact that the apps run on a VM might make any kind of hardware detection problematic if not impossible....
I'd appreciate any enlightenment on this that I can get!
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK to bump?