Some background informations
Why should you run Linux on your Palm ?
Well, this point is up to you. However, you may give it a try for several reasons :
- There's a lot of software for the PalmOS. But there's way more for Linux. Plus most Linux software is Open-Source : as an end-user, it means free. Running Linux on your Tungsten will let you use an IRC client, use a music player (MP3, Ogg, WMA, etc...), play videos, browse the web (with a full-featured, standards-compliant browser), use powerful office tools (spreadsheet and typesetter).
- You'll gain access to a much more powerful operating system (which, for example, uses protected memory, real multitasking, real filesystems, etc...)
- GNU/Linux is an Open-Source Operating System. That mean you can customize the way your Palm will run.
- GNU/Linux is actively maintained. The PalmOS also is, but newer releases are only made available to more recent PDAs. Since Linux will sit in the RAM, you can keep an up-to-date OS.
- Finally, you might just give it a try for fun :-)
How is this embedded Linux different from a desktop or server version ?
Basically there are no differences. What you'll get on your Palm is virtually what you'll get on any Linux workstation. In details :
For the kernel we're using the vanilla sources, as most servers and desktops do. We're not using a stripped-down version of the Linux kernel.
- For the base system tools, we're also pretty close to the usual standards : we're using regular GNU libc, not a reduced version (such as the otherwise nice uClibc).
Why did we make those choices ? Actually, the Tungsten E is powerful enough to use standard, full-featured software. Using somehow reduced versions might have provided an extra speed boost, but it would have broken compatibility. With the OS we provide you should be able to run any Linux software (given it's OpenSource or you are provided ARM binaries).
Warnings
Linux is an OS on its own. It doesn't need the PalmOS. Yet we just can't launch Linux right at power-on, since the ROM isn't writable. That's why Linux is started from the PalmOS, like any other PalmOS application. But don't be fooled : once you've started the kernel,
ALL THE DATA ON YOUR PALM WILL BE LOST. You just can't hope to get your data back. That's why we
stronly advise you to make a full backup of your palm before giving Linux a try.
