ROMs - mukoan/zaurus-info GitHub Wiki

ROMs usually refers to the OS kept in the storage area on a Zaurus which is usually NAND memory. The models with hard disk drives store some system files on there too. The Sharp ROM has the format/partitioning hard coded and won't run if it is not correct.

Note that some of these ROMs are no longer available or are difficult to track down.

You can run the system from internal NAND, SD, CF or disk. Multiboot systems are possible, you initially boot a rootfs as the main system and then to boot quickly (bypassing the bootloader stage) into different ROMs as subsystems. New kernels are loaded on the spot with kexec.

See also: kexecboot

Sharp

The Sharp ROM is the default ROM for all Zaurus; it is based on Embedix Linux, Qt/embedded (QTE) and Qtopia Palmtop Environment (QPE). The terms "Qtopia" and QPE are often used interchangeably.

The SL-5000D and SL-5500 were the only Zaurus available outside of Japan and therefore there was a US keyboard version. All other Zaurus were Japanese only but some companies imported them, modified the locale and installed some software to make them usable.

A tweaked kernel was available by a user named Tetsu.

Cacko

Essentially the Sharp ROM fully translated into English with updated drivers.

Cacko is an improved version of Sharp's ROM put together mainly by Anton Maslovsky. Cako means "Jewel" in Russian. Cacko provides two ROMs, full or light, plus feed. Both offer the same applications if you take the feed into account.

  • Supports most clamshell models: SL-C7x0/C860/C1000/C3100
  • 100% English
  • Uses Qtopia 1.5.4 just like Sharp ROM
  • Optimized for Zaurus screen resolution (PDA like environment)
  • Tetsu special kernel
  • Based on kernel 2.4.18, Anton back ported many updates and drivers from the later 2.4 kernel
  • Many device drivers are included for hardware such as CF Bluetooth & WiFi, CF USB host, etc
  • Supports WiFi networking very well, including WPA (if using a card with hostap drivers)

Cacko uses a compressed file system to store the main file system, and thus is quite space efficient; the downside is there are quite a few symbolic links in the read-write file system into the loopback-mounted cramfs file system in order to allow patching and changes.

Cacko/Crow

Cacko/Crow is a ROM for the SL-5000/5500, placing /home on an MMC or SD card.

Guylhelm

Booted into a command line but would load up Qtopia from SD card.

tkcROM

An interesting modified Sharp ROM. Certain apps stripped out, available as ipks. Home on SD but with a different method to the Cacko/Crow ROM. Also has a modified initrd to enable SD cards larger than 2 GB.

pdaXrom

weeXpc

A distribution sold for clamshell Zauruses, using the same version of applications as used on the Desktop. Superceded by OpenPandora and now the Pyra.

  • Hermocom - The homepage for Daniel Hertrich explains about the weeXpc

OpenZaurus

OpenZaurus (OZ) was based on OpenEmbedded build environment (bitbake). It has since been superceded by Angstrom.

OpenZaurus was available in two flavours:

  • Opie (based on Qtopia)
  • GPE (Gnu Palmtop Environment)

OpenZaurus supports all Zaurus models (except SL-A300 which is very rare device). It's the only distribution with 2.6 kernel for some models.

Many device drivers are included for hardware such as CF cards (bluetooth, wifi, usb host, modems, gps etc). Supports wifi networking very well, including WPA (if using a card with hostap drivers and OZ 3.5.4).

Hentges

  • Based on OpenZaurus and maintained by Matthias Hentges
  • Uses the OpenZaurus feeds
  • Installs and preconfigures many of the most popular applications

Ångström

Debian

  • Pocket Workstation, for Zaurus SL-5500.
  • Titchy Linux, available on the Zaurus SL-C3X00, SL-C1000 and SL-C860 machines. This is a hybrid between OABI and EABI. It uses an OABI file system and an EABI kernel.
  • OmegaMoon Debian, based on a 2.6.23 (EABI) kernel from Poky Linux, built using the OpenEmbedded build system.
  • Poky Linux Distribution source only from Yocto project
  • Andromeda Debian with Korean language support, a custom rootfs by Yonggun based on Debian EABI unstable version.

Zubuntu

OpenBSD

The last version of OpenBSD supporting Zaurus was 6.0, released on 31 July 2016. At that time OpenBSD does not support EABI.

NetBSD

NetBSD 7.1 released on 11 March 2017, supports Zaurus.

ArchLinux