Re: [Debconf-discuss] hardware which runs Debian or a blend or a sub-set, debian blends, gaming on open day/week-end.

[Paul Wise <pabs@debian.org>]

On Thu, Jun 2, 2016 at 5:52 PM, Steven Chamberlain wrote:

> That may be true of /mainstream/ mobile devices.  But the Nokia N900
> shipped in 2009 with a Debian-derived OS, and even this year I see
> recent commits to mainline Linux kernel and debian-installer for that
> device.  If it's possible to run pure Debian on these devices now, that
> may be the sort of thing that Shirish wanted to showcase?

Ack, but I'm not sure potential users would be convinced by Debian
running on a 7 year old mobile device from before the iPhone era
(keyboard instead of finger-oriented) with no warranty and a known to
be brittle USB socket.

Smartphone users I know are unwilling to even use Android due to
software quality, them switching to an OS they have never heard of on
non-mainstream devices seems like it will never happen.

> Jonas mentioned Openmoko and GTA04 already.  The Pyra handheld (with LTE
> modem) by Dragonbox likely won't ship until after DebConf16, but the OS
> being developed for it is a very clean Debian armhf rootfs.  Maybe
> someone could bring a PocketCHIP to DebConf, if those ship anytime soon.

These devices are created by people somewhat related to the FLOSS
world, so it makes sense that they would work on upstreaming
Linux/bootloader support for them. The Pyra looks almost perfect but
has PowerVR and won't have the same modem isolation/monitoring as the
Neo900. I am really looking forward to the Neo900 existing (sigh
PowerVR) but I'm not sure I will be able to afford it and many laptops
are cheaper than it.

> Before having an N900, I had a Sharp Zaurus clam-shell handheld (which
> is not a phone), but pure Debian could be installed on that too IIRC.
> Debian has for a long time been a good alternative OS for handhelds, it
> is just rare that they ship with 'pure' Debian preinstalled (for even a
> quite liberal definition of pure).

I'm assuming the FLOSS community did the Linux/bootloader port to the
Zaurus rather than Sharp doing it?

-- 
bye,
pabs

https://wiki.debian.org/PaulWise