This is a followup to my original article about using a general-purpose Linux distro on the Zipit Z2 messenger. In this post, I’ll discuss my experience installing Debian (specifically, Emdebian Grip) on the Zipit. This is a significant improvement over the previous process, as it means you can automatically upgrade and install new packages from an extensive repository of pre-compiled software. You can just “apt-get install whatever” instead of having to create a cross-development environment and compile everything yourself. Details after the jump.
Tag: zipit
Dwi Handayani is a Thief and a Liar
I just submitted my first DMCA takedown notice, and even though it was obviously justified, it sure didn’t feel very good. Everything I write here, I share under what I think is a pretty generous license, so I get a bit peeved when people repost my writing elsewhere without the minimal courtesy of attribution. The entire sordid story is after the jump.
Linux on Zipit
Update: Please see my newer Debian on Zipit article for a better installation process.
This is an article about running Linux on the Zipit Z2 instant messaging device. Or rather, it is about running a general-purpose Linux distro, since the device out-of-the-box runs a Linux kernel with proprietary userland software.
Why is this interesting? With a list price of US$50 (and sale prices approaching half that), this device can be an SSH client, DOSbox, NES emulator, video streamer, music player and/or IRC client.
Since the state of documentation seems to be lagging behind the state of development on this device, I’m using this post as an information dump about all the things I found a hassle to figure out (and hope to save others that same hassle).