You want to use your Sharp
NetWalker, Zaurus PDA or Handheld PC together
with a Linux based computer?
Here are links to compatibility and configuration guides about Linux and PDAs manufactured by
Sharp
.
The general resource section at the bottom, contains links
to useful Linux utilities (mostly available under GPL
), community efforts, HOWTOs and FAQs.
Have you written a report yourself? Then please feel free to
submit a new entry.
submit a new entry
Codenames/Hardware Survey
These are Sharp
's colloquial codenames for the different Zaurus Linux PDA models
(you may verify that by the output of cat /proc/cpuinfo,
though currently this seems to work reliably with the original ROMs only).
All codenames are derived from dog races:
| model | codename | WLAN | BlueTooth | flash | RAM | CPU | display | remarks |
| SL-5000D | Collie | | | 16MB | 32MB | StrongARM: SA-1110, 206MHz | 3.5" 240x320(P) 65,536 colours | developer edition |
| SL-5500 | Collie | | | 16MB | 64MB | StrongARM: SA-1110, 206MHz | 3.5" 240x320(P) 65,536 colours | |
| SL-5500G | Collie | | | 16MB | 64MB | StrongARM: SA-1110, 206MHz | 3.5" 240x320(P) 65,536 colours | German edition |
| SL-5500S | Collie | | | 16MB | 64MB | StrongARM: SA-1110, 206MHz | 3.5" 240x320(P) 65,536 colours | Spanish edition |
| SL-5600 | Poodle | | | 64MB | 64MB | XScale: PXA250, 400MHz | 3.5" 240x320(P) 65,536 colours | |
| SL-B500 | ??? | | | 64MB | 32MB | XScale: PXA250, 400MHz | 3.5" 240x320(P) 65,536 colours | Japanese edition |
| SL-C700 | Corgi | | | 32MB | 64MB | XScale: PXA250, 400MHz | 3.7" VGA 640x480(L) 65,536 colours | |
| SL-C750 | Shepherd | | | 64MB | 64MB | XScale: PXA255, 400MHz | 3.7" VGA 640x480(L) 65,536 colours | |
| SL-7500C | Shepherd | | | 64MB | 64MB | XScale: PXA255, 400MHz | 3.7" VGA 640x480(L) 65,536 colours | Chinese edition |
| SL-C760 | Husky | | | 128MB | 64MB | XScale: PXA255, 400MHz | 3.7" VGA 640x480(L) 65,536 colours | |
| SL-C860 | Boxer | | | 128MB | 64MB | XScale: PXA255, 400MHz | 3.7" VGA 640x480(L) 65,536 colours | |
| SL-C1000 | Akita | | | 128MB | 64MB | XScale: PXA270, 416MHz | 3.7" VGA 640x480(L) | |
| SL-C3000 | Spitz | | | 16MB | 64MB | XScale: PXA270, 416MHz | 3.7" VGA 640x480(L) | 4GB HDD |
| SL-C3100 | Borzoi | | | 128MB | 64MB | XScale: PXA270, 416MHz | 3.7" VGA 640x480(L) | 4GB HDD |
| SL-C3200 | Terrier | | | 128MB | 64MB | XScale: PXA270, 416MHz | 3.7" VGA 640x480(L) | 6GB HDD |
| SL-6000N | Tosa | | | 64MB | 64MB | XScale: PXA255, 400MHz | 4.0" VGA 480x640(P) | |
| SL-6000D | Tosa | | | 128MB | 64MB | XScale: PXA255, 400MHz | 4.0" VGA 480x640(P) | |
| SL-6000L | Tosa | 802.11b | | 64MB | 64MB | XScale: PXA255, 400MHz | 4.0" VGA 480x640(P) | |
| SL-6000W | Tosa | 802.11b | X | 64MB | 64MB | XScale: PXA255, 400MHz | 4.0" VGA 480x640(P) | |
*) P = portrait, L = landscape
Resources
Linux and BSD Distributions for the Zaurus PDAs
- Open Palm Integrated Environment - OPIE

- OpenZaurus

- Familiar Linux PDA distribution

- PocketWorkstation
- based on Debian
- PocketWorkstation
runs in a chroot environment on a storage card, using the vendor's preinstalled native Linux system for most hardware access. GUI is based on Xf4vnc and the fbvnc framebuffer viewer. Check out the PocketWorkstationXQT variant for a native X11 GUI.
- Gentoo For Zaurus

- OPIE for the original SHARP ROM

- PokyLinux

- Ångström
a combined OpenEmbedded, OpenZaurus and OpenSimpad project to unify their effort to make a stable and userfriendly distribution for embedded devices like handhelds, set top boxes and network-attached storage devices and more. Maybe it's sort of a successor to OPIE.
- Titchy
is a complete, fully-native Debian GNU/Linux distribution for the Sharp Zaurus SL-C3000, SL-C3100 and SL-C3200. It boots directly from the internal microdrive, and completely replaces the existing operating system.
- NetBSD/zaurus
is a port of NetBSD to the ARM processor based PDAs by Sharp.
- OpenBSD/zaurus
is an effort to make OpenBSD run on several PDAs of the Sharp Zaurus family.
-
The Handhelds Mojo
projects objective is to provide complete, standard desktop distributions for mobile and embedded devices.
MAC OS and Zaurus
There are different approaches for MAC OS and Zaurus.
Development
Cross-Compiling
Alternative ROM Images
Open Source ROMs
Commercial ROMs
HOWTOs/FAQs
HOWTOs: Applications
HOWTOs: Installation
HOWTOs: Connectivity via USB
Conversion from Other PDAs (Palm, Psion, ..)
How to migrate your applications and data from any PDA to your
SHARP Zaurus Linux PDA:
- p2z - Palm to Zaurus conversion tool
- strip2zsafe - Strip to ZSafe conversion tool
DTM to Opie Converter
dtmconv
is used to convert from Sharp's proprietary Zaurus PIM
e.g. addressbook storage format used on its newer ROMs to the XML format used by Opie. It
is useful whenever you are migrating from a Sharp ROM to something such
as OpenZaurus on your device.
Localisation / Internalisation
Applications
Community: Mailing Lists, Forums, FAQs, HOWTOs, Wikis
Related Books
Kevin Milne: Z4CK - A Novel Featuring the Zaurus and Openzaurus, 2004
Kevin Milne has written
Z4CK a cyber thriller based around
Duncan Steele, a hacker who creates the 'magic bullet' that lets him
by-pass any network security. Duncan uses Z4CK meaning Zaurus-ACK,
compiled on the OpenZaurus OS to do this.
Unlike Films like 'The Net',
Z4CK gives a realistic insight into hacker tools and techniques. The book
was written with a Zaurus SL-5500 and PocketTop keyboard. Z4CK features
wireless hacking with the Zaurus, and a view of how an Open Source future
might be.
Amazon Order
Kevin Milne: Digital Force - A New Novel featuring the Zaurus and Real-Life Hacker Tools, 2006
Duncan Steele has a simple choice to make. Work as a hacker for the British Governments' elite digital insurgency unit Cyber-Secure, or go to prison for his previous exploits against that very government.
Digital Force picks up where Z4CK left off. Follow Duncan Steele during his time at Cyber-Secure, from hunting the Fourth Reich hacker group to meeting his most skilled adversary, to the creation of the Sec-Net network following the destruction of the Internet.
Amazon Order