This handbook is aimed at everyone, and hopefully easy enough for noobs to pick up and use.
The Zaurus is a line of PDAs made by Sharp. The original models from the 1990's and early 2000's ran a proprietary OSes; Synergy OS for the earlier PI and ZR models and Zaurus OS for the later MI and MT models. After the MT series Sharp released the ground breaking SL series in 2001 that ran Linux out of the box.
The scope of this document is to only provide in depth coverage on the SL and SL-C Zaurus models due to the fact that they run Linux natively, and have a wide variety of alternate operating systems available for it.
There is a large amount of open source software available for the SL and SL-C models and more can be fairly easily created for it thanks to the easy availability of native and crosscompilers.
In general terms the SL series refer to the tablet style models that were mainly marketed outside of Japan with one notable exception and the SL-C series refer to the convertible clamshell models that were marketed within Japan. The notable exception to this rule was the only official clamshell model available outside of Japan that Sharp jointly marketed with CEC in China known as the Sharp CEC SL-7500.
An Zaurus Model comparison needs to be written here.
-SL-5x00
-SL-6000
-SL-7500
-SL-Cxx0
-SL-Cxx00
I fairly brief, unbiased Zaurus Distro comparison needs to be written here.
SL-5x00:
Sharp
OpenZaurus
Angstrom
Cacko (?)
Watapon
Crow (?)
Henteges (?)
QTopia
TKCROM
SL-C series (clamshells):
Sharp ROM
-Original ROM
-Stable
-QT interface
-2.4.x kernel
Cacko
-Based on the Sharp ROM
-Added applications
-Full/"Lite" versions
-2.4.x kernel
OpenZaurus
-Built with OE
-No longer maintained
-Succeeded by Angstrom
-Very mature and stable
-GPE and Opie variants
-Runs on all Zaurii (?)
Angstrom
-Built with OE
-Many devs
-RTFM
-Cutting-edge
-Not just for Zaurus
-Not stable
-2.6.x kernel
-GPE and other variants
-runs on all Zaurii (?)
pdaXrom
-Developed by a small team (Sashz, Laze, and InSearchOf)
-No recent release (just betas and revisions)
-Not considered stable
-2.6.16 kernel in the latest version
-Only one version (X11)
-Openbox/Matchbox is the default window manager/desktop manager
-does not run on C3000
pdaXii13
-Based on pdaXrom beta 1/2/3
-2.4.20 kernel
-made by Meanie
-stable
-runs on C3000
SL-C3x00-specific:
Debian/Titchy
-Appeared recently
-Apparently stable
-Run full Debian on your Z
-Use regular Debian ARM repositories
-OABI and EABI varieties
*BSD
-Full BSD
-Stable
-SD support (?)
BT = Bluetooth
Short-range wireless to connect with mice, phones, etc.
CF = compact flash
Largish cards that provide storage or IO functions (Wi-Fi, bluetooth, etc.)
OE = OpenEmbedded
A build system for embedded Linux distributions. Used by OZ/Angstrom
OZ = OpenZaurus
A now-unmaintained ROM made with OE.
ROM = nickname for a distribution for the Zaurus
SD = Secure digital
Small cards about the size of a stamp. Sizes go up to about 4 GB.
SDHC = Secure digital high capacity
SD cards with capacity >4 GB. Not working with many ROMs.
SDIO = Secure Digital Input Output
SD cards that provide some functionality other than storage, eg Wi-Fi, bluetooth.
Wi-Fi = Wireless Fidelity