iLiad The iLiad OS Project - Page 8

hansel · 04-12-2009, 12:40 PM

Just an idea after ericshliao's experiments: why not develop an IliadOs on bootable CF? If that boots approximately as fast as a stock Iliad it would enable us to leave the original software alone... This would make it less scary to upgrade and more people would join in...

What do you think?

Adam B. · 04-12-2009, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hansel

Just an idea after ericshliao's experiments: why not develop an IliadOs on bootable CF? If that boots approximately as fast as a stock Iliad it would enable us to leave the original software alone... This would make it less scary to upgrade and more people would join in...

What do you think?

Booting from CF is simple enough. You can take the current version of the iLiadOS and run it from a CF card.

However, this isn't easy for "Joe User". You have to be able to format the card with an ext2/3 file system, and copy the files and file structure from the reflash image to the card. It's not a simple process, and the card is basically unusable for anything but the operating system (unless you mess with file paths and mount points).

Reflashing the normal way should be a "safe" process. I think the issue with my dead iLiad is unrelated.

nekokami · 04-12-2009, 08:04 PM

Could we make a utility to reformat the card and copy the files and file structure? The iLiad supports several forms of storage, so even if this would tie up the CF slot, there are still ways to use the iLiad in this state, and it would be easier to try it out to test. Sort of like the linux live CDs.

jharker · 04-12-2009, 08:19 PM

That's a really good point. The OS can easily be distributed (and should be) in both forms: one to be run from CF, the other a direct install. Both forms would be substantially the same, it wouldn't be hard at all.

Adam makes a good point, running from CF would actually take more technical skill than running a simple installer program.

Hmm... here's a thought. Currently, (if I understand correctly), the idea is to have a simple program that users would run on their iLiad. This program would attempt to connect to the iLiadOS server and download the most current version to /mnt/protected, at which point the iLiad performs a standard OS upgrade. After that, iLiadOS would handle its own upgrades using a similar technique.

Why not have a second program that looks for a CF card, prompts the user for confirmation, formats the card to ext2/3, then downloads iLiadOS from the server and installs it on the card? I think that this would be a fairly easy script to write, and it would be just as easy for "Joe User" as the regular install.

This would basically be analogous to Ubuntu offering options to either install on the computer or run from CD.

Edit: Oh, snap! Nekokami beat me to it.

nekokami · 04-12-2009, 11:21 PM

Heh. Great minds think alike... or something like that.

vblars · 04-13-2009, 03:26 PM

I have a question. What if "user Joe" don't want to use CF card for other things than books ??

Lars

jharker · 04-13-2009, 04:06 PM

Well, if you want to run iLiadOS off a card, it has to be a CF card (no SD or MMC, right?). If you want to keep your CF card for other things, then iLiadOS will have to be installed directly on the iLiad.

Adam B. · 04-13-2009, 04:22 PM

Just to claify, most users will want to upgrade their iLiad to run the iLiadOS like they do any other software upgrade.

Running it from a CF card is typically reserved for only power users with specific requirements.

Adam B. · 04-13-2009, 04:24 PM

That leads me to a question for those who want to run it from a CF card. Why?

Other than the additional root file space (which isn't really necessary IMO), for what reason do you want to run the OS from a CF card instead of the root file system?

nekokami · 04-13-2009, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam B.

That leads me to a question for those who want to run it from a CF card. Why?

Other than the additional root file space (which isn't really necessary IMO), for what reason do you want to run the OS from a CF card instead of the root file system?

Beta testing?

vblars · 04-14-2009, 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekokami

Beta testing?

Jea that can I understand but release I my opinion shout be in main memory. Just my 5 cent. :P

Lars

hansel · 04-14-2009, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam B.

That leads me to a question for those who want to run it from a CF card. Why?

Other than the additional root file space (which isn't really necessary IMO)...

Apart from testing, I think that a larger (ext2 or ext3) root file system is an important asset. Right now it is messy to install apps with shared libs in places like /usr/local because there is not much room to share there. Installing on CF or SD is tricky because those are not formatted in a way that allows symlinks (often used for shared libs)

See the discussion in https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36117 , starting at message 4

nekokami · 04-15-2009, 03:18 PM

Not just Beta testing, even. I'd like to try a new OS without having to face reinstalling everything if I don't like it. I think the unix distros with live CD downloads have the right idea here.

kabocha · 04-18-2009, 01:51 PM

Just thinking out loud here, but couldn't the new iLiad OS be installed on a vmware image for people to try it out and to compare it to the original OS before switching?

hansel · 04-18-2009, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kabocha

Just thinking out loud here, but couldn't the new iLiad OS be installed on a vmware image for people to try it out and to compare it to the original OS before switching?

I ported VMPlayer to the Iliad once, but I think I lost the backup floppy ;-)

04-12-2009, 12:40 PM	#106
hansel JSR FFD2 Posts: 305 Karma: 1045 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands, Europe, Sol 3 Device: iliad	IliadOS on CF Just an idea after ericshliao's experiments: why not develop an IliadOs on bootable CF? If that boots approximately as fast as a stock Iliad it would enable us to leave the original software alone... This would make it less scary to upgrade and more people would join in... What do you think?

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04-12-2009, 08:04 PM	#108
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Could we make a utility to reformat the card and copy the files and file structure? The iLiad supports several forms of storage, so even if this would tie up the CF slot, there are still ways to use the iLiad in this state, and it would be easier to try it out to test. Sort of like the linux live CDs.

04-12-2009, 08:19 PM	#109
jharker Developer Posts: 345 Karma: 3473 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Device: iRex iLiad v1, Blackberry Tour, Kindle DX, iPad.	That's a really good point. The OS can easily be distributed (and should be) in both forms: one to be run from CF, the other a direct install. Both forms would be substantially the same, it wouldn't be hard at all. Adam makes a good point, running from CF would actually take more technical skill than running a simple installer program. Hmm... here's a thought. Currently, (if I understand correctly), the idea is to have a simple program that users would run on their iLiad. This program would attempt to connect to the iLiadOS server and download the most current version to /mnt/protected, at which point the iLiad performs a standard OS upgrade. After that, iLiadOS would handle its own upgrades using a similar technique. Why not have a second program that looks for a CF card, prompts the user for confirmation, formats the card to ext2/3, then downloads iLiadOS from the server and installs it on the card? I think that this would be a fairly easy script to write, and it would be just as easy for "Joe User" as the regular install. This would basically be analogous to Ubuntu offering options to either install on the computer or run from CD. Edit: Oh, snap! Nekokami beat me to it.

04-12-2009, 11:21 PM	#110
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Heh. Great minds think alike... or something like that.

04-13-2009, 03:26 PM	#111
vblars Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 3090 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Cybook Odyssey HD FrontLight	I have a question. What if "user Joe" don't want to use CF card for other things than books ?? Lars

04-13-2009, 04:06 PM	#112
jharker Developer Posts: 345 Karma: 3473 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Device: iRex iLiad v1, Blackberry Tour, Kindle DX, iPad.	Well, if you want to run iLiadOS off a card, it has to be a CF card (no SD or MMC, right?). If you want to keep your CF card for other things, then iLiadOS will have to be installed directly on the iLiad.

04-13-2009, 04:22 PM	#113
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	Just to claify, most users will want to upgrade their iLiad to run the iLiadOS like they do any other software upgrade. Running it from a CF card is typically reserved for only power users with specific requirements.

04-13-2009, 04:24 PM	#114
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	That leads me to a question for those who want to run it from a CF card. Why? Other than the additional root file space (which isn't really necessary IMO), for what reason do you want to run the OS from a CF card instead of the root file system?

04-15-2009, 03:18 PM	#118
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Not just Beta testing, even. I'd like to try a new OS without having to face reinstalling everything if I don't like it. I think the unix distros with live CD downloads have the right idea here.

04-18-2009, 01:51 PM	#119
kabocha Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Irex iLiad v2	Just thinking out loud here, but couldn't the new iLiad OS be installed on a vmware image for people to try it out and to compare it to the original OS before switching?