Linux / Qtopia TDS Recon X-Series Release sdg-fam084 Notes Introduction Thank you for purchasing the rugged TDS Recon running the Linux operating system. In these release notes, you will find the latest information regarding the Linux-based software on your Recon. These notes apply primarily to Qtopia release. GPE-specific notes are provided in a separate section. The Linux distribution is based on Familiar 0.8.4. Many of the packages in the Familiar repository will work as-is, though they should be considered "universal" in nature; that is, they have not been tested. NOTE: The documentation in the Recon box contains the original PocketPC reference material. Some of this material provides general hardware and operating information and has thus been included. Software Development - A C++ and Python software developer kit for a Linux host may be downloaded from the following location: http://familiar.sdgsystems.com/sdk/sdgsdk-fam084.tar.bz2 This tar file should be extracted in /opt/sdg, as follows % mkdir -p /opt/sdg % cd /opt/sdg % tar jxf /sdgsdk-fam084.tar.bz2 - The SDK has been tested on Fedora Core 5 and Ubuntu 6.06.1 LTS - Once downloaded, you should refer to the README.txt file in the resulting sdgsdk-fam084/ directory for information on building applications (including required environment variables). Kernel - The power button has a programmable timeout; that is, the duration that it must be pressed to be recognized. The "misc device" to program the power button is /dev/pbto. The number sent to /dev/pbto is in tenths of seconds. If the value is negative, then an ESC key-press will be generated if the power button is not held for the duration. I.e. echo -15 >/dev/pbto results in the following: Pressing the power button for less than 1.5 seconds causes an ESC key code to be generated. Pressing the power button for 1.5 seconds or more causes the system to suspend. (A positive value never causes an ESC key code to be generated.) NOTE: Setting the pbto value to be greater than 12 seconds will cause a reset event to be generated before a suspend event (i.e. a soft reset occurs after pressing Power for about 12 seconds). Networking - The Recon Qtopia software contains support for Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). This support should be consider ALPHA quality (i.e. it is only preliminary support and will be improved in the future). WPA should be configured to use the 'wext' Supplicant Driver. - The default USB Ethernet IP address for the Recon is 192.168.129.210. The default Ethernet configuration for USB Networking uses a small 4-bit netmask. The host computer may be configured as follows: iface usb0 inet static address 192.168.129.209 netmask 255.255.255.252 network 192.168.129.208 - This Linux distribution uses the /etc/network/interfaces network configuration method. Qtopia will write the configuration parameters to this file when you attempt to connect to a network. You should be aware that changes to this file may be overwritten by Qtopia for interfaces that are managed by Qtopia (i.e. eth0 and wlan0). - For Windows connectivity, please refer to the Support FAQs section of the SDG Systems' web site, http://www.sdgsystems.com/. - If you are having difficulty with the USB networking, try to 'ifdown usb0' and 'ifup usb0' on the Recon, using Terminal. The usb0 interface is not controlled through Qtopia. Remote Access: - The Recon information management utilities may be synchronized with your desktop computer using Qtopia Desktop. Qtopia Desktop may be downloaded at http://familiar.sdgsystems.com/trolltech/. - The Recon uses the "dropbear" secure shell server. You may ssh (or scp) to the Recon once you have configured the root password. - By default, the Recon has no root password, which prevents ssh from connecting to the Recon. The password may be set using the Terminal application and entering the 'passwd' command. - The Recon uses 'iptables' to block many remote ports except for those on the usb0 (USB cable) interface. It does not block ssh on any interface. Known Problems - The process of adding additional software packages is very slow, particularly when using the network configuration. Qtopia may even appear to be "hung." Patience is required. This slowness is due to the large number of software packages in the Familiar Linux distribution. Experienced Linux users may want to use the command-line tool, ipkg, for the installation and removal of software. - If the network is started using a terminal window (e.g. 'ifup eth0'), then Qtopia will be unable to fully control the network. You should use either Qtopia fully, or the command-line fully. - The Familiar repository contains many applications. We have not fully tested these applications and cannot guarantee their functionality. In particular, the Opie applications may not function. - Some MP3 files may not play properly from the Qtopia music player, depending on their compression ratio. - The Qtopia e-mail client cannot handle large numbers of messages using IMAP. GPE Notes - The calibration screen may require multiple touches at each crosshair location. - The Internal 802.11 network is controlled from the Network Applet. Enable the Network Applet by holding the stylus on the taskbar, then select "Add" and "Network Applet". To configure a network, select "Configure Network". In this Network Setup application, configure wlan0 for the 802.11 interface. Finally, Enable the WiFi interface using Network Applet to connect to the network. - The button programming screen does not have a proper image of the Recon. Do not use the button configuration application as your power button may no longer function. - The sound is not fully functional and is expected to be fixed in a future release. Support - For problems with the Linux-based Recon, please check the Support section of the SDG Systems' web site: http://www.sdgsystems.com/. - If you do not find the solution to your problem there, please contact us by sending e-mail to support@sdgsystems.com