Archive - hermocom

Basalraten-Verwaltung

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:59:17 +0000

Archived 2012-10-10:
This product is not offered or supported by hermocom anymore and this article may be outdated.

Dieses Produkt wird nicht mehr weiterentwickelt und die Unterstützung durch hermocom wurde eingestellt. Der Artikel ist evtl. veraltet.

(no English version of this page available, because the program itself also only exists in German language. - Keine englishe Version dieser Seite verfügbar, da das Programm selbst auch nur auf deutsch existiert).

"Basalraten-Verwaltung" ist ein kostenloses Windows-Programm zum Verwalten von Basalraten einer Insulinpumpe.

Das Programm ist lauffähig unter allen Windows-Versionen ab Windows 95.

Sie können damit

die Basalrate Ihrer Insulinpumpe "graphisch" eingeben
drei individuelle Bolus-BE-Faktoren, Notizen und Datum der Programmierung angeben
die Basalrate mit allen Zusatzinformationen als übersichtliches Diagramm ausdrucken
eine beliebige Anzahl von Basalraten auf Ihrer Festplatte abspeichern, um bei Bedarf wieder darauf zurückgreifen zu können

Screenshots

Hier sehen Sie einen Screenshot von der neuen Version 2.1, der zeigt, was ich unter "graphischer Eingabe" der Basalrate verstehe:

Für jede Stunde der Basalrate gibt es einen Schieber, dessen Stellung die Höhe der Rate der entsprechenden Stunde repräsentiert.

Der Ausdruck, den Sie zum Arzt mitmehmen können, sieht so aus:

Download

{jd_file file==6}

Installation

Entpacken Sie die Datei BV21F.ZIP in ein temporäres Verzeichnis auf Ihrer Festplatte (evtl. benötigen Sie ein Packprogramm wie WinZIP dazu) und führen Sie INSTALL.EXE aus. Dies wird Basalraten-Verwaltung auf Ihrem Computer installieren und einen Eintrag im Startmenü anlegen.

Bitte beachten: Zur Benutzung des Programms unter 64bit-Windows-Versionen, bitte die ZIP-Datei entpacken und das Programm nicht installieren. Das Installationsprogramm funktioniert nicht auf 64bit-Systemen. Sie können die EXE-Datei direkt starten, um das Programm zu benutzen. Bitte schieben Sie den Programmordner an einen geeigneten Ort (z.B. C:\Programme), und um den Start des Programms zu vereinfachen, erstellen Sie eine Verknüpfung der EXE-Datei und ziehen diese Verknüpfung ins Startmenü, auf die Schnellstartleiste oder auf den Desktop.

Handbuch

Das Handbuch zu Basalratenverwaltung finden Sie in der herunterzulandenden ZIP-Datei als README.TXT

C-Diary Diabetes Diary for Symbian Smartphones

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:49:56 +0000

Archived 2012-10-10:
This product is not sold or supported by hermocom anymore and this article may be outdated.

C-Diary is now freeware.
Enter this information in the "Registration" dialog of C-Diary, in order to unlock all of C-Diary's features:
Username: freeware
License key: hmc212725145856522

If you get a "Signature expired" error when installing, set your device's date temporarily back to "2012-01-01" (it may be necessary to temporariliy disable automatic date/time setting via network for this) and retry the installation. After successful installation, set correct date/time again.

C-Diary is a diabetes diary for cellular phones.
Which phones are supported? See below.

The "C" in C-Diary is the abbreviation for "Cellular". The English pronounciation of C-Diary is identical to that one of SiDiary, an electronic diabetes diary for Windows, Windows Mobile and Java by SINOVO Ltd. & Co. KG. The initial idea was to write an input module for SiDiary, which runs on cellphones using the Symbian operating system, because this is a gap in the SiDiary product family.
My application quickly evolved into a seperate product, independent from SiDiary. Hence the different but still similar name.

If you are looking for a Symbian diabetes diary which is compatible with mediaspects DIABASS, have a look at my program "DIASYM"!

The intensive contact to the SINOVO team assures that C-Diary will always be compatible to SiDiary, so that you can transfer all your diabetes data tracked with C-Diary on your cellphone to SiDiary on the PC, and gather, manage and evaluate the data there. Direct data transfer from C-Diary to SiDiary Online is possible using the "SiDiary AirSync".

C-Diary comes with a few valuable statistical analysis features. But for complex analysis and report generation, I recommend to use a PC-based or server-based solution such as SiDiary.

Features

Multilanguage: English, German and French interface
High efficency:
- Quick and easy data entry and editing
- Quick and easy database navigation
Day trend as a convenient diagram

Day statistics (more statistics planned). Day pie chart visualizes day's quality at a glance.

Highly configurable:
- Multilanguage program interface (English, German, French)
- Units: mg/dl, mmol/l. BE, KE, g etc.
- Blood glucose target range and limits

Entry of following data supported per record: Blood glucose, Insulin 1, Insulin 2, Carbohydrates, Hypoglycemia symptoms, Injection-food delay, Blood pressure and Pulse, Comment, Weight, and 36 predefined events as well as 26 user-definable event.

C-Diary integrates seamlessly with the SiDiary product group and allows data transfer conveniently using following methods:
- Bluetooth or Infrared connection (file transfer for import into SiDiary PC version)
- via Email (file transfer for import into SiDiary PC version)
- SiDiary AirSync (send data directly from the phone to SiDiary Online)

Operable via keypad and/or touchscreen

Native Symbian program, C-Diary is not a Java application. Hence C-Diary has great snappy performance and can handle databases with several thousand records without a problem.

Screenshots

The following screenshots are taken on the Symbian UIQ3 phone "M600i" by Sony Ericsson. On other platforms, C-Diary may look slightly differently.

Click on a thumbnail to enlarge:

{gallery}articles/c-diary/screenshots/en{/gallery}

Download

Here you can download the current version of C-Diary:

{jd_file file==7}

Licenses

In unlicensed DEMO mode, C-Diary will be fully functional except that the amount of data records in the diary is limited to 13.
To overcome this limitation, you need a license:

C-Diary is now freeware.
Enter this information in the "Registration" dialog of C-Diary, in order to unlock all of C-Diary's features:
Username: freeware
License key: hmc212725145856522

If you are interested in C-Diary:

The German SiDiary forums with a discussion board for C-Diary, on
http://www.forum.diabetesinfo.de/forum/index.php/board=75.0.html

On which cell phones can C-Diary be used?

C-Diary runs on the Symbian platforms UIQ2, UIQ3, Series60 (S60) 2nd, 3rd and 5th edition.
Thus many current phones made by Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and other manufacturers are supported.

The following list shows phone models which should support C-Diary. I cannot guarantee that C-Diary indeed runs on all of these phones, because I cannot test all of them. Also, the list may be incomplete.
In order to find out if C-Diary is supported by your phone, please download and install it. Before buying a license, it will run in demo mode and you can try all features before you buy a license.

A current overview over Symbian phone is available in the cell phone lists provided by Wikipedia:

List of S60 devices
List of UIQ devices
List of Symbian^3 devices

DIASYM: DIABASS compatible diabetes diary for Symbian cellphones

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:59:57 +0000

Archived 2012-10-10:
This product is not sold or supported by hermocom anymore and this article may be outdated.

DIASYM is now freeware.
Enter this information in the "Registration" dialog of DIASYM, in order to unlock all of DIASYM's features:
Username: freeware
License key: hmc169018752223117

If you get a "Signature expired" error when installing, set your device's date temporarily back to "2012-01-01" (it may be necessary to temporariliy disable automatic date/time setting via network for this) and retry the installation. After successful installation, set correct date/time again.

DIASYM is a diabetes diary application for cellular phones.
Which phones are supported? See below.

DIASYM is compatible to mediaspects DIABASS, the well-known diabetes data management application for Windows PCs.

DIASYM can be used to record all your diabetes data with your mobile phone. While DISAYM also offers some data evaluation functions, you may want to use mediaspects DIABASS to analyze your data in further detail. DIASYM's convenient data transfer to DIABASS assures that it is only a matter of a few minutes until all your DIASYM data is available in DIABASS on your PC.

If you are looking for a Symbian diabetes diary which is compatible with Sinovo SiDiary, have a look at my program "C-Diary"!

Features

Multilanguage: English, German and French interface
High efficency:
- Quick and easy data entry and editing
- Quick and easy database navigation
Day trend as a convenient diagram
Day statistics (more statistics planned). Day pie chart visualizes day's quality at a glance.
Highly configurable:
- Multilanguage program interface (English, German, French)
- Units: mg/dl, mmol/l. BE, KE, g etc.
- Blood glucose target range and limits
Entry of following data supported per record: Blood glucose, Insulin 1, Insulin 2, Carbohydrates, Hypoglycemia symptoms, Injection-food delay, Blood pressure and Pulse, Comment, Weight, and 36 predefined events as well as 26 user-definable event.
DIASYM is the Symbian mobile companion for mediaspects DIABASS and allows data transfer conveniently using following methods:
- Bluetooth or Infrared connection (file transfer for import into mediaspects DIABASS on the PC)
- via Email (file transfer for import into mediaspects DIABASS PC version)
Operable via keyboard and/or touchscreen
Native Symbian program, DIASYM is not a Java application. Hence DIASYM has great snappy performance and can handle databases with several thousand records without a problem.

Screenshots

The following screenshots are taken on the Symbian UIQ3 phone "M600i" by Sony Ericsson. On other platforms, DIASYM may look slightly differently.

Click on a thumbnail to enlarge:

{gallery}articles/diasym/screenshots/en{/gallery}

Download

Here you can download the current version of DIASYM including the import filter for mediaspects DIABASS (provided by mediaspects GmbH):

{jd_file file==8}

Licenses

In unlicensed DEMO mode, DIASYM will be fully functional except that the amount of data records in the diary is limited.
To overcome this limitation, you need a usage license:

DIASYM is now freeware.
Enter this information in the "Registration" dialog of DIASYM, in order to unlock all of DIASYM's features:
Username: freeware
License key: hmc169018752223117

On which cell phones can DIASYM be used?

DIASYM runs on the Symbian platforms UIQ2, UIQ3, Series60 (S60) 2nd, 3rd and 5th edition.
Thus many current phones made by Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and other manufacturers are supported.

The following list shows phone models which should support DIASYM. I cannot guarantee that DIASYM indeed runs on all of these phones, because I cannot test all of them. Also, the list may be incomplete.
In order to find out if DIASYM is supported by your phone, please download and install it. Before buying a license, it will run in demo mode and you can try all features before you buy a license.

A current overview over Symbian phone is available in the cell phone lists provided by Wikipedia:

List of S60 devices
List of UIQ devices
List of Symbian^3 devices

The Viliv N5 UMPC

Tue, 24 May 2011 17:43:18 +0000

Archived 2012-10-10:
This product is not offered or supported by hermocom anymore and this article may be outdated.

CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK (Last price: 599 €)

The Viliv N5 is a powerful Microsoft Windows 7 powered "Palmtop" device, very similar form factor as the HP 200LX (i.e. truly pocketable), equipped with

1.3GHz Intel ATOM processor
1 GB RAM
32 GB SSD memory
3G / HSDPA built-in
built-in GPS receiver
microSD card slot
Wireless connectivity built-in: Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi
1024 x 600 pixel TFT touchscreen
built-in optical pointing device
full high-quality QWERTY keyboard
typical 4-5 hours of usage per battery charge, can be enhanced, with proper energy saving options, to a lot more (even 10 hours is possible!)
built-in webcam
standard USB port and standard audio / headphones port

It is also possible to install Linux (Ubuntu Netbook Edition 10.04 with added GMA500 support) on the Viliv N5.

UMID M1/BZ as a HPLX successor

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:27:12 +0000

This product is not sold or supported by hermocom anymore and this article may be outdated.

written by Daniel Hertrich
www.hermocom.com

This review is written from the point of view of a former HP 200LX power user, who has found a successor for the 200LX in the UMID M1.

Correction/Addition (2011-02-05):

In the meantime I have switched to a Viliv N5 UMPC, which suits my needs better.
Since the UMID M1 and the Viliv N5 share some identical or similar hardware and software components, my Viliv N5 setup guide may be worthwhile for you to read, too.

Please be aware that this review, which contains tipps and tricks for optimizing the system, is not maintained anymore as of beginning of the year 2011.
In the meantime, some problems which are described as unresolved here, may have been resolved.
The central place to look for solutions is the pockables forum.

E.g. on http://forum.pocketables.net/showthread.php?t=9052 member fixup summarized a series of fixes and tricks how to overcome some of the remaining problems. You should definitely read that thread when you have finished reading this review.

{gallery}articles/review__umid_mbook_m1{/gallery}

1. Introduction / What is the mbook M1 and mbook BZ?
2. Photos for comparison
3. Adapt your thinking!
4. Interfaces, accessories
5. The user interface
- 5.1. "Desktop-like" working
  - 5.1.1. Using external keyboard / mouse / display
  - 5.1.2. Using another PC to control the M1
6. Overall quality
7. Which OS to use?
8. Storage and backup considerations
9. Performance
- 9.1. The "FlashFire" SSD booster
10. Internet access
11. Encryption, Security, Login
12. Outlook / PIM synchronisation
13. Office software solutions
14. Backup solutions / partition image
15. The standby/wakeup issue, Instant-On and WiFi / BT deactivation on standby / GMA500 driver variations
- 15.1. My setup #1, using the default GMA500 driver delivered by UMID and Instant-On with Standby
- 15.2. My setup #2, using the IEGD GMA500 driver and longer "Instant-On" with hibernation
16. Keyboard-only usage / The nice special keys of the LX keyboard
17. The HP Connectivity Pack on the UMID M1/BZ
18. How to continue with... (HPLX Applications)
- 18.1. MindMap/LX
- 18.2. Notes database (NDB)
- 18.3. Lotus 1-2-3
- 18.4. TimeTracker/LX
- 18.5. Post/LX, WWW/LX....
- 18.6. PIM
- 18.7. HPCalc
- 18.8. Programming the Palmtop
19. LX user questions
20. Remaining issues
21. Scripts and configuration files
- 21.1. OnStandby.bat
- 21.2. OnWakeup.bat
- 21.3. Activate_Wireless.bat
- 21.4. My AutoHotKey script
  - 21.4.1. m1local.ahk

1. Introduction / What is the mbook M1 and mbook BZ?

This review is about the UMID mbook M1.
The UMID mbook BZ is its successor. It has different case design and some internal improvements which solve some of the "teething troubles" of the M1. So some of the tweaks described in this review may not be needed for the BZ.
However, the really annoying wakeup problems and WiFi / BT deactivation on sleep are NOT solved in the BZ. These problems will be described later on in this document.

Here is a BZ review which also mentions differences between the M1 and the BZ:
http://www.pocketables.net/2010/01/review-umid-mbook-bz.html

I have the UMID mbook M1, model M1-114KWA.
According to the overview of available M1 models here:
http://forum.pocketables.net/showthread.php?t=2933
this is a model which came with Linux installed.
I got it second hand with Windows XP preloaded, but I installed my own systems: Dual-boot Windows XP SP3 and Linux.

The UMID mbook M1 is a "mini netbook", i.e. it has mostly the technical specifications of a modern low-cost netbook, but is much smaller. It has approximately the size of the HP 200LX. It is little bit larger in footprint, but not as thick, making it fit most of the old HP 200LX carrying cases nicely.

My M1 has an Intel Atom 1.1 GHz processor (there are models with up to 1.33GHz), 512MB RAM (some models have 1GB) and 16GB SSD memory built-in (some models have 8 GB, some 32 GB).

With a few optimization steps, it is possible to make the M1 a good substitute for a "large" PC, even at home, using some external accessories.

There is a DMB TV tuner built into most or all M1 models, which is quite useless for usage outside of Korea (or Asia). It is some sort of digital TV, an enhancement of the DAB digital audio broadcast standard.
However, the DMB antenna is so small that it's virtually no waste of space to have it inside the M1.
Nevertheless, I am considering a hardware modification, taking out the DMB antenna and replacing it with a standard 3,5mm or maybe 2,5mm headphone plug.

This is one of the weaker points of the M1:
Headphones and USB are not connected using standard connectors.
This will be discussed further later on.

2. Photos for comparison

For an optical comparison between the HP 200LX and the UMID mbook M1, I have taken some photos and uploaded them to my homepage, as part of a project of making the HP Connectivity Pack work well on the M1. You can see the pictures here:

http://www.hermocom.com/en/knowledgebase/hplx/cpackm1

3. Adapt your thinking!

Before reading on, please consider the following:

The UMID mbook M1 is a normal Intel ATOM based netbook, running a normal version of Windows XP.
That means, you can do almost anything with it which you do with your Windows desktop computer as well, and you can even do most of it the same way as you do it with your desktop PC.

For me, it took some time to realize this for myself, having struggled with the various limitations of ultramobile platforms such as the 200LX; the Zaurus etc.
And even now I sometimes forget about it and begin to think much too complicated about "how to do XY with the M1". Most of the times it's just as easy as on your PC. Look for the right software or hardware for your purpose, download / buy it, and use it.
The most difficult part of it most of the times is to find the best solution out of the many possibilities which exist for such a platform.
Sometimes it may be desireable to adapt the configuration to the UMID's properties or to make a new program better operable by keyboard, using its own configuration features, or using third-party software such as AutoHotKey.

4. Interfaces, accessories

I mentioned the weaker point in the introduction about non-standard ports.
Note: The mbook BZ has standard connectors instead. The following only applies to the M1:

In order to connect audio accessories, such as headphones or an external amplifier to the M1 you need a very proprietary adapter delivered with the M1, which connects to the TTA 20-pin multi-purpose connector of the M1. This TTA connector is not easily obtainable (for building your own adapter). I have not found a source for it yet.

For USB there is a female Mini-B USB connecor in the M1, making it possible to plug in normal Mini-USB plugs. UMID includes an adapter, which makes the Mini-USB a standard female USB-A cnnector.
There are also a lot of Mini-USB to USB-A cables on the market, used for connecting all sorts of smaller devices (2,5" HDDs, mobile phones, media players etc.) to a PC, but those cables cannot be used to connect anything to the M1, because they end in a male USB-A plug rather than a female one.

It would be good to have a simple Mini-USB-B to Mini-USB-B cable for direct connections of the above mentioned devices to the M1, but such cables are not part of the USB standard, so they are not or at least not officially available.

Wikipedia has a good article about the USB standard and the available connectors, allowed cable types etc.

English:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus

German:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus

5. The user interface

The hardware user interface (touchscreen, keyboard) of the M1 is very good.

The touchscreen displays a crispy, bright image of 1024x600 pixels, touchscreen responsiveness is excellent, and the keyboard is well sized. The keys have a little less tactile feedback than the 200LX keys, but need more vertical movement, so it is easy to distinghuish by the finger feeling if the key has been pressed or not. The keys are not as well distinguishable by finger touch from each other as the 200LX keys. This makes it a bit more difficult to learn fast multi-finger writing on the M1's keyboard.

The keyboard of the M1 is basically a US keyboard. Some models additionally have Koeran characters on the keys, but in a normal US configuration of Windows this has no effect. The US keyboard layout driver is used.

In order to make my M1 keyboard a bit more "German", I exchanged the key caps of "Y" and "Z", now having a German QWERTZ rather than a US QWERTY keyboard. But all other keys remain in their place.
So I use the US layout driver of Windows XP, and additionally there are two lines in my global AutoHotKey script (see later) which exchange the Y and Z keys logically again, so when typing Z at its new position, I really get Z, and not Y.

5.1. "Desktop-like" working

There are a lot of ways to enhance ergonomics when working with the M1 at home or in the office.

I use and explain two of them here:

1. Using external peripherals (keyboard, mouse, display), connected via USB, to make the M1 a stand-alone "large" PC

2. Using another, larger PC as a companion to the M1 and using its user interface (keyboard, mouse, display) to control the M1 (via VNC connection)

5.1.1. Using external keyboard / mouse / display: For working at places where you have the needed space, you can connect an external keyboard and mouse easily (using USB or Bluetooth). Key mapping is no problem, as Windows XP can adapt to several keyboard layouts easily.

The only problem: I have not found a way yet to make the Y/Z exchange by AutoHotKey only apply to the US layout or (which would be optimal) only to the internal keyboard. I have exchanged the X and Y keycaps and programmed X/Y exchange in AutoHotKey, but as soon as I connect an external keyboard without this key cap swap (no matter which layout) and choose the according layout from the input configuration of Windows XP, X and Y are assigned in the wrong way.

It is also possible to connect an external display to the M1.
The M1 doesn't have any VGA or DVI / HDMI interface. But there are USB2.0 to VGA/DVI/HDMI adapters which work really well and allow for quite high resolutions and quite smooth movements. For high-quality video watching however, it's not appropriate.
I have connected a 19" TFT display to my M1 running at 1280x1024, using a Winstar USB to VGA adapter. The driver for the USB to VGA interface is highly configurable. YOu can extend the desktop to the additional display, you can mirror the first screen to the second, or you can let the M1 switch off its own screen when connecting an external one. This is what I do. So if I connect the external screen, I have the entire Windows desktop on the external monitor instantly.

I have built my own "docking station" for the M1, consisting of a powerd USB hub, keyboard, mouse and VGA adapter. I just have to plug in the USB hub and after a few seconds of initializing, I can continue my work like on a real desktop computer.
5.1.2. Using another PC to control the M1: Using a VNC connection, you can remote-control the M1 from any PC.

Just install a VNC server on the M1, such as TightVNC Server, and use a VNC client program (e.g. TightVNC Client on Windows, MAC OS X's built-in desktop sharing, which also uses the VNC protcol, etc.) on the PC you want to control the M1 from.
Connect both, and have the M1's desktop in a window on the PC.
You can control the M1 that way using the keyboard, mouse and display of the other PC while the other PC is also still usable normally.

6. Overall quality

The case build quality of the M1 is not optimal. The case build quality of the 200LX was much better, despite of its problems such as the hinge crack or screw hole cracks.
I don't know how long the M1's case will last, At least my impression is that it will not last as long as the (not-cracked) HPLX cases do.
(The BZ has a much improved build quality, by the way)

The impression, when you hold the M1 in your hand and work the hinge, squeeze the case a bit etc. is that build quaity is rather cheap, like a plastic toy.
However, as long as it doesn't break, that's not important to me. Only functionality matters for me.

One weakness of the M1 case is that its surface is totally even and not corrugated in any way to enhance grip friction from your hands. This results in the M1 being much more slippery than the 200LX, raising danger that it falls out of your hand e.g. when grabbing it from your backpocket or in many other situations.
I seriously consider to adhere some rubber coat to the bottom of the M1 in order to achieve better friction.

7. Which OS to use?

I chose Windows XP Professional.
Why?

I chose Windows, because I have to work with Windows at work, and because I have a few programs which I want to use, whch are only Windows compatible.
I have a Mac at home, so Mac OS and kind of Linux is available.
I could run the Windows applications under VMWare or PArallels on the Mac, but I want to have them available on the palmtop, and using VMWare under Linux on a palmtop is probably not such a good idea.
Additionally, I like to have a native Windows computer at hand.

I chose XP, because it is the most compatible, performant and mature Windows for modern needs.

I chose Professional, mainly because of the enhanced file / folder sharing settings available there. I need to share the files on the M1 with other computers, and I want that to be as safe and customizable as possible.
Pro has some other advantages over the ome version in networking context, and the palmtop has to be integrated into several networks, at home, at work and maybe elsewhere.

Additionally I installed Linux on a second partition, but that's another story. This review cares about Wiindows only. Windows will be my main operating system on the M1, mainly in order to be compatible to my PC at work and because I have a few Windows-only programs I need to use.

8. Storage and backup considerations

The solid state memory (SSD, acting as drive C: for Windows) is soldered into the M1. It is not exchangeable or removeable.
So, if the M1 shoud ever fail to work, you won't have access to any data on the SSD anymore.
Such an ultra-mobile device is exposed to a lot of danger to fall, being hit etc., so I decided to put all my user data not on the internal SSD, but on a MicroSD card in the M1's MicroSD slot.
That way, in case the M1 fails to work I can simply take out the card and access my data.

Of course, also any other person (no matter if he finds or steals the M1) will be able to access the data.
So all sensitive data on the MicroSD card must be encrypted. See the section about encryption and security later on.

Onto the SSD I only put the operating system and installed programs.
16GB (or 11GB in my case, due to dual-boot setup with Windows and Linux partitions) are plenty of space for that matter.

For several reasons (backup in case I damage the system, backup in case the M1 gets lost and has to be replaced) I regularly create images of the Windows partition, during I am still in the installation and optimization phase.

I also create frequent backups of the MicroSD card contents, using the synchonizing tool "AllwaySync", which incrementally (i.e. time-saving) backs up all MicroSD card contents to an external hard drive.

See below section about Backup solutions for details aboutt the backup strategy.

In order to let all Windows applications automatically store their data on the MicroSD card, I moved my user profile (NOT the entire Documents and Settings folder) to the MicroSD card, i.e.
C:\Documents and Settings\daniel
became
G:\Userprofiles\daniel

The process of moving the user profile is described here
German:
http://www.winfaq.de/faq_html/Content/tip1500/onlinefaq.php?h=tip1912.htm

English:
http://smallvoid.com/article/winnt-move-userprofile.html

And here is another approach, using a file system junction point (NOT tested by me!):
http://www.starkeith.net/coredump/2009/05/18/how-to-move-your-windows-user-profile-to-another-drive/

When those tutorials talk about access rights for the new profile location, keep in mind that most MicroSD cards will be formatted with FAT32 by default, which does not support access rights. So either format the card with NTFS, or simply omit the steps adjusting user access rights. I did the latter, and did not have any negative effects yet. For security, I encrypt my data with TrueCrypt anyway, and I am the only user using my M1, so assigning different access rights for different users is not necessary.

9. Performance

The M1 has impressive technical specifications for its size. However, for Windows XP they are not far from the lower limit. Especially 512MB of RAM are critical.

Hence it is really worthwhile to take care how to strip down the entire system in order to save ressources.
I have used nLite to create a custom stripped down Windows XP installation (SP2 slipstreamed) with some unneeded services disabled, eye candy switched off and some programs not installed which would normally be installed along with Winwows.

The M1 uses the Intel GMA500 graphic chipset. UMID's Windows XP driver for this chipset is not optimially programmed. It needs around 100 MB of RAM! Unfortunately there is no alternative yet, so you have to live with that terrible waste of RAM.
(Update: Unless you use the new IEGD GMA500 driver, which uses far less RAM, but does not support standby mode at all, so you need to use hibernation instead, see the according section in this review).
So even more it is necessary to save RAM elsewhere.

With an optimized system you get very good response from the system in normal operation. You should still take care not to open too many programs at once. You probalby won't use too ressource-hungry programs anyway (video editing is no task for an UMPC!).

A performance bottleneck is heavy usage of the SSD (the solid state hard drive of the M1). Due to the small amount fo RAM, Windows often swaps RAM data to disk. Also on wakeup after standby there is heavy SSD usage until the system is responsive again.

9.1. The "FlashFire" SSD booster: A really great performance booster is the small program "FlashFire".

http://flashfire.org/xe/

FlashFire is an "intelligent" SSD cache in RAM, which dramatically reduces SSD writes and reads and hence boost the performance of the M1 greatly. Also the "instant-on", i.,e. wakeup from standby, gets a great speed-up by FlashFire, so it almost feels like real instant-on.
FlashFire, BTW, can also be used for other Windows devices using SSDs (netbooks etc.).

I have installed FlashFire version 0.9f currently ~~and did not experience any problems with it so far~~.
Update: ATTENTION: FlashFire can cause Windows not to be bootable anymore under certain circumstances. So far it seems that FlashFire does not cooperate with Windows Update. If Windows Update updates the system while FlashFire is active, it can lead to an unbootable Windows installation (even safe mode or last known working configuration don't boot anymore!). This has been reported by several users, and also I have made that experience now.
So, my recommendation for the UMID M1/BZ is to disable Windows Update entirely (after installing SP3 to make the system secure enough), and only enable it once a month or so knowingly and deactivate or even uninstall FlashFire for the time Windows Update updates your system.

Additionally, always keep a good backup and maybe even a system partition image, in case something breaks. This is alwas a good idea, not only when using FlashFire ;-)

The other way, i.e. not to install FlashFire at all, is safer of course. Even more because I don't know if there are more potential situations in which FlashFire could cause severe file system corruption.
But I take that risk, because (a) the speed improvement introduced by FlashFire is great, especially for instant-on, and (b) I always have a quite recent backup image of my system partition and have all my user data on the MicroSD, so reinstalling the system and programs is a matter of only an hour for restoring the parition image, and I don't risk any user data using FlashFire.

10. Internet access

The M1 comes with Bluetooth and WiFi built-in. It also has a non-standard but adaptable USB 2.0 port. So there are many ways to access the Internet.

Using WiFi to connect to any available access point (WEP and WPA / WPA-2 supported of course).

Using Bluetooth to connect for example to a mobile phone which acts as a modem to the mobile phone network.

Using USB to connect a mobile phone, or an USB LAN adapter, or a 3G USB interface ("Surf stick").

11. Encryption, Security, Login

In order to avoid that anyone can access your programs, you should configure Windows to not log you on automatically, and assign a password to your account.
Also, it's a good idea to enable password requesting after standby / hibernation and maybe even after the screensaver was active.
I have set my screensaver to show "blank screen" after 15 minutes of inactivity, and require password when leaving the screensaver. That way, my system is even quite safe if I leave the device anattended for some time and forget to switch it off.

However, all this is not enough:
Anyone with good computer skills may boot your M1 for example with a Linux USB drive and access your data from Linux.
There is no way around strong file encryption, unless you really don't have any sensitive data on the device.

Please don't only consider your own data sensitive.
For example as soon as I send you an email with some private information, and you download that email onto your palmtop and save it there in unencrypted form, once your palmtop gets stolen, I have to be worried about my private information.
So please think well about if you really do not need encryption!

Some programs come with their own data file encryption functions.
E.g. Notecase Pro, the outliner I use (described further below in more detail) can encrypt its files.

However, many programs do not come with such capabilities.
For those, you should use a generic encryption approach, such as TrueCrypt.

On the MicroSD card I have created a TrueCrypt volume of 1GB to store all my personal sensitive data.

TrueCrypt is a well-known multi-platform encryption solution, similar to "Secure device" on the 200LX. Basically, you create an encryted file which contains an entire file system. This file system is handled using an own drive letter in the system.
Since TrueCrypt is multi-platform, you can use the encrypted drive also via network access (SMB file sharing) e.g. from a Mac or a Linux computer.

Applications which save sensitive data by default in the "Documents and settings" tree, e.g. in the user profile have to be redirected to the new encrypted drive. This can be done in different ways, either by creating links (shortcuts) into the encrypted drive from the original location in the Documents and Settings tree, or by configuring the application to store their data on the encrypted drive (if possible).

Encryption is very important for e.g. mail clients which download your private or business emails to the M1. For your favorite journalling application, also for your address book with all contact data of your friends or customers etc.

Of course, you should take care to quit all applications which handle sensitive data and unmount the Truecrypt volume whenever you leave the M1 unattended for some time. The strongest encryption is worthless, if you give anyone access to the unencrypted data by leaving the TrueCrypt volume mounted all the time.
This is quite inconvenient, because you may want, especially on an ultra-mobile device, to leave your applications open and simply close the palmtop, and when you open it again, you want to continue your work. But always keep in mind that if you lose the M1, someone else will also be able to flap it open and "continue your work".

In order to make encryption handling more convenient, I have created two AutoHotKey hotkeys which use the TrueCrypt command line interface:

Shift-Win-C shows the TrueCrypt password dialog box and if I entered the password correctly, mounts the TrueCrypt drive and opens an Explorer window with the contents of that encrypted drive.

Shift-Win-X unmounts the TrueCrypt drive.

TrueCrypt comes with very good documentation and tutorials.
So it isn'z necessary to descirbe details here.

12. Outlook / PIM synchronisation

For every mobile device, sooner or later the question arises:
How can it be synchrinized with Outlook?

Well, the UMID can run Outlook itself, but Outlook does not come with an own Outlook to Outlook sync feature. So third-party software is needed.
There are a lot of Outlook to Outlook syncing solutions avaiable.

For my specific setup, I could not find a solution yet.

The two problems in my setup:

1. Outlook at work does not use a PST file, but an Exchange server for data storage.
That rules out many sync solutions which directly work with Outlook's PST file.

2. My computer at work is behind a very strict firewall, which rules out the only remaining solution I could find (which can sync Exchange server data): SYNCING.NET.
This solution, however, needs access to the Internet for activation and for usage, which is not possible on my computer at work.

Ideas are very welcome! ;-)

Currently I feed the M1's Outlook contacts, calendar and notes by synchronizing my mobile phone with Outlook at work and with the M1's Outlook alternatingly. The downside of this method is that Outlook-specific data, such as categories, view settings etc. are not synchronized. But otherwise this setup qorks quite well. I have not had data loss or double entries yet. (Knock on wood).

If you rather use another PIM solution than Outlook, you are completely free to use any Windows XP compatible solution. Syncing with another computer can be done using WiFi, Bluetooth or even via USB cable, manual file transfer, whatever. Syncing with Internet-based services such as Google Calendar is of course also possible, if you have Internet access with the M1.

If you are looking for an alternative to Outlook, I recommend KDEPIM/Pi. It's not maintained anymore, as far as I know, but the last version is really powerful already. "Pi" means "Platform independent". It is available for Windows and Linux (where it comes from, it's a derivate of KDEPIM).
http://sourceforge.net/projects/kdepimpi/files/

Note: Version "2.2.7 - testing" seems to be the last one which has been also compiled for Windows.

13. Office software solutions

There are several Office solutions available and suitable for the M1.

One of them comes directly from UMID, downloadable at their website, but I have not looked at it. It is probably only a shareware version which you have to pay for if you want to use it.

Of course there is Microsoft Office.
From the Microsoft Office package I only use Outlook on the M1.

Personally I prefer Softmaker Office, which is a very Microsoft Office compatible office package consisting of a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation application and a very comprehensive dictionary.
It costs much less than MS Office and lacks lots of the unneeded features of MS Office which make MS Office so big and clumsy. It rather concentrates on the important and often used features, and those are implemented very well.
Sharing documents with Microsoft Office is only a problem in very rare cases of very complex documents.
http://www.softmaker.de

There is also OpenOffice of course, a completely free Office solution, but it is partially written in Java, which makes the whole thing a bit slow (at least this is my impression).
I have not tried it on the M1 yet, but it should work without problems.
http://www.openoffice.org/

Other free alternatives are Abiword as a word processor and Gnumeric as a spreadsheet. Both are also file format compatible to the MS equivalents, but not as good as Softmaker Office and OpenOffice.
http://www.abisource.com/
http://projects.gnome.org/gnumeric/

14. Backup solutions / partition image

I use two backup strategies on the M1.

One backing up the SSD contents (only Windows partition right now), so I can restore my entire setup at any time, in case I break the setup or it turns out that I have to go back to a certain state.
The more stable the system becomes, the less frequently I create such backups.
I use "partimage" for that purpose. It's a linux tool.
Whenever I want to create a partition image with partimage, I boot the M1 with Linux, attach a large storage device via USB (hard disk, large pen drive etc.), mount it inside Linux and then start partimage to create a backup image of the Windows partition.

Short guide:
1., Boot Linux from a pen drive, e.g. the "System rescue CD" distribution.
2. Attach large enough external storage via USB. partimage compresses the image, so rule of thumb: you need about 3/4 of the occupied space of your SSD for the backup image)
3. mkdir /mnt/backup
4. look via "dmesg" which device name the attached storage was given (usually "sdb")
5. mount -t auto /dev/sdb /mount/backup
Now you can start the GUI version of partimage by entering "partimage", or you can use the command line to control partimage.
Let partimage create a gzipped image of your Windows partition in /mount/backup/ and let it split the image into chunks of 1GB (so every file system can handle the files).
The command line would be, for example (check for correctness of device /dev/sda1 for your Windows partition before using!):
partimage -z 1 -d -V 1000000 save /dev/sda1 /mount/backup/XP_M1_image.partimage.gz

Here you can find all command line switches for partimage:
man partimage

The other backup copies the contents of the MicroSD card, containing also my entire user profile, the encrypted drive etc.
I use the (free for moderate personal use) program "AllwaySync".
It's a great synchronization application which is able to sync two-way or one-way (backup), providing a lot of ways to custimize it, including version handling (put old versions of modified files into a special folder rather than deleting it).
Synchronization can also be triggered automatically, e.g. when connecting the external storage.
http://allwaysync.com/index.html

AllwaySync can be configured to move modified / deleted files into a special archive folder, so even though the backup reflects only the status of your data when the backup was last updated, you can still find older versions of your files or even deleted files in that special folder on the external hard disk.

I am still looking for a solution as nicely done as Apple's "Time Machine".
I have found only two solutions similar to this approach. One of them, "Comodo Time Machine", not being able to back up to an external drive (which is absolutely necessary for a mobile device), and one of them "Genie Timeline" being quite expensive:
http://www.genie-soft.com/Home/Genie_Timeline_Home/buy.aspx

15. The standby/wakeup issue, Instant-On and WiFi / BT deactivation on standby / GMA500 driver variations

The HP Palmtops have a great feature: Instant-On.
If you want to stop usage of the device for some time, you press the OnOff button to switch the computer off. You press it once more to switch it on, and it is instantly ready for continuing your work.

The M1 (and the BZ) is a bit limited in that regard.
You can use Windows XP's standby feature to achieve a similar goal.
However, Windows XP is a complex operating system, and thus you won't get "instant" on. It will take a few seconds until you can continue your work.

Using the SSD booster "FlashFire", the time until the system is ready and responsive again after wakeup by the OnOff key is trimmed down to a few seconds (varying from about 3 to 10 seconds, depending on the situation).

If you have enabled password protection after standby (recommended!), you will additionally need a few seconds for entering the password. But that's the same with the HP 200LX in case you have set up a password on it.

"Instant-on" within less than 10 seconds is a quite good result for a Windows XP Palmtop.

There are, however, stability issues.
The next two sections address these issues in two different ways.

By default, the M1 will crash on wakeup. This is caused by the display driver for the GMA500 chipset, which conflicts with some other drivers on wakeup in some way.

Approach #1 keeps the advantage of fast instant-on by using the default GMA500 graphics driver and by implementing some workaround for the often happening Windows crash on wakeup.

Approach #2 uses another GMA500 driver which uses far less RAM and does not crash on wakeup, but it does not support Standby, but only hibernation, which cuases "instant-on" to be slower. With hibernation, wakeup takes about 20 seconds.

15.1. My setup #1, using the default GMA500 driver delivered by UMID and Instant-On with Standby

This approach needs deactivation of the WiFi and Bluetooth software drivers on entering standby in order to prevent the crash on wakeup.

Don't worry. You don't have to do that manually each time you enter standby.
The member "fixup" of the Pocketable forums has developed a small tool which is able to trigger a batch file when the system events "standby" and "wakeup" happen.

See these threads:
Software in:
http://forum.pocketables.net/showthread.php?p=34900#post34900
Main discussion in:
http://forum.pocketables.net/showthread.php?t=4774

Additionally, the M1's WiFi and BT hardware is automatically deactivated by the BIOS when the M1 enters standby mode. This is done in hardware and not changeable.
You can enable the modules again after wakeup by hitting the harware button for the wireless modules.

Re-enabling the drivers which were deactivated by the batch file on standby only works, however, if the hardware button has been pressed before to reenable the hardware.
The 3-step procedure procedure for wakeup from standby and reenabling wireless connectivity would thus be:

1. Switch the M1 on
2. Hit the wireless connectivity button to reanable the hwardware
3. Hit the Hotkey (Win-W in my setup) to start the script which reenables the wireless connectivity drivers

Of course, steps 2 and 3 can be delayed until you really need wireless connectivity again.

So this stability issue is mainly solved.
However, in some rare cases I still get a black screen and no response from the M1 after wakeup. I don't know if I will be able to solve this remaining issue.

In order to make all this as convenient for the user as possible, I have optimized my setup using fixup's tool and using AudoHotKey.

I have installed fixup's tool OS_Events.exe and devcon.exe in
C:\Programme\0standby\

There also the batch files
OnStandby.bat,
OnWakeup.bat and
ActivateWireless.bat reside.

OS_Events.exe is loaded on system start, after I have added it to the RUN key in the registry as described by fixup in the forum discussion.

Now, when standby mode is entered, OnStandby.bat is executed automatically, and when waking up from standby, OnWakeup.bat is executed.

OnStandby.bat disables the WiFi and Bluetoth drivers.

I did not choose the method of letting OnWakeup.bat reenable the wireless modules automatically, as discussied in the forum, because this intrudes the "Instant-On" process heavily. I rather choose to let OnWakeup.,bat empty and put the driver reenabling commands into another batch file called Activate_Wireless.bat.

Activate_Wireless.bat is called by hotkey using AutoHotKey's hotkey definition "Win-W", and it leads the user conveniently.

You can find the files involved in this setup below in the "Scipts and Configuration files" section.

The files are:

The AutoHotKey script
OnStandby.bat
OnWakeup.bat
Activate_Wireless.bat

15.2. My setup #2, using the IEGD GMA500 driver and longer "Instant-On" with hibernation

There is another GMA500 driver by now, which works well on the M1 / BZ, uses far less RAM than the RAM-wasting default driver, but does not support wakeup from standby. If you try to use standby in combination with this driver, you always get a black screen after wakeup.

So, using this driver makes it necessary to disable all standby actions in powersaving setup of Windows, and instead configure it to use hibernation. After hibernation, this new driver works well.

How to install this new GMA500 driver:

Download the new driver from here:
http://www.2shared.com/file/7XFjyYdM/IEGD_10_1_Windows_M1.html
You may find a newer link / newer driver version mentioned in this thread of the Pockeables forum:
http://forum.pocketables.net/showthread.php?t=6154

Then do the following (also mentioned in the thread linked to above):

1. Delete the INF file of the old driver: Enable display of hidden files in Explorer, to to C:\WINDOWS\INF and delete the INF file OEMxx.INF (xx being a number) which contains "GMA 500". This prevents that the old driver will be reinstalled later.
Do not restart the system now!

2. In device manager uninstall the old driver, then let device manager look for new devices, and when it wants to install a graphics driver, choose the downloaded driver.

16. Keyboard-only usage / The nice special keys of the LX keyboard

We are used to operate the Palmtop with the keyboard only, as the LX does not have a mouse or touchscreen.
The M1, running Windows, is not meant for keyboard-only usage.
However, there are ways to make keyboard-only usage possible and even convenient.

The most useful keys which are LX-specific are, in my opinion, the blue application keys and the Date and Time keys, which insert the current date / time into the currently open SysMgr application.

Using the AutoHotKey tool I have rebuilt those keys on the M1. You can find the AutoHotKey script below.

Also, I have built a mouse emulation using the arrow keys. You can find it in the AutoHotKey script as well.

It is not necessary to rebuild the keys for cut, copy and paste, as these functions are available in almost all Windows applications using Ctrl-X, Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V anyway.

Other useful keyboard shortcuts in Windows, which I use frequently on the M1, are:

Alt-Tab: Switch to other open programs.
Alt-F4: Close current program
Alt: Activate menu
... to be continued.

17. The HP Connectivity Pack on the UMID M1/BZ

Basically it is possible to use the Connectivity Pack on the UMID.
There are some problem, or at least it is "optimizable".
I have generated a dedicated page on my website for that topic.
See here:
http://www.hermocom.com/knowledgebase/hplx/cpackm1

18. How to continue with... (HPLX Applications)

This section describes some options for you to continue your work on the M1, which you did with the 200LX by now.

18.1. MindMap/LX: My personal recommendation:
NoteCase Pro.

NoteCase Pro is an outliner with outstanding capabilities.
As you may know, I have continued the development of MindMap/LX, after Andreas Garzotto quit LX development.
In 2005 I looked for a Linux-based outliner to replace MindMap/LX for me.
I came across NoteCase, immediately contacted the author and since then I use NoteCase (Pro) for my own purposes and I submit a lot of feature ideas, many of them I have also implemented in MindMap/LX before.
Almost weekly I discuss new features with the author, he asks me for my opinion on many changes in Notecase and so on.

BTW: NoteCase also has an import filter for MindMap/LX files, so migration to NoteCase is very easy.

And NoteCase Pro features strong file encryption. That way, your NoteCase notes are safe in case your M1 gets lost or stolen.

If you are ready to switch from Mindmapping to Outlining in general (which makes sense, especially on a small screen in my opinion, since an Outliner cam make much more efficient use of the screen area), NoteCase would probably be a good choice for you.
It's free for basic use. You'd have to buy a license if you want to use some advanced features such as task management, text formatting, edit multiple documents at once, document synchronisation, flat list view (e.g. for search result listing) etc.

If you like to support me, you can buy NoteCase Pro from my affiliate seller page at
http://www.hermocom.com/products/notecase
This lets me earn a small percentace of the license price.

(By the way: This document you are currently reading is also generated using NoteCase Pro.)

There are of course other options than NoteCase, such as ScribblePapers.
There are also Mindmapping programs for Windows XP, such as MindManager (costs money), Freemind (freeware, but Java-based and hence not optimal performance), and probably many others.

In case you want or need to continue to use MindMap/LX, you could even do so by installing Palrun 2.0 and starting MM/LX under Palrun. Maybe it makes sense to run Palrun with MM/LX inside a Dosbox virtual machine. Dosbox is a DOS PC emulator for Windows (and Linux, Mac).
18.2. Notes database (NDB): The "quick and easy" solution would be to export your current HP notes database to CSV and import it into a spreadsheet or database application.

This may be overkill, and there are certainly better solutions for keeping notes.
Personally I use NoteCase Pro (described before as a successor for MindMap/LX) for all my notes now.

Migrating your NDB notes to NoteCase Pro is also possible. I think the best way would be to define a Smartclip for formatted export of all your notes and use the TXT import of NoteCase Pro then. I have never done that myself, so I cannot comment on exact settings.
18.3. Lotus 1-2-3: On the M1 you can use any flavor of MS Excel, OpenOffice, Softmaker PlanMaker, Gnumeric etc.
Some of these programs have Lotus 1-2-3 import filters.

Spreadsheet data is imported nicely in most cases. this includes formatting, formulas, graphs and of course the actual data.
However, if you built complicated 1-2-3 spreadsheets with macros and menus, none of these import filters will help you. Lotus 1-2-3 macros and menus won't be imported at all.

You'll have to rebuild any macros in the target application's own macro language.

If you are looking for an MS Excel compatible solution which is completely free, take OpenOffice.
There is also Softmaker Office with its PlanMaker spreadsheet. It is said to be the most MS-compatible spreadsheet application available, and it costs much less.
Personally I have only good experiences with Softmaker Office.
18.4. TimeTracker/LX: Currently I have a small AutoHotKey script integrated in my global AHK script which does a very simple time tracking job, writing "Come" and "Go" times into a text file, triggered by a hotkey.

If you need more time tracking power, you could use TimeTracker/LX under Palrun (maybe under Dosbox), or any Windows-based time tracker.
I have no experiences with Windows based time tracking software, though.

There is also a PHP- and MySQL-based time tracker called Kimai, which is quite nice.
If you have a web server and your M1 accesses the Internet (or at least that server) continuously, or if you install a web server locally on your M1, you may also use that one. It has approximately the same functionality as TimeTracker/LX, including report generation, and is convenient to use.
18.5. Post/LX, WWW/LX....: Well, WWW/LX with HV is easily replaced by a web browser of your choice and an Internet connection method of your choice (see section about Internet connection above)
No matter if IE8, Opera 10, Firefox, Safari, they all work nicely.
I prefer Opera, because it is lean, flexible and - for my feeling - the quickest of all the options.
Google Chrome is also a good choice for performance.

Attention: In case you use Google Mail - I don't know if also other Google web applications are affected - I absolutely recommend to use Google Chrome. GMail was quite slow, i.e. had "choppy" mouse movement under Opera. With Google Chrome it works very smoothly.

Regarding Email in Post/LX, well, there are quite some good Email clients for Windows. But i have not found one yet which fulfills only these two of my needs out of the box:

- Full IMAP offline synchronisation with Google Mail (to have all my Email with me all the time)
- encryption of the email data files on the M1 (so no one will be able to read my mail if the M1 is lost or stolen)

MS Outlook has been recommended to me to fulfill my needs, but honestly I don't really want to use that for Email. I use it only for calendar and contact data.

So I have installed Thunderbird Portable version 3.0.3 on the Truecrypt drive directly, so the program and its data files (incl. the files which contain all the Emails) reside inside the encrypted drive.
Having also the program on the encrypted drive makes sure that I cannot unmount the encrypted drive while Thunderbird is running, and it makes sure that really everything related to my email is always encrypted on my disk.
Not much experiences with that setup yet, but please ask me if you have special questions.
18.6. PIM: PIM = Personal Information Management
(which means: Appointment book, Contacts database, Todo list, notes)

There is no PIM functionality preinstalled on the M1. The M1 is a real PC, no PDA.
The 200LX was kind of a hybrid.

Of course there is PIM software which can be installed on the M1. E.g. Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, or leaner packages, such as KDEPIM/PI and uncountable others.
What none of those are capable to do, is to fire alarms for appointments, while the M1 is switched off.

Since I have switched my PIM to Outlook on the PC at work and to my mobile phone (synchronized to Outlook), when I am not at work, long ago, this is not a problem for me. One of those will always fire an alarm, and I have the mobile phone with me all the time.

So, for PIM I use Outlook 2003 (same as at work). See the section "Outlook synchronisation" in this review for further details.

If you like task management à la "Getting Things Done": see my GTD setup using NoteCase Pro, making use of NoteCase's task management features, its flexible search feature generating flat lists of search results, and heavily using note tags and keyboard shortcuts.

If you have used FlexPad for your PIM on the LX:
Flexpad is said to work under Windows, too:
http://www.flexpad.net/flexpaddl.html

Also, PIM/PE should be usable under Windows, using Palrun.
18.7. HPCalc: The calculator on the HPLX is often considered superior to any available software calculator available now.

You can continue to use it on the M1 using Connectivity Pack under DOSBox or PocketDOS.

Or you'll have to find a Windows-based replacement.
Not being an expert on this field, I recommend that you begin evaluating the "Power Toy Calculator" which is delivered by Microsoft as part of the Powertoys package (aside with TweakUI, which is also very useful to make Windows behave as you want it to).

There are also Windows-based and Java-based emulations of HP financial and scientific calculators, which may be worth a look.

And don't forget about the heavy algebraic systems such as Derive, Maple or Mathematica, which should also be usable on the UMID under Windows.

The lack of a numeric keypad on the M1 may be a problem when you often use a calculator or often work with spreadsheets. There are numeric keypads which can be connected to the USB port, though. You may consider one of those if you often have to enter numbers.
18.8. Programming the Palmtop: If you are one of those users who need to adjust the behavior of their Palmtop by quickly writing their own little programs and tools, or if you even work on larger software projects for the Palmtop, you may want to have a decent programming environment on the UMID as well.

For small tools, AutoHotKey is a decent scripting language which lets you program small tools easily. It comes with a great onboard help file, describing all functions in detail.
It helps you in programming GUI-interactive tools, file handling tools etc. Check the website and help file!

Also, if you deal a lot with textual information, you may consider to use NoteCase Pro and its great LUA scripting capability, which opens great ways to process information.
An example for this scripting power is my NoteCase Pro productivity script package.

Of course you can install any Windows-based or even DOS-based IDE for programming in Basic, Forth, Pascal, C, C++, Delphi, C#, .NET, Java, whatever.
I have no experiences about performance of those environments, though.

If you had, like me, a setup with a Borland C compliler and a text editor for programming, also that should be possible without a problem. Just remember that you cannot just use your self-written PAL programs (programs using the PAL library for the HP Palmtops) on the UMID directly. You will need a Palmtop graphics emulator such as Palrun or a DOS emulation with built-in Palmtop graphics emulator (such as PocketDOS).

19. LX user questions

In this section I answer some questions of HPLX users which are not or not exactly covered yet by the above review.

"HPLX Appointmentbook No really "beep beep" now it is a meeting.
But I use it as a note to myself what I am supposed to do and what I did.
Todo's is also used. "

MS Outlook has a calendar, journal and todo list.
However, there are alternatives of course, which may be much better.

"Norwegian characters. Daniel how do you solve this on you machine? Not norwegian of course. But umlaut or what's it called."

It was not that difficult, once I discovered a good general solution:
I use AutoHotKey for that. Typing 3x a ("aaa") produces ä, 3x A produces Ä, 3x s produces ß and so on. That way, you can generate every possible character using any possible hotkey or key sequence.
It is also possible to assign hotkeys with a modifier key.
The M1 has a spare modifier key which is used for Koeran characters (on Koeran keyboard machines) or to start Internet Explorer (on non-Koeran keyboard machines).
This is the "RightAlt" modifier key (not AltGr! RightAlt is not present on most standard German keyboards. I don't know about other contries...).
This RightAlt key can be used to assign hotkeys, too. But I prefer the "3x character" solution, because it's easier to thumb-type and in most cases faster than searching for the modifier key first.

"Can you address the comfort-factor of writing short programs and using the
command-line? I used to do this quite often on the 200LX, and surprisingly
found it very comfortable and convenient. I had a suite of DOS unix-like
commands. Of course, if we get Linux up and running, I'll have actual
commands!"

See the section about programming. I have not programmed much on the M1 yet, so I cannot comment about this that much.
Regarding the unix-like commands: You can install Cygwin on the UMID, or there may be some native Windows builds of unix-like command collections. I don't know.

Linux runs quite well on the UMID. I have installed Jolicloud Linux, but not tested very much yet, as my focus is Windows XP currently.

20. Remaining issues

And now that you are done reading this slightly outdated review (not maintained anymore as of beginning of 2011), make sure to have a look into the pocketables forum, especially this thread: http://forum.pocketables.net/showthread.php?t=9052

Some of the reamining issues have been solved there.

21. Scripts and configuration files

In this section I provide my configuration files / scripts for reference.
You may use them as-is, or modify them to your needs.
Ideas for improvements are always welcome.

21.1. OnStandby.bat

@echo off

:: Disable WiFi driver
devcon disable "SD\VID_02df&PID_9103"

:: Disable Bluetooth
devcon disable "USB\Vid_0a12&Pid_0001"
devcon disable "BTH\MS_BTHBRB"

21.2. OnWakeup.bat

@echo off
:: Do nothing

21.3. Activate_Wireless.bat

@echo off
echo.
echo please wait... enabling....

C:\Programme\0STANDBY\devcon enable "SD\VID_02df&PID_9103" > output.txt
find /i "No devices" output.txt
if errorlevel 1 goto continue

:tryagain
echo.
echo.
echo =====================================================
echo Wireless hardware switched off.
echo Press Wireless button, then press any key to proceed.
echo =====================================================
echo.
echo.
pause > nul
C:\Programme\0STANDBY\devcon enable "SD\VID_02df&PID_9103" > output.txt
find /i "No devices" output.txt
if errorlevel 1 goto continue
goto tryagain

:continue
del output.txt

:: Reenable Bluetooth
echo Enabling Bluetooth....
C:\Programme\0STANDBY\devcon enable "USB\Vid_0a12&Pid_0001"
C:\Programme\0STANDBY\devcon enable "BTH\MS_BTHBRB"
echo.
echo.
pause

21.4. My AutoHotKey script

This script still has a bug. Sometimes a modifier key is not released after using a hotkey, so subsequent keypresses are interpreted as modified keypresses (e.g. the Win key, although not pressed physically anymore, is still applied to further key presses).

21.4.1. m1local.ahk: #CommentFlag //
#NoEnv

// *******************************************************************
// The following section is for Umlaut generation in GTK applications,
// such as NoteCase, Pidgin etc., which do not respond to the
// standard Umlaut generation which follows further below:
// *******************************************************************

#IfWinActive ahk_class gdkWindowToplevel

CustomGTKSend(Text)
{
ClipSaved := ClipboardAll
clipboard := Text
Send ^v
Clipboard := ClipSaved
}

:*?C:aaa::
CustomGTKSend("ä")
return

:*?C:AAA::
CustomGTKSend("Ä")
return

:*?C:OOO::
CustomGTKSend("Ö")
return

:*?C:ooo::
CustomGTKSend("ö")
return

:*?C:UUU::
CustomGTKSend("Ü")
return

:*?C:uuu::
CustomGTKSend("ü")
return

:*?:sss::
CustomGTKSend("ß")
return

:*?:eee::
CustomGTKSend("€")
return

:*?:ccc::
CustomGTKSend("©")
return

:*?:rrr::
CustomGTKSend("®")
return

#IfWinActive

// *******************************************************************
// And this is the standard Umlaut generation code for all
// applications but GTK ones:
// *******************************************************************

:*?:aaa::ä
:*?:AAA::Ä
:*?:ooo::ö
:*?:OOO::Ö
:*?:uuu::ü
:*?:UUU::Ü
:*?:sss::ß

:*?:eee::€
:*?:ccc::©
:*?:rrr::®

// *******************************************************************
// This is a keyboard-based mouse emulation:
// Hold the Windows key and press the arrow keys to mode the mouse
// cursor. Additionally hold the Alt key to move the mouse cursor more
// prezisely.
// Hold the Win key and press ";" for a Left-Click.
// Hold the Win key and press "Del" for a Right-Click.
// (";" and "Del" are positioned well for that on the M1. You may change
// these assignments to your needs if you use another device.)
// RightAlt (Korean modifier / IE key) with Ul and Down keys emulate
// the scroll wheel.
// *******************************************************************

#Up::MouseMove, 0,-10,0,R
#Down::MouseMove, 0,10,0,R
#Left::MouseMove, -10,0,0,R
#Right::MouseMove, 10,0,0,R
!#Up::MouseMove, 0,-10,,R
!#Down::MouseMove, 0,10,,R
!#Left::MouseMove, -10,0,,R
!#Right::MouseMove, 10,0,,R
#;::Click
#Del::Click Right

>!Up::Click WheelUp
>!Down::Click WheelDown

// *******************************************************************
// Right click and double click emulation on touchscreen:
// Hold Alt and tap with stylus: Right click
// Hold Ctrl and tap with stylus: Doubleclick
// *******************************************************************

!LButton::Click Right
^LButton::Click 2

// *******************************************************************
// For reliable recognition of window titles in the script parts below:
// *******************************************************************

SetTitleMatchMode, 2
SetTitleMatchMode, Slow

// *******************************************************************
// Win-M starts NoteCase Pro
// *******************************************************************

#m::
IfWinExist, ahk_class gdkWindowToplevel
   WinActivate
else
   Run C:\Programme\NoteCasePro\app\notecase.exe
return

// *******************************************************************
// Win-N starts Notepad++:
// *******************************************************************

#n::
IfWinExist Notepad++
   WinActivate
else
   Run C:\Programme\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
return

// *******************************************************************
// Win-O starts Opera browser
// *******************************************************************

#o::
IfWinExist, ahk_class OpWindow
   WinActivate
else
   Run C:\Programme\Opera\opera.exe
return

// *******************************************************************
// Win-C starts Total Commander:
// *******************************************************************

#c::
IfWinExist, Total Commander
   WinActivate
else
   Run C:\Programme\totalcmd\TOTALCMD.EXE
return

// *******************************************************************
// Shift-Win-C mounts the TrueCrypt volume (asking for password)
// *******************************************************************

+#c::
Run C:\Programme\TrueCrypt\TrueCrypt.exe /v g:\encrypted.tc /ly /q /e
FileAppend TC Mounted, c:\tcm.tmp
return

// *******************************************************************
// Shift-Win-X unmounts the TrueCrypt volume instantly
// *******************************************************************

+#x::
Run C:\Programme\TrueCrypt\TrueCrypt.exe /q /dy
FileDelete c:\tcm.tmp
MsgBox Truecrypt unmounted.
return

// *******************************************************************
// Win-W reenables the WiFi and BT drivers:
// *******************************************************************

#w::
Run C:\Programme\0STANDBY\Activate_Wireless.bat
return

// *******************************************************************
// Hotstring definitions (type "btw" and get "by the way"):
// *******************************************************************

::btw::by the way:
::mfg::Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
::dh::Daniel Hertrich
::br::Best regards,
::dsom::Dear Sir or Madam,
::sgd::Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

// *******************************************************************
// Swap Y and Z keys for German users (you can swap the key caps
// physically, too. Remove the key caps from the keys carefully):
// *******************************************************************

y::z
z::y

// *******************************************************************
// Win-D generates current date (adapt format string to your needs):
// *******************************************************************

#d::
FormatTime, CurrentDateTime,, dd.MM.yyyy
SendInput %CurrentDateTime%{Space}
return

// *******************************************************************
// Win-I generates current date in ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD)
// *******************************************************************
#i::
FormatTime, CurrentDateTime,,yyyy-MM-dd
SendInput %CurrentDateTime%{Space}
return

// *******************************************************************
// Win-T generates current time (adapt format string to your needs):
// *******************************************************************

#t::
FormatTime, CurrentDateTime,, HH:mm
SendInput %CurrentDateTime%{Space}
return

// *******************************************************************
// The following is a nice, quick and simple note taker application:
// Just hit Win-Q to activate a note window. Hit Esc to quit the
// note window. All notes in this window are saved to a file
// when you hit Esc and restored to the window if you hit Win-Q.
// *******************************************************************

// For notes:
SetWorkingDir %A_ScriptDir%
#SingleInstance force

#q::
   IfWinExist AHK_Notizen
      WinActivate
   else
      Gui, font, s14, Verdana
      Gui, +AlwaysOnTop -SysMenu
      Gui, Add, Edit, x0 y0 w600 h400 vContent,
      Gui, Show, w600 h400 , AHK_Notizen
      FileRead, Content, MyNotes.txt
      GuiControl,, Content, %Content%
      SendInput ^{End}
   return
Return

GuiEscape:
Gui, Submit
FileRecycle, MyNotes.txt
FileAppend, %Content%, MyNotes.txt
Content =
Gui, Destroy

// *******************************************************************
// For debugging puroses: Hold Ctrl and Alt and Left-Click a window
// to show the window's title:
// Commented out currently by /* ... */.
// *******************************************************************
/*
^!LButton::
MouseGetPos, , , WinID
WinGetTitle, Title, ahk_id %WinID%
MsgBox, Titel = %Title%
Return
*/

This document has been created using the NoteCase Pro outliner.

UMPC Windows 7 setup guide

Tue, 24 May 2011 16:39:41 +0000

hermocom Setup guide for Windows 7 on UMPCs

On this page I give you an overview of tweaks for the Microsoft Windows 7 Starter system of the Viliv N5 UMPC.
They are mainly aided towards performance enhancement and improving usability, to make the Viliv N5 an even more powerful tool for you.
I have tried to find freeware tools, rather than commercial software, for the tweaks which involve third-party software.

An optimized setup, similar to the one described here, is also available for the Viliv N5 UMPC from hermocom as a service for you, so you don't need to follow all these steps yourself to optimize your system.
Contact me, if you are interested!

Many of these tips and tricks also fit other UMPCs using Windows 7 Starter, some even fit other UMPCs using other flavours of Windows, some even fit normal PCs.
So you may use these tips for other computers as well, as you see fit.

The following screenshots show, how my Viliv N5 Windows 7 desktop looks like before and after all the tweaking.

This is the default look, after a system restore. Many fonts and items are too small and hard to handle and to use:

After all the tweaking, the desktop is simple and clean, as is the system itself. However, the power of the system, the applications and the installed helper tools are always accessible quickly using various hotkeys, minimizing the need to use the mouse or touchscreen:

Please be aware that I am not a friend of cloud computing. I like to keep all my data and programs locally on my own computer, being independent from a working Internet connection.
This is one of the principles of this setup guide.

Other principles are:
- Simplicity
- Ease of use
- User-friendliness
- Productivity

1. General notes
- 1.1. If you need help with your Viliv N5
- 1.2. Disclaimer
- 1.3. Windows XP or Windows 7?
- 1.4. Control Panel view mode
2. The Operating System
- 2.1. Recover Windows 7
- 2.2. Ensure access to all dialog buttons / Moving windows up and down easily
- 2.3. Performance boost for Windows 7
  - 2.3.1. Choose "Windows classic" color scheme:
  - 2.3.2. Switch off unnecessary visual effects:
  - 2.3.3. Disable unneeded services
  - 2.3.4. Disable unneeded program launches at startup
  - 2.3.5. Turn off the Disk Defragmenter Schedule
  - 2.3.6. Don't use Desktop Gadgets
- 2.4. Save SSD disk space
  - 2.4.1. Limit the paging file size to 512MB in size:
  - 2.4.2. Turn "System protection" off:
  - 2.4.3. Clean up the SSD
- 2.5. GUI adaptions for more convenient work
  - 2.5.1. Move Taskbar to the right side of the screen:
  - 2.5.2. Increase the default font sizes:
  - 2.5.3. Enhance visibility of the mouse pointer:
  - 2.5.4. Keyboard control enhancements
- 2.6. UltimateWindowsTweaker
- 2.7. Configure Windows Update
- 2.8. Get longer battery life (Power management)
3. Applications
- 3.1. Uninstall unneeded software
- 3.2. Which Internet browser?
- 3.3. Office applications
- 3.4. NoteCase Pro
- 3.5. PIM (Personal Information Management: Contacts, Calendar etc.)
  - 3.5.1. Synchronization with other devices and software ( Google Calendar
  - 3.5.2. Outlook to Outlook synchronisation (e.g. Easy2Sync)
4. Disks, Data and Security and Power Management
- 4.1. Where to store user data?
  - 4.1.1. Keep all user data on a microSD card
- 4.2. System security
- 4.3. Power management options
- 4.4. File sharing over the network
- 4.5. Encrypt sensitive data!
  - 4.5.1. A great use for Portable Applications
- 4.6. Backups of data and system
  - 4.6.1. Back up your user data
  - 4.6.2. Create a system repair disk!
  - 4.6.3. Back up the operating system and installed software
    - 4.6.3.1. Norton Ghost™ Windows partition backup guide
    - 4.6.3.2. Norton Ghost™ Windows partition restore guide
- 4.7. The "FlashFire" SSD booster
- 4.8. Intel SSD Toolbox
5. Further enhancement of usability and productivity
- 5.1. Scrolling
- 5.2. Improve keyboard usage / AutoHotKey
  - 5.2.1. Start programs using the keyboard
  - 5.2.2. Hotstrings
  - 5.2.3. Special characters
  - 5.2.4. The small [K] and [L] keys and the quotes key of the N5
  - 5.2.5. Window movement
- 5.3. Work in the office with the N5
  - 5.3.1. USB Keyboard: Layout switching
- 5.4. Work in the office with another computer using data from the N5
  - 5.4.1. Work on the N5 via another PC using VNC
- 5.5. WLAN handling
  - 5.5.1. Ad-Hoc WiFi networks in Windows 7 Starter
  - 5.5.2. Profile switching with NetSetMan
    - 5.5.2.1. Scripting NetSetMan
    - 5.5.2.2. Controlling NetSetMan via Batch file
- 5.6. One-key 3G Internet access (MWconn, AutoHotKey)
6. vilivManager
- 6.1. API of inpout32.dll
7. Special setups
- 7.1. N5 as a WLAN Access Point for 3G Internet
- 7.2. Use GPS for time synchronisation
8. Do a Disk Cleanup and delete TEMP files!
9. My AutoHotKey scripts
- 9.1. EasyWindowDrag_(KDE).ahk
- 9.2. AHK_common.ahk
- 9.3. AHK_local.ahk

1. General notes

1.1. If you need help with your Viliv N5: If you have problems with or questions regarding the Viliv N5, don't hesitate to contact me.

I provide services, such as

- Development of concepts for custom hardware setups
- Development of concepts for custom software setups
- AutoHotKey programming for the N5 (enhance usability, automate operation etc.)
- Repair of broken units (limited, please ask before sending in the unit)
- Data retrieval of your N5's SSD (drive C:) if your N5 broke and you cannot access the drive anymore
- Upgrade / exchange compatible hardware components

If you are interested in buying a Viliv N5 preconfigured with the optimized setup described here, or if you like your own Viliv N5 to be set up by me this way, contact me, so I can make you an individual offer.
1.2. Disclaimer: The tips and tricks given here are recommendations, derived from my own experience with the system.

Everything you do following this guide, you do entirely on your own risk!
I am not liable in case following any step in this guide does any harm to you, such as data loss or even hardware defects!
1.3. Windows XP or Windows 7?: Windows XP does not work correctly on a 3G-equipped N5! So I decided to use Windows 7 Starter.

I have considered to install Windows XP on my N5 (3G model), in order to get more performance out of it.

In general, this should be possible, and after tweaking Windows XP, it should be really snappy.
Viliv even offers a page with drivers and software for the N5, including the drivers for Windows XP:

Click here to get to the Viliv N5 driver and software download page.

However, I had no luck using Windows XP on my N5 model with a 3G modem:
As soon as a SIM card is inserted into the 3G modem, Windows XP locks up for long time and can be revived only for a short time by pressing the power button shortly.
It seems ot be an ACPI or IRQ issue.
Even the Windows XP setup locks up, and also the small Windows XP system which is installed in the recovery partition of the N5, in order to control the Windows 7 recovery.

So remember: Whenever you want to recover Windows 7 with pressing F10 on bootup, remove the SIM card from the 3G modem!

On an N5 without a 3G modem, Windows XP should run well.
Also, on an N5 with a 3G modem, but without a SIM card inserted, there should not be the described problem.

If you have a 3G unit and succeed in installing and using Windows XP with a SIM card inserted, please let me know!
1.4. Control Panel view mode: There are a lot of setup steps which involve the Control Panel.
There are several ways in Windows 7 to display the Control Panel.
I try to explain the steps using the default view of Control Panel (sorted by Category).

2. The Operating System

2.1. Recover Windows 7

The Viliv N5 is delivered with Windows 7 Starter or Windows 7 Home Premium (64GB model) preinstalled.
Also, there is a dedicated recovery partition on the SSD drive, which holds a Windows 7 backup image and an installation routine (driven by a small Windwos XP system, by the way).

Attention: All programs and data on the internal SSD drive will be erased by the recovery process!

In order to prepare your N5 for configuration according to this guide, or in case you like or need to revert the N5 to factory-default state, press F10 (Fn-0) during the Viliv logo on boot time is displayed (or, depending on your BIOS configuration, during the BIOS messages are displayed).

This will start the recovery environment. Choose "AMI rescue" from the displayed dialog in order to start the recovery process.
Use the arrow keys to navigate inside that dialog, and the Enter key to confirm. The mouse won't work there.

After successful recovery, your N5 will reboot into the factory-default Windows 7 system again. All hardware-specific drivers are alreday installed in that system, so that all hardware components of the N5 will work.

2.2. Ensure access to all dialog buttons / Moving windows up and down easily

First, before tweaking the system using a lot of different configuration dialogs, you should make sure that you will be able to access all buttons of the dialogs. Otherwise it can be frustrating.
Many Windows dialogs exceed the screen height of 600 pixels, so their "OK", "Cancel" and "Apply" buttons are hidden under the bottom edge of the screen or under the taskbar.

For this purpose and for many other purposes I strongly recommend you to install the freeware "AutoHotKey".
"AutoHotKey" is a scripting language, which can assign almost arbitrary actions to almost arbitrary inputs (keyboard, mouse etc.).

For easy moving of dialog boxes, there is a script called "EasyWindowDrag_(KDE)".

Here is how to install everything:

1. Download AutoHotKey from here. (Use the "Installer for AutoHotkey_L" link.)

2. Install AutoHotKey.

3. Download the EasyWindowDraw_(KDE).ahk script from here.

4. Put the script into your Documents folder or a subfolder of your choice, create a link and move that link into the start menu's "Startup" folder. That way, this script will always be started on system start.

5. For now, doubleclick the script to start it. In the tray there will be a new icon: A white "H" on green background.

You can now move windows easily by putting the mouse pointer anywhere inside that window, holding the Alt key and the left mouse button and moving the mouse.

There is a second way to move Windows, if you prefer pure keyboard usage:
In my script AHK_common.ahk there is a section which enables usage of the Windows key together with the arrow keys to move a windows.
So, in case of a windows like the one in the above example, where the buttons are hidden below the bottom screen edge, hit Win-ArrowUp to move the window upwards (Win-Alt-ArrowUp to move it faster upwards).

2.3. Performance boost for Windows 7

The default Windows 7 Starter installation on the N5 is quite snappy already.
However, if you want to get the most performance out of Windows 7, here are some tweaks you can apply.
If you are unsure if a tweak limits functionality too much, just don't apply it.

2.3.1. Choose "Windows classic" color scheme:: This will make Windows appear similar to the default appearance of Windows 95/98. A lot of eye-candy will disappear. The advantage is not only better GUI performance, but also, in my opinion, that buttons and other handles are easier to access and see on the small screen.

(This is how the desktop will look like after you have applied some additional changes, e.g. using small icons in taskbar, described later on. But you get the idea of the simple "classic" Windows look and feel of the "classic" color scheme.)

In Control Panel, choose "Appearance", then "Display" and then on the left side "Change color scheme". Choose "Windows Classic" and confirm with "OK" or the Enter key.
(You probably don't see the "OK" button, so remember the "EasyWindowDrag" script explained above and move the windows with Alt-LeftMouseButton up a bit to access the buttons.)
2.3.2. Switch off unnecessary visual effects:: Windows has some nice effects, making the visual appearance nicer, but eating a lot of CPU power, e.g. fading menus, animated window minimization etc.
You can switch all these effects off:
Control Panel --> System and Security --> Click on "System". --> "Advanced System Settings" on the left side --> Tab "Advanced" --> Button "Settings" in section "Performance" --> Tab "Visual Effects" --> Choose "Adjust for best performance" or customize the settings to your liking.
2.3.3. Disable unneeded services: From Wikipedia:
A Windows service is a long-running executable that performs specific functions and which is designed not to require user intervention. Windows services can be configured to start when the operating system is booted and run in the background as long as Windows is running, or they can be started manually when required. They are similar in concept to a Unix daemon.
(See the entire Wikipedia article here)

Disabling unneeded services can free up RAM and save CPU processing power.

The most important service to disable is certainly the "Themes" service, together with the "Desktop Window Manager Session Manager" service, which also only provide GUI eye-candy and can take hundereds of MBs of RAM.

There is an excellent overview over the available Windows services and the effects of disabling them on http://www.blackviper.com/Windows_7/servicecfg.htm

I recommend disabling the following services:

- Distributed Link Tracking Client
- IP Helper
- Themes
- Desktop Window Manager Session Manager
- Windows Search (indexing)

The "Windows Search" service makes searches for files faster by indexing all the files in the file system. Switching that off makes file searches slower (it doesn't disable t hem), but can save quite some disk space and CPU processing power.

You can switch off services the following way:
Start Menu --> enter "services.msc" into the search field an hit enter.
To disable a service, right-click on it, choose "Properties", in tab "General" choose "Disabled" for the "Startup type".
You can press the button "Stop" in order to instantly stop the service. This is a good test, if there are problems disabling the service.
2.3.4. Disable unneeded program launches at startup: Windows starts programs at boot time using several ways.

The most obvious way is the "Startup" folder in the Start Menu.
Unneded entries can simply be removed from there with a right-click on them and choosing "Delete".

The other location where you will find a lot of programs started at boot time is here:
Start Menu --> "Administrative Tools" --> "System Configuration" --> Tab "Startup".
(this location includes the Start Menu Startup folder items!)

You can remove the checkmark in front of all programs which don't need to be started at boot time.
Upon confirming, agree to making the changes permanent.
You will later be able to re-enable the programs if you find that you need them.
2.3.5. Turn off the Disk Defragmenter Schedule: Windows 7 by default schedules defragmentation of the hard drive.
This makes sense on real hard drives, where defragmentation has a positive effect on the performance.
But the SSD of the N5 does not benefit from defragmentation. So this scheduled defragmentation is useless and only costs processing power.

Disable it this way:
Start Menu --> "Accessories" --> "System Tools" --> "Disk Defragmenter"
In the "Schedule" section, click the button "Configure Schedule" and unckeck the checkbox "Run on a schedule".

You may want to defragment the SSD manually in certain situation, e.g. if you plan to install a second operating system on the SSD or if you plan to repartition the SSD for another reason without reinsallting Windows 7.
2.3.6. Don't use Desktop Gadgets: Needless to say, any activated Desktop Gadget reduces system performance more or less.
So you may avoid using them at all.

2.4. Save SSD disk space

Again: If you are unsure if a tweak limits functionality too much, just don't apply it.

2.4.1. Limit the paging file size to 512MB in size:: In order to save some SSD space, you can limit the paging file of Windows to 512MB. This should be sufficient for most applications. By default, the paging size is set to 1 GB.
I have tried switching the paging file off entirely, but then I got "low memory" warnings often, so I cannot recommend this.
Control Panel --> System and Security --> Click on "System". --> "Advanced System Settings" on the left side --> Tab "Advanced" --> Button "Settings" in section "Performance" --> Tab "Advanced" --> Button "Change" in section "Virtual memory".
Check "Custom size" and set both values "Initial size" and "Maximum size" to 512 MB.
Then press the button "Set".

Don't try to create a paging file on the microSD card (probably D:). The dialog will let you do this, but on net reboot you will get an error message, saying that there is a problem with the paging file.
2.4.2. Turn "System protection" off:: System protection is a mechanism which stores snapshots of the system configuration, which you can easily restore in case that something bad happens to the system.
E.g. if you install a new device driver, which messes up the system entirely, you can restore the last snapshot before installation of this driver and have a running system again.

If you do system backups by creating partition images, like I do (see below), you may want to turn off System Protection to save a lot of disk space:

Control Panel --> System and Security --> Click on "System". --> "Advanced System Settings" on the left side --> Tab "System Protection" --> Button "Configure" --> Choose "Turn System Protection off". Alternatively, you may limit the amount of disk space used for restore points in that dialog.
2.4.3. Clean up the SSD: There is a Windows feature called "Disk Cleanup", which deletes some unnecessary files.
Additionally, there is a temporary directory which, in my case, held about 2GB(!) of unnecessary files.
I recommend to delete all that after all important installations and Windows Updates are done.
Hence I have described these steps further below.

2.5. GUI adaptions for more convenient work

Windows 7 is not made for UMPCs like the Viliv N5.
By default, fonts are too small, vertical screen space is too small (just 600 pixels, some dialog windows are missing their "OK" and "Cancel" buttons, because the dialogs exceed the height of abt. 550 pixels, which are visible above the task bar) and all that Eye-candy of Windows 7 sometimes makes it difficult to see where's a pressable button and where is just a label dialog text.

Some GUI issues have been solved by the performance tweaks already (see above).
The following section explains GUI-related modifications I can recommend:

2.5.1. Move Taskbar to the right side of the screen:: This unleashes the full screen height of 600 pixels, and it makes the task bar accessible more easily using the touch screen.

If you are left-handed, you may rather move the task bar to the left side of the screen.
In order to move the task bar by dragging it with the mouse, you need to release it first by right-clicking into it and remove the checkmark from "Lock the taskbar". After moving the taskbar, you should lock it again.
2.5.2. Increase the default font sizes:: In Control Panel, under "Appearance" and then "Make text or other items larger or smaller", you can change the font sizes to 125%.
2.5.3. Enhance visibility of the mouse pointer:: The default mouse pointer is very small and, if moved quickly, almost invisible on the TFT screen of the N5.

In order to enhance visibility, you can do the following:

Increase its size:
In Control Panel, "Appearance", "Ease of Access Center", "Make the moue easier to use", choose the mouse pointer scheme "Extra large White".

Activate mouse trails:
Click on "Mouse Settings" at the bottom, choose tab "Pointer options", set a chackmark at "Display Pointer Trails". If you like, also enable "Show location of pointer when I press the Ctrl key".

Activate Snap-To:
If you additionally activate the Snap-To setting in that dialog, you will need to move the mouse less when going through dialogs. This can be very handy, but it can also be annoying. It's a matter of taste.
2.5.4. Keyboard control enhancements: Turn on shortcut underlining:

Control Panel --> "Ease of access" --> "Ease of Access Center" --> "Make the Keyboard easier to use" --> "Underline keyboard shortcuts and access keys"

This makes keyboard shortcuts in menus (e.g. Alt-E for the Edit menu) visible by underlining the shortcut letter permanently:

Cursor thickness:

By default, the text cursor is only 1 pixel wide, making it hard to see on the N5's small screen.
You can enhance the cursor thickness:

Control Panel --> "Ease of access" --> "Ease of Access Center" -> "Make the computer easier to see" --> "Thickness of blinking cursor"

I recommend a value of "2".

2.6. UltimateWindowsTweaker

"UltimateWindowsTweaker" is a tool for Windows 7 similar to "Powertoys TweakUI" for Windows XP.
It allows to set a lot of parameters manuipulating the system behavior, which are not otherwise accessible easily (only via the registration editor).

You can download UltimateWindowsTweaker here:
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/ultimate-windows-tweaker-v2-a-tweak-ui-for-windows-7-vista

You may change settings as you like.
I have changed the following items:

Personalization:

- Explorer / Enable check boxes to select items: YES
This is very useful for selecting several items in Explorer using the mouse without holding down Shift or Ctrl keys.

- Startmenu / Disable highlighting newly installed programs: YES
I find this highlighting "feature" to be very annoying

- Taskbar / Use large icons: NO
This saves a lot of space in the taskbar.

Additional Tweaks:

- Context menu / Show "Open Command Window Here": YES
This is a very useful feature if you tend to use the command line. That way, you can choose the directory in advance using the Explorer and open the command window with the choosen directory as the current directory.

- Context menu 2 / Show "Copy To Folder", "Move To Folder": YES
This can be quite useful, too.

2.7. Configure Windows Update

An UMPC is usually used a lot on the road, and in these situations you probably don't want the device to download hundrets of megabytes of data automatically, especially if you have a rather costly 3G data plan.

Hence it may be desireable to configure Windows Update in a way that it only notifies you about available updates, but requires interaction in order to download and install these updates.

You can configure this in Control Panel: Under "System and Security" you find the item "Windows Update". Then on the left you can "Change settings".
I have set it to "Check for updates but let me choose wether to download and install them".
Also, set a checkmark in front of "Give me recommended updates the same way I recceive important updates".

2.8. Get longer battery life (Power management)

#TODO
Custom power plan for long battery life
sswitch off display after 1 minute
Processor power 60%
etc.

For long-term activity witout standby etc.
sleep after 30 minutes

3. Applications

3.1. Uninstall unneeded software

The Windows 7 system as delivered from Viliv or as restored using the recovery process contains software which is not needed in most cases.

For example, you may uninstall
- Norton Internet Security and
- Norton Online Backup

You may want to use a free alternative, such as Avira AntiVir or AVG instead.
If installing that, you should disable Windows Defender, as these two products could interfer and identify each other as malware.

With uninstalling the Norton products, you also get rid of the annoying startup screen of Norton, asking you for costly registration.

Rather do not uninstall the VIliv-specific components, such as vilivManager, Mobile Partner (the 3G connection tool), ModemSwitch etc.

3.2. Which Internet browser?

I recommend Google Chrome.

It is by far the browser with the best performance, even much better than Opera.
Especially if you use Google web applications, such as Google Mail or Google Docs, Chrome is the best choice.

Of course you can also use
- Opera,
- Mozilla Firefox,
- Apple's Safari,
- the preinstalled Microsoft Internet Explorer,
- or any other Windows-compatible browser.

3.3. Office applications

Of course there is Microsoft Office.
From the Microsoft Office package I only use Outlook on the N5.

Personally I prefer Softmaker Office, which is a very Microsoft Office compatible office package consisting of a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation application and a very comprehensive dictionary.
It costs much less than MS Office and lacks lots of the unneeded features of MS Office which make MS Office so big and clumsy. It rather concentrates on the important and often used features, and those are implemented very well.
Sharing documents with Microsoft Office is only a problem in very rare cases of very complex documents.
http://www.softmaker.de

There is also OpenOffice of course, a completely free Office solution, but it is partially written in Java, which makes the whole thing a bit slow (at least this is my impression).
I have not tried it on the N5 yet, but it should work without problems.
http://www.openoffice.org/

Other free alternatives are Abiword as a word processor and Gnumeric as a spreadsheet. Both are also file format compatible to the MS equivalents, but not as good as Softmaker Office and OpenOffice.
http://www.abisource.com/
http://projects.gnome.org/gnumeric/

3.4. NoteCase Pro

One of my absolute favorite applications on all of my computers, especially the mobile ones, is NoteCase Pro.
It is basically an outliner, but it has so many additional features that it can be used for a large variety of purposes.

E.g. I have created this document, which you are currently reading, with NoteCase Pro.

I also use it for many other purposes:
- All kinds of notes and knowledge collections
- todo lists / task management using a sophisticated Getting Things Done system which I have developed
- as a database for confidential information using NoteCase Pro's strong file encryption
- for authoring websites and reports
- for journals and diaries
- for taking meeting minutees and rapidly generating meeting protocols from them
- for brainstorming and sorting thoughts
etc.

Read more about NoteCase Pro on my NoteCase Pro page.

If you descide to buy a NoteCase Pro license, you can support me by using the "buy" link on my NoteCase Pro page, because then I earn a small commission. For you, it will be the same license price and the same conditions.

3.5. PIM (Personal Information Management: Contacts, Calendar etc.)

PIM means "Personal Information Management" (see related Wikipedia article), which usually includes components such as
- a contats database
- a calendar
- a todo list

Optional components are:
- a database for your passwords
- email (mainly in conjunction with some groupware, enabling to invite colleagues to meetings via email, which is directly connected to the calendar)
- a journal or diary
- notes
and possibly other components.

I describe one possible setup here, which is not meant as a general recommendation, but maybe you can make use of this description.

For todo lists, notes, personal information collections and journals, I use NoteCase Pro, as I have described above.

For offline email and RSS news feeds I use Thunderbird Portable on an encrypted drive (for online email I use the Google Mail web interface).
Thunderbird Portable and the use of Portable Applications on an encrypted drive for data security reasons is described later on.

And for calendar and contacts, I use Microsoft Outlook 2003.

While for Email I consider Microsoft Outlook too clumsy, inflexible and too vulnerable to virus attacs and hence use another email client, and while I consider it too limited for effective task management and hence use NoteCase Pro for that matter, as a calendar and contacts database Microsoft Outlook is a very applicable tool.

All the more because it can well be synchronized with another Outlook on a PC, so you can take your complete calendar and contacts database with you on your UMPC, if you are an Outlook user anyway.

Microsoft Outlook has a very convenient and quite flexible calendar view for example (This screenshot shows a German installation of Outlook 2003):

Outlook's contact database is rather standard, but given its synchronizablity with such a big number of mobile devices and other applications and online services, this makes it superior to a lot of other options, which may even be more powerful or flexible in the application itself.

3.5.1. Synchronization with other devices and software ( Google Calendar: If you are a person who relies on synchronisation of PIM data between mutiple devices, and if you are even a person who often changes devices, you may look into Google Calendar and Google Contacts..

Besides Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar and Google Contacts are very commonly used PIM solutions nowadays. MS Outlook and Google Calendar / Google Contacts can be synchronized with Google Apps Sync.

There is a good chance that any arbitrary device or software for Personal Information Management can be synchronized with either MS Outlook or Google Calendar / Contacts (or both), so using one of them or even both you will be quite safe if you often change your mobile devices that you will always be able to synchronize with new devices.
3.5.2. Outlook to Outlook synchronisation (e.g. Easy2Sync): Usually, if you are an Outlook user and have a mobile device, you may synchronize both with the synchronizer software supplied with your mobile device.

In case of a Windows UMPC this does not work, as it is a full-featured PC with an adequate version of Outlook and no supplied sync software.

Outlook itself does not have any built-in feature for synchronisation with another normal Outlook installation.

But there are thrid-party programs which allow this kind of synchronisation.
Depending on your Outlook setup(s), you need different kinds of such programs.

There is software which only accesses PST files for synchronisation. You cannot use such software if you use an Outlook setup which is tied to an Exchange server.

If you use Outlook with an Exchange server in background, the choice of possible synchronisation programs is very limited.
The best and most user-friendly application I found was Easy2Sync by Thomas Holz.
It's not free, but it is certainly worth the license fee.

The program is very self-explanatory with good wizards, and, unlike some other programs, it provides confidence, because it asks the user, if it is unsure what to do with conflicting elements on both sides, and it does so using very clear dialogs.
However, these inquiries by the program are not annoying, but rather make you feel safe (and they can be disabled of course).
I have not experienced any double or lost entries so far with Easy2Sync.

Main window of Easy2Sync:

Dialog, which is shown in case Easy2Sync is unsure what to do:

4. Disks, Data and Security and Power Management

4.1. Where to store user data?

My preference has always been to strictly separate the operating system with the installed programs from the user data.
Therefor I had moved my entire users directory (user profile) to the microSD card for some time
However, I soon encountered problems with system image partition backup and restore, which made the entire backup strategy cumbersome and prone to errors.

So I decided to let the user profile directory reside on the SSD drive, and only manually put user data files of programs which are able to use different directories (most programs are able to do so!), into a data directory on the microSD card.
Especailly programs which deal with large and/or important files should be configured to use the microSD card for file storage.

- Large files, in order to save precious SSD space and keep system partition images smaller, and
- Important files, so you can easily pop the microSD card out of the N5 and insert it into some other computer, in case that you need to work on the files using another computer, for example if the N5 is broken.

I have configured some most important programs to use D:\Data instead of the "My Documents" folder, which resides by default in the user profile insode C:\Users.
These programs include:
- Microsoft Outlook (outlook.pst file, i.e. calendar, contacts)
- NoteCase Pro (all my notes, diaries, knowledge, website authoring etc.)
- The office programs (spreadsheet, word processor, presentations)

And of course:
- the TrueCrypt encrypted drive with all sensitive data (read about that later on)
- all Portable Applications (read about that later on).

In most applications, simply choosing D:\Data\... as the save path for a document is enough to make the application remember that path for future use.
Sometimes, you can set default data paths in the options of an application.

That was the "Safe and easy" setup.
The complicated and dangerous one follows now:

4.1.1. Keep all user data on a microSD card: Now follows the complicated and rather error-prone setup for complete separation of user data from the system partition.
Follow this only if you are brave enough and if you exactly know what you do!
Otherwise, simply skip this chapter.

Note that I had problems with this setup in case I restored a system partition image backup. Windows would not recognize the original user profile on the SD card and would create a temporary profile. It was not easily possible, without major hassles, to make Windows use the old user profile stored on the microSD card in that case.

Purpose of this setup:
In case your N5 stops working for some reason due to a defect, you cannot access the built-in SSD easily (if at all), so your user data is probably lost. If you keep user data on a microSD card, you can simply pop out the card in such a case and continue to use it in another computer.
That way also sharing user data with other computers is much easier.

How to do that:
I have done it by moving my entire data directory under C:\Users onto a 16GB microSD card which is always inserted in the N5. If this is done, the microSD card must not be removed anymore while the N5 is running, in standby or hibernated, but only if it's completely shut down! And as soon as you boot the N5 again, the card must be inserted, otherwise you won't have access to your settings and files.

So please do this seperation only if you can accept that the microSD card becomes a fixed component of the N5 system. It won't be a true removable medium anymore.

My user data directory was called
C:\Users\daniel
I will use this name as an example below. Use your own login name instead of "daniel"!

There are several ways to make Windows use the new user data directory on the microSD card.
Most tutorials on the Internet only describe the way to move the "My Documents" folder to another medium, but this is not what we want to do. "My Documents" is only a part of the user directory.
We want to move the entire user directory to the microSD card.

Also for this tasks there are several ways. I tested two of them:
1. Move user folder to microSD and create a link from C:\Users\daniel to D:\Users\daniel
2. Move user folder to microSD and tell Windows via the registry that the new location of the user directory is D:\Users\daniel

Way 2 is more robust, so I will describe that way here.
With way 1 I had problems, especially after restoring a system partition image, which resulted in an unusable user profile.

So here is way 2 in detail:

First:
Create a backup of all your data! Chances are good that you will mess up your entire setup with the following steps, and maybe even lose some data.
Even better would be to perform this procedure on a new Windows 7 install or recovery, so that you avoid the risk of losing important data or settings. If you do it ona new install / recovery, just make sure that you already have created your user login ("daniel" in this example) and that you have logged in and logged out at least once.

The following assumes
- that you are corrently logged in with your user login which has administrator rights (example: "daniel"):
- that the microSD card inserted into the microSD card slot of the N5 has drive letter D:
Adapt the descriped steps to your setup accordingly.

1. Activate the hidden administrator account

Open an Administrator shell by going into Startmenu, Accessories, Right-Click on "Command Prompt", choose "Run as Administrator", then enter the command
net user administrator /active:yes

The command should return a success message.
Attention: Now the Administrator account of your system is active, and it does not have a password by default!
So anyone who gets access to your computer may log in as administrator and have access to all files and features.

2. Shut down Windows entirely, then reboot

(this is to release all files from any access lock).

3. Log in as Administrator:

The welcome screen will show the "Administrator" account in addition to your usual account. Log in as "Administator". No password required, if you didn't set one yet for that account.

4: Create new Users directory:

Open Windows Explorer and create a directory "Users" on the microSD card (D:),

5: Copy the users directory to the new location:

Copy the directory C:\Users\daniel with all its contents into D:\Users, so that the result is that there is the directory D:\Users\daniel with the original contents of C:\Users\daniel.

6: Back up the old users directory:

Rename the old users directory C:\Users\daniel to C.\Users\daniel_backup

Note:
If steps 5 and 6 cause problems due to unsufficient access permissions, locked files / directories or similar issues, you may need to do these steps outside of normal Windows 7. You may boot Windows 7 in safe mode for example, or boot into Linux, e.g. a SystemRescueCD Linux, installed on a USB thumb drive.

Here are the commands used in a Linux system (only relevant if copying and renaming doesn't work under Windows/Administrator directly). If you are not familiar with Linux, ask someone who is!
   mkdir /mnt/m1
   mkdir /mnt/m2
   mount -t ntfs-3g /dev/sda2 /mnt/m1
   mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/m2
   mkdir /mnt/m2/Users
   cp -av /mnt/m1/Users/daniel /mnt/m2/Users
   mv /mnt/m1/Users/daniel /mnt/m1/Users/BACKUP_daniel
   reboot

Make sure that you use the correct device names. /dev/sda2 is the Windows 7 partition of the SSD. /dev/sdb1 is the (FAT) partition of the microSD card. The device names can vary. For example, the microSD card may not have a partition table, then the card is /dev/sdb (without a partition number). You can test if there is a partition table using the command fdisk -l /dev/sdb .

7: Prepare checking for success:

Create a new text file with an arbitrary but unique name, e.g. "00CHECKME" in D:\Users\daniel\Desktop (we will use this after the change to check that we are really working on the new directory and not on the old one). The file doesn't need to contain anything. It's just important that it exists.

8: Start Registry Editor:

Now open the start menu and enter "regedit" into the command field. The registry editor starts.

9: Seach key (1):

Navigate to the registry key
“HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList”
You will see at least two longer entries. These are the user profiles for "Administrator" and for the user(s).

10: Seach key (2):

Find the entry which belongs to user "daniel" (the key "ProfileImagePath" must point to the user directory "daniel") (replace "daniel" with your own user name of course):

11: Change ProfileImagePath value:

Change the value of key "ProfileImagePath" to "D:\Users\daniel" (Right-click on "ProfileImagePath" and chosse "Modify"):

12: Close the Registry Editor

Your change will be saved automatically without confirming.

13: Reboot

14: Log in as "daniel"

Now, after your normal login, you should be using the profile / user data at the new location.
Everything should be as before the move. If something is different (task bar at a different possition, different icon/font sizes, different desktop background etc.), something went wrong.
In case Windows reports that you are working on a temporary profile, which was created because the original profile is not accessible, something went wrong. You should check the success of each of the above steps in detail and, if necessary, repeat the steps.

15: Check for success:

You should see the "00CHECKME" document somewhere on the desktop now. This is the sign that you are working with the user folder at the new location now. You may now delete the file.

Clean up:

16 (important!): Deactivate the Administrator account again!

Open an Administrator shell by going into Startmenu, Accessories, Right-Click on "Command Prompt", choose "Run as Administrator", then enter the command
net user administrator /active:no

Check that the command reported success.

Now you are finished with the mandatory part!
You may continue with these steps if you want:

16 (optional): Adapt all registry entries:

Some programs write path names into the registry, which use abolute paths to point to the user directory.
In order to allow these programs to also find the new locatoin of your user folder, you may do a global search-and-replace over the entire registry for replacing all occurrences of C:\Users\daniel by D:\Users\daniel.
You can probably use a tool such as Registry Replace:http://bladesdev.com/regreplace.htm

(this is untested by me!)

18 (schedule this for later!): Delete Backup

You should delete the backup copy C:\Users\daniel_backup of the data directory on C: as soon as you are sure that everything still works as expected, in order to free up the space on C:. You may keep it as a fallback for some time, in case you encounter problems with the new setup.

Note:

You may encounter "desktop.ini" files appearing here and there after this change is done.
This is not a serious problem. Here is the explanation and solution:
Probably the microSD card is formatted with the FAT file system. FAT does not have all the features of the SSD's NTFS file system.
Moving all the user files over from an NTFS to a FAT file system may break some file attributes.
desktop.ini files are normally hidden, i.e. not showing up in normal views. This "hidden" flag may have been lost on the copy process.
This is solved simply: Right-click on each desktop.ini, which you come across, e.g. in the start menu or in Explorer, choose "Properties" and check "Hidden" in the "General" tab. Hit OK and the according file should not appear anymore, either instantly, or after the next reboot.

4.2. System security

An UMPC is easily lost or stolen. So in order to restrict access to the N5 by people who are not authorized to use the device and view your data, you should safeguard the system accordingly.

Define a secure login password:
Control Panel --> User Accounts and Family Safety --> User Accounts --> Change your Windows Password.

Don't use autologin:
This is disabled by default anyway. So if you have enabled it before, you also know how to disable it. (Command prompt: "control userpasswords2")

Activate the screen saver and screen saver password:
Control Panel --> Appearance --> Display --> Change Screensaver.
Recommendation: Screensaver "Blank" (for best performance), wait 5 minutes, and make sure to check "On resume, display logon screen".
Don't close the Screensaver dialog!:

Activate password after standby:
In the screensaver dialog, click the link "Change Power settings". This takes you to the "Power Options" in Control Panel. You see a link "Require a password on wakeup" on the left. Then activate "Require a password" setting.
Don't close this dialog yet!

4.3. Power management options

Now that we are in the Power Options dialog anyway, let's configure the power management to good values.

Summary of my settings (which are explained below in detail):

Power button:
--> Hibernate

Lid close:
--> "do nothing", goes into Standby after 10 minutes automatically when on battery

Hotkey Shift-Ctrl-H:
--> Standby instantly (no matter if on battery or AC)

After 10 minutes when on battery:
--> Standby

Here are the settings in detail:

In the dialog which is currently open, choose what to do when lid is closed and when the power button is pressed (event-triggered behavior of power management).

I have configured lid closing to always "do nothing" (after a few minutes, the system goes into standby anyway, when on battery. When on AC power, I often need the N5 to run when closed, because in the office I use it often via file sharing / VNC from another PC).

The Power Button setting is configured to always "Hibernate".

If you want to shut down or restart, hit Alt-F4 (Alt-Fn-4) repeatedly to close all applications and finally "close" the desktop, which brings up the dialog where I can choose between Shutdown, Restart or Hibernate.
Now confirm the settings and close the dialog.
I prefer this way of shutting down over a one-button shutdown which I cannot entirely control (unsaved data may be lost).

What about Standby?
Standby (or "go to sleep", as it is called sometimes), being a mode which uses more power than Hibernate, but the unit is much more quickly ready for use again after wakeup, can be very useful for a UMPC.
The Viliv N5 does not have a dedicated Standby button. The Power button can be configured to set the N5 to Standby, but I prefer it to hinbernate the unit.
So I made "Shift-Ctrl-H" a hotkey for standby mode using the AHK_local.ahk script.
The orange symbol on the H key is (for me) a good reminder for the standby function (although it has another meaning avtually).

On the left of the power options dialog you find "Choose when to turn off the display". Click this, and configure the time-triggered behavior.
I recommend to let the system go to sleep automatically when on battery, maybe after 5 or 10 minutes, depending on your usage pattern.
When "Plugged in", I turn off the display after one hour, but do nothing else. no dimming, no sleep.

But your requirements may vary. Keep in mind all these possibilities to configure the behavior, and adjust it whenever you find it doesn't fit your requirements exaclty.

It's always a balance between usability, security (password after sleep/screensaver!) and power saving.
You may need to adapt all these settings to your habits.

Note that after Hibernation and Standby, WiFi and Bluetooth are switched off and must be reenabled (Fn-S, Fn-D) in order to be used.

4.4. File sharing over the network

You may want to share a folder or an entire drive, e.g. the microSD card, for use over the network by another computer.
If you do so, consider security, too!

If you work in a network with just Windows 7 computers, you may use the "Homegroup" feature of Windows 7 to share data between computers in the network.

However, in order to be compatible with other operating systems, enabling file sharing with e.g. Linux, Mac, Windows XP etc., I recommend to use standard file sharing mechanisms (SMB protocol) using the "share" tab of folder properties in Windows Explorer, and configure the share's access permissons manually the folllowing way:

Remove the "Everyone" entry entirely,
create a new entry with your username and give it full access.

Then, when connecting to the share using another computer, you need to authenticate using your N5's login user name and password, in order to get any access to the share.

Note that the network type (or "network location", as Windows 7 calls it) of the network you want to use the share over, has to be set to "private network" ("work network" or "home network").
If it is set to "public network", file sharing over that network will be disabled.
And make sure that file sharing is generally enabled for private networks:

Control Panel --> "Network an Internet" --> "Homegroup" --> "Choose homegroup and Sharing options" --> "Change advanced sharing settings":

Under "Home and work" choose "Turn on file and printer sharing".
Also, make sure to "Turn on password protected sharing".
And take a look at the section "HomeGroup connections": If you are using HomeGroups where you share your drives, you can enable that HomeGroup option.
Otherwise, you should activate "Use user accounts and passwords to connect to other computers".

Under "Public", the sharing options should be switched off, except if you have the explicit need to share drives over the Internet, and then you should be exactly aware of what you are doing.

4.5. Encrypt sensitive data!

As soon as you have any kind of sensitive data on your N5, and this explicitly includes data of other people, e.g. emails sent to you by other people, you definitely should encrypt that data!

A UMPC can easily be lost or stolen, and even if the system is password-protected, it is easy for an expert to access all your data on the SSD or microSD, e.g. by booting a Linux system.
Encryption is the only method to restrict access to your data.

Windows 7 comes with its own file encryption (EFS, BitLocker), but unfortunately, Microsoft has limited the functionality in the Starter and Home editions of Windows 7 that much that it is not sufficient for our UMPC-specific needs. So an alternative must be found:

A very powerful and free tool for data encryption is TrueCrypt.
TrueCrypt uses an encrypted file which contains a file system, which is mounted as an own drive into the system after input of a password.

An advantage of TrueCrypt compared to other encryption tool is that it is available for multiple platforms. So if you need to access your encrypted data from a Linux or Mac system, e.g. if you want to share the encrypted drive with those systems to access the data also from those systems, you will be able to, because TrueCrypt is also available for these systems.

Like all the user data, the encrypted drive should be stored on the microSD card and not on the internal SSD.

I have defined shortcuts for convenient mounting / dismounting of the TrueCrypt volume by just a keypress (and input of the password, for mounting).
See below.

If you often deal with textual information which you want to be encrypted, e.g. your diary, meeting notes, reference information etc., you may consider installing the NoteCase Pro outliner, which I have described above.
NoteCase Pro is a very powerful tool, also available for a variety of different platforms, for information handling, and it has built-in file encryption.
It even can manage your tasks, generate websites or handouts easily, you can structure and write a book with it etc.
The basic version is free. If you need the advanced features, it will cost a small license fee.

If you use software which has built-in encryption, such as NoteCase Pro, you don't need to install that software inside the encrypted drive and thus have easier and faster access to it.

4.5.1. A great use for Portable Applications: I have installed some applications inside the encrypted drive as a portable install, usually used for installing applications on USB thumb drives for easy portability.

I don't do this to make my applications portable, but because these portable applications store all their data in a subdirectory of the application directory, and not cluttered around the entire system.
That way I can be sure that every bit these applications write will be encrypted.

This includes my entire Email setup, including account settings with account passwords, search indexes etc.
Also, I have installed instant messaging programs inside the encrypted drive.

installation is easy: Mount your encrypted drive, generate a "Programs" directory inside it, and when installing the portable applications, choose this "Programs" directory as the target.

Of course you only have access to these applications, as long as the encrypted drive is mounted.

I recommend the following portable applications (all of them, and many more, available on www.PortableApps.com):

For Email, RSS feed reading, Newsgroups: Thunderbird Portable

For instant messaging (ICQ, AOL, AIM and many more): Pidgin Portable

For IRC chat: PCChat Portable

For Skype: Skype Portable

For PIM (calendar, tasks etc.): Mozilla Sunbird Portable

If you want to keep your Internet browsing behavior secret, and dont want to enable "inkognito mode" or delete all Internet tracks each time you use the browser, you can also install a portable browser in the encrypted drive, e.g. Google Chrome Portable, Mozilla FireFox Portable or Opera Portable
Even the temporary Internet files, cookies etc. will then be stored in the encrypted drive.

Consider encrypted container file size to be large enough, if you install a lot of programs in it.

4.6. Backups of data and system

Backups are important!
Backups are very important!

Especially if you work with an ultra-mobile computer, you may lose your data faster than you may guess.

If you follow my recommendations mentioned above, seperating the operating system with installed programs from user data by putting the user data onto the microSD card, you should consider a two-way backup:

Way 1: Operating system and installed programs backup

Way 2: User data backup.

4.6.1. Back up your user data

User data should be backed up frequently, whereas the system and installed programs only need to be backed up before or after major changes.

In the setup suggested here, user data is in two places on your N5: The mircoSD card and in C:\Users (which is the location wihere user profiles are stored).

So you should frequently back up these two items to an external medium, e.g. a USB hard drive.

A quite good free-of-charge software solution for backups and for file synchronization in general is
AllwaySync

After installation AllwaySync is free for private "moderate" use. It will ask for paying a license fee only if you really extensively use it, which won't happen if you just backup your microSD card and maybe have a few more simple synchonization jobs configured.

Upon first startup of AllwaySync, the software is quite self-explanatory.
For a backup, set in two "job" setups (two tabs "BackupSD" and "BackupUsers"):
- the sources ("C:\Users" and your microSD card, probably "D:\") on the left side of each job, and
- the targets (Probably an extermal USB drive's "N5_backup" subfolder, e.g. "E:\N5_backup\microSD" and "E:\N5_Backup\Users") on the right side of each job.

Make the big arrow in the middle point from left to right, indicating that this is not a two-way synchronization but only a one-way backup. Do this in both jobs:

Click on the arrow to make sure that "Propagate deletions" and "Propagate modifications" are checked:

This setup will ensure that on the target you will always have a 1:1 copy of your source contents.

However, AllwaySync is capable to do even more for you:
It can store old versions of modified files, so you can "go back in time", after you have done a modification of a file you want to revert for whatever reason.

"Going back in time" is not as convenient in AllwaySync as in "TimeMachine" on an Apple Mac, but it is quickly learned:

In order to activate this feature, choose (in both jobs seperately!) from the Menu "Job" --> "Properties".
Under "Default profile" look for your backup profile and there the subitem "File Versioning Policy".
Here you can choose how to handle deleted and modified files.
Now choose "Move to _SYNCAPP folder" for both.

Note: Depending on the size of the files ou delete or modify, this feature may take quite a lot of additional disk space on the backup target. So make sure you have a large enough drive availalbe for your backups!

Now, whenever you do a backup, files you have deleted or modified on the source drive will not instantly be modified or deleted on the target drive, but instead AllwaySync puts the current backup version of the file into a "_SYNCAPP\Versioning\[current date and time]" subfolder of the folder in which the file resides on the target drive, and only afterwards delete or modify the original backup file.

You can access deleted and modified file archives directly from within AllwaySync using Menu "Job" --> "Old version archive".

Example:

You have run your last backup yesterday on 2011-02-03.
Original file "example.doc" in D:\Documents got modified today on 2011-02-04.
You then start a backup today at 12:00.
Backup target is E:\N5_backups

You will get:
E:\N5_backup\Documents\example.doc
(the current backup file, containing your recent changes)
E:\N5_backup\Documents\_SYNCAPP\Versioning\2011-02-04 12-00\example.doc
(the version of your document backed up yesterday, not containing the recent changes of today).

Tipps:

- Take a look at the advanced settings of AllwaySync.
For example, you can let AllwaySync start the backup automatically when you connect the backup target device (external USB hard drive for example). That way, backing up is as easy as makeing sure that AllwaySync is started and connecting the target hard drive.
Note that AllwaySyn may also start a backup if another than the target drive is connected, as long as it is assigned the same drive letter.

- You can exclude certain folders or files from the backup (e.g. temporary files, large media files etc.) by defining according rules in AllwaySync.

- You can modify the error/warning handling so that you can do unattended backups and later review the log file to see if there were errors.

4.6.2. Create a system repair disk!

Use the Windows 7 feature for creating a system repair disk.
If you want to do it directly on the Viliv N5, you need a USB CD burner. Connect it to the N5.
In case you will ever need that CD, you need a USB CD-ROM drive anyway, so it's always good to have one at hand, in case it's necessary.

Then use
Control Panel -> System and Security -> Back up your computer.
On the left you will find the item "Create a system repair disc".
Clicking this will guide you through the process. It's simple.

You may need this CD (and a USB CD-ROM drive!) in future, in case that your N5 is not bootable anymore (e.g. after experiments with different operating systems or after restoring system partition images).

On the Internet there are tutorials which describe the process of moving the repair disk contents onto a bootable USB flash disk. That way, you can avoid the need of an external USB CD-ROM drive.

4.6.3. Back up the operating system and installed software

The SSD partition with the operating system and installed programs are backed up infrequently, typically directly before or after a major configuration change.
(Backing up C:\Users, being a part of the system partition, more frequently is necessary and covered in the according section above).
You may also use Windows System Protection to make those major configuration steps revertible and make backups of the system even more infrequently.
Or, if you don't mind reinstalling the system and software at all in case something goes badly wrong, you may also omit this backup entirely.

The purpose of such a backup is a relatively quick restore of your entire system in case the system gets corrupted by file system corruption, by a virus or by some malicious software you may have installed.

In order to be able to recover a backup of the operating system, it is the best choice to create a backup image of the entire system partition.
Pure file-based backups don't help much in case the operating system isn't bootable anymore or you suffer file system corruption or even theft of the device.

There are several ways to create a partition image.
Although I prefer to use freely available tools, for as many tasks as possible, in this case I recommend using Norton Ghost™ for saving images of the system partition.
Norton Ghost™ was the only system image creation software, which in my tests was able to safely back up and restore the Windows 7 partition without any problems after restore (such as a non-booting system).

Although Norton Ghost is said to support Windows 7 only from version 15.0, I had success with the backup/restore process of the N5's Windows 7 partition using an earlier Norton Ghost version, too.
However, you should at least once try the entire process in a state where a messed up backup restore does not hurt you too much, in order to be able to safely restore a backup later, in case it becomes necessary.

You need to boot and start Norton Ghost from a separate medium, e.g. a boot CD or USB drive, in order to get full and safe access to the Windows 7 system partition.
Please consult the Norton Ghost manual or tutorials on the Internet in order to learn about usage of Ghost.

Make sure that you back up and restore only the system partition, not the recovery partition, of the N5's SSD drive!
Accidental restoring of the Windows partition backup to the recovery partition will erase the recovery partition forever.

You may as well (maybe at first) create a backup of the recovery partition using Notron Ghost™, so you can restore it in case it gets damaged or overwritten.

4.6.3.1. Norton Ghost™ Windows partition backup guide: Here is a screenshot-oriented guide, which describes the process of creating a backup image of the system partition of the N5.

First, prepare an external memory device which has enough free capacity for holding that image.
Depending on the space used by files on your C: drive of the N5, the needed capacity varies from about 3GB to 12GB (32GB model) or 60GB (64GB model).

The safest option not to run out of space is to connect an external hard drive via USB.

After starting Norton Ghost™, choose
Local / Partition / To Image
from the menu.
(you may as well choose Local / Disk / To Image, if you want to make a backup of the entire SSD, e.g. to be able to always restore the complete factory default state of the N5. I haven't tested this, however.)

In the following dialog, choose the correct source drive for the image. It's the one with the cryptic name "M911E32GB". Note the "32GB" at the name's end, which reflects the SSD size, and also compare the capacity of the chosen drive in the column "Size(MB)". It has to match approximately the size of your N5's SSD.
The drive name may differ on your N5, though.

Now, choose the correct source partition on the chosen source drive. It's the NTFS C: partition, not the "Diagnostic" partition. The latter is the recovery partition of the N5. (You may create a backup image of that one too, in a seperate step).

Now choose a destination to store the image file to, and choose an image file name (here: n5_w7_09.GHO).
Make sure that you choose the dorrect destination drive with enough free capacity!

Let Ghost compress the image file to save a lot of space on the destination drive by clicking "High":

Now you can see the progress of the operation:

Once finished, disconnect the destination drive and the boot medium and reboot your N5.
4.6.3.2. Norton Ghost™ Windows partition restore guide: In order to restore a previously created partition backup with Norton Ghost™, choose
Local / Partition / From Image
from the menu.

Next, choose an image file to restore from:

If you created an image containing several partitions, you have a choice for a specific partition now, otherwise just choose the only listed one:

Now be careful!
Select the correct destination drive to restore the image to.
Selecting the wrong drive here will inevitably and irreversibly destroy the drive's contents.
Use the same drive you used when you created the backup.

Now be careful again!
Select the correct destination partition on the chosen destination drive to restore the image to.
Selecting the wrong partition here will inevitably and irreversibly destroy at least the chosen partition, maybe other partitions, too! Use the same partition you used when you created the backup.

In the following screen you can observe the progress:

After successful restore of the image, disconnect the external hard disk and boot medium, then reboot the N5.

4.7. The "FlashFire" SSD booster

In order to boost the performance of the system by enhancing SSD write speeds, you can try out FlashFire.

http://flashfire.org/xe/

FlashFire is an "intelligent" SSD cache in RAM, which dramatically reduces SSD writes and reads and hence may boost the performance of the N5. I have not tested it yet on the N5, but only on the UMID mbook M1, where it indeed had a big positive effect, but also caused file system corruption a few times, making it necessary to restore a Windows system image backup.
So be careful!
Only try it after you have made a full (system, applications and data) backup!

4.8. Intel SSD Toolbox

There is a software package called Intel SSD Toolbox, which is meant to improve the performance and reliability of Solid State Drives.
You can download it here.
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18455

And read its documentation here:
http://downloadmirror.intel.com/18455/eng/Intel_SSD_Toolbox_User_Guide_2.0.pdf

I have note tested it yet, so I cannot yet give any advice about it.

5. Further enhancement of usability and productivity

5.1. Scrolling

The built-in optical pointing device is great and makes usage of the touchscreen almost completely unnecessary.
However, scrolling is not that easy.
By default you have to move the pointer onto a scroll bar, press the mouse button and precisely drag the pointer up, down, left or right.

There is a freeware helper program, which enables easy scrolling in many applications by holding the right mouse button and dragging the mouse pointer up/down while it is located somewhere in the scrollable window:

MouseImp PRO Live

It does not enable this easy kind of scrolling in all applications, though.
E.g. in Google Chrome, it does not work, but there you can press both bouse buttons simultanously shortly and get a navigation pointer. Then drag the mouse pointer into a direction to scroll the displayed web page.

In applications which have a context menu on the right mouse button, MouseImp Pro Live may also refuse to work.

Also remember the PgUp / PgDn keys as a way to scroll through a text window!
In pure viewer applications, such as a PDF viewer or in Internet browsers, the arrow keys or even the space bar may be used for scrolling.

5.2. Improve keyboard usage / AutoHotKey

If you, like me, prefer the keyboard over mouse and touchscreen for controlling the computer, you should make use of all the useful hotkeys, which are provided by Windows 7, by the N5's BIOS and by the installed programs.
You can almost entirely eliminate the need to use the touchscreen, which does not make much sense on a clamshell device anyway, in my opinion, even more if it has such a great optical pointing device as the Viliv N5 has.

Consider:
The more you need to move your hands back and forth between different input devices (keyboard, optical mouse, touchscreen), the more you dramatically slow down input into your computer.
My personal goal is to eliminate the need to use any pointing device as much as possible and doing as much as possible using the keyboard only.

With the free third-party tool called AutoHotKey, you can easily define your own hotkeys or hotstrings for various kinds of actions (see the below AutoHotKey scripts section for useful example scripts and the following sections of this document, which explain parts of these scripts in detail).
Using AutoHotKey, you can also redefine default hotkeys of Windows 7 and do many other useful things, up to writing whole GUI-based programs using the comprehensive AutoHotKey scripting language.

It may be difficult to learn all these hotkeys, which are not obvious by key cap icons etc., but if you exercise them, you will learn them soon.
If you don't know instantly what hotkey "Date stamp in ISO format" was, don't do it another way, but look up the hotkey and use it. That way you will learn it.

Haven't you also wondered about all the space on the right and left side of the N5's screen? Haven't you also wished the screen would take the entire width of the screen shell?
Well, that's not possible unfortunately.
But you can use that space effectiely, by attaching cut-down post-it notes to them with hotkey cheat sheets. You will find that you don't need them anymore after a few weeks of consequent hotkey usage.

5.2.1. Start programs using the keyboard: Windows 7 comes with a very handy feature, missing in previous Windows versions:
The search field in the Start menu.
Hit the Windows key and begin to type the application name you are looking for. As you type, the Start Menu will list the search hits, which you can browse using the arrow keys. The marked application will be started using the Enter key.
For example:
Hitting the Windows keym typing "out" and hitting enter may be much faster than choosing and clicking "Outlook" from the start menu using the mouse.

Of course, using Windows' shortcut feature in the program link properties (tab "Shortcut", field "Shortcut Key") or using AutoHotKey you can assign a direct keyboard shortcut to each application.
AutoHotKey is much more flexible, you can, for example, start several programs at once, execute conditional actions, prefill dialog fields etc.
5.2.2. Hotstrings: This section is not about underwear!
Hotstrings are abbreviations for longer pieces of text. E.g. type "btw" and get "by the way" or type "sig" and get your entire email signature.

Hotstrings are good for several purposes:
- to speed up your typing (especially interesting on non-standard keyboards which most people cannot type as quickly on as on standard keyboards)
- to avoid typos (using an automatically expanded abbreviation makes sure that you don't mistype that word). This is also important for later searching for information. If you mistyped "USB doking station" and later search for "docking" in your document, you won't find that instance of the "USB docking station". So it makes sense to also define hotstrings for very important pieces of text, not only to often typed or often mistyped ones or often used blocks of text.

My AutoHotKey script "AHK_common.ahk" contains some default hotstrings, such as "btw", which expands to "by the way" etc.
Additionally it contains a section of code which lets you define new hotstrings on the fly without editing the script manually.

Whenever you want to generate a new hotstring for a word, phrase or even for an entire text block, you can easily do that, if the according AutoHotKey script (AHK_common.ahk) is running.
In the following example, we assign the hotstring "uds" to the phrase "USB docking station":

- Mark the phrase in your text. In the example, "USB docking station" has been marked in NoteCase Pro.
- Hit Win-H ("Win" means the Windows key).
You will see the following dialog:

The cursor is located at the right position for you to enter the abbreviation you want to use.
Type "uds" and hit Enter:

That's all.
Whenever you type "uds" now as a word, i.e. followed by a space, Tab, newline, quote, colon or something like that, the script will automatically replace that by "USB docking station", no matter in what application you are typing.

You may define as many new hotstrings as you wish.
In order to change or delete such hotstrings later, you need to edit the script manually. Right-click its tray icon (put the mouse pointer over the green "H" icon and wait for the apeearing quick-tip in order to see which script it represents, because if more than one script is loaded, there are more than one identical tray icons) and choose "Edit This Script". You find the hotstrings at the end of the script. Save the script after editing. If you are unsure about your changes, you may first save a backup copy of the script.
When editing is done, you need to reload the script in order to apply the changes. This can be done via Right-click of the tray icon and choosing "Reload This Script".
5.2.3. Special characters: The Viliv N5 has a US-English keyboard.
If you often need characters which cannot directly be generated using the keybaord of the N5, e.g. the German Umlauts, you can define hotkeys and/or hotstrings in AutoHotKey to generate them.

See my script AHK_common.ahk:

It defines hotkeys and hotstrings for German Umlauts, and in addition hotkeys (but not hotstrings) for some special characters like the copyright symbol © etc.
The hotkeys use the right ALT key as the assigned modified key.

In the following, "aaa" refers to a string, i.e. enter "aaa" by pressing the key [A] three times.
The notation [A] refers to a press of the key labeled "A".

The method is as follows:
In order to generate the a-Umlaut (ä), you can either press
RightAlt-[A] (hotkey)
or type
"aaa" (hotstring).
The hotstring variant makes generation of special characters easier when you are thumbtyping and pressing two keys at once is difficult. For example, you can type "Baaar" to get "Bär".
The hotkey variant may be preferable when the N5 stands on the desk in front of you and you are typing with more than two fingers. (Type Shift-[B] then RightAlt-[A], [R] to get "Bär").

The assignments are:

"aaa" and RightAlt-[A] generate "ä".
"ooo" and RightAlt-[O] generate "ö".
"uuu" and RightAlt-[U] generate "ü".
"sss" and RightAlt-[S] generate "ß".

"AAA", "Aaa" or RightAlt-[A] generate a capital "Ä".
"OOO", "Ooo" or RightAlt-[O] generate a capital "Ö".
"UUU", "Uuu" or RightAlt-[U] generate a capital "Ü".

In addition some hotkeys are defined for special characters:

RightAlt-[E] generates € (the Euro currency symbol)
RightAlt-[C] generates © (the "copyright" symbol)
RightAlt-[R] generates ® (the "registered trademark" symbol)
RightAlt-[T] generates ™ (the "unregistered trademark" symbol)
5.2.4. The small [K] and [L] keys and the quotes key of the N5: The keys [K] and [L] of the N5 keyboard are smaller than the other letter keys, which, at least for me, resulted in many typos when trying to write quickly. Often I found myself hitting the quotes key on the right of the [L] key instead of the [L] key.

So I have build a workaround for this. You find it in my AHK_local.ahk script.
For the small [K] key there is no real solution, but it's also not such a big issue as the small [L] key.

This workaround lets the quote key act as a second [L] key (think of it as an [L] key extension to the right).
If you want to generate the quotes, you can still use the quotes key, but you need to press and hold the [Ctrl] modifier key.

That means:
If you hit the quotes key, it will generate an "l" (lowercase L), just the same as if you hit the [L] key.
If you hit [Shift] with the quotes key, it will generate an uppercase "L".
Use [Ctrl] with the quotes key to generate a single quote and
[Shift][Ctrl] with the quotes key to generate a double quote.
5.2.5. Window movement: Especially on a smaller screen as the one of the N5 it may be necessary to move a window in order to access all handles (e.g. buttons which are hidden beyond the edge of the screen).

This topic has been explained above in the section about ensuring access to all dialog buttons. So it won't be repeated here.

5.3. Work in the office with the N5

The power of the N5 makes it a good candidate for office use, too, but unfortunately, the user interface, meaning the screen, keyboard and mouse, is so small that office use is quite inconvenient for a longer duration.

However, there is a great technology called DisplayLink, which makes it possible to connect an external display to the USB port of a PC.

That way it is easy to assemble a USB docking station for the N5:
Use a USB hub (it does not even have to have a power supply), connect a DisplayLink adapter to it and a USB mouse and a USB keyboard.
You can even add a USB LAN adapter to connect the N5 to your office LAN.
Of course it is also possible to use a wireless keyboard and mouse.

Simply plug the USB cable coming from the hub into the N5's USB port, and, if configured correctly, the Windows desktop will instantly be visible on the external monitor and you can start working with the external keyboard and mouse.

Not that a limitation of Windows 7 Starter does not allow to extend the Windows desktop over two displays, so the N5 display will be inactive as long as you work with the external monitor. Mirroring of the display contents is possible in Windows 7 Starter, so that both displays show the same contents, but such a configuration probably does not make much sense with a UMPC.

If you search for "DisplayLink" on Amazon, you will find a lot of suitable USB DVI/VGA adapter products.
It is even possible to attach a large FullHD display to the N5, using it with full resolution and having a really big Windows 7 desktop then.
But consider that each step towards a larger desktop will cost more processing power for compressing and transfering the desktop contents over USB. So the larger the resolution you want to use, the less performance you will get.
I have a 19 inch display with 1280x1024 pixels connected using one of the common DisplayLink adapters in the price range of about 60-70 US$. It works quite well and fluently.

Note that DisplayLink is not or only in a very limited way suitable for watching video!
It is not a full replacement for a regular VGA-out port.

5.3.1. USB Keyboard: Layout switching: The N5 keyboard is basically a keyboard with US-English layout.
Some keys are rearranged, but the OS uses the US driver to use the keyboard.

You may want to use external keyboards when working on a desk (USB or Bluetooth keyboard).

If this external keyboard has a different layout which needs a different keyboard layout setting in Windows, you will have not much fun using Windows' own layout switching, because this switching mechanism only remembers the leyout setting per application and not system-wide.

So if you are in program A and switch the layout from US to German using the input language bar, then activate program B, "US" is active again.
If you disconnect the external keyboard and then switch back to program A, "German" is active again.

There is a freeware tool called "keyla" which solves that problem very conveniently:
It lets you globally set the keyboard layout using a hotkey and showing the corrently active layout in its tray icon.

To use keyla, do the following:

1. In Control Panel, "Clock, Language and Region", "Change keyboards..", add the desired input language(s), but don't let Windows show the "Language Bar" (check "Hidden" in the Language Bar tab.)

2. Download keyla from here. (on the right side there is the download link)

3. Install keyla

4. Configure keyla to your liking. I have set the hotkey for cycling through US and DE layout to Shift-Ctrl-X.
Note that some hotkey settings in keyla can inferfere with hotkeys defined in AutoHotKey. This happens even with hotkeys for which such an interference is not obvious. So after setting the hotkey of your choice, try if it really works.

The tray icon of keyla always shows you which keyboard layout is active.

In order to ensure that keyla icon is always visible, you may configure the tray accordingly to always show keyla (never hide it):
Right-click on the taskbar's tray area and choose "Customize notification icons".

5.4. Work in the office with another computer using data from the N5

Instead of directly working on the N5 in the office, you can also use another computer and share the N5's data with that office PC.

For that purpose, there must be some kind of network connection between the office PC and the N5.
E.g. a WLAN ad-hoc connection, or both are connected to a LAN and/or WLAN, or a Bluetooth PAN connection.

Once the two computers are connected in one of these ways and are located in the same logical subnet, you can enable file sharing on the N5 using the "Network and Sharing Center" in Control Panel.
You may then share one or more drives or directories of your N5 with network users and access these shares from the office PC.

I won't go into detail here, because this file sharing is explained in a lot of places on the Internet already. There is nothing special about it on the N5.

5.4.1. Work on the N5 via another PC using VNC: There is also a way to work on the N5 "indirectly" by projecting its display into a window of the office PC and using the office PC's mouse and keyboard to control the N5.

This can be done using a technique called "desktop sharing", "remote administration" or similar.
These techniques use the "VNC" standard or technologies similar to it.

I am not familiar with Windows' built-in desktop sharing, but I use VNC. More precisely: TightVNC.

On the N5, install the TightVNC Server, and on the office PC, install TightVNC Viewer.
If the computers are connected over a network, you can connect from TightVNC Viewer to the N5's TightVNC Server and instantly see and control the display of the N5 inside a window on the office PC.

An alternative to TightVNC is TeamViewer, which is even able to connect two computers this way over the public Internet.
This is especially useful for maintenance of remote computers.

5.5. WLAN handling

There is almost nothing special about WLAN handling on the N5.

Make sure the WiFi hardware is switched on (using the BIOS hotkey Fn-S).
Clicking the network icon in the tray will show you available networks then, which you can connect to.

However, there is a speciality about Ad-Hoc networks in Windows 7 Starter, and I show you a tool which makes switching network profiles very easy.

5.5.1. Ad-Hoc WiFi networks in Windows 7 Starter

One of the limitations of Windows 7 Starter is that the possibility to connect to an ad-hoc WLAN has been removed from the network connection wizard.

However, it is easy to establish such a connection anyway:

Go into start menu, type "adhoc" in the search field and click the only hit.
That's it.

5.5.2. Profile switching with NetSetMan

With a device as mobile as the Viliv N5 you may want to connect to different WLANs which require different IP configurations, e.g. dynamic IP (DHCP) at home and a fixed IP at work.

There is a very useful tool called NetSetMan, which excellently manages such profiles.

It also provides many more useful profile parameters, such as which WLAN to connect to preferably, which printer to use in each network, and even the computer name, work group etc. can be changed depending on the profile.

NetSetMan even has a feature which switches profiles automatically, dependent on which WLAN networks are in range. This works great, if set up correctly. No manual interaction required anymore: Just switch on WiFi with Fn-S and NetSetMan does the rest.

Download NetSetMan here.

The free version is sufficient for most scenarios.

5.5.2.1. Scripting NetSetMan

NetSetMan offers a feature to start external scripts before and/or after activation of a profile.
Those scripts can be batch files or other scripting languages directly being executed by the operating system.

This feature can be used to start a program after activation of a profile (e.g. the web browser and email program, after the general on-the-go WLAN DHCP profile has been activated),
but it can also be used to resolve special issues, for example this one:

The one parameter which I miss to be switched in NetSetMan is the network location, which sets the security level: public network or private (home or work) network.
This is because there is one special case, where you still have to switch something manually:
If you have a WiFi adhoc network to another PC using static IP addresses, Windows 7 does not remember the network location you set ("private network"). Everytime you reconnect, Windows 7 classifies the network as "public" again and you need to reconfigure it to "private" in order to make file sharing work.

NetSetMan's scripting feature, together with Windows PowerShell, can help in this situation.

I have a PowerShell script, which sets network location of all networks to "private" (I'll have to enhance this to only switch on connection to "private". Otherwise it's still a bit dangerous, if there is a public Internet connection active at the same time).
Then I have a script in NetSetNam (being started after activation of the Ad-hoc network profile), which executes that PowerShell script.

Note that in order to make execution of PowerShell scripts work, do the following:

1. Open a PowerShell by choosing "Windows PowerShell" from the Start menu
2. Issue the command:
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

In order to register a script for a profile, check the item "Script" in the according profile and click the dots on the right:

Then enter the command line to be executed in either the "before" or the "after" tab.
In my case I need to execute the PowerShell script after activating the profile, because the WLAN adapter must be active and the WLAN connection must be established, before defining the WLAN connection as a "private" network:

5.5.2.1.1. d:\data\scripts\SetNetworkPrivate.ps1: # Source: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/powershell/archive/2009/04/03/setting-network-location-to-private.aspx

# Skip network location setting for pre-Vista operating systems
if([environment]::OSVersion.version.Major -lt 6) { return }

# Skip network location setting if local machine is joined to a domain.
if(1,3,4,5 -contains (Get-WmiObject win32_computersystem).DomainRole) { return }

# Get network connections
$networkListManager = [Activator]::CreateInstance([Type]::GetTypeFromCLSID([Guid]"{DCB00C01-570F-4A9B-8D69-199FDBA5723B}"))
$connections = $networkListManager.GetNetworkConnections()

# Set network location to Private for all networks
$connections | % {$_.GetNetwork().SetCategory(1)}

5.5.2.2. Controlling NetSetMan via Batch file

NetSetMan can be controlled via batch file, and this gives us a way to automate even more!

Use the following batch file and put shortcuts to it (with different parameters) onto the desktop or into the quickstart area, in order to instantly activate WLAN with a certain NetSetMan profile using only a mouse click (or a shortcut, using AutoHotKey), even including activation of the WLAN hardware of the VIliv N5, so you don't need to press the extra keyboard shortcuf Fn-S to activate WLAN (using the inpout32.dll function "Set_WifiPower").

The shortcuts call the batch file with one parameter denoting the number of the NetSetMan WLAN profile to activate (counting begins with #0), like this:

D:\Data\Scripts\WLAN_activate.bat 1

5.5.2.2.1. WLAN_activate.bat: @echo off
:: Parameter 1: Number of NetSetMan profile to activate (0 = first profile, 1 = second profile ...)

echo Enabling WiFi hardware and wait a few seconds...
rundll32.exe "C:\Program Files\vilivManagerSj\inpout32.dll",Set_WifiPower 1
timeout 7 /nobreak

echo Switching NetSetMan profile...
"C:\Program Files\NetSetMan\netsetman.exe" -as %1

echo finished.

5.6. One-key 3G Internet access (MWconn, AutoHotKey)

Usually, accessing the Internet using the 3G modem of the N5 requires several steps:
- Enable the modem using vilivManager or a AutoHotKey
- Start the connection software MobilePartner
- Hitting the "Connect" button of MobilePartner
- Starting the Internet broweser, Email client etc.

You can combine all these steps to be triggered by only one hotkey for quick and convenient Internet access.
What you need for that is AutoHotKey (recommended for a lot of other tasks anyway) and an alternative connection software which I can recommend due to its simplicity and ease of use:

MWconn.

MWconn can replace MobilePartner entirely. It's much leaner and faster than MobilPartner, and it is very freely configurable.

Download and install WMconn, then configure it.
Attention: By default, MWconn is not installed in "C:\Program Files". You should choose this installation target manually, create an "MWconn" folder inside "C:\Program Files" and install MWconn explicitly there.
If you don't do that, you will need to adapt the AutoHotKey script's MWconn path accordingly.

In the configuration dialog of MWconn, enter the following:

Tab "Global":
- Choose your mobile Internet provider from the list, if available. This will prefdefine some important settings.
- in "Regular program window" choose "Terminate program without query".
- Set all other options to fit your liking.

Tab "Device":
- Device Type: "3 Huawei" (the N5's modem is a Huawei EM770W module)
- If PIN is not disabled on your PIM card, enter the SIM PIN into the according field
- In the field labeled "Click here for console inputs" you can enter the command "AT" and hit enter, in order to test if the modem responds. It should respond with "OK". Remember that the 3G modem has to be enabled using vilivManager or my AutoHotKey script.

Tab "Network":
- Nothing to be done here, if your Internet provider was listed in the "Global" tab provider list and you have chosen it. Make sure that the settings, especially the APN, are correct.

The settings in the remaining tabs can be left at their default values, or you can modify them to your liking.

When finished with the configuration, MWconn will ask if it may create a dial-up connection called "Internet". Confirm. This connection is necessary.

Now, if you have Google Chrome installed and use the shortcut Shift-Ctrl-S of my AutoHotKey script, you will have 3G Internet access within a few seconds.

The shortcut Shift-Ctrl-D will terminate the connection, shut down MWconn but leave the browser window open for further reading.

You can modify the script to fit your needs, e.g. start another browser, an Email program or whatever, or to close the browser on Shift-Ctrl-D.

6. vilivManager

There is a background process running in the Viliv N5's default Windows 7 system called "vilivManager".
There is also a GUI program called "vilivManager", which lets you switch hardware components on and off (modem, WiFi, Bluetooth, Camera) and adjust the screen brightness.

If you want to use vilivManager, make sure that you have at least version 2.0.7 installed, because this one has a feature called "LCD boost", which makes the screen significantly brighter than it is without this option.
On this Viliv download page you will find the latest N5 vilivManager version for download.

However, vilivManager introduces some limitations, which you may not like to live with:

- It makes it impossible to use the 3G modem and WiFi at the same time. As soon as you activate one of them, the other one is switched off. [1]
- It makes some key combinations unusable. E.g. key combinations Alt-1, Alt-2 .. Alt-0 are not recognized anymore by the system or by any application. [2]

So it may be desireable to elimiate vilivManager and use other ways to switch hardware components instead.
To disable vilivManager permanently, close the vilivManager GUI, if it's open, then choose from the Start menu --> "Administrativ Tools" --> "System Configuration".
Open tab "Startup", uncheck "vilivManager" and follow further instructions how to make the change permanent.
Do not uninstall vilivManager, because you will need the DLL file from the vilivManager installation.

Now how to control the hardware components without vilivManager?

The key combinations drawn on the key caps still work, because they are BIOS-driven:
Fn-S for WiFi on/off,
Fn-D for Bluetooth on/off,
Fn-F and Fn-G to adjust the brightness
(and Fn-H/J/K/L for display and volume settings).

LCD booster, Camera and the 3G modem (and also WiFi, Bluetooth and normal LCD brightness) can be controlled using functions from the DLL file, which vilivManager uses:
C:\Program Files\vilivManagerSj\inpout32.dll
A DLL file is a function library file. In this case, inpout32.dll is the "heart" of the program vilivManager, and vilivManager.exe just builds the GUI around the functions in inpout32.dll and contains the logic to switch off 3G if WiFi is activated and vice versa, as well as deactivating the Alt-number hotkeys, and maybe some other limiting logic which I didn't encounter yet.

Remember that I AutoHotKeyd AutoHotKey for various purposes?
It comes in very handy here, too, because it has a function called "DllCall" which can call functions from DLL files.
I have written an AutoHotKey script which assigns hotkeys for switching on and off the 3G modem and enabling/disabling the LCD booster.
Here is a link to that script.
In order to use that script, save it to disk (e.g. copy and paste into a text editor), create a shortcut to it and put that shortcut into the Start Menu's "Startup" folder. Then, after the next reboot, the hotkeys will always be available.

The hotkeys are easy to recall, as they somewhat correspond to the BIOS-driven Fn hotkeys and their key cap icons are good for remembering the Shift-Ctrl hotkeys created by the script:

Shift-Ctrl-S: Enable 3G modem (and start MWConn connection software and Google Chrome: Internet access with only one keystroke!)
(Fn-S: Enable WiFi)

Shift-Ctrl-D: Disable 3G modem and shutdown MWConn again
(Fn-D: Enable Bluetooth)

Shift-Ctrl-F: Disable LCD booster
(Fn-F: decrease brightness)

Shift-Ctrl-G: Enable LCD booster
(Fn-G: Increase brightness)

You can change or extend these scripts easily using the inpout32.dll API description below.
I have not implemented camera controls, because I don't need them. If you need assitance in adding camera controls, let me know.

Note: Do not uninstall vilivManager entirely, as this would remove the inpout32.dll file, too, which the AutoHotKey script's "DllCall" function needs to handle the hardware.

___________________________
[1]: Note that Viliv had a reason for not allowing the 3G modem and WiFi to be active simultanously.
I have experienced myself an issue when using both modules at the same time:
I have downloaded a large file (70MB) over a 3G connection, while a VNC connection over an AdHoc WiFi was active. Suddenly the WiFi connection failed (although this could not have been a signal issue, as both WiFi devices were only 10..20cm away from each other). The WiFi module was still active, though, and I could connect both devices successfully again.
So there is probably some kind of current or heat issue if both modules are used at the same time.
Although it is possible to use both modules at the same time, it is not recommended!
Although I have not experienced any major harm from this, i.e. no hardware defects or data loss, this may occur to you if you try to use both modules at once!
Please remember the disclaimer at the top of this page:
Everything you do, you do on your own risk!

[2]: Also for this limitation I found the reason: If vilivManager is not running, and I have assigned hotkeys Alt-1 to Alt-9 to an application, and I use the Fn-F and Fn-G BIOS hotkeys to decrease or increase the LCD brightness by holding the hoteys for some seconds so that the brightness level reaches the lower or upper limit, the BIOS seems to fire some Alt-Number hotkey (Alt-6 for example).
I have no idea why, but it happens regularly. It's only slightly annoying because I have assigned functions to these hotkeys which can be canceled using the ESC key, so this is a minor issue to me.

6.1. API of inpout32.dll: inpout32.dll:

[Device API]

- S7, X70EX, N5 Premium
- Inpout32.dll
- _stdcall function

bool Set_WifiPower(short iPower);
- Wifi On/Off
- On : 1, Off : 0

bool Set_BluePower(short iPower);
- Bluetooth On/Off
- On : 1, Off : 0

bool Set_CameraPower(short iPower);
- Camera On/Off
- On : 1, Off : 0

bool Set_ModemPower(short iPower);
- Modem On/Off
- On : 1, Off : 0

bool Set_DmbPower(short iPower);
- DMB On/Off
- On : 1, Off : 0

char Get_DevicePower();
- Device Power Status (Wifi, Bluetooth, Camera, Modem, DMB)
- Display the binary value.

Return values decimal:

MWbc 8969922 100010001101111011000010
Mwbc 8969858 100010001101111010000010
mWbc 8969794 100010001101111001000010
mwbc 8969730 100010001101111000000010
(to be continued)

M Modem on
m Modem off
B Bluetooth on
b Bluetooth off
W Wifi on
w Wifi off
C camera on
c camera off

bool Set_BacklightLevel_ACK(short level);
bool Set_BacklightLevel(short level);
- Change the backlight brightness (0 – 15)
- Call Set_BacklightLevel_ACK when executing first.
- Call Set_BacklightLevel when executing second.

bool __stdcall Set_LCDBoost(int arg);

7. Special setups

7.1. N5 as a WLAN Access Point for 3G Internet: It is possible to use the Viliv N5 with its UMTS / 3G Internet capability as a WLAN "access point" for other devices which do not have 3G Internet access.
That way, other devices which have a WLAN interface can connect to the Viliiv N5 and use its 3G Internet access. The Viliv N5 acts as an Internet WLAN router in that case.

For example, you can connect a WLAN-equipped iPod or PDA to the Internet this way.

This is no complicated setup. You just need a router software on the N5, such as the free
connectify.me

This is a screenshot of connectify.me running on the N5 with an iPod Touch connected to it.

In die field "Internet" you need to choose the network connection which is used for the 3G Internet connection.
If you use mwconn for dialing into the mobile network, this connection is called "Internet".

You can download connectify.me for free at http://www.connectify.me

Please note that in the default configuration with vilivManager the concurrent use of 3G and WiFi is blocked, and this is for a reason. Read about it in the section about vilivManager.
Usage of connectify.me makes only sense if both interfaces are active, of course. So if you use connectify.me, be aware that you do it entirely on your own risk, and there is a risk of damaging the hardware or at least of instable connections.

Also note that the WLAN hardware of the Viliv N5 does not support AP (access point) mode. So you can only connect your WLAN-equipped device to the N5 using an ad-hoc WLAN connection.
7.2. Use GPS for time synchronisation: The Viliv N5 has a GPS module built-in.
Due to the form factor if the N5, the device is not suitable for in-car navigation or similar uses.

But the GPS module can have a good use, too.

The GPS system provides the exact time. So why not use the GPS signal for time synchronisation of the N5?

So a background task may be running which checks for a GPS signal in regluar intervals (it may even be available indoors occasionally, especially if you are located near a window), and whenever a signal is available, feed the system clock with the GPS time.

There is software which should be capable of doing this.
e.g. http://www.abstime.com/atomic-clock-sync/ GPS Time and Test (10$)

However, I was not able yet to let this program read GPS data from the N5's GPS.

If anyone has success with that, please let me know!

8. Do a Disk Cleanup and delete TEMP files!

In the meantime, after setting up and tweaking your system, there may be a lot of unneeded data on the SSD drive. Especially if Windows Update has downloaded and installed a lot of updates, the update installation files may still reside on the SSD.

Start the Disk Cleanup tool of Windows 7 to find and erase all that unneeded data.
This could could free up a few hundered MB of disk space.

Disk Cleanup is found in the Startmenu under "Accessories" / "System Tools".

Also, you may delete the contents of
C:\Users\daniel\AppData\Local\temp
I have found about 2GB (!) of unneeded data in that directory!
(Replace "daniel" with your own login name!)

9. My AutoHotKey scripts

In this section you find my AutoHotKey scripts which make life with the N5 easier.
I have inserted comments in order to make the scripts self-explanatory.

Some sections of the scripts have already been explained in this document in detail.

9.1. EasyWindowDrag_(KDE).ahk: This script makes moving windows and dialogs very convenient.
The N5-specific purpose is described in this section above.

This script is not written by myself, so here is the link to the script.
9.2. AHK_common.ahk: #CommentFlag //
#NoEnv

// *******************************************************************
// AutoHotKey script to make usage of a Windows PC easier and
// more efficient.
// by Daniel Hertrich, http://www.hermocom.com
//
// Check the "Run" commands in this script and make sure that they
// point to the correct installation paths of the applications to
// be started.
// Also you may want to read and understand this script (it's well
// commented) in order to adapt the behavior to your needs and
// in order not to be surprised by some unexpected behavior!
// *******************************************************************

// *******************************************************************
// The following lets you easily move windows by holding the "Windows"
// key and hitting th arrow keys. If you see a dialog which exceeds
// the height of the screen and "OK" and "Cancel" buttons are hidden
// for example, use Win-Up to move the window upwards.
// Change the value for S to adjust the step length.
// Usse Win-Alt-Arrow to double the step length.
// *******************************************************************

S=20

WMove(a,b)
{
   WinGetActiveTitle, T
   WinGetPos, X, Y,,, %T%
   WinMove, %T%,,X+a,Y+b
   Return
}

#Up::
   WMove(0,-S)
Return

#Down::
   WMove(0,S)
Return

#Left::
   WMove(-S,0)
Return

#Right::
   WMove(S,0)
Return

!#Up::
   WMove(0,-2*S)
Return

!#Down::
   WMove(0,2*S)
Return

!#Left::
   WMove(-2*S,0)
Return

!#Right::
   WMove(2*S,0)
Return

// *******************************************************************
// For reliable recognition of window titles in the script parts below:
// *******************************************************************

SetTitleMatchMode, 2
SetTitleMatchMode, Slow

// *******************************************************************
// Win-D generates current date (adapt format string to your needs):
// *******************************************************************

#d::
   FormatTime, CurrentDateTime,, dd.MM.yyyy
   SendInput %CurrentDateTime%{Space}
return

// *******************************************************************
// Win-I generates current date in ISO 6801 format (YYYY-MM-DD).
// For further info about this format,
// see http://www.seoconsultants.com/w3c/date-time/
// *******************************************************************

#i::
   FormatTime, CurrentDateTime,,yyyy-MM-dd
   SendInput %CurrentDateTime%{Space}
return

// *******************************************************************
// Win-T generates current time (adapt format string to your needs):
// *******************************************************************

#t::
   FormatTime, CurrentDateTime,, HH:mm
   SendInput %CurrentDateTime%{Space}
return

// *******************************************************************
// The following is a nice, quick and simple note taker application:
// Just hit Win-Q to activate a note window. Hit Esc to quit the
// note window. The text in this window is saved to a file as soon as
// you close the note taker windows with Esc.
// Whenever you hit Win-Q to launch the note taker, the file contents
// are restored to the note window.
// *******************************************************************

SetWorkingDir %A_ScriptDir%
#SingleInstance force

#q::
   IfWinExist AHK_Notetaker
   {
      WinActivate
   }
   else
   {
      Gui, font, s14, Verdana
      Gui, +AlwaysOnTop -SysMenu
      Gui, Add, Edit, x0 y0 w600 h400 vContent,
      Gui, Show, w600 h400 , AHK_Notetaker
      FileRead, Content, MyNotes.txt
      GuiControl,, Content, %Content%
      SendInput ^{End}
    }
Return

GuiEscape:
   Gui, Submit
   FileRecycle, MyNotes.txt
   FileAppend, %Content%, MyNotes.txt
   Content =
   Gui, Destroy
return

// *******************************************************************
// For debugging puroses: Hold Ctrl and Alt and Left-Click a window
// to show the window's title:
// Commented out currently by /* ... */.
// Use this if you want to enhance this script and need to find
// out the title of your application windows.
// *******************************************************************

/*
^!LButton::
   MouseGetPos, , , WinID
   WinGetTitle, Title, ahk_id %WinID%
   MsgBox, Titel = %Title%
Return
*/

// *******************************************************************
// default hotstrings
// *******************************************************************

::btw::by the way

// *******************************************************************
// Win-H:
// generate a hotstring for the selected text and apppend the
// hotstring to this script automatically:
// *******************************************************************

#h::
   // Get the text currently selected. The clipboard is used instead of
   // "ControlGet Selected" because it works in a greater variety of editors
   // (namely word processors). Save the current clipboard contents to be
   // restored later. Although this handles only plain text, it seems better
   // than nothing:
   AutoTrim Off // Retain any leading and trailing whitespace on the clipboard.
   ClipboardOld = %ClipboardAll%
   Clipboard = // Must start off blank for detection to work.
   Send ^c
   ClipWait 1
   if ErrorLevel // ClipWait timed out.
      return
   // Replace CRLF and/or LF with `n for use in a "send-raw" hotstring:
   // The same is done for any other characters that might otherwise
   // be a problem in raw mode:
   StringReplace, Hotstring, Clipboard, ``, ````, All // Do this replacement first to avoid interfering with the others below.
   StringReplace, Hotstring, Hotstring, `r`n, ``r, All // Using `r works better than `n in MS Word, etc.
   StringReplace, Hotstring, Hotstring, `n, ``r, All
   StringReplace, Hotstring, Hotstring, %A_Tab%, ``t, All
   StringReplace, Hotstring, Hotstring, `//, ```//, All
   Clipboard = %ClipboardOld% // Restore previous contents of clipboard.
   // This will move the InputBox's caret to a more friendly position:
   SetTimer, MoveCaret, 10
   // Show the InputBox, providing the default hotstring:
   InputBox, Hotstring, New Hotstring, Type your abreviation at the indicated insertion point. You can also edit the replacement text if you wish.`n`nExample entry: :R:btw`::by the way,,,,,,,, :R:`::%Hotstring%
   if ErrorLevel // The user pressed Cancel.
      return
   IfInString, Hotstring, :R`:::
   {
      MsgBox You didn't provide an abbreviation. The hotstring has not been added.
      return
   }
   // Otherwise, add the hotstring and reload the script:
   FileAppend, `n%Hotstring%, %A_ScriptFullPath% // Put a `n at the beginning in case file lacks a blank line at its end.
   Reload
   Sleep 200 // If successful, the reload will close this instance during the Sleep, so the line below will never be reached.
   MsgBox, 4,, The hotstring just added appears to be improperly formatted. Would you like to open the script for editing? Note that the bad hotstring is at the bottom of the script.
   IfMsgBox, Yes, Edit
return

MoveCaret:
   IfWinNotActive, New Hotstring
      return
   // Otherwise, move the InputBox's insertion point to where the user will type the abbreviation.
   Send {Home}{Right 3}
   SetTimer, MoveCaret, Off
return

// *******************************************************************
// Auto-generated hotstrings (using Win-H)
// *******************************************************************

// here, at the end of the file, the Win-H script from above will put the generated hotstrings:

::vg::Viele Grüße,
::dsom::Dear Sir or Madam,
::sgd::Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
::mfg::Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
::uawg::Um Antwort wird gebeten.
::dh::Daniel Hertrich
9.3. AHK_local.ahk: #CommentFlag //
#NoEnv

// *******************************************************************
// AutoHotKey script to make usage of the Viliv N5 UMPC easier and
// more efficient.
// by Daniel Hertrich, http://www.hermocom.com
//
// Check the "Run" commands in this script and make sure that they
// point to the correct installation paths of the applications to
// be started.
// Also you may want to read and understand this script (it's well
// commented) in order to adapt the behavior to your needs and
// in order not to be surprised by some unexpected behavior!
// *******************************************************************

// Some configuration parameters. They may affect script behavior.
// Some are commented out. See what you need:

// SetBatchLines, 1000
// SetKeyDelay, -1
// ListLines Off
// SendMode Input //also affects hotstrings!
// Process,Priority,,High

EnvGet, UserProfile, USERPROFILE

// *******************************************************************
// This sets the Capslock key inaktive, use Shift-Capslock instead.
// Prevents accidental hit of Capslock key
// and makes CapsLock free to be used as an additional modifier key
// (use syntax "Capslock & a::" for hotkey definition for "Capslock+A")
// *******************************************************************

Capslock::Return
+Capslock::Capslock

// *******************************************************************
// The following section is for generation of special characters
// on the Viliv N5 keyboard using the Right ALT key (on the right of
// the space bar) and using Hotstrings.
// There is an "if" section for when you are in a GTK application,
// such as NoteCase, Pidgin etc., which do not respond to the
// standard SendInput method below that.
// See http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/misc/Clipboard.htm
// for clipboard functions of AHK
// *******************************************************************

SendTextToApp(Text)
{
   // For GTK applications use the clipboard to insert text:
   IfWinActive ahk_class gdkWindowToplevel
   {
      // Save current clipboard contents:
      // BlockInput On
      // ClipSaved := ClipboardAll

      // Use Clipboard and Paste for text insertion:
      // Clipboard =
      Clipboard = %Text%
      // ClipWait
      SendInput ^v
      SendInput {Ctrl up}

      // Restore previously stored clipboard contents
      // Clipboard := ClipSaved
      // ClipSaved= // free memory
      // BlockInput Off
   }
   // for non-GTK applications use the normal SendInput method:
   else
      SendInput %Text%
}

+>!a::SendTextToApp("Ä")
+>!o::SendTextToApp("Ö")
+>!u::SendTextToApp("Ü")
>!a::SendTextToApp("ä")
>!o::SendTextToApp("ö")
>!u::SendTextToApp("ü")
>!s::SendTextToApp("ß")
>!e::SendTextToApp("€")
>!c::SendTextToApp("©")
>!r::SendTextToApp("®")
>!t::SendTextToApp("™")

// Special character Hotstrings (aaa for ä etc.):
:*?C:AAA::
:*?C:Aaa::
   SendTextToApp("Ä")
return
:*?C:OOO::
:*?C:Ooo::
   SendTextToApp("Ö")
return
:*?C:UUU::
:*?C:Uuu::
   SendTextToApp("Ü")
return
:*?C:aaa::
   SendTextToApp("ä")
return
:*?C:ooo::
   SendTextToApp("ö")
return
:*?C:uuu::
   SendTextToApp("ü")
return
:*?C:sss::
   SendTextToApp("ß")
return

// *******************************************************************
// For reliable recognition of window titles in the script parts below:
// *******************************************************************

SetTitleMatchMode, 2
SetTitleMatchMode, Slow

// *******************************************************************
// Win-M starts NoteCase Pro
// *******************************************************************

#m::
IfWinExist, ahk_class gdkWindowToplevel
   WinActivate
else
   Run C:\Program Files\NoteCasePro\app\notecase.exe
return

// *******************************************************************
// Win-N starts Notepad++:
// *******************************************************************

#n::
IfWinExist Notepad++
   WinActivate
else
   Run C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
return

// *******************************************************************
// Win-G starts Google Chrome browser
// *******************************************************************

#g::
IfWinExist, ahk_class Chrome_WidgetWin_0
   WinActivate
else
   Run "%UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe"
return

// *******************************************************************
// Win-C starts Total Commander:
// *******************************************************************

#c::
IfWinExist, Total Commander
   WinActivate
else
   Run C:\Program Files\totalcmd\TOTALCMD.EXE
return

// *******************************************************************
// Shift-Win-C mounts the TrueCrypt volume (asking for password)
// *******************************************************************

+#c::
   Run C:\Program Files\TrueCrypt\TrueCrypt.exe /v D:\encrypted.tc /ly /q /e
   // Indicator in file system for checking if TrueCrypt is mounted:
   FileAppend TC Mounted, c:\tcm.tmp
return

// *******************************************************************
// Shift-Win-X unmounts the TrueCrypt volume instantly
// *******************************************************************

+#x::
   Run C:\Program Files\TrueCrypt\TrueCrypt.exe /q /dy
   FileDelete c:\tcm.tmp
   SplashTextOn, 200, 100, TrueCrypt Unmount, Truecrypt volume unmounted.
   sleep 3000
   SplashTextOff
return

// *********************************************************************
// FROM HERE, THE SCRIPT IS STRICTLY VILIV N5 SPECIFIC.
// USING THE SCRIPT PARTS BELOW ON ANOTHER COMPUTER DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.
// *********************************************************************

// *******************************************************************
// Make Shift-Ctrl-H a standby button
// *******************************************************************

+^h::
   SplashTextOn, 500, 100, Suspend, Entering Suspend state
   Sleep 2000
   SplashTextOff
   DllCall("powrprof.dll\SetSuspendState")
return

// *******************************************************************
// inpout32.dll controls vie DllCall
// Make sure the vilivManager's inpout32.dll file is available
// and the path is correct,
// and make sure that vilivManager.exe is NOT running, if you want
// to enable usage of 3G and WiFi at the same time.
// *******************************************************************

// Sh-Ctrl-S: 3G Internet ON
// (Sh-ALT-Ctrl-S: Switch only modem power on)
// Sh-Ctrl-D: 3G Internet OFF
// Sh-Ctrl-F: LCD booster off
// Sh-Ctrl-G: LCD booster on

+^g::
   SplashTextOn, 500, 100, LCD Booster, LCD Booster ON
   DllCall("C:\Program Files\vilivManagerSj\inpout32.dll\Set_LCDBoost", Int, 1)
   DllCall("C:\Program Files\vilivManagerSj\inpout32.dll\Set_BacklightLevel_ACK", Int, 15)
   Sleep 3000
   SplashTextOff
return

+^f::
   SplashTextOn, 500, 100, LCD Booster, LCD Booster OFF
   DllCall("C:\Program Files\vilivManagerSj\inpout32.dll\Set_LCDBoost", Int, 0)
   DllCall("C:\Program Files\vilivManagerSj\inpout32.dll\Set_BacklightLevel_ACK", Int, 10)
   Sleep 3000
   SplashTextOff
return

+^!s::
   SplashTextOn, 500, 100, 3G Modem, Enabled 3G modem power
   DllCall("C:\Program Files\vilivManagerSj\inpout32.dll\Set_ModemPower", Int, 1)
   Sleep 3000
   SplashTextOff
return

+^s::
   SplashTextOn, 500, 100, One-key Internet, Starting MWConn and Chrome...
   IfWinExist, ahk_class Chrome_WidgetWin_0
      WinActivate
   else
   {
      Run "%UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe",,Max
   }
   DllCall("C:\Program Files\vilivManagerSj\inpout32.dll\Set_ModemPower", Int, 1)
   // TEMP: Also enable WiFi:
   // DllCall("C:\Program Files\vilivManagerSj\inpout32.dll\Set_WifiPower", Int, 1)
   Sleep 5000
   // status := DllCall("C:\Program Files\vilivManagerSj\inpout32.dll\Get_DevicePower")
   // MsgBox, Device Status: %status%
   Run, C:\Program Files\MWConn\mwconn.exe,,,mwconnPID
   Sleep 10000
   SplashTextOff
return

+^d::
   SplashTextOn, 500, 100, One-key Internet, Terminating mwconn, switching modem off
   Process, Close, %mwconnPID%
   DllCall("C:\Program Files\vilivManagerSj\inpout32.dll\Set_ModemPower", Int, 0)
   Sleep 3000
   SplashTextOff
   // Sleep 1000
   // status := DllCall("C:\Program Files\vilivManagerSj\inpout32.dll\Get_DevicePower")
   // MsgBox, Device Status: %status%
return

// *******************************************************************
// This section eliminates the problem that I often accidentally
// hit the ['] key instead of the [L] key, because the [L] key is so
// small on the Viliv N5.
// Pressing the ['] key acts like the [L] key now (think of it
// as an extended [L] key), and
// ' is generated using Ctrl-' now.
// " is generated using Shift-Ctrl-' now.
//
// This may be annoying if you use a USB keybaord with a different
// layout though.
// Todo: Find a way to use this only with internal keyboard!
// *******************************************************************

/*

:*?C:'::
   SendTextToApp("l")
return

:*?C:"::
   SendTextToApp("L")
return

^'::
   SendTextToApp("'")
return

+^'::
   SendTextToApp("""")
return

*/

This document has been created using the NoteCase Pro outliner.

Viliv N5 as a HPLX successor

Tue, 24 May 2011 16:58:36 +0000

This product is not sold or supported by hermocom anymore and this article may be outdated.

This review is written from the point of view of a former HP 200LX power user, who has found a successor for the 200LX in the Viliv N5.

Also, since I have used a UMID mbook M1 (see my M1 review) for a few months, I will also compare some aspects of the Viliv N5 with the UMID M1.

If you have questions how I did certain things in detail, please ask
or have a look at my Viliv N5 setup guide, which describes my own optimized Viliv N5 setup in much detail.

This Viliv N5 review is much shorter than the UMID mbook M1 review, because I have written two documents now, which were combined in the UMID mbook M1 review in one document:
- This review and
- a separate configuration guide

You may also read the Viliv N5 review on pocketables.net.

1. Introduction / What is the Viliv N5?
2. Direct comparison between HP 200LX and Viliv N5
3. Adapt your thinking!
4. Interfaces, accessories
5. The user interface
6. Overall quality
7. The OS (Windows 7 Starter)
8. Linux?
9. Performance
10. Internet access
11. Keyboard-only usage / The nice special keys of the LX keyboard
12. The HP Connectivity Pack on the Viliv N5
13. How to continue with... (HPLX Applications)
- 13.1. MindMap/LX
- 13.2. Notes database (NDB)
- 13.3. Lotus 1-2-3
- 13.4. TimeTracker/LX
- 13.5. Post/LX, WWW/LX....
- 13.6. PIM
- 13.7. HPCalc
- 13.8. Programming the Palmtop
14. LX user questions

1. Introduction / What is the Viliv N5?

This review is about the Viliv N5.
The Viliv N5 is a UMPC, an Ultra-Mobile Personal Computer.

For me, it's finally a really worthwhile successor for the HP 200LX Palmtop, after a relatively short excursion to the UMID mbook M1, which turned out to have a bit too many teething troubles, being the first UMPC of that size and power and form factor. The Viliv N5 has quite some advantages over the UMID M1, but also a few slight disadvantages, explained later on.

My Viliv N5 is the model with 32GB of SSD space and with a 3G modem.
There are several other configurations available:
- 32GB SSD without a 3G modem and
- 64GB SSD with a 3G modem
I think there are also variants with and without GPS. Mine is a unit with GPS.

The Viliv N5 usually comes with Windows 7 Starter preloaded.
I have heard of a low-end model which has Windows XP preloaded.

The Viliv N5 is basically a "mini netbook", i.e. it has mostly the technical specifications of a modern low-cost netbook, but is much smaller. It has approximately the phsyical size of the HP 200LX. It is little bit larger in footprint (about 15mm wider), in the other dimensions it has almost the same size as the HP 200LX, making it fit most of the old HP 200LX carrying cases nicely.

The Viliv N5 has a 1.33 GHz Intel ATOM Z520 processor and 1GB of RAM.

With a few optimization steps, it is possible to make the N5 a good substitute for a "large" PC, even at home, using some external accessories.

Unlike the UMID mbook M1 (see my review here), the Viliv N5 is equipped with standard port connectors for USB and audio, so USB peripherals and headphones can be connected without using an adapter.

2. Direct comparison between HP 200LX and Viliv N5

In the following you will find some photos with the HP 200LX and the Viliv N5 side by side.

The form factor and size of both devices is very similar.
The case feeling is not: The Viliv N5 has a rubberized surface, which makes for an excellent grip. The HP 200LX has the grooves on top instead.

The weight is somewhat similar, although the Viliv N5 is a little heavier.

The keyboards and screens are very different. If better or worse mainly depends on your requirements and what you are used to.

Different keyboards are always annoying: If you are used to type quickly on one kind of keyboard, a new kind of keyboard will slow you down significantly. But it's a learning curve. For me, learning to type on the Viliv N5 keyboard is not that easy, but it seems that it won't take a long time until I learn to type really fast on that keyboard. The N5 keyboard is much more similar to a regular laptop keyboard than the HP 200LX's keyboard is. The keyboard of the N5 is maybe comparable to the keyboard of one of the premium Psion Palmtop models (5MX etc.)

The screen of the Viliv N5 is a color backlit TFT screen with 1024x600 pixels.
The brightness is by default a bit weak, even on highest adjustable level.
However, you can "boost" the brightness with a newer version ov vilivManager or with my AutoHotKey script (Shift-Ctrl-G). With that boosting enabled, the screen is also well readable in bright surrounding, but probably not in direct sunlight. It's winter and rainy here currently, while writing this review, so I could not test that yet.
The screen is very sharp and has good contrast. However, I recommend that you do not apply a screen protector, at least not an anti-glare one, because this reduces redability of small fonts significantly.
In order to protect the screen, rather force mouse and keybaord usage and cease usage of the touchscreen as much as possible.

For me, the Viliv N5 is the first and currently the only UMPC which I feel kind of "at home" as a former HP 200LX power user.

3. Adapt your thinking!

Before reading on, please consider the following:

The Viliv N5 is a normal Intel ATOM based netbook, running a normal version of Windows 7.
That means, you can do almost anything with it which you do with your Windows desktop computer as well, and you can even do most of it the same way as you do it with your desktop PC.

For me, it took some time to realize this for myself, having struggled with the various limitations of ultramobile platforms such as the 200LX; the Zaurus etc.
And even now I sometimes forget about it and begin to think much too complicated about "how to do XY with the N5". Most of the times it's just as easy as on your PC. Look for the right software or hardware for your purpose, download / buy it, and use it.
The most difficult part of it most of the times is to find the best solution out of the many possibilities which exist for such a platform.
Sometimes it may be desireable to adapt the configuration to the UMPC's properties or to make a new program better operable by keyboard, using its own configuration features, or using third-party software such as AutoHotKey.

4. Interfaces, accessories

The Viliv N5's main door to the outside world is certainly the USB connector.
It has just one of them, but you can connect more than one device using a USB hub.

The USB port is powered with 5V / 500mA as the USB standard stipulates.
So it is no problem to use e.g. an external keyboard, an external mouse, a USB LAN adapter and a USB VGA adapter at one unpowered 4-port USB hub.

The Viliv N5 has space for one microSD card, making it possible to enhance storage capacity. I have a 16GB Sandisk microSD card in use in the N5.

The N5 also has WiFi and Bluetooth built-in, as well as a GPS module.

As accessories, delivered from UMID with the N5, there is only the AC adapter and a wrist strap with a plectrum-shaped touchscreen stylus attached to it, and of course the battery.

5. The user interface

The hardware user interface (touchscreen, keyboard) of the N5 is very good.

The touchscreen displays a crispy, bright image of 1024x600 pixels, touchscreen responsiveness is not as excellent as on the UMID mbook M1, though, but the N5 has an additional pointing device built-in, which works similar to a trackball, but without a ball. Or take it as similar to a very small touchpad, which reacts on the movement of your fingertip.
This pointing device works astonishing well. You can quickly and accurately move the mouse pointer with it.
The mouse buttons are part of the keyboard: On the left side there are two keys for the left and the right mouse button.

The keyboard is well sized. The keys have a little less tactile feedback than the 200LX keys, but need more vertical movement, so it is easy to distinghuish by the finger feeling if the key has been pressed or not. The keys are not as well distinguishable by finger touch from each other as the 200LX keys. This makes it a bit more difficult to learn fast multi-finger writing on the N5's keyboard.
But as soon as you have used the N5 for a few days consecutively, you will have the necxessary experience to write quite quickly on te N5 keyboard.
The keys are larger than those of the UMID mbook M1. For people who are used to laptop keyboards, this is certainly an advantage.
For people who have learned to write very quickly on the HP 200LX it may be a slight disadvantage.

The keyboard of the N5 is basically a US keyboard. The US keyboard layout driver is used. However, the layout is slightly different, especially that of keys with special characters.

6. Overall quality

Unlike the UMID mbook M1, the case build quality of the Viliv N5 is excellent.
It seems to be very sturdy, also the hinge is trustworthy (some may have lost trust in the HP 200LX hinge due to the famous hinge crack, which happens more and more as time goes by).

Also unlike the UMID M1, the surface of the case is slightly rubberized, making it harder for the N5 to slip out of the hand and fall down.

Also, the keyboard, the touchscreen and the optical pointing device seem to be very sturdy and well desinged. Very appealing for a power user!

The only slight problem I found was that it's not as easy to open up the N5. There is no handle for the finger to grip the lid, and there is only little optical lead to know what's back and what's front, so in dark environment you may find yourself trying to open the N5's lid at the back where the hinges are.

7. The OS (Windows 7 Starter)

The Viliv N5 comes with Windows 7 Starter edition.
This is a good choice, although in the default configuration, Windows 7 does not work with optimal performance.

See my N5 Windows 7 setup guide to read how I modified the default setup in order to make Windows 7 much more performant and easier to use on the N5.
After applying a lot of tweaks and installing some third-party helper programs, I am very happy with the result.

Probably the N5 would be a bit snappier with an optimized Windows XP installation, but I like the advantages of Windows 7 over Windows XP, so I decided to keep Windows 7.

8. Linux?

Although Jolicloud Linux is said to be compatible with the N5 (at least the N5 is listed on Jolicloud's compatibility list), it does not work out of the box.

Jolicloud says after successful installation and after first successful boot that it needs an Internet connection to continue, but there is no way to establish an Internet connection.
WiFi doesn't seem to work out of the box: When activating WiFi with Fn-S, the NetworkManager does not list any network.

I will have to investigate further here.

Another option could be Ubuntu Netbook edition 10.04, which can be made compatible with Poulsbo (Intel GMA500) graphics, which the N5 uses, by installing a dedicated driver. It should be possible to fix also the problems with WiFi and sound somehow. I have not invested much time here, but when I do, I'll write a Linux setup guide, too.

In the meantime, have a look at:

- Linux thread on UMPCPortal.com
- Linux thread on pocketables.net

9. Performance

The N5 has impressive technical specifications for its size. However, for Windows 7 they are not far from the lower limit.

Hence it is really worthwhile to take care how to strip down the entire system in order to save ressources.
Have a look at my N5 setup guide.

With an optimized system you get very good response from the system in normal operation. You should still take care not to open too many programs at once. You probalby won't use too ressource-hungry programs anyway (video editing is no task for an UMPC!).

Even without an SSD booster, such as FlashFire or Microsoft's SteadyState (which is acutally not meant as an SSD booster, but has a similar effect, if used in discard mode), SSD access is fast enough so that the system responds quickly and wakes up within 5 seconds from standby so that it is usable.
Maybe an SSD booster will raise the performance a bit, but I don't know if it is worth the risk of file system corruption. I may try that later.

Comparison of the performance to the performance of the HP 200LX Palmtop is difficult, because these devices are so different.
In some aspects the N5 is much faster than the LX, in some it isn't.
in the following I compare my double-speed 200LX with an N5 with my tweaked Windows 7 system:

For example: The 200LX is almost instantly ready when you press the "On" key (instant-on feature), whereas the N5 needs about 5 seconds to come up to be ready from standby.
If you are used to have instant-on and want to quickly write down some notes, 5 seconds can be a long time.
Overall system response is comparable on both devices. They are both not as fast as a desktop PC, but fast enough to work relativley fluently.
CPU-intensive tasks are generally much faster on the N5, e.g. sorting data, searching, navigating through larger documents, encoding/decoding of data etc.

And there is something which the N5 is also much faster in than the 200LX:
Depleting its battery.

The N5 can be used between 3 and 6 hours on one battery charge, dependent on what you do, how bright the screen is and which hardware components are switched on and used.

Technically the N5 must be compared to a notebook or netbook rather than to the 200LX, so this battery running time is quite good for such a device.
There are only very few UMPCs which have significantly more time on battery.

Also, don't compare the N5 with the OpenPandora, which runs 10h on one battery. This is not a PC platform (Intel ATOM), but a PDA platform (TI OMAP CPU), which generally needs much less power than an Intel processor. It's not that powerful on the other hand, when it comes to calculation.

10. Internet access

The N5 comes with Bluetooth and WiFi built-in.
There is also a model with a 3G (UMTS HSDPA) modem.
USB 2.0 is also available.

So there are many ways to access the Internet.

Using WiFi to connect to any available access point (WEP and WPA / WPA-2 supported of course).

Using Bluetooth to connect for example to a mobile phone which acts as a modem to the mobile phone network.

Using the 3G modem directly with a SIM card to connect to the Internet.

Using USB to connect a mobile phone, or an USB LAN adapter, or a 3G USB interface ("Surf stick").

11. Keyboard-only usage / The nice special keys of the LX keyboard

We are used to operate the Palmtop with the keyboard only, as the LX does not have a mouse or touchscreen.
The N5, running Windows 7, is not meant for keyboard-only usage.
However, there are ways to make keyboard-only usage possible and even convenient.

The most useful keys which are LX-specific are, in my opinion, the blue application keys and the Date and Time keys, which insert the current date / time into the currently open SysMgr application.

Using the AutoHotKey tool I have rebuilt those keys on the N5.
This is described in my N5 setup guide.

It is not necessary to rebuild the keys for cut, copy and paste, as these functions are available in almost all Windows applications using Ctrl-X, Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V anyway.

Other useful keyboard shortcuts in Windows, which I use frequently on the N5, are:

Alt-Tab: Switch to other open programs.
Alt-F4: Close current program
Alt: Activate menu
Ctrl-W: close window
etc.

And of course the BIOS-driven hotkeys for hardware components, e.g. switching on/of WiFi, Bluetooth, adjusting display brightness and speaker volume.

12. The HP Connectivity Pack on the Viliv N5

Basically it is possible to use the Connectivity Pack on the N5.
There are some problems, or at least it is "optimizable".
I have published a dedicated page on my website for that topic.
It describes how the Connectivity Pack can be installed on the UMID mbook M1 with Windows XP.
This is also applicable to the Viliv N5 with Windows 7, in the same way.

See here:
http://www.hermocom.com/knowledgebase/hplx/cpackm1

13. How to continue with... (HPLX Applications)

This section describes some options for you to continue your work on the N5, which you did with the 200LX by now.
I have taken over most parts of this from my UMID mbook M1 review, as there is not much difference in this regard between the two devices.

13.1. MindMap/LX: My personal recommendation:
NoteCase Pro.

NoteCase Pro is an outliner with outstanding capabilities.
As you may know, I have continued the development of MindMap/LX, after Andreas Garzotto quit LX development.
In 2005 I looked for a Linux-based outliner to replace MindMap/LX for me.
I came across NoteCase, immediately contacted the author and since then I use NoteCase (Pro) for my own purposes and I submit a lot of feature ideas, many of them I have also implemented in MindMap/LX before.
Almost weekly I discuss new features with the author, he asks me for my opinion on many changes in Notecase and so on.

BTW: NoteCase also has an import filter for MindMap/LX and NDB (HP Palmtop note taker application) files, so migration to NoteCase is very easy for these kinds of data.

And NoteCase Pro features strong file encryption. That way, your NoteCase notes are safe in case your M1 gets lost or stolen.

If you are ready to switch from Mindmapping to Outlining in general (which makes sense, especially on a small screen in my opinion, since an Outliner cam make much more efficient use of the screen area), NoteCase would probably be a good choice for you.
It's free for basic use. You'd have to buy a license if you want to use some advanced features such as task management, text formatting, edit multiple documents at once, document synchronisation, flat list view (e.g. for search result listing) etc.

(By the way: This document you are currently reading is also generated using NoteCase Pro.)

There are of course other options than NoteCase, such as ScribblePapers.
There are also Mindmapping programs for Windows XP, such as MindManager (costs money), Freemind (freeware, but Java-based and hence not optimal performance), and probably many others.

In case you want or need to continue to use MindMap/LX, you could even do so by installing Palrun 2.0 and starting MM/LX under Palrun. Maybe it makes sense to run Palrun with MM/LX inside a Dosbox virtual machine. Dosbox is a DOS PC emulator for Windows (and Linux, Mac).
13.2. Notes database (NDB): NoteCase Pro has an import filter for NDB files, so migration of notes to NoteCase Pro is very easy.

You might think that the other database formats of the 200LX can also easily be imported into NoteCase Pro then, but this isn't the case.
You can indeed import the phone database to some extent, but this doesn't make much sense, as NoteCase Pro is probably not the right tool to maintain a phone database (although in theory it can be used for that purpose, too).

See the above "MindMap/LX" section for details about NoteCase Pro.
13.3. Lotus 1-2-3: On the N5 you can use any flavor of MS Excel, OpenOffice, Softmaker PlanMaker, Gnumeric etc.
Some of these programs have Lotus 1-2-3 import filters.

Spreadsheet data is imported nicely in most cases. this includes formatting, formulas, graphs and of course the actual data.
However, if you built complicated 1-2-3 spreadsheets with macros and menus, none of these import filters will help you. Lotus 1-2-3 macros and menus won't be imported at all.

You'll have to rebuild any macros in the target application's own macro language.

If you are looking for an MS Excel compatible solution which is completely free, take OpenOffice.
There is also Softmaker Office with its PlanMaker spreadsheet. It is said to be the most MS-compatible spreadsheet application available, and it costs much less than MS Excel.
Personally I have very good experiences with Softmaker Office.
13.4. TimeTracker/LX: Currently I have a small AutoHotKey script integrated in my global AHK script which does a very simple time tracking job, writing "Come" and "Go" times into a text file, triggered by a hotkey.

If you need more time tracking power, you could use TimeTracker/LX under Palrun (maybe under Dosbox), or any Windows-based time tracker.
I have no experiences with Windows based time tracking software, though.

There is also a PHP- and MySQL-based time tracker called Kimai, which is quite powerful.
If you have a web server and your N5 accesses the Internet (or at least that server) continuously, or if you install a web server locally on your N5, you may also use that one. It has approximately the same functionality as TimeTracker/LX, including report generation, and is convenient to use.
13.5. Post/LX, WWW/LX....: Well, WWW/LX with HV is easily replaced by a web browser of your choice and an Internet connection method of your choice (see section about Internet connection above)
No matter if IE8, Opera 10, Firefox, Safari, they all work nicely.
I prefer Opera, because it is lean, flexible and - for my feeling - the quickest of all the options.
Google Chrome is also a good choice for performance.

Attention: In case you use Google Mail - I don't know if also other Google web applications are affected - I absolutely recommend to use Google Chrome. GMail was quite slow, i.e. had "choppy" mouse movement under Opera. With Google Chrome it works very smoothly.

Regarding Email in Post/LX, well, there are quite some good Email clients for Windows. But i have not found one yet which fulfills only these two of my needs out of the box:

- Full IMAP offline synchronisation with Google Mail (to have all my Email with me all the time)
- encryption of the email data files on the M1 (so no one will be able to read my mail if the M1 is lost or stolen)

MS Outlook has been recommended to me to fulfill my needs, but honestly I don't really want to use that for Email. I use it only for calendar and contact data.

So I have installed Thunderbird Portable on the Truecrypt drive directly, so the program and its data files (incl. the files which contain all the Emails, as well as the settings files containing account passwords) reside inside the encrypted drive.
Having also the program on the encrypted drive makes sure that I cannot unmount the encrypted drive while Thunderbird is running, and it makes sure that really everything related to my email is always encrypted on my disk.
13.6. PIM: PIM = Personal Information Management
(which means: Appointment book, Contacts database, Todo list, notes)

There is no PIM functionality preinstalled on the N5. The N5 is a real PC, no PDA.
The 200LX was kind of a hybrid.

Of course there is PIM software which can be installed on the N5. E.g. Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, or leaner packages, such as KDEPIM/PI and uncountable others.
What none of those are capable to do, is to fire alarms for appointments, while the N5 is switched off (again: the N5 is not a PDA).

Since I have switched my PIM to Outlook on the PC at work and to my mobile phone (synchronized to Outlook), when I am not at work, long ago, this is not a problem for me. One of those will always fire an alarm, and I have the mobile phone with me all the time.

So, for PIM I use Outlook 2003 (same Outlook version as I use at work). In my Viliv N5 setup guide there is a section which describes my setup with synchronisation between the two Outlooks.

If you like task management à la "Getting Things Done": see my GTD setup using NoteCase Pro, making use of NoteCase's task management features, its flexible search feature generating flat lists of search results, and heavily using note tags and keyboard shortcuts.

If you have used FlexPad for your PIM on the LX:
Flexpad is said to work under Windows, too:
http://www.flexpad.net/flexpaddl.html

Also, PIM/PE should be usable under Windows, using Palrun.
13.7. HPCalc: The calculator on the HPLX is often considered superior to any available software calculator available now.

You can continue to use it on the N5 using Connectivity Pack under DOSBox or PocketDOS.

Or you'll have to find a Windows-based replacement.
Not being an expert on this field, I recommend that you begin evaluating the "Power Toy Calculator" which is delivered by Microsoft as part of the Powertoys package.

There are also Windows-based and Java-based emulations of HP financial and scientific calculators, which may be worth a look.

And don't forget about the heavy algebraic systems such as Derive, Maple or Mathematica, which should also be usable on the N5 under Windows.

The lack of a separated numeric keypad on the N5 may be a problem when you often use a calculator or often work with spreadsheets. There are numeric keypads which can be connected to the USB port, though. You may consider one of those if you often have to enter numbers.
13.8. Programming the Palmtop: If you are one of those users who need to adjust the behavior of their Palmtop by quickly writing their own little programs and tools, or if you even work on larger software projects for the Palmtop, you may want to have a decent programming environment on the N5 as well.

For small tools, AutoHotKey is a decent scripting language which lets you program small tools easily. It comes with a great onboard help file, describing all functions in detail.
It helps you in programming GUI-interactive tools, file handling tools etc. Check the website and help file!

Also, if you deal a lot with textual information, you may consider to use NoteCase Pro and its great LUA scripting capability, which opens great ways to process information.
An example for this scripting power is my NoteCase Pro productivity script package.

Of course you can install any Windows-based or even DOS-based IDE for programming in Basic, Forth, Pascal, C, C++, Delphi, C#, .NET, Java, whatever.
I have no experiences about performance of those environments, though.

If you had, like me, a setup with a Borland C compliler and a text editor for programming on the 200LX, also that should be possible without a problem on the N5. Just remember that you cannot just use your self-written PAL programs (programs using the PAL library for the HP Palmtops) on the N5 directly. You will need a Palmtop graphics emulator such as Palrun or a DOS emulation with built-in Palmtop graphics emulator (such as PocketDOS, which also comes in a Windows version).

14. LX user questions

These are questions people had for my UMID mbok M1 review. Since the M1 and the N5 are quite similar, I quote them here, too. The answers differ a bit, though.

In this section I answer some questions of HPLX users which are not or not exactly covered yet by the above review.

"HPLX Appointmentbook No really "beep beep" now it is a meeting.
But I use it as a note to myself what I am supposed to do and what I did.
Todo's is also used. "

MS Outlook has a calendar, journal and todo list.
However, there are alternatives of course, which may be much better.

"Norwegian characters. Daniel how do you solve this on you machine? Not norwegian of course. But umlaut or what's it called."

It was not that difficult, once I discovered a good general solution:
I use AutoHotKey for that. Typing 3x a ("aaa") produces ä, 3x A produces Ä, 3x s produces ß and so on. That way, you can generate every possible character using any possible hotkey or key sequence.
It is also possible to assign hotkeys with a modifier key.
The N5 has a spare modifier key which is usually unused:
This is the "RightAlt" modifier key (not AltGr! RightAlt is not present on most standard German keyboards. I don't know about other countries...). It's the Alt key on the right of the spacebar.
This RightAlt key can be used to assign hotkeys, too. But I prefer the "3x character" solution, because it's easier to thumb-type and in most cases faster than searching for the modifier key first.

"Can you address the comfort-factor of writing short programs and using the command-line? I used to do this quite often on the 200LX, and surprisingly found it very comfortable and convenient. I had a suite of DOS unix-like commands. Of course, if we get Linux up and running, I'll have actual commands!"

See the section about programming. I have not programmed much on the N5 yet, so I cannot comment about this that much.
Regarding the unix-like commands: You can install Cygwin on the N5, or there may be some native Windows builds of unix-like command collections. I don't know.

Linux should run quite well on the N5. Probably the best options for Linux distributions are Ubuntu Netbook Edition and Jolicloud.

This document has been created using the NoteCase Pro outliner.

weeXpc online manual

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:58:00 +0000

Archived 2012-10-10:
This product is not sold or supported by hermocom anymore and this article may be outdated.

The weeXpc by hermocom - Manual

This is the manual version 1.8.1.2 for weeXpc version 1.8 and version 1.7.

The most recent version of this manual can always be viewed (in HTML format) under
http://www.hermocom.com/archive/21-weexpcmanual

As a reference, this manual (maybe an older version) is available in the weeXpc's Documents folder ("Notecase" subfolder). You can view it using the menu item "weeXpc Manual" in the "Other" category of the weeXpc's X menu (start menu).

This manual has been created with the Notecase Pro outliner on the weeXpc, on Microsoft Windows and on an Apple Macintosh.
Click here to download this manual as an NCD file (Notecase document).

1. Introduction
2. About the term "weeXpc"
3. Getting started
- 3.1. Box contents
  - 3.1.1. Sharp Zaurus PDA with accessories
  - 3.1.2. weeXpc software preloaded
  - 3.1.3. weeXpc Recovery DVD
  - 3.1.4. For SL-C1000: weeXpc SD card
  - 3.1.5. Optional accessories
- 3.2. Sharp Zaurus basics
- 3.3. Insert battery
- 3.4. Install weeXpc software
- 3.5. Start the weeXpc for the first time
- 3.6. Calibrate touchscreen
- 3.7. Using the touchscreen
- 3.8. Using the keyboard
- 3.9. Establishing an Internet connection (optional)
- 3.10. Set time and date
- 3.11. Personalize
  - 3.11.1. KDEPIM/PI Global Settings
  - 3.11.2. Set "Who am I"
4. What you should know before working with the weeXpc
- 4.1. You are root!
- 4.2. About the file system
  - 4.2.1. Devices in the file system
  - 4.2.2. Directory structure information
  - 4.2.3. The weeXpc SD card for Zaurus SL-C1000
- 4.3. Prevent data loss!
- 4.4. The graphical user interface (Window manager)
  - 4.4.1. Program startup / wasc
  - 4.4.2. Switching between open applications
    - 4.4.2.1. Re-launching the program
    - 4.4.2.2. Alt-Tab
    - 4.4.2.3. Task applet
    - 4.4.2.4. Minimizing / Icons on the desktop
  - 4.4.3. Manipulating window sizes and positions
    - 4.4.3.1. Handling windows which are too large for the screen
  - 4.4.4. Hiding all open windows
- 4.5. Panel applets
  - 4.5.1. Permanent applets
    - 4.5.1.1. The X menu
    - 4.5.1.2. Task applet
    - 4.5.1.3. Cards applet
    - 4.5.1.4. Screen blanker applet
    - 4.5.1.5. Volume applet
    - 4.5.1.6. Network scheme switcher applet (XCardscheme)
    - 4.5.1.7. Power applet
    - 4.5.1.8. WiFi applet
    - 4.5.1.9. Clock applet
  - 4.5.2. Applets activatable from the menu
    - 4.5.2.1. XScreenshot applet
    - 4.5.2.2. X virtual keyboard applet
- 4.6. CF and SD cards
  - 4.6.1. The card applet
  - 4.6.2. Important rules
  - 4.6.3. Special rules for weeXpc on SL-C1000
- 4.7. The USB interface
  - 4.7.1. USB host
  - 4.7.2. USB client
    - 4.7.2.1. USB network
    - 4.7.2.2. USB storage
- 4.8. The IrDA interface
- 4.9. weeXpc as a PC companion
  - 4.9.1. USB file sharing
  - 4.9.2. Samba file sharing
    - 4.9.2.1. The weeXpc shares
    - 4.9.2.2. Default login data for Samba
    - 4.9.2.3. XSambaConf configuration tool
    - 4.9.2.4. Using a Windows PC
    - 4.9.2.5. Using an Apple Macintosh
    - 4.9.2.6. Using a Linux PC
  - 4.9.3. Synchronization of weeXpc and PC
    - 4.9.3.1. PIM synchronization
    - 4.9.3.2. File / directory synchronization
  - 4.9.4. Portable weeXpc application versions
- 4.10. Usage hints
  - 4.10.1. Switching on and off, optimizing power consumtion
    - 4.10.1.1. Suspend
    - 4.10.1.2. Resume
    - 4.10.1.3. Closing the screen
    - 4.10.1.4. Reducing power consumption
  - 4.10.2. Screen rotation
  - 4.10.3. Keyboard vs. Touchscreen
  - 4.10.4. Starting applications
    - 4.10.4.1. Don't be impatient!
  - 4.10.5. If you don't use the weeXpc for a long time
    - 4.10.5.1. Up to a week
    - 4.10.5.2. More than a week
  - 4.10.6. The Console (Terminate X11 entirely)
- 4.11. Keyboard configuration
  - 4.11.1. Changing the key mappings
  - 4.11.2. Default keyboard configuration
- 4.12. Virtual screens
- 4.13. Data encryption
5. Maintenance
- 5.1. Backups
  - 5.1.1. Documents backups
    - 5.1.1.1. Using the weeXpc backup utility
    - 5.1.1.2. Manual backup using a PC
  - 5.1.2. System backups (system snapshots)
    - 5.1.2.1. Restoring system backups
- 5.2. Recovery of the original weeXpc state or of a system backup
- 5.3. Enhancing weeXpc functionality by installing additional or updated software
  - 5.3.1. Installing packages on weeXpc for Zaurus SL-C3200
  - 5.3.2. Installing packages on weeXpc for Zaurus SL-C1000
  - 5.3.3. How to install packages
    - 5.3.3.1. Install a package file manually
    - 5.3.3.2. Install packages automatically from a feed
  - 5.3.4. How to remove packages
- 5.4. Font sizes
- 5.5. Changing passwords
  - 5.5.1. Main root password
  - 5.5.2. Samba root password
- 5.6. Modifying Samba file sharing behavior
  - 5.6.1. Example 1: Remove the weeXpc_all_readonly share
  - 5.6.2. Example 2: Adding more directories to the weeXpc share
- 5.7. Configuring wasc and integrating new programs
  - 5.7.1. wasc parameters
    - 5.7.1.1. NAME
    - 5.7.1.2. TIME
    - 5.7.1.3. USESDOCUMENTSDIR=1
    - 5.7.1.4. MAXIMIZE=1
    - 5.7.1.5. GEOMETRY
    - 5.7.1.6. KDEPIM=1
6. Application usage reference
- 6.1. Office
  - 6.1.1. Wordprocessor
  - 6.1.2. Spreadsheet
  - 6.1.3. E-Book Reader
    - 6.1.3.1. Keyboard shortcuts configured for convenient use on the weeXpc
    - 6.1.3.2. Hints
  - 6.1.4. Address book
  - 6.1.5. Calendar
  - 6.1.6. Notecase Outliner
    - 6.1.6.1. weeXpc-specific keyboard shortcuts
  - 6.1.7. Money Manager Ex
  - 6.1.8. OpenOffice
  - 6.1.9. Database
  - 6.1.10. Project Management (only on model 3100/3200)
  - 6.1.11. Password manager
  - 6.1.12. Dictionary
  - 6.1.13. PDF viewer
- 6.2. Internet
  - 6.2.1. Webbrowser (Dillo)
  - 6.2.2. Webbrowser (Mozilla Firefox)
  - 6.2.3. Instant messenger
  - 6.2.4. WLAN sniffer
  - 6.2.5. PPP Dialer
  - 6.2.6. Email (Sylpheed)
  - 6.2.7. Email (OM/PI)
  - 6.2.8. IRC chat
  - 6.2.9. FTP client
- 6.3. Sound & Video
  - 6.3.1. Mixer
  - 6.3.2. Quasar Media Player
  - 6.3.3. Stream Tuner
  - 6.3.4. Musicweed
- 6.4. Graphics
  - 6.4.1. The GIMP
  - 6.4.2. Painting program
  - 6.4.3. Image viewer
  - 6.4.4. Diagram editor
- 6.5. Games
  - 6.5.1. LBreakout
  - 6.5.2. LMarbels
  - 6.5.3. LTris
  - 6.5.4. Minesweeper clone (xdemineur)
  - 6.5.5. CircusLinux
  - 6.5.6. Slash'EM
  - 6.5.7. Digger
- 6.6. Puzzle Collection
- 6.7. Other
  - 6.7.1. Calculator
  - 6.7.2. IrDA file send/rceive
  - 6.7.3. Midnight Commander
  - 6.7.4. Editor (simple)
  - 6.7.5. Editor for programmers
  - 6.7.6. ROX-Filer
  - 6.7.7. X Virtual Keyboard
  - 6.7.8. XClock
  - 6.7.9. XSMSsend
  - 6.7.10. Linux Terminal
  - 6.7.11. DOSBox
    - 6.7.11.1. Key mapping
  - 6.7.12. weeXpc Manual
- 6.8. System Tools
  - 6.8.1. Date & Time
  - 6.8.2. Input Config
  - 6.8.3. Lan & Wifi
  - 6.8.4. Light & Power
  - 6.8.5. PPP Modem
  - 6.8.6. Package Manager
  - 6.8.7. Recalibrate Touchscreen
  - 6.8.8. USB Config
  - 6.8.9. XCardscheme
  - 6.8.10. XSambaConf
  - 6.8.11. XScreenshot
  - 6.8.12. weeXpc Backup
- 6.9. Utilities / Panel
  - 6.9.1. X Virtual Keyboard
  - 6.9.2. XScreenshot applet
  - 6.9.3. Restart Battery status applet
  - 6.9.4. Restart Screen blanker applet
7. Troubleshooting
8. Technical details
- 8.1. Hardware
  - 8.1.1. Sharp Zaurus
- 8.2. Software
  - 8.2.1. pdaXrom
  - 8.2.2. hermocom development
9. FAQ
10. weeXpc version history
11. Credits
12. Disclaimer

1. Introduction

No big words in advance. You want to work with the weeXpc, you probably don't want to read a lot of manuals before.
All we ask you before booting the weeXpc the first time is to read the "Getting started" and "What you should know before working with the weeXpc" chapters.
The remaining chapters can be used as a reference while working with the weeXpc.

2. About the term "weeXpc"

weeXpc stands for wee X PC, i.e. a tiny X-based (associate Linux or X11) Personal Computer.

Although the product name "weeXpc" actually means only the software setup, the term "weeXpc" is used here as a synonym for the entire Zaurus with the weeXpc setup.
This is to keep the wording of the manual simpler.

3. Getting started

This chapter guides you through the first steps of installing, booting, configuring and using the weeXpc individually.
hermocom has done a lot of configuring of the applications for you in advance.
However, there are some steps we cannot do for you, because they are too individual.

3.1. Box contents

If you purchased just the weeXpc software on DVD, there is no box.

If you purchased a complete weeXpc package including a Sharp Zaurus PDA, the box will contain the following items:

3.1.1. Sharp Zaurus PDA with accessories: The Zaurus box will contain the Zaurus with its standard accessories:
- Battery
- USB host cale
- USB client cable
- 3 original Zaurus CD-ROMs (you will only need No 1 of them, because it contains a Windows driver which is also releant to the weeXpc)

Please note that you will not need the software on the CD-ROMs which are labeled "SHARP CD-ROM for Zaurus..." for the usage of weeXpc. These CD-ROMs contain software for the SHARP ROM, which has been replaced by the weeXpc ROM. These two systems are incompatible.
Only CD-ROM no 1 contains a Windows driver which you may also need for the weeXpc, if you connect the weeXpc via USB to a PC and want them to be connected via an USB network connection. This is described in detail later in this manual.
3.1.2. weeXpc software preloaded: The actual weeXpc system is preloaded on the Zaurus.
3.1.3. weeXpc Recovery DVD: Additionally, we deliver a recovery DVD-ROM, in case you need to revert your weeXpc system to the original state.
This DVD-ROM also contains the source code of the software parts licensed under GPL.
3.1.4. For SL-C1000: weeXpc SD card: If you purchased weeXpc with a Zaurus SL-C1000, you also got an SD card which is an essential part of the weeXpc system on an SL-C1000.
The SL-C1000 does not have an internal hard disk, so the SD card is needed to store user data, application data and Windows applications.
3.1.5. Optional accessories: Optionally you can order some accessories for the weeXpc. Please check the hermocom website or Pulster online store for availability and prices:

- Compact flash card for backups and for the recovery process (if you need to install weeXpc yourself, you need such a card!)
- SD card (needed for weeXpc usage on a Sharp zaurus SL-C1000)
- Additional battery
- External battery charger
- Car adapter
- Additional AC adapter
- WLAN CF card (802.11b standard)
- Bluetooth CF card
- USB cables

etc.

3.2. Sharp Zaurus basics

If you are not yet familiar with the Zaurus hardware, please be sure to read the manual which came with your SHARP Zaurus before you begin.
However, this manual contains some software-specific parts, which are not valid for the weeXpc. So you can omit them and concentrate on the hardware-specific parts of that manual such as how to handle the battery, charging, the swivelable screen, how to connect ear phones or a headset, how to handle the card slots and so on.

In case you don't have a Zaurus manual, lost it or don't understand its language, here are some online ressources:

English: Trisoft Startupguide (PDF) (http://www.trisoft.de/pdf/c3000qse.pdf)

German: Trisoft Startup-Anleitung (PDF) (http://www.trisoft.de/pdf/c3000qs.pdf)

English: Figlabs Zaurus user guide (HTML) (http://www.figlabs.com/catalog/ug.php)

You can order a printed Zaurus manual from the Pulster online shop (http://www.pulster.de/).

3.3. Insert battery

The Zaurus manual (see above) describes how to handle the battery and its compartment cover and switch.
It is recommended to recharge the battery before first usage until the orange charging LED switches off.

3.4. Install weeXpc software

If you purchased a weeXpc package including a Sharp Zaurus PDA from hermocom, weeXpc is preinstalled and you don't have to do anything to install the software on the Zaurus.

If you purchased weeXpc without a Zaurus and now want to install weeXpc on your Zaurus, you will need to install the weeXpc software from the weeXpc "Recovery DVD".
The "Recovery DVD" of weeXpc contains all files needed for the installation procedure.

Additionally, you need for weeXpc installation:

- Installation on a Zaurus SL-C3100 or SL-C3200:
a Compact Flash card of at least 2GB.

- Installation on a Zaurus SL-C1000:
a Compact Flash card of at least 1GB,
an SD card (not SDHC!) of 2GB or more. Please note that most SD cards of 4GB and more are SDHC cards. These cards cannot be used with weeXpc.

The installation procedure is explained in detail in the README.TXT file on the Recovery DVD. Please read that file carefully before you begin. It is important to follow the steps exactly, otherwise your Zaurus may become unfunctional and must be serviced by hermocom.

3.5. Start the weeXpc for the first time

After inserting the battery, Press the "On/Off" button gently but firmly for about one second (i.e. not just "click" but really press) to switch the unit on
(This is the same kind of pressing you should always use when switching on the weeXpc).
After a few seconds, the screen will be lit and Linux will begin to boot.

3.6. Calibrate touchscreen

At the end of the boot process, you may be prompted to calibrate the touchscreen.
Tap the crosshairs of this calibration screen as accurately as possible.
It is possible to recalibrate the touchscreen later, if the first attempt was not satisfactory, or if our pre-calibration does not fit your needs.

After calibration, the graphical user interface (abbreviated "GUI") is started.

3.7. Using the touchscreen

The touchscreen is used to emulate a mouse.
It is recommended to apply a screen protection foil to the screen in order to avoid scratches.
We recommend the "Brando Ultra Clear" ( http://www.google.de/search?hl=de&q=brando+ultra+clear+for+zaurus ) screen protectors.

Please use only the stylus to operate the touchscreen, don't use a normal pen!
In rare cases it may be convenient to use the fingers for touchscreen operation. This is not recommended, but when a screen protector is applied, it can be done without danger of damaging the screen surface.

A single tap with the stylus on the touchscreen is like a click with the left mouse button.
Press and hold Fn and tap on the screen to emulate a right mouse button click.
Press and hold Shift and tapon the screen to emulate a middle mouse button click.

For most operations, only a single tap is needed. If you are unsure, try a single tap first, then use a double tap if the single tap did not work as expected.
When still trying, please be patient. weeXpc sometimes needs a few seconds to start an application or to perform other actions.
It needs a bit of experience to get the right feeling for the taps and double-taps to work reliably.

Please note that the so-called silkscreen keys (the application "keys" on the right of the screen with symbols for calendar, book, mail etc.) are not supported by the weeXpc and hence they are unfunctional.

In order to start applications, tap with the stylus shortly onto the yellow "X" in the lower right corner. This will open the so-called X menu which contains all weeXpc applications.

3.8. Using the keyboard

The keyboard is quite similar to a standard US PC keyboard.
The mapping of keys to special characters is optimized to fit the needs of as many users as possible.
However, the mapping can be modified if needed.

For more information, also for learning the complete keyboard mapping which is appended there as a HTML table, please refer to the corresponding section further on in the weeXpc manual.

Here we describe the most important key mappings:

The blue key functions, which are printed above the keys, are used when pressing and holding the blue "Fn" key. However, some special Japanese functions are not used, e.g. Fn-6 to Fn-0.

There is no "Alt" labeled key on the keyboard. However, the Japanese (Kanji) key directly besides the Ctrl key acts as the Alt key.
The second Japanese labeled key, left besides the dash, is the backquote (`)

F keys (from F1 to F10) are emulated by pressing Shift-Fn-Number.
E.g. F5 is emulated by Shift-Fn-5.

The keyboard is configured to easily produce the most commonly used characters for US English input.
There are also language-specific characters available on the weeXpc, most of which are available using the Fn-key together with a standard character key.
E.g. the German Umlauts are on Fn-a, Fn-o, Fn-u, Fn-s.

The Euro symbol (€) is produced with Shift-Fn-E

Especially for progrmming, but also for other purposes you might need the various brackets:

( and ): Shift-8 and Shift-9 (as labeled)
{ and }: Fn-n and Fn-m
: Fn-, and Fn-. (as labeled)
[ and ]: Fn-t and Fn-y

The At-sign (@) is found on Fn-dash (Fn--) as labeled.

The Insert key is emulated by Shift-Fn-Backspace (think of it as Shift-Del).
The Insert key is usually used for switching between insert and overwrite mode in applications.

Some keys allow to control the behavior of the weeXpc:

Fn-1 and Fn-2 switch between two screen resolutions (640x480 VGA which is the default, and 320x240 QVGA).
It is not recommended, nor supported by hermocom, to use the QVGA resolution, though.
Fn-3 and Fn-4 control the backlight brightness.

The "Menu" key always opens the X Menu. Please read on to learn more about the X menu.

The "Cancel" key with the cross label is identical to what "Esc" is on a PC.

The "OK" key in the middle of the arrow keypad is the same as "Enter".

The application keys labeled "Calendar", "Address" etc. open weeXpc programs:

Calendar: KO/PI
Address: KA/PI
Mail: Sylpheed
Home: Notecase
Menu opens the X menu.

When pressing an application key, be a bit patient until you get a response from the system. Don't press it many times while waiting for reaction. This won't increase the speed, but decrease it because the weeXpc will try to start multiple instances of the same application. However, this won't happen due to a weeXpc-specific mechanism which prevents most applications to be started in more than one instance.

3.9. Establishing an Internet connection (optional)

There are a lot of ways to connect the weeXpc to the Internet.
So here, in the getting started section, we describe only the most commonly used and simplest way: Wireless LAN.

It is not necessary to establish an Internet connection for using weeXpc, so you may omit this section.

From the X menu, choose "System Tools" / "Lan & Wifi".
In the next configutaion dialogs, you can use the "default" scheme or define your own new scheme, then enter the usual data such as IP address, DNS, Gateway (or let that data be assigned automatically) and - mandatory - enter the WLAN network parameters, such as SSID and WEP encryption key.
WPA encryption is not supported by weeXpc.

After entering all information, save the settings, insert the WLAN CF card and the Internet connection will be established.
The WLAN symbol in the applet bar will turn from grey to green or to another color depending on the signal strength of the configured WLAN.

3.10. Set time and date

After the first start, the build-in clock has to be adjusted. This is necessary for several features of the weeXpc to work correctly.
This can be done either manually or over the Internet.
In the latter case, the weeXpc connects to an Internet time server and synchronizes its own time to the time of that time server.
This is a very convenient and accurate way. However, it only works when there is an Internet connection.

In the X menu (the yellow X in the bottom right corner), you find "System Tools" / "Date & Time". Tap this once with the stylus.

Confirm with "YES", then, in the next dialog, choose the correct time zone. In the next dialog choose "No" for manual time configuration, if you don't have an active Internet connection.
Otherwise, choose "Yes".
If you chose the Internet time setting, everything will be done automatically from here and the weeXpc will reboot.
If you chose the manual time setting, in the next dialog you can choose the current time and date. If you confirm with "OK", the weeXpc is rebooted and should be set to the correct new time after the reboot.

3.11. Personalize

3.11.1. KDEPIM/PI Global Settings: Please start the address book application "KA/PI", either from the X menu / "Office" or by hitting the application button "Address" on the keyboard. Starting will take some seconds.
KA/PI is part of the KDEPIM/PI program suite, which contains this address book, a calendar / todo management application, a password management application and an email client.

In KA/PI, choose from the menu "Settings" / "Global Settings".
This configures the basic settings for all KDEPIM/PI applications.
You can change all settings there to your needs. Please only let "Data storage path" and "Backup" settings untouched, because we have preconfigured these settings to integrate KDEPIM/PI well with other weeXpc components and paradigms.

Important settings you should adjust:
- Language
- Time Format
- Date Format
- Time Zone (this setting is not synchronized with the time zone you set via "Date & Time", so you should set both to the correct value)

Optional settings you can adjust if you like:
- Application font (reocmmended is Arial 14 or Arial 16. If you set a font larger than Arial 16, dome dialogs will be too large for the screen)

All other settings should be left untouched for now. If needed, they can be changed later.
3.11.2. Set "Who am I": Create a new record in the address book which holds your own contact data. Then, when that entry is marked, choose "Settings" / "Set Who am I"
This will let the KDEPIM/PI applications let use your data for various things, e.g. as the email sender in OM/PI, the KDEPIM/PI email client.

In order to create a new record in KA/PI, use this icon, which is located on the left under the "File" menu:

After adding contacts to tht address book, please save the address book using Menu "File" / "Save" or closing KA/PI and confirming the saving of changes.

4. What you should know before working with the weeXpc

4.1. You are root!

On the weeXpc, you are logged in as the user "root". This login happens automatically, you don't have anything to do with it.
However, to be logged in as root means, that you should be careful. It is the administrator login in Linux.
You need to be just as careful as under older Windows or DOS environments, because the system permits you to modify everything.
You are allowed by the system to delete even the most important system files etc.

This is only meant as a warning. When working normally with the weeXpc, you will most probably not come across any of these dangerous situations.
But please keep this in mind when experimenting and exploring the system.

4.2. About the file system

The following is a bit technical, but we recommend that you read it anyway.
It will give you a short overview over the file system of the weeXpc so you know where to find what, and where to put what when saving documents.

Usually, when saving a document, you can save it in the directory structure under ~/Documents.
~ is the abbreviation for your home directory, which is actually /home/root.
So the default path for the documents you work with can be entered either as

~/Documents
or
/home/root/Documents

This is the most important directory you should know.

Since /home/root is a directory in the internal flash, and the space of the internal flash is very limited, "Documents" is actually a link to another directory, called /mnt/ide3/Documents (on hard disk featured Zaurus models SL-C3x00) or /mnt/card/Documents (which is the SD card, used only on SL-C1000).

Linux allows to link files and directories to other locations.
But this is only background information.
Please always use the path /home/root/Documents when referencing your documents folder.

Under Documents, there are several subdirectories where you can put your files into.
You can of course delete some which you don't need, or create new ones.
Most file save dialogs allow to go directly to the Documents directory and to create new subdirectories.
Just as you may know it from Windows or other operating systems.

4.2.1. Devices in the file system: In Linux, there are no drive letters as in Windows.
File systems of storage devices are "mounted" into the (one) file system of the machine.
In Linux, file systems are hierarchical, just as in Windows or most other operating systems.

The so-called root file system is located on the internal flash memory of the weeXpc.
Flash memory is a solid-state memory which is used similar to a hard disk, but has no mechanical parts.
Technically, it works similar as a CF or SD card, but is faster.

Additional devices are mounted into the root directory structure; more precisely into the /mnt directory.
That means, if you plug an SD card into a Windows computer, it may become drive D: or E: or X:.
If you plug the same card into a Linux computer, such as the weeXpc, it becomes available as a directory under
/mnt.
On the weeXpc, the SD card is mounted to /mnt/card.

/mnt/card is called a "mount point", because the SD card is mounted into this point in the directory structure.

So, the file D:\textfiles\MyText.doc which you created on an SD card under Windows is accessable under Linux as
/mnt/card/textfiles/MyText.doc.

The following mount points are used on the weeXpc:

Internal Flash memory:   /
SD card:            /mnt/card
CF card:            /mnt/cf
USB storage:         /mnt/usbstorage

The weeXpc 3200 (Zaurus model SL-C3200) additionally has a hard disk built-in which is 6GB in size.
It is divided into three partitions:

Partition 1:          128MB Swap space, not available for file storage. Swap is an extension to system RAM.
Partition 2:          /mnt/ide2
Partition 3:          /mnt/ide3

Please note that SD or CF cards as well as USB storage devices with multiple partitions are not supported.
Most of such devices only have one partition, which is handled correctly by the weeXpc.
If you insert a card or USB hard disk / stick with more than one partition, only the first partition is mounted.
You can, however, mount more partitions manually using the mount command on the console.
4.2.2. Directory structure information: This section describes the purposes of the various storage devices and mount points:

/ is the root file system. It holds the operating system files and most of the installed applications.

/mnt/ide2 (only on Zaurus SL-C3x00) is used as an extension to the root file system. Additional software packages are installed here. Also, it holds larger amounts of read-only application data, e.g. the dictionary files for ZBedic, which are several 100 MB in size.
On the weeXpc for Zaurus SL-C1000, which does not have the hard disk, the SD card is used for application data and additional software packages instead. The SD card has the disadvantge that it is much slower and that it is prone to data corruption or data loss if handled incorrectly. See "Important rules" in the section CF and SD cards below.

/mnt/ide3 (only on Zaurus SL-C3x00) holds your Documents directory, the weeXpc portable Windows applications and it is meant for data exchange with other computers, because it is available when the weeXpc is connected to another computer via USB as an USB storage client. It is prepared to hold multimedia data, such as MP3 or photos, but may as well hold any other kind of data.
On the weeXpc for Zaurus SL-C1000, which does not have the hard disk, there is no equivalent. The SD card can be used instead, but it has a much smaller size and is slower.

/home/root: This is the "home" directory of user "root", i.e. of you. It mainly holds user-specific settings. For your documents, it contains the directory "Documents". This one is linked to the hard drive (ide3, see above). So you reach your documents via "Documents" in your home, but they actually reside on /mnt/ide3/Documents, making it easy to share them with your PC and allowing for a large amount of data, only limited by the available space on the hard drive.

/mnt/card: The SD card. On a Zaurus SL-C3x00 it can be used for backups or for data exchange with other computers. On a Zaurus SL-C1000, the SD card slot is occupied permanently by the weeXpc SD card, so it should not be used for data exchange with other computers.
The directories for application data, Documents and portable Windows applications mentioned above, are located on the SD card in an SL-C1000.

/mnt/cf: The CF card. It can be used for backups or for data exchange with other computers. Also, a CF card is needed for the weeXpc recovery process (see later in this manual).
If a communications card (WLAN, Ethernet, Bluetooth, modem, GPS, serial...) is inserted, that card is not mounted as /mnt/cf, because only storage media can be mounted. Instead, such cards are used via "devices". E.g. a WLAN card would be used as network device "wlan0", or a modem card would be used as /dev/ttyS0.
4.2.3. The weeXpc SD card for Zaurus SL-C1000: If you have a Zaurus SL-C3x00, you can omit this section.

Since the SL-C1000 does not have an internal hard drive, weeXpc files which do not fit into the internal flash memory must be stored on an external medium.
A CF card would be an option, but the CF slot is needed for communication cards (network, modem, bluetooth).
So an SD card is used for storage of user data, portable Windows applications and Application data, as well as for installing additional software packages.
These purposes make the card necessary for basic system operation, and hence the SD card must not be removed from the Zaurus while any application is running.

The file system on the SD card is ext2, a Unix-specific file system, which is not compatible with Windows.
The reason for that decision is data safety.
Tests with a FAT file system on the SD card (FAT would directly be usable with a Windows PC) showed that the file system is extremely prone to data loss, if the card is not handled entirely correctly (i.e. not inserted firmly enough so that it pops out of the slot when releasing the finger, or when removing or inserting the card during the weeXpc is switched off etc.)
Because users are humans and make errors, the risk for data loss was too high, so hermocom decided to use the ext2 file system on the card, which is much more robust.

You can, however, also use the ext2 file system directly with Windows, if you install the ext2 IFS driver under Windows. It is available here:
http://www.fs-driver.org/

Using this driver, it is possible to put the card into the card slot of a Windows computer, or to use the weeXpc in USB storage client more, so it exposes the SD card contents to the USB-connected Windows PC.
See later in this manual.

But even with the more robust file system there are rules: It is very important that the card is only removed when it is not in use, i.e. when all programs using files from the card are closed, and when the card has been "ejected" using the card applet.

4.3. Prevent data loss!

Especially while you are not familiar yet with the weeXpc and while handling errors are still probable, please do not forget to save the files you are working on! The more frequently you save, the less trouble you will have in case of lost data due to handling errors.

Important: Always eject an SD card in software first, before you eject it physically. The cards applet in the panel makes that easy. If you tend to forget that, you may use a small sticker near the SD slot to remind you of that.
Forgetting that only once may already damage your SD card data.

Also, be careful that the SD card is not ejected accidentally, which can happen if you either grab the Zaurus and press with a finger onto the inserted SD card, or when you insert the SD card but don't press forceful enough. Then it may flip out of the slot again, but it has had contact for a short time and the mount process was already started. If that happened, your data may be lost already.
This is one of the reasons why hermocom choose to use ext2 as the file system for the weeXpc SD card on SL-C1000.

Don't insert or eject an SD card when the Zaurus is switched off! Only when it is switched on. Inserting a card is always possible. Ejecting only after using the card applet to "software-eject" the card first.

In order not to prevent data loss, but to be able to recover as many data as possible after a data loss, it is strongly recommended to make frequent backups of your data.
It is recommended to make a backup at least once a week. Power users may consider creating Documents backups every day.
More about backups to be read in the Maintenance section below.

4.4. The graphical user interface (Window manager)

Open applications usually have a window in which they operate. Just as you know it from Microsoft Windows or other common desktop user interfaces.
The so-called "Window manager" is responsible for arranging windows on the screen.
weeXpc uses "Openbox" as the Windowmanager and several "Matchbox" components as window manager tools.
Since the weeXpc has a very small screen, it is not applicable to have many windows open and visible at the same time.
So you will need to switch between the windows of open applications.
However, if you put the window of an aplication into the background by raising another window to the foreground or by minimizing it, the application is not terminated nor halted. It continues to run.
So you can bring it to the foregound whenever you want and continue work with that application without the need of restarting it, reloading files etc.

4.4.1. Program startup / wasc

When you start a weeXpc program, "wasc", the "weeXpc applicatoin startup control", controls the startup process. It shows you an hourglass window for the time you have to wait for the application to start, and it partially controls the Window manager for your convenience.

Here is a little exercise:

Please hit the "Calendar" application key on the keyboard, the KO/PI calendar program will start after a few seconds. wasc shows you an hourglass with a progress bar which shows the estimated progress of program start. Wait for KO/PI to be started.

Now, press the "Address" key. The same procedure is done for the address book application.

Now, choose from the X menu / "Office" the program "Abiword". Same procedure here.

You have now three open programs and you only see the Abiword window. The other two windows are hidden in background.

Press the Calendar button once more. Instead of starting a new calendar, wasc puts the already open calendar into the foreground, hiding the other windows.
Now, press the Address button. Same here, KA/PI is brought to the foreground.

But also the other applications, which are not available via the application keys, are treated that way: Choose Abiword again from the menu. The Abiword window is put to front, no new instance of Abiword is started.

---

You see that wasc prevents execution of several instances of an application. instead, it presents you the already opened instance.
This is for your convenience, because for many applications it doesn't make sense to have more than one instance open. For applications using one specific data file it can even be dangerous. If the calendar would be started twice, both instances with the same data file opened, you could lose data due to two instances of the calendar accessing the same file. So this is also a data safety solution.

In case you might need the ability to start several instances of an application, this can be done by configuring wasc.
Please refer to the Maintenance section in order to learn about that.

4.4.2. Switching between open applications

4.4.2.1. Re-launching the program: As you saw in the exercise above, you can simply launch most programs once more in order to switch to the already open window of that application. But there are more ways to switch between open applications:
4.4.2.2. Alt-Tab: Use the Alt-Tab key combination (hold Alt and press Tab) to cycle through all open windows.
Remember: The Alt key is the Japanese-labeled key directly besides the Ctrl key.
In the moddle of the screen the window names are displayed. If you release the Alt-Tab keys, the window which is currently displayed in the middle will be restored:

The following screen shots show a weeXpc with 10 open windows (they have been minimized, hence their icons are shown on the desktop on the right side).

While pressing Alt-Tab to switch to the XMMS window:

After releasing Alt-Tab:
4.4.2.3. Task applet: There is a task switcher applet in the panel. It has this icon:

If you tap that icon, a menu with all open windows will appear, from which you can choose one to bring it to foreground.
In case there are multiple instances of one program running, they are shown as a group. If you tap on that group, the single windows will be shown as another menu to choose one from (as shown in the following screenshot for "Notecase"):
4.4.2.4. Minimizing / Icons on the desktop: When minimizing the window of an open application, it is not put onto the panel (as you might expect it when you are used to use Windows where minimized applications are put onto the task bar).
Instead they are put onto the dektop background.
If you click one of those icons, the window will be opened and brought to the foreground again.
This can look like that:

4.4.3. Manipulating window sizes and positions

You have several ways to change the size or position of a window. This is very similar to Microsoft Windows.
Even the icons for window handling are very similar, so they are not described here in detail.

You can tap and drag the lower window corners in order to change the window size (except when the window is maximized):

Tapping and dragging the title bar of a window moves that window around on the screen, except if it is maximized.

Some advanced window handles can be found in the menu when you click the icon in the upper left corner of the window (on the left besides the title bar).

4.4.3.1. Handling windows which are too large for the screen: It can happen that a window of an application (usually not the main window, but dialogs with a lot of text or input fields) are too large for the screen.
In those cases it will be difficult to move the window using the title bar, because you would need to move the title bar out of sight.

Instead, you can press and hold the Alt key (Japanese key besides Ctrl), tap somewhere inside the window you want to move, and then drag it around. The pointer will change to a move pointer (a cross with four arrows at the ends).

4.4.4. Hiding all open windows

The key combination Ctrl-Alt-D hides (or "minimizes") all open windows.
That way, you can instantly access the desktop or hide all windows against other people.

Note that this method of hiding does not, as normal minimizing does, place window icons on the right half of the desktop.
Use Ctrl-Alt-D once more to unhide the applications or Alt-Tab to switch to a specific hidden application.

4.5. Panel applets

The panel is the bar on the bottom of the screen, which holds the clock and some icons (applets):

4.5.1. Permanent applets

There is a set of applets which are always visible on the panel:

4.5.1.1. The X menu: This is what under MS Windows is called "Start menu". From here, you can start the installed programs.
4.5.1.2. Task applet: This is the task switcher applet, described above.
4.5.1.3. Cards applet: This applet allows you to cleanly unmount CF and SD cards, as well as USB storage devices, before ejecting / disconnecting them physically.
This is necessary, because otherwise you risk data loss and file system corruption.
Also, it allows to mount the media again, if they are still inserted / connected, but unmounted.
4.5.1.4. Screen blanker applet: This applet allows to disable the screen saver (screen blanker) and the suspend function.
Also you can instantly blank the screen, even when the weeXpc is connected to AC power and it is configured not to blank the screen on AC at all.
This can be handy if you leave the weeXpc running over night on AC, but want to rest the screen backlight.

When connecting the weeXpc to AC power, suspend is automaticaly disabled by default. The screen blanker applet shows that by changing its icon to this one (after some seconds):

If you unplug AC again, automatic suspend is enabled again and the icon switches back to the default one.

You can also disable the screensaver (which actually only switches off the backlight to save power). If the screensaver is disabled, you get a small bulb inside the applet's icon:

The applet also allows you to blank the screen instantly.
If you have done so, simply tap onto the screen again to reactivate the backlight.

The default behavior of the weeXpc regarding automatic screen blanking and suspending can be changed in the "Light & Power" applition in in the X menu / System Tools.
4.5.1.5. Volume applet: This applet lets you set the sound volume.
The bar at the bottom shows the current volume status:
4.5.1.6. Network scheme switcher applet (XCardscheme): You can define several schemes for network card connections (LAN as well as WiFi).
These schemes are defined and configured in the "Lan & WiFi" application in the X menu / System tools.
The network scheme switcher applet lets you choose and activate one scheme.

You only need this applet if you have defined your own network schemes!

There are two schemes predefined:
Default and Kismet.
The Kismet scheme is used by the Kismet WLAN sniffer. When starting kismet from the X menu, it switches to the correct scheme automatically. So it is not necessary to use this applet to switch to the Kismet scheme.
The Default scheme can be configured for your most often used network environment.
Additional schemes are displayed in the applet's window once they are configured under "Lan & Wifi".
4.5.1.7. Power applet: This applet shows the current power status (battery status as well as charging status).
If you click / tap onto that applet, it shows some details.

The icon changes to an AC plug if the weeXpc is connected to AC power using a power adaptor:

The bar at the bottom shows the charging level of the battery.

Clicking / tapping on the applet shows some details.
4.5.1.8. WiFi applet: This applet shows the status of the WiFi (WLAN) connection.
Grey ball with red cross: Not connected.
Red ball: Connected but not optimal connection.
Yellow ball: Connected with good connection.
Green ball: Connected with very good connection.
Blue ball: Connected with excellent connection.

Clicking / tapping on the applet shows some details.

You can configure the WiFi connection and schemes in the "Lan & Wifi" application in the X menu / System Tools.
4.5.1.9. Clock applet: This applet shows the current time, day of the week and day of the month.

It can be configured to show the time in military format (default, 24h) or in the 12h format, appending "AM" or "PM".
In order to switch to 12h format, open the file ~/.matchbox/mbdock.session.weexpc, look for the line
mb-applet-clock -w
and change it to
mb-applet-clock -w -m

Then restart X.

4.5.2. Applets activatable from the menu

From the X menu / Utilities / Panel you can activate those additional applets.
They can only be removed from the panel by restarting the X system.

4.5.2.1. XScreenshot applet: This lets you take screenshots which are saved as 640x480 pixel PNG files. Click / Tap once on that applet in order to start the screenshot application.
Then you can choose how many screenshots should be taken in a series (default is 1) and you can choose a delay before the first and between the following screenshots (1-30 seconds), then hit OK.
The screenshot application will disapper, take the screenshot(s) each making a shutter sound, the next dialog will show you where the screenshot(s) has been saved and if there was an error taking the screenshot(s).
4.5.2.2. X virtual keyboard applet: This is a virtual keyboard, which you can use for text entry when the weeXpc is used in PDA (portrait) mode.

4.6. CF and SD cards

The weeXpc is able to read from and write to Secure Digital (SD) and Compact Flash (CF) memory cards.

The SD slot can only handle SD memory cards, no so-called SDIO cards.
The CF slot however is able to accept also I/O cards, that is, network, WLAN, Bluetooth, GPS, serial port, analogue modem, ISDN etc.
Most of them are usable without installing any additional drivers, because weeXpc comes with most required drivers for those cards.

Please be careful when buying SD cards larger than 2GB: Some of them comply to the newer SDHC standard, which is not supported by the weeXpc.
SDHC cards have this logo:

(not supported!)

weeXpc-compatible SD cards have this logo:

In order to use a memory card, simply insert it while the weeXpc is switched on and running.
It is mounted into the file system automatically, and you can access the files for example using the Filer icons on the desktop.

(If the card is not mounted correctly, it is probably not formatted or corrupted - Please check and maybe reformat it in a PC)

Remember:
A CF card is mounted to /mnt/cf
An SD card is mounted to /mnt/card

In order to use an I/O CF card, also simply insert it.
Please tap on the cards applet in order to see if it is recognized correctly. If it is, it is most probably also supported by the included drivers.
Depending on the kind of card, you need to configure its behavior using the configuration tools under "System Tools" in the X menu.

For example, you need to use the "LAN & Wifi" application in order to configure a WLAN or Ethernet card.
You need the "PPP Modem" application to configure a modem card or the dialup profile for a Bluetooth card.

4.6.1. The card applet: An inserted memory card is mounted into the file system.
Removing it without first unmountig it from the file system may cause corruption of the file system.
Therefor you need to umount a card before ejection.

The cards applet is used to do that.
If you tap on the cards applet icon, the status of cards and USB storage is shown.
A green dot in the icon field of the card / USB means that the storage device is mounted.
A red dot means it is not mounted.

Tapping on a field with a green dot umounts the device.
Afterwards you can safely eject the device.

This also applies to CF network, WLAN, Bluetooth or other cards.
Although they are not mounted into the file system, because they are no file storage devices, they should be unconfigured cleanly before ejecting them. For this, also tap on the CF card field of the card applet while the card is shown with a green dot.
4.6.2. Important rules: When the weeXpc is suspended, the CF card is entirely deactivated ("ejected"). That means, it is safe to exchange the CF card when you switched off the weeXpc, even without using the card applet prior to switching the weeXpc off.

Just make sure, if you have a memory card inserted and are going to change the card, that no files from the card are open in any applications anymore. Otherwise these applications might be irritated after resuming the weeXpc, and this may cause data loss.

However, the above does not apply to the SD card!
Please make absolutely sure that the SD card is actively "ejected" using the card applet before you physically pull it out of the weeXpc. No matter if the weeXpc is on or off.
Also, the SD card must be inserted while the weeXpc is running, not while it is off.
Do never remove or reinsert the SD card while the weeXpc is switched off. Due to missing processor interrupts this may lead to file system failures on the SD card.

No applet eject, no SD card remove!

SD card removal / insertion only when weeXpc is running!

This is very important, otherwise the file system on the card can be damaged and data can be lost.
4.6.3. Special rules for weeXpc on SL-C1000: Since version 1.7 of weeXpc, the SD card in an SL-C1000 has, in addition to the data partition, a swap partition which is a partition used be the Linux system as additional RAM.

That means, this swap partition must always be available to he system while the system is running, i.e. the SD card is a very important central part of the system.

If the card is ejected while the system is running, it is as if you pull out a RAM module - the system will most probably crash.

So never eject the SD card of an SL-C1000 running weeXpc 1.7 or later!

If you need to access data on the data partition of the SD card from another computer, you have the following options:

- Shut down weXpc by entering the command "halt" on a Linux terminal. When the system has stopped, you can remove the SD card from the slot. Before you boot weeXpc again, be sure to insert the card again.

- Access the card's contents from outside via Samba over USB or over a network / WLAN connection

- Access the card's contents from outside via USB storage mode

- Copy the card's contents to a CF card, then eject that CF card and use it in other computers.

4.7. The USB interface

The USB interface of the weeXpc can be used as a client port or a host port.

If using the USB port as a host port, i.e. connecting USB devices, you need, for most devices, the short USB host cable (white small USB Mini A plug to black USB A female connector) as an adapter. Only very few USB devices already have an USB Mini A plug to connect to a host. Most have a USB A (normal-sized) plug:
This USB Mini A to USB A female adapter cable looks like this:

For connecting the weeXpc to another USB host as a client, i.e. using the weeXpc's USB port as an USB client port, you need the longer USB A to USB Mini B cable. Its connectors look like this:

Both cables are usually shipped with any new SHARP Zaurus, but are also available seperately at a lot of places.
Ask hermocom support if you need a cable.

4.7.1. USB host

If it is used as an USB host port, you can connect almost any external USB device to it, just like you connect these external USB devices to a PC.
For example, you can connect a USB storage device (USB hard disk, USB memory stick / flash drive etc.)
A connected USB storage device will be mounted into the file system under /mnt/usbstorage automatically.
You should use the cards applet to unmount it before removal of the device.

But you can also connect a lot of other devices, e.g. USB-Network, WiFi, Bluetooth, Mice, Keyboards etc.
It is also possible to connect more than one device at once, using a USB hub.

The weeXpc USB host port provides only about 200mA of current to the connected USB device(s) in order to save power. A PC supplies 500mA.
That means, some devices may not work when conneted, because they don't get enough power from the port. In order to make them work, you need a powered USB hub, i.e. a USB hub with an own AC adapter or battery.

4.7.2. USB client

You can configure the behavior of the weeXpc when connected to a PC as a client, using the "USB" application under "System Tools" in the X menu.

It is possible to configure it as a USB network device (TCP/IP over USB connection) or as a storage device.

4.7.2.1. USB network: This function can be used in order to establish a full-featured TCP/IP network connection between a PC and the weeXpc, e.g. for synchronizing files, for sharing the Internet connection of the PC with the weeXpc, or even vice versa, or for remote working on the weeXpc using a terminal on the PC.
Another very handy usage of this function is to access the file system of the weeXpc from the host PC using the SMB protocol (Samba server on the weeXpc).
This allows to share the weeXpc files with the PC while both devices are running and fully functional.

In "System Tools" / "USB" you can configure the network settings similarly to a normal network connection configuration, i.e. you need to give the weeXpc an IP address and netmask at least.
If you want to share the Internet connection of the host PC, you also need to give a Standard Gateway (the IP of the PC) and a DNS IP. The latter two are not needed for most use cases, only for Internet connection sharing.

Attention:
In order to use this function, you need to install a driver on the host PC.
For Windows, this driver is delivered with any new SHARP Zaurus on the CD-ROM no 1.
If you connect the weeXpc with USB to a host PC, and the USB network function is configured, the PC will ask for a driver.
Insert the first Zaurus CD-ROM and install the "SL series Ver 3 (NDIS 5)" network driver (not the NDIS serial driver!).

Afterwards, the PC and the weeXpc communicate via network over USB just as they would be connected using Ethernet, i.e. using a TCP/IP connection.
4.7.2.2. USB storage: When configuring the weeXpc as an external USB storage device for the host PC, you can choose which storage device of the weeXpc is shown to the host PC.
It is not possible to show the entire file system, i.e. including all mounted storage devices. You can only choose one storage device of the weeXpc at once for access from outside:

SD card (i.e. use the weeXpc as an external SD card reader / writer)
CF card (i.e. use the weeXpc as an external CF card reader / writer)
Internal storage (only SL-C3200, i.e. access the hard disk of the weeXpc from the PC. Only the large FAT partition (/mnt/ide3) of the weeXpc is provided to the host.).

Attention:
Whenever you provide a storage device to the host PC using this Usb storage function, do not use the file system of that device on the weeXpc simultanously.
This can lead to ambiguous states and may cause data loss.

4.8. The IrDA interface

The IrDA interface of the weeXpc is enabled all the time and can be used e.g. for dialup connections using an IrDA modem, e.g. a mobile phone, or to transfer phone book data from KA/PI to a mobile phone etc.

All this is confirmed to work with the Nokia 6310 mobile phone and fully compatible models.

In order to transfer data from KA/PI or KO/PI to the phone, just choose "Export to phone" from the "File" menu and use the default settings.
Don't forget to switch on the IrDA port of your mobile phone.

In order to establish a dialup connection using a mobile phone, use the "PPP Modem" application under "System Tools", configure it to use /dev/ircomm as the modem port, and use the dialup data provided by the phone company (for GSM or HSCSD cals) or by the phone itself (when using GPRS).

There are plenty of guides for this, depending on the phone model, on the Internet. Use for example this Google search link.

4.9. weeXpc as a PC companion

The weeXpc has been designed so that it can be used almost exclusively for a lot of tasks without the need to use a "big" PC.

However, in many cases the user will need to use a PC as well.
In that case, it may be desireable to connect the weeXpc to the PC in order to share data and applications.

This chapter describes how the weeXpc can be used together with a PC, i.e. how the two devices can exchange data and how it is possible to use the same files and applications on both devices.

4.9.1. USB file sharing

The default configuration of the weeXpc's USB port is to be in USB storage client mode.
That means, if you use the longer USB client cable which has been delivered with the Zaurus, and connect the weeXpc to a PC using that cable, the PC will see the weeXpc's internal hard drive (SL-C3x00, no driver needed) or the SD card (SL-C1000, you need the ext2 IFS driver for that!) as an additional removable drive.

Since on the internal hard disk (/mnt/ide3) or SD card the Documents and portable Windows applications are located, you have direct access to both from the PC, as if the Documents and Windows applications would be located on an USB flash drive you carry around.

One word of caution here:
Please make absolutely sure that the files you access from the Windows PC are not used simultanously from the weeXpc in any manner.
If one file is used from both "sides", this may cause corruption of that file.
So close all applications of the weeXpc before accessing their files from the PC!

When you are finished transfering data or working on your files remotely from the PC, be sure to eject the USB storage drive, i.e. the weeXpc's hard disk, on the PC. This is like umounting a device using the card applet on the weeXpc.
Ejecting is done in the same way you eject a USB stick or camera, using the little green arrow in the Windows tray besides the clock.

Unmount the weeXpc hard drive from the PC using this icon in Windows!

4.9.2. Samba file sharing

The weeXpc is able to share its files with any other networked PC, so you do not need to copy files from the weeXpc to the PC, but you can instead use Samba.
Just connect the weeXpc via network to the PC. This can be done either using Ethernet, WLAN, USB-network or even using a dial-up connection or Bluetooth.
There only has to be a working TCP/IP connection between the weeXpc and the PC.

This kind of file sharing is called "Samba file sharing", because the Linux-based server which runs on the weeXpc for that service is called "Samba".
Samba is derived form the protocol name "SMB" which means Server-Message-Block. This protocol has been developed at IBM and used heavily by Microsoft.

Please note that Samba is disabled by default on the weeXpc. This is for security reasons.
If you want to use Samba, you need to enable it first using the XSambaConf program in "System Tools".

4.9.2.1. The weeXpc shares

There are two default shares which are provided via Samba:

4.9.2.1.1. weeXpc: This Samba share contains the Documents directory (/home/root/Documents) and the card slots by default and offers read/write access.
It is meant to enable the user to use the weeXpc documents from a PC without swapping memory cards.

It can be extended to more directories from the weeXpc file system easily:
All directories which should be shared read/write must be linked (using a symbolic link) into the directory /home/samba.

So, if you like to share for example also the directory /mnt/ide2/devel open a terminal and type the following command:

ln -s /mnt/ide2/devel /home/samba/SoftwareDevelopment

This will result in Windows showing a new directory entry "SoftwareDevelopment" under the weeXpc share, which provides the contents of the directory /mnt/ide2/devel in read/write mode.

Please note that for Samba file sharing, you do not need file system drivers on the PC from which you access the weeXpc's files (like the ext2 IFS driver needed for the weeXpc SD card of the SL-C1000 weeXpc).
This is because the file systems are not accessed directly, but Samba uses an abstraction layer above these file system, unifying them and making them available to any computer supporting Samba.

However, depending on the kind of network connection between the weeXpc and the PC, you may need the appropriate network drivers.
For example, when connecting the weeXpc via USB to a Windows PC, you need the USB network driver which is located on the first CD-ROM delivered with the Zaurus hardware. See below for further details.
4.9.2.1.2. weeXpc_all_readonly: This share provides the entire file system of the weeXpc, beginning on the first directory level, providing also all mounted file systems,
in read-only mode.

If you want to disable that share for security reasons, you can do so deleting its section from the smb.conf file, e.g. using the XSambaConf tool.

4.9.2.2. Default login data for Samba

The default login data for the weeXpc Samba server is identical to the login for the weeXpc itself:

user "root"
password "hermocom"

In the Maintenance section you can learn how to change passwords.

4.9.2.3. XSambaConf configuration tool

This configuration tool is available from the X menu under "System Tools".
It lets you do the following:

- permanently enable Samba services
- permanently disable Samba services
- edit the smb.conf Samba configuration file
- show the weeXpc's IP address

Please note that "permanently" enable / disable the services means, that you do not need to repeat that action at any time. The setting survives a reboot.
Please also note that after editing the configuration file, Samba services are started automatically, not permanently though, even if you chose "permanently disable" before.

4.9.2.4. Using a Windows PC

In order to use a weeXpc share on a Windows PC, enter a Windows Explorer window, then enter in to the address line:

smb://192.168.129.202\weeXpc

(replace "192.168.129.202" with the real IP address of the weeXpc, XSambaConf can tell you that IP address,
replace "weeXpc" with the desired share name)

Windows will ask for the login data. Log in as root as mentioned above and then you will see the contents of the share in the Explorer.
You can use the shared directories now as if they were directories on the local PC.

The above procedure is suitable if you occasionally connect the weeXpc to that PC.
However, sometimes that procedure does not work, and sometimes you may even want to use the secondly described procedure, because it doesn't require you to enter the Explorer command each time anew.

Second procedure:

You can also assign a Windows drive letter to a weeXpc share, making it even easier to handle the shared directories.
For that, go to "Connect to network drive" in the "Extras" menu of the Windows Explorer.
Enter

\\192.168.129.202\weeXpc

into the server field (replacing IP and/or share name as above), click on "log on using different login data", enter the Samba login data, choose a free drive letter and confirm.
You may also check the box for "reconnect automatically after login". If the weeXpc is not available on login, this does no harm. The drive letter will be assigned and usable when you connect the weeXpc to the PC.

4.9.2.5. Using an Apple Macintosh

This is for Mac OS X:
In Finder, press Apple-K.
In the appearing server name field you can enter the weeXpc's IP address and confirm.
A dialog box will ask for the share you want to see on the Mac.
Afterwards, login data is requested.
If everything has been entered correctly, the weeXpc share will be mounted and shown in the Finder bar on the left.

4.9.2.6. Using a Linux PC

Entering

smb://192.168.129.202/weeXpc

(replace IP address and share name as mentioned above)
into the address field of a file manager usually opens the Samba share.
This works e.g. in Konqueror.

Using the smbmount utility on the command line, it is possible to mount a weeXpc Samba share into the file system of the Linux PC.

e.g. using

mkdir -p /mnt/weexpc
smbmount //192.168.129.200/weeXpc /mnt/weexpc -o username=root

You will be asked for the password, afterwards the share is mounted under /mntr/weexpc

4.9.3. Synchronization of weeXpc and PC

Although the weeXpc has not been designed as a PC companion, but rather as a stand-alone PC, it is possible to synchronize PIM data and directories with other computers in several ways.
This topic is not covered in full detail here. If you are interested in that topic, please refer to the vairous online ressources.

4.9.3.1. PIM synchronization

4.9.3.1.1. Synchronization with a Windows PC running Outlook: This way of synchronization is not possible. It has been announced be the author of KDEPIM/PI in late 2005, but has never been implemented.
However, there is a way to migrate Outlook data to the weeXpc PIM applications:

On the weeXpc you find Windows versions of KA/PI and KO/PI (the address book and the calendar application of the weeXpc from the KDEPIM/PI project).
Both of these programs have options to import data from Outlook.

That way, you can migrate the outlook data to the KDEPIM/PI programs.
In order to get them to the weeXpc, and in future synchronize them between the KDEPIM/PI programs on the weeXpc and on the PC, please follow the steps outlined in the next section.
4.9.3.1.2. Synchronization with a Windows PC running KDEPIM/PI: KDEPIM/PI with its main components KO/PI and KA/PI has been designed with easy synchronizing in mind.
For detailed information about synchronizing KO/PI and KA/PI on different computers, please read the
synchronization howto from the Pi-Sync project homepage.
This synchonization guide is also available on your weeXpc in the Help menu of KO/PI and KA/PI under "Sync HowTo".
4.9.3.1.3. Synchronization with a Linux PC running KDEPIM/PI: For KDEPIM/PI on Linux computers you have the same ways to synchronize with the weeXpc as on a Windows PC (see above).
4.9.3.1.4. Synchronization with an Apple Macintosh running iCal: This way of synchronization is currently not tested or supported by hermocom.

However, it is technically possible.

iCal on the Macintosh uses a data format very similar to the data format of KO/PI.
Hence it is possible to let them use the same file, but the file has to be modified manually.

Search the Internet for keywords ical and kopi, or use these direct links:

http://www.iis.ee.ethz.ch/~richar/zaurus/ical-zaurussync.pdf

http://www.oesf.org/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t2650.html

4.9.3.2. File / directory synchronization

This kind of synchonization is useful if you want to work on a set of files (usually the files in the "Documents" directory) using different computers without card swapping or Samba file sharing.

You basically keep two copies of these files, one on the weeXpc and one on the synchonized PC.

This allows for better performance when working with the files, also it has the positive side effect that you always have a backup copy of your files.

However, it is not possible to synchronize file contents, only the files themselves. I.e., if you modify both copies of the same file on both computers, file synchonization is not able to combine the two modifications. You will have to select one of copies of that file and discard the other one.

Usually the synchronization program will select automatically where to copy what files, based on the "last modified" timestamp. Hence it is important that the clocks of the two computers are correct and as identical as possible. Time setting via network is a good way to meet this requirement.

File synchronization can be done using Samba file access or direct USB storage file access.
For Samba file access on Windows, the synchronization tool may require you to assign a drive letter to the weeXpc Samba share.

4.9.3.2.1. Synchronization with a Windows PC: The easiest way is to use the freeware tool "Unison" on the Windows PC and let it synchronize the local computer's files with the weeXpc files using "local" synchonization, the weeXpc files accessed via the weeXpc's samba share over a network, or using the USB storage access method.

Please see the Unison manual for detailed instructions.

There is a graphical (GTK-based) version of unison for Windows PCs available here.
4.9.3.2.2. Synchronization with a Linux PC: Since Unison is a cross-platform application, it can also be used on Linux computers.
You can use Unison in the same way as outlined above for Windows PCs.
Most Linux distributions include a Unison package.
4.9.3.2.3. Synchronization with an Apple Macintosh: For Mac OS X, we strongly recommend the commercial program "Chronosync", which does an excellent job.
It is very similar to the Linux/Windows tool unison, but much more convenient to use.

4.9.4. Portable weeXpc application versions

On the internal drive of the weeXpc for SL-C3x00, or on the SD card of weeXpc for SL-C1000 (i.e. accessable using USB storage or Samba), there is a directory named "Windows_Apps".

In this directory there are portable Windows versions of some of the weeXpc applications.

Windows means, you can use them on Windows PCs.
Portable means, you don't need to install that software on a Windows PC, but just start it from their original location, even from the weeXpc's internal drive.

Once the Windows PC has access to the "Windows_Apps" folder on the weeXpc, you can use the Windows Explorer to go into the Windows_Apps directory and start the desired application by going into its subdirectory and doubleclicking its EXE file. See this screenshot (here the weeXpc is accessed via Samba and has the drive letter Z:

Most of the applications can be started directly from the weeXpc. There is no need to install them on the PC.

However, there are some programs which have to be installed on the PC first, because there are no installation-independent versions available yet.
Some of them require the GIMP toolkit (GTK+) runtimes to also be installed on the PC. So if a program complains about this, please first install the GTK+ runtimes, which are also available in the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory, then re-install the program.

If you followed the weeXpc paradigm and saved every file, which you created with the weeXpc, in the /home/root/Documents directory, which is linked to "Documents" on the hard drive, then you have everything available from Windows in order to continue to work on a stationary PC or laptop.

In case you never work with Windows or don't need the portable Windows applications, you can safely delete the Windows applications from the weeXpc hard drive.
This will give you several hunderets of Megabytes of free space on the drive.

Many of the portable program versions come trom http://www.portableapps.com.
You may check their website for more recent versions of the programs, or for other programs which you may find useful to have on the weeXpc.
For the Notecase outliner, please check the website http://notecase.sourceforge.net for a more recent portable version. However, it is strongly recommended to always use the same Notecase portable version than the version which is installed on the weeXpc. Notecase is still under heavy developement, so minor version changes can have big feature changes which may cause troubles when working with the same documents from different Notecase versions.

4.10. Usage hints

Every computer has its quirks, so has the weeXpc.
But instead of concealing these quirks and thus letting the user alone with them, we want to let you know about them.
We think that this is one more way to make working with the weeXpc as convenient as possible.

This chapter also gives hints how to make the work with the weeXpc as efficient and effective as possible.

4.10.1. Switching on and off, optimizing power consumtion

4.10.1.1. Suspend: The suspend / resume mechanism works absolutely reliably, but there are situations when the user may think it does not.
If you suspend the weeXpc by pressing OnOff or choosing "Suspend" from the X menu, the screen will switch off instantly, suggesting that the weeXpc falls asleep within no time. However, it doesn't. It needs about 10-20 seconds to go into suspend mode entirely.
During this time, it would be disturbing if the OnOff button is hit once more.
So after suspending, wait 20 seconds before doing anything else!

If you frequently pause using the weeXpc for a short time, e.g. on an exhibition, jumping from booth to booth, we recommend to use the screen closing feature rather than suspend for quicker handling. See below.
4.10.1.2. Resume: The Resume mechanism needs some seconds.
So, if you hit the OnOff button or an application key, in order to awake the weeXpc, please wait some seconds until the screen switches on.
Impatiently pressing OnOff several times to wake the weeXpc up may result in a system crash needing a reset.
We have added an acoustic signal to the resume process while the screen is still switched off in order to make clear to the user that resume is going on.
If you, for some reason, need to switch off that sound, please consult the "Maintenance" section.
4.10.1.3. Closing the screen: Closing the screen does not suspend the weeXpc, as you may be used to from laptops.
It only switches off the screen.
The automatic suspend mechanism (controlled by a timeout configurable in "System Toole" / "Light & Power") wil suspend the weeXpc automatically when that timout has expired.

In order to manually suspend the weeXpc when closing the screen, you need to hit the OnOff button or choose "Suspend" from the menu before closing the screen.

It can be useful to close the screen without suspending, if:
- you use the weeXpc as an MP3 music player (programs continue to run)
- you frequently need the weeXpc for short periods of time. Avoiding the suspend and resume cycles will save you some time.

The screen backlight is one of the main battery drainers of the weeXpc. So closing the screen, switching off the backlight, already reduces power consumption significantly.
The suspend timeout will take care that even if you forget that you have only closed the screen, the battery will not be drained too much over a long period of time.
4.10.1.4. Reducing power consumption: In order to reduce power consumption during usage, the best way is to reduce the brightness of the backlight as much as possible and convenient.
Use Fn-3 and Fn-4 to adjust backlight brightness.

Wireless LAN CF cards also need a lot of power. So if you use one, be sure to eject it everytime you do not need it.
It is enough to eject it virtually using the card applet. It is not necessary to pull the card out of the slot. Be sure that the LED of the card is off, then most probably the card is not powered.

In general, all accessories connected to the weeXpc via CF, SD or USB drain the battery (except if you use an externally powered USB hub). So if you like to save power, connect only what you really need.

4.10.2. Screen rotation

The Zaurus hardware allows to swivel the screen by 180 degrees and flap it back onto the keyboard.
Then, the weeXpc can be used in "Tablet mode" or "Portrait mode".
This can be useful if you don't need a keyboard.

There are some things to take care of:

The screen contents do not automatically rotate. The original Zaurus systems do this, but we switched that feature off in favor of performance.
If you swivel the screen, rotate the contents manually by choosing "Rotate" from the X menu. Choosing that menu item once more rotates the screen back to landscape mode.

In the X menu under "Utilities" / "Panel" you find the "X virtual keyboard". This is an on-screen keyboard for text entry in portrait mode.

Be careful when the screen is swiveled around. Its touch-sensitive surface is showing to the outside, so it is much more prone to being damaged!

4.10.3. Keyboard vs. Touchscreen

The GUI of almost all weeXpc applications can be controlled either using a pointing device (touchscrren with stylus, mouse) or with keyboard shortcuts.

When entering a lot of text, it is recommended to learn the leyboard shortcuts. Using them can be so much more efficient, than repeatedly switching between keyboard and pointing device input.

4.10.4. Starting applications

4.10.4.1. Don't be impatient!: The weeXpc is a full-fledged PC in a tiny package.
Please don't expect the fastest responses from it.

If an application is started, it usually takes some seconds. In some cases, an application needs a very noticeable time (30 seconds or more) to start.
In order to give a fast response, even if the application needs longer to start, we have writen "wasc", the weeXpc application startup control mechanism.

It provides feedback when an application is started. However, even wasc needs some seconds to start.

So when pressing an application key or starting an application from the menu, please wait at least five seconds for a system response.

Also, it is recommended to leave often used applicatoins open and just minimizing them, instead of closing them entirely.
That way, you avoid the long startup times.
For example, if you use the PIM applications, it is recommended to start them only when you boot the weeXpc and leave them open all the time.
With Alt-Tab or using the tasks applet, you can always bring them in front of other running applications in just a second.

4.10.5. If you don't use the weeXpc for a long time

4.10.5.1. Up to a week: When you plan not to use the weeXpc for a few days, up to a week, make sure the battery is fully charged. Also, save all open files at least.
Maybe even close all applications.
4.10.5.2. More than a week: Batteries lose charge, even when they are not used.
So if you plan not to use the weeXpc for more than a week, you should close all applications, shutdown the operating system and remove the battery.

There is no menu entry for a shutdown. Just choose "Reboot" and remove the battery when the screen switches off.

When you reactivate the weeXpc, you will have to set the date and time.

4.10.6. The Console (Terminate X11 entirely)

The X11 system (the graphical user interface) can be terminated entirely, so that only the console is present.
Please note that under the bare console there is no power management, and many features of the weeXpc do not work at all.
That means for example, that you can not switch off the weeXpc using the buttons (only via the sommand "apm -s")

You can leave X and go to the Console by choosing "Exit X" from the X menu.

In the console, you have all the common Linux commands available.
The most important ones are:

startx - Start X again
reboot - reboot the weeXpc
halt - halt the system entirely. Afterwards, please remove the battery.
mc - Midnight Commander (File manager with editor etc.)

And of course, all the common Linux commands are available: cp, mv, less, find, tar, grep, awk etc.etc.

4.11. Keyboard configuration

The weeXpc keyboard is not a standard US keyboard, however, its layout is very similar.
In order to enable the user to enter every character he needs, keys can be reassigned to different characters.

4.11.1. Changing the key mappings: In case you want to change the default key mapping, you can do so modifying the file
/etc/X11/kb/akita.xmodmap

The file is mostly self-explanatory.

In order to get the key codes, start "xev" in a Terminal window, then press keys. xev will output (besides much other info) the keycodes of the pressed keys.
In order to quit xev, close the small graphical window which xev opened or press Ctrl-C in the xev console.

After modifying akita.xmodmap, you need to restart X in order to use the new key mappings.

It is strongly recommended that you keep a backup copy of the original akita.xmodmap file.
4.11.2. Default keyboard configuration: Attachment #01 (keymapping.htm)
Attached to this node is a HTML file showing the default weeXpc keymapping and the free key combinations where other characters can be assigned to.

4.12. Virtual screens

Virtual screens or virtual "desktops" are a feature which lets the advanced user put program windows on four different workspaces, so you can have e.g. one workspace for office work and one for private work, or one for development and one for multimedia and so on.

The four workspaces have the names "one", "two", "three" and "four".

You can switch between these workspaces using the key combinations:
Ctrl-Alt-Right / Ctrl-Alt-Left
(Left and Right are the cursor keys of the cursor keypad)

You can shift the currently active window to another workspace by using teh key combination
Shift-Alt-Right / Shift-Alt-Left

Also, in the menu which appears if you click on the upper left corner icon of any window, you can choose the item "Send to desktop" which lets you send the window to another workspace.

Note that the applet and X menu bar at the bottom is only available on desktop "one", not on the other desktops.
However, using the "Menu" key you can call the X menu also on the other desktops.
A program invoked from the X menu in another desktop than desktop "one" will be placed on this desktop, not on desktop "one".

4.13. Data encryption

By default, all data you save on the weeXpc is not encrypted.
That means, that if the weeXpc is lost or stolen, another person may be able to read your data.

So it is strongly recommended to either not save sensitive data on the weeXpc at all, or to save it only using programs which support encryption.

The password manager PWM/PI of course encrypts everything it saves by default. So you don't have to worry about your passwords. Just be careful enough: The best is to close PWM/PI directly after access to the password database. That way you can be sure that no passwords can be seen by a third person.
Note that PWM/PI is not available for Windows, so you cannot share your password database with a Windows computer.

If you want to save plain textual information using encryption, we recommend you to use the Notecase notes manager, which is able to save its files either unencrypted or encrypted. You can choose between these two methods when saving a document.
An encrypted document can only be opened again when the user enters the password he has given when saving the document.
Notecase uses the powerful and safe "twofish" encryption method.
Notecase is also available fro Windows, even as a portable version (the portable Windows version is included in the weeXpc package and installed, see the section "Portable weeXpc application versions" above.

If you need encryption of files of arbitrary format, you can install the pdaXrom packages "gnupg" and "gpgme" from the following package feed:
http://www.tyrannozaurus.com/feed/beta3/feed/
GnuPG (The GNU Privacy Guard) is a complete and free replacement for PGP. Because it does not use the patented IDEA algorithm, it can be used without any restrictions. GnuPG is a RFC2440 (OpenPGP) compliant application.
You can find more information, as well as the complete documentation of GnuPG, here:
http://gnupg.org/

5. Maintenance

This section describes some maintenance topics of the weeXpc.
Sooner or later you may want or need to perform such actions.

Some of the maintenance actions can only be done on a Linux console.
We tried to make everything as easy and clear as possible so that the user does not need to have deep Linux insight.
However, here is a console tutorial which will help you, just in case you need help:
http://www.math.mcgill.ca/services/linux_basics.php

On the weeXpc, you can start a terminal window from the X menu / "Other" / "Linux Terminal".

N.B.: The terms "Console", "Shell" and "Terminal" mean the same thing here.

5.1. Backups

One very important thing is to prevent data loss.
There is a section in this manual which gives hints how to prevent data loss.

However, it may not be possible to avoid it entirely. Every computer can fail, and so can the weeXpc.

In order to recover from data loss, you need a backup of your data, i.e. a copy of the data somewhere else.
For example on an external USB hard drive, or on a CF card.

The weeXpc offers an own backup program called "weeXpc Backup". You can find it in the "System Tools" section of the X menu.

weeXpc Backup supports creating backups of either only the Documents directory, or of the entire weeXpc system.

Please read in the next sections about the purposes of these two kinds of backups and how to create them.

weeXpc Backup is designed in a way that the user is guided through the process interactively and does not have to care about anything besides connecting the needed hardware for the backup.
Thus, backups are easy to be created. This is a very important criterion, because many people simply don't create backups, because it is too complicated or they don't know how to do that.

It is recommended to create backups on a regular basis.
Depending on how often you use the weeXpc, it may be appropriate if you create a Documents backup every week and a system backup every three months.

If you work daily on important documents, it is recommended to create daily Documents backups.

If you often experiment with the system, install new software, change the configuration etc. you should do frequent system backups. Maybe once a week (time-triggered), or before or after you applied modificatoins to the system (i.e. event-triggered)

Of course you can use the built-in calendar KO/PI to set regular events which remind you of the backups.

5.1.1. Documents backups

Documents backups are backups which contain copies of your documents, i.e. a backup of the directory
~/Documents.

Depending on the amout of data in your documents folder, such a backup may take only a minute or half an hour.
Rule of thumb: 100MB of data is backed up in about 5 minutes.

For the documents backup, you can choose any external target as well as the internal hard drive (only zaurus SL-C3x00). If you create Document backups on the internal hard drive, you have your older document versoins always available, so this is useful to restore corrupted files on the go.
However, it does not protect your data from being lost or stolen together with the Zaurus.

In order to achieve such kind of protection, you need to create backups on external media.

In order to perform such a documents backup, do the following:

- Recommended: Connect the AC adapter.
- Then start weeXpc Backup:
- In the first screen of weeXpc Backup, choose "System" or "SystemMedia".
- In the second screen choose the target medium.
- After confirming the second screen, the backup begins (if all preconditions are met; otherwise you will get an error message).

In order to restore backed up documents, you can use the "tar" command on weeXpc or an archiver application like "WinZIP" on a PC to extract the document files from the backup archive and copy the files back in place.

The backup program lets you know, when the backup is finished, where exactly the backup has been saved.

5.1.1.1. Using the weeXpc backup utility

You can easily create a Documents backup using weeXpc Backup.

All you need is a storage device (SD card, CF card or USB flash drive or USB external hard disk).
Simply connect the device to the weeXpc (insert it / plug it in) and start weeXpc Backup.

In the first screen, choose "Documents", in the second screen choose the device.

If everything is okay, the backup will start right away.

If some checks fail, e.g. if there is not enough space available on the target device, or if the target device is not available at all, you get an error message with further instructions.

5.1.1.1.1. Restoring a Documents backup: The Documents backups are created as one big file (tgz or tar.gz format), containing a compressed archive of the Documents directory.

In case you don't know how to handle that archive format for restoring your data, please refer to the various online ressources about the tar program, or contact hermocom support.

In short:
In order to restore data from a tgz file, create a directory somewhere, copy the tgz file into it, and then run the console command

tar -xzvf filename.tgz

This will unpack the archive.
Newer versions of Winzip are also able to unpack tgz archives.

5.1.1.2. Manual backup using a PC

Since the weeXpc paradigm is that you save all your documents in one place under /home/root/Documents, it is very easy to make a manual backup of your data, without the weeXpc Backup tool.

Simply connect the weeXpc using USB or Samba file sharing to a PC and copy the contents of the Documents directory to the PC's hard disk or to an external drive or any other backup medium.
This is a simple and safe solution for a Documents backup.

5.1.2. System backups (system snapshots)

The more often you change your weeXpc system configuration by using configuration dialogs or by installing additional packages etc, the more often you should take a snapshot of the entire system, in order to be able to restore it, if you either lose or damage the weeXpc or if the weeXpc software setup gets corrupted by a faulty user action.

This process is almost as easy as a Documents backup, but takes a lot of time (several hours), because it creates a backup of the entire weeXpc.

You need a larger storage device (recommended: an external USB hard disk) with enough free space on it to hold the backup. The required space depends on how much space is occupied on the weeXpc hard drive. Use a storage device with at least 2GB of free space and use the "System" backup option.
If you have more than 6GB of space available, you may also use the "SystemMedia" option, which also backs up the data in /mnt/ide3/Media.
That directory is meant to hold Multimedia data.

Since it is probable that users only copy Multimedia content to the weeXpc and don't use the weeXpc as the main storage location for these kind of data, hermocom included the option for a backup without the Media directory, which can save a lot of space and time.

On Zaurus SL-C1000, the SystemMedia option is not available. There, "System" backs up the internal flash and the SD card.

In order to perform such a system backup, do the following:

- Important: Connect the AC adapter!
- Then start weeXpc Backup:
- In the first screen of weeXpc Backup, choose "System" or "SystemMedia".
- In the second screen choose the target medium.
- After confirming the second screen, the backup begins (if all preconditions are met; otherwise you will get an error message).

It is recommended to run such backups over night, because it can take a very long time.

In order to restore a backed up system state, please refer to the next section about system recovery.

The backup program lets you know, when the backup is finished, where exactly the backup has been saved.

5.1.2.1. Restoring system backups: Restoring system backups can be done via the "recovery" process, using the recovery DVD.

Please follow the steps from the section "Recovery of the original weeXpc state" below, but before starting the recovery process, replace the according files of the recovery DVD with the system backup files of the same names.

Then, when you perform the weeXpc recovery process, you will restore the backed up state.

The exact procedure is decribed in the README.txt file on the recovery DVD. Please read that file before doing a recovery or system backup restore.

5.2. Recovery of the original weeXpc state or of a system backup

When you got your weeXpc package, you also received a DVD-ROM with weeXpc recovery data.
The data on this DVD can be used to revert the entire weeXpc system to its original ("factory default") state or to a backed up state.

Please be aware that the recovery process is complicated and needs some Linux knowledge. In case you need assitance, please call hermocom for support. The recovery can be done by anyone, but unexperienced people should do this only with assitance of a person who has experience with Linux.
In case you need to recover the weeXpc to factory default or a backed up state, you will need a Compact Flash memory card (CF card) of at least 2 GB, where you will need to copy the installation files to.
For recovery of a complete system snapshot created by the backup application, you may need a larger CF card (4GB or 8GB, depending on the amount of backup data).

In case of factory default recovery, the installation files are placed on the DVD-ROM in the "RECOVERY" directory

In case of a system backup restore, you need to copy all files to the CF card which are in the DVD-ROM "RECOVERY" directory, and then copy all the files to the card, which the backup application has generated in the backup directory, including all scripts and other non-"tgz" files, overwriting the files with the same name on the CF card.

Then follow the instructions in the "README.txt" file on the DVD-ROM.

The factory-default recovery process will erase all user data on the weeXpc, including all data on the hard drive. So in case you perform this recovery process, be sure to make a backup of your documents if you don't want to lose them.

A CF card suitable for the installation / recovery process can be bought in almost every electronics or photo store. Just make sure it is large enough to hold all the disc contents or system backup files.

In future, there may be CF card capacities which are not supported by the weeXpc. At the time of writing this manual, we know that most or even all cards up to 16GB work flawlessly.

5.3. Enhancing weeXpc functionality by installing additional or updated software

The functionality of the weeXpc can be enhanced by installing additional software packages.

There are a lot of ressources on the Internet which offer software packages for the Sharp Zaurus.
Please note that most of these ressources offer packages which are not compatible with weeXpc, but with the original Sharp ROM or Cacko ROM.

However, you may use packages from repositories (also called "feeds") which offer packages compatible with pdaXrom 1.1.0beta3.

Here is a list of some of the most important feeds:

http://www.tyrannozaurus.com/feed/beta3/feed/
http://www.tyrannozaurus.com/feed/beta3/custom/
http://www.tyrannozaurus.com/feed/contribs/everyone-pdaxrom/
http://matrixmen.free.fr/zaurus/pdaxrom/oesf/feed/

Please note that after installing software from pdaXrom feeds, the new applications are not integrated entirely into the weeXpc environment.
Some automatic user interface enhancements, such as the hourglass window, automatic window maximisation on startup etc. are not done.
This is what the "wasc" script is responsible for.
See section "Configuring wasc" of this manual.

If you do not have the latest version of weeXpc, you can update your weeXpc version to the latest one. Update packages can be downloaded here:
http://www.hermocom.com/en/services/weexpc/updates

5.3.1. Installing packages on weeXpc for Zaurus SL-C3200

There is plenty of free space for additional software on the weeXpc 3200, since it has a built-in hard disk.
The partition 2 of the hard disk is reserved for programs and special kinds of data.
So, if you install software on a weeXpc 3200, it is recommended to choose "ide2" or "/mnt/ide2" as the target.

You may as well install software to CF card or SD card.
Please be aware that some programs require to be installed on a Linux file system (such as ext2, ext3, ReiserFS or jffs) and not on a Windows file system (FAT), because of the missing support for symbolic links and file access permissions in FAT. However, flash cards, no matter if CF or SD, are formatted with FAT initially.

So installing software to the internal flash or to the ide2 hard disk partition is safe.
Installing software to memory cards or another hard disk partition is not safe.

Please ask hermocom support if you are unsure.

5.3.2. Installing packages on weeXpc for Zaurus SL-C1000

The Zaurus SL-C1000 doesn't have an internal hard disk.
All software is installed on the internal flash memory (128MB) or to the SD card. When delivered, the flash memory is almost filled, so there is not much room for additional programs.
If you intend to install a package, please make sure it will fit into the available flash space or use the SD card as the installation target.

Please be aware that some programs require to be installed on a Linux file system (such as ext2, ext3, ReiserFS or jffs) and not on a Windows file system (FAT), beacause of the missing support for symbolic links and file access permissions in FAT. However, flash cards, no matter if CF or SD, are formatted to FAT initially.
The weeXpc SD card, which is delivered or installed with weeXpc for SL-C1000, is formatted with an ext2 file system, so it will not lead to problems installing software there.

Installing packages on the weeXpc SD card is safe.
installing packages on the internal flash is not safe, unless you are really sure there is sufficient space.

5.3.3. How to install packages

There are two ways to install packages:
You download the IPK package file from the internet and install it manually using the package manager or
you let the package manager download the package from a "feed" and let it install the package afterwards.
The latter is recommended, because it is easier and safer.

Dependencies will be resolved by the package manager.
That means, if package X requires package Y in order to run, the package manager will see that and install package Y along with package X automatically. Provided that the package manager finds package Y in the configured feeds.
This mechanism of dependencies is often used, because many programs are built to rely on the presence of certain "libraries", i.e. collections of functions.
For example, a program which can load and save from and into XML files will probably need the XML libraries.

There are two package managers available on the weeXpc:
- the "ipkg" command on the command line
- the graphical Package manager, which is available under "System Tools" in the X menu.

Both programs support both the manual and the automatic installation method.
Below we describe the GUI-based package manager. The "ipkg" command has a good online help. It works very similar to the GUI based package manager.

The "Install on" field in the graphical package manager shown below, denotes the target for installation.
The numerical value behind it is the free space on that device.
Unfortunately, the package manager does not show in advance how much space a package requires.
So in order to estimate if a package will fit into the target, you should look at the file size of the IPK package file, multiply that by 1.5 and compare the result with the free space shown in the package manager (multiplying is ecessary because the IPK format contains compressed data which will be expanded during install).

/ is the root file system, i.e. the internal flash.
/mnt/card is the SD card
/mnt/cf is the CF card
/mnt/ide2 is the software installation partition of the internal hard drive of the Zaurus SL-C3x00. This is not usable on a Zaurus SL-C1000!

5.3.3.1. Install a package file manually: Start the package manager, then click the "Open" button. This will raise a file open dialog for you to choose the IPK package file to install.
Search for the file and hit "Open". This will install the chosen package and, if available through the configured feed(s), also the dependencies.
You can observe what is happening by opening the "Log" tab of the package manager.

A restart of X may be required in order to make new programs visible in the X menu.
5.3.3.2. Install packages automatically from a feed: The package manager is configured to read in the feed for weeXpc packages at http://www.hermocom.com/feeds/weexpc.

This configuration can be found in the file /etc/ipkg.conf and under the "Settings" tab in the package manager.
There you can also add more feeds, e.g. the pdaXrom feed addresses given above.

But please note that installing or updating packages from these feeds means that the installed aplications are not integrated entirely into the weeXpc environment. Installing of additional packages is entirely on your own risk!

Start the package manager, then hit the "Update" button. This will renew the package manager's information about available packages in the configured feed(s).
Under "Available" you then see a list of available packages.

Check the one(s) you want to install with a checkmark on the left side, then hit the "Run" button. The checked package(s) wil be installed as well as their dependencies.
You can observe what is happening by opening the "Log" tab of the package manager.

A restart of X may be required in order to make new programs visible in the X menu or to let system changes take effect.

5.3.4. How to remove packages

In the package manager, you see the list of installed packages under "Installed".
If you check one or more installed packages with a checkmark on the left side, then hit the "Run" button, these packages will be removed.

Attention: it is dangerous to remove packages which were preinstalled by hermocom.
You can usually remove packages of programs you really do not need. However, there is no way to re-install them afterwards, because the original packages have been taken from pdaXrom feeds, installed and then some files have been modified for weeXpc integration.
Reinstalling the original pdaXrom package may result in unfunctional or less functional programs.

So please only remove packages you have installed before or packages which you know you will never need.
Be aware that a lot of packages are not applications, but basic system components! So only remove any packages if you are sure what you are doing.

Please contact hermocom support if you are unsure.

5.4. Font sizes

Depending on your individual eyesight, some applications may have too small fonts so you cannot read the text conveniently on the screen.

If you have this problem, please have a look into the "Options" or "Preferences" dialogs of the applications in question. Usually there is a way to set bigger font sizes.
When setting bigger font sizes, care about the dialog sizes of the application, which may increase beyond the screen limits.

In case you don't find the needed setting or if you are unsure how to change it, please write to hermocom support.

5.5. Changing passwords

5.5.1. Main root password: The main root password is atually unused, because the root login on the weeXpc happens automatically during boot.
However, you may have a reason to change this password.
To do so, issue the command "passwd" on a console.
5.5.2. Samba root password: Changing the Samba root password may be important, if Sama is enabled on your weeXpc.
E.g. if you think someone has foud out the initial password, or if you think this initial password is too weak.

In order to change the Samba root password, use the command "smbpasswd" on a console.

5.6. Modifying Samba file sharing behavior

The default configuration should be suitable for most situations:

The weeXpc exports two shares:

"weeXpc" is a read-write share of /home/samba.
So everything which is inside /home/samba can be accessed by a remote computer for read/write access.
By default, this is only the /home/root/Documents directory.

"weeXpc_all_readonly" is the entire file system of the weeXpc, accessable only in read-only mode.

These settings are stored in the file /etc/samba/smb.conf.

The XSambaConf tool under "System Tools" allows to edit this config file and afterwards restarts Samba so that the changes are applied instantly.
Please refer to publicly available Samba tutorials and references in order to learn the syntax of this file.

For example, you can use this reference.

5.6.1. Example 1: Remove the weeXpc_all_readonly share: For security reasons, you might want to remove the weeXpc_all_readonly share.
To do this, use the XSambaCont tool under "System Tools", edit the configuration file and delete the entire section which begins with
[weeXpc_all_readonly] from the config file, then save and exit.

XSambaConf will restart the Samba services instantly in order to apply the changes.
5.6.2. Example 2: Adding more directories to the weeXpc share: Here, no config file editing is needed.
Just link everything which you need to share into the /home/samba directory.

For example, if you want to share a directory called "my_stuff" from the SD card, link that directory into /home/samba with the following command on a console:

ln -s /mnt/card/my_stuff /home/samba

Or, if you want to share the contents of the large internal hard disk partition 2 (which is dangerous, because this partition contains program and system files, so be careful!), issue this command:

ln -s /mnt/ide2 /home/samba/ide2

A directory linked into the share that way will show up instantly on the PC which uses the share. There is no need to restart the Samba services.

Please only put content (i.e. files) into the shared directories under the share, not into the share directly, because that would fill up the internal flash memory very quickly.
E.g. from the weeXpc, don't copy any files into /home/samba, but only into /mnt/card/Documents.
From a PC which uses the share "weeXpc", don't put anything into "weeXpc", but only into a subdirectory, e.g. "weeXpc\Documents".

5.7. Configuring wasc and integrating new programs

wasc is a bash shell script, a so-called wrapper script for the weeXpc applications.

Instead of calling an application directly, e.g. "gnumeric", weeXpc is configured to call the wrapper script with the application, i.e. "wasc gnumeric".
wasc checks if the rogram is already running, brings the already running instance to the foreground if there is one, instead of starting a new instance.
wasc is also responsible for showing you the hourglass window on application startup, and it checks for availability of the Document directory, if the started application needs it.
wasc does much more, though. If you like to understand what wasc does and how it does it, please read the wasc shell script in /usr/bin/wasc on your weeXpc.

The behavior of wasc can be configured for each application.
For that purpose, there are the wasc settings files in /usr/share/wasc.

The settings file for an application has the same name as the program name (binary name), e.g. there is a file "abiword", a file "gnumeric", a file "kopi" and so on.
The files contain settings in the form of

VARIABLE=VALUE

The meanings of the available variables are explained below. You may modify these files, or generate new ones for additionally installed applications which are not integrated yet into the weeXpc / wasc system.
Please be aware that in order to integrate a program, you need to generate a wasc settings file and you need to tell the X menu to call the applicatoin using wasc as a wrapper. You do this by changing the "Exec" line in the .desktop file of the application. The .desktop files are located in /usr/share/applications.
So if you installed a new program called "Example" which has not been offered by hermocom as a weeXpc program, you may want to do the following in order to integrate that program:

- Add "wasc" to the Exec line in the .desktop file, e.g. change in /usr/share/applications/example.desktop the line
Exec=example
to
Exec=wasc "example"

- Add a wasc settings file for the program. It must have the same name as the binary, e.g. what is in the Exec line of the .desktop file:
/usr/share/wasc/example

You need the NAME parameter and a TIME value.
Other parameters are optional.
Please see below to see which options are available.

5.7.1. wasc parameters

The following parameters are supported by wasc and can be used in wasc settings files:

5.7.1.1. NAME: Application name. Freely choosable. Is displayed in hourglass screen on startup. Example:
NAME="Abiword word processor"
5.7.1.2. TIME: Sets the time value in seconds to set the time the hourglass screen is shown on startup (rule of thumb: Start the application without wasc, measure the time the first window of the application appears, multilpy it by 1.3 and use that time for the TIME parameter. Example:
TIME=50
5.7.1.3. USESDOCUMENTSDIR=1: Set this if the application relies on the directory /home/root/Documents for file storage. Wasc complains and asks if the program should really be started if this parameter is set and the Documents dir is not found.
5.7.1.4. MAXIMIZE=1: This enables the automatic maximization of the application's window directly after application start.
5.7.1.5. GEOMETRY: The string here is passed on to the application. Most applications support the --geometry parameter. Use GEOMETRY="--geometry $MAXGEOM" to use the default maximum geometry setting or define your own geometry. This is useful to set a specific window size.

Use "MAXIMIZE" instead to maximize the window for most applications.
Applications with a splash screen may instead need the GEOMETRY="--geometry $MAXGEOM" setting. Or try to disable the splash screen in preferences or via command line switch.

Examples:
GEOMETRY="--geometry $MAXGEOM"
GEOMETRY="--geometry 400x300+20+40"
5.7.1.6. KDEPIM=1: For programs from the KDEPIM suite.
This perdorms another check for the kdepim data directory in order to prevent PDEPIM applications from falling back to default settings when they are started and don't find their configured settings on startup.

6. Application usage reference

This reference does not contain complete user manuals of the installed software.
Instead, it will only shortly describe the purpose and features of the installed programs and refer to publicly available ressources (online manuals, FAQs etc) for further information.

Also, the modifications are described, we or other developers applied to some programs to make them more usable on the weeXpc.

One general note on using applications which use data files to work on (e.g. the word processor working on a text document, the spreadsheet application working on a sheet etc.):
weeXpc's philosophy is that you store all such data files in the "Documents" directory.
For this purpose there is a so-called "link" from the home directory to the actual Documents directory on the hard disk, as mentioned before:

/home/root/Documents (or ~/Documents because ~ is an abbreviation for "/home/YOURUSERNAME")
is linked to
/mnt/ide3/Documents (on SL-C3x00) or
/mnt/card/Documents (on SL-C1000)

Some applications are preconfigured to store their files in
/home/root/Documents

Some applications cannot be preconfigured to do so.
So please, if you want to follow this data file storage philosophy, take care you are always storing your files under
/home/root/Documents
i.e. in a subfolder of that directory matching the kind of file you are about to save.
This will make data backups safe and easy, and it allows you to easily work with your files using a PC, by simply connecting the weeXpc to a PC and using the files in "Documents".

You may freely create new directories under "Documents" or delete unneeded directories.
Think of the "Documents" directory as a similar thing as the "Documents and Settings" directory on a Windows machine.

6.1. Office

6.1.1. Wordprocessor

"Abiword" is a text processor which is used very similarly to Microsoft Word.

Abiword has been optimized to fit the weeXpc screen. Otherwise it is identical to the original Abiword version.

Links to further information:

Abiword Homepage
Abiword user's manual

Abiword is also available for MS Windows and included as a portable Windows version in the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory.

6.1.2. Spreadsheet

"Gnumeric" is a powerul, Microsoft-Excel-like and -compatible spreadsheet application.

Links to further information:

Gnumeric homepage
Gnumeric feature list

Gnumeric is also available for MS Windows and included as a portable Windows version in the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory.

6.1.3. E-Book Reader

Opie-Reader is used as the weeXpc E-Book Reader.

Links to further information:

Opie-Reader homepage
Opie-Reader FAQ

6.1.3.1. Keyboard shortcuts configured for convenient use on the weeXpc: Usable from the normal keyboard of from the keys on the outside, if screen is swiveled to PDA mode:

OK / Enter: Toggle autoscroll
Up: Auoscroll slower
Down: Autoscroll faster
Esc: Fullscreen

Other key assignments:

D: Page Down
I: Invert colours
Left: Zoom out
Right: Zoom in

Under Settings / Buttons, the key mappings can be modified.
6.1.3.2. Hints: Some dialogs in Opie-Reader have no "OK" button. Use the "OK" or "Enter" key instead. Just closing the dialog will not apply the changes made in the dialog.

6.1.4. Address book

"KA/PI" is part of the KDEPIM/PI program suite.
(KDEPIM/PI = Personal Information Management tools for KDE / Platform Independent. KDE is a Linux desktop environment, such as Windows. Platform independent means, that there are versions for Linux, Windows and of course for the weeXpc. So you can use the same data files from your weeXpc and a Windows or Linux PC.)

Links for further information:

KDEPIM/PI project homepage
KA/PI FAQ

KA/PI is also available for MS Windows and included as a portable Windows version in the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory.

6.1.5. Calendar

"KO/PI" is also part of the KDEPIM/PI program suite.

KO/PI has a bug that after an alarm was rang, the KO/PI main window decreases in size and is not maximized anymore.
The workaroud in weeXpc is this:
If you press the "Calendar" key, the window is re-maximized and brought to front.

Links for further information about KO/PI:

KDEPIM/PI project homepage
KO/PI Feature list
KO/PI FAQ

There are some more documents available on the KDEPIM/PI homepage, e.g. about synchronizing and about the Timetracking feature of KO/PI.

KO/PI is also available for MS Windows and included as a portable Windows version in the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory.

6.1.6. Notecase Outliner

"Notecase" is a very powerful outliner, i.e. it organizes information hierarchically in a tree manner.
It is similar to Mindmapping, with the difference that the information is not placed randomly around a center node, but in an orered tree view on one side of the screen.

Notecase can be used for a lot of purposes:

- Storing notes
- Storing sensitive data (Notecase has a strong encryption method built-in)
- Managing todos
- Create meeting notes
- Create professoinal HTML reports from meeting notes and all other kind of information
- Create entire websites using a combination of the special features, such as links, HTML web export, image inclusion, file attachments etc.
- and many more.

This weeXpc manual (the original file which is delivered with the weeXpc, as well as the online HTML version) has been created using Notecase.

Notecase has an excellent online documentation, which you get when you choose the menu item Help / Show Help.

Links to further information:

Notecase project homepage

Noteacase is also available for MS Windows and included as a portable Windows version in the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory.

There is also a professional version of Notecase, Notecase Pro, which is available for a small license fee from Virtual Sky http://www.virtual-sky.com
Virtual Sky offers a weeXpc IPK package for download. For full usage of all Pro features, ou need to purchase a license and put the license file into the ~/.notecase directory on the weeXpc.

6.1.6.1. weeXpc-specific keyboard shortcuts: Notecase uses the F keys a lot in its default configuration.
They are available on the weeXpc as well using Fn-Shift-Number, but in order to make some actions easier, Notecase additionally provides these keyboard shortcuts which are not displayed in the menus:

Show Help - F1
Show Help - Ctrl+D

Switch Focus (Tree/Text) - F5
Switch Focus (Tree/Text) - Ctrl+P

Insert Node - Ins
Insert Node - Ctrl + J

Insert Child Node - Shift + Ins
Insert Child Node - Ctrl + Shift + J

Rename Node - F2
Rename Node - Ctrl + M

Find next - F3
Find next - Ctrl+Shift+F

For these and all the other standard shortcuts, please refer to the Notecase help.

The keyboard shortcuts can be changed in the Notecase menu "Edit" / "Shortcuts".

6.1.7. Money Manager Ex

Finance accounting application.

On first start, a wizard guides you through the profile / account creation process.

6.1.8. OpenOffice

Openoffice is installed on the weeXpc to grant a higher level of compatibility with Microsoft Office files, in case the default weeXpc office applications for text processing and spreadsheet (Abiword and Gnumeric) fail to open such files.

Openoffice has very bad performance on the weeXpc, because OpenOffice is a huge software package. So it is not recommended to use OpenOffice as the main office environment.
Startup of OpenOffice will take several minutes, and reaction to user input (keyboard and stylus / mouse) is quite slow.
OpenOffice may crash when there is not enough memory available.

Otherwise, usage of OpenOffice is straight-forward and similar to Microsoft Office or Abiword / Gnumeric.

Also, OpenOffice is the opensource variant of Sun's StarOffice, so if you have worked with StarOffice before, you will know OpenOffice as well.

Links to further information:

OpenOffice homepage

OpenOffice is also available for MS Windows and included as a portable Windows version in the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory.

6.1.9. Database

"PortaBase" is a small database program for creating, browsing, and editing custom tables of data.
Typical uses are media inventories, reference charts, shopping lists, TODO lists, password management, photo albums, etc.

For example, hermocom uses Portabase as the database behind our online product catalogue. We use the flexible filter-based export feature and some self-written scripts to generate the HTML pages under
http://www.hermocom.com/en/services/zaurus
http://www.hermocom.com/en/services/hplx
etc.

Portabase has an encryption feature which allows to store sensitive information in encrypted files.

Links to further information:

Portabase homepage
Portabase documentation

Portabase is also available for MS Windows and included as an installable Windows version in the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory.

6.1.10. Project Management (only on model 3100/3200)

This is the program "planner", which is similar to Microsoft Project.
It allows to plan projects using the usual task description, display them as Gantt charts, lists etc.
Planner is able to import data from MS Project.

Planner is also available for MS Windows and included as an installable Windows version in the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory.

It needs the GTK runtime also to be installed from the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory.

6.1.11. Password manager

"PWM/PI" is part of the KDEPIM/PI program suite.

This is a very sophisticated password management software which holds your PINs ans passwords safely in an encrypted file and cares a lot about safety in general: For example every action which reveals sensitive data needs iput of the master password.
Also, timeouts take care that no sensitive data is displayed for a too long time on the screen.

The encryption method can be chosen. Several options are offered.

The Help menu offers a "Faq" option which contains several usage tips.

Links for further information:

PWM/PI on the KDEPIM/PI project homepage

6.1.12. Dictionary

"Zbedic" is a dictionary application which uses bedic dictionary files, which are available for free on the Internet.

weeXpc contains several pre-installed dictionary files which ZBedic is configured to use, e.g. some bilingual dictionaries and a german and an English version of the Wikipedia.
Use the books icon right besides the search bar to choose a dictionary.

ZBedic starts up with a relatively small window, because it is meant to be used like an "applet" for quickly looking up a word.
The windows can, of course, be maximized using the maximize button in the title bar.

Links to further information:

ZBedic homepage
Dictionaries

6.1.13. PDF viewer

"ePDFView" is a PDF file viewer which is able to display most PDF files in their original layout.
Especially when zooming, please be patient, because zooming takes a lot of processor power.

Links to further information:

ePDFView homepage

6.2. Internet

6.2.1. Webbrowser (Dillo): Dillo is a fast and lightweight webbrowser, able to display most internet pages which do not require a lot of Multimedia capabilities or scripting / Jave etc.

Usage is very similar to eery other standard browser.
The "F" on the left besides the address line is the File menu, the "V" contains other menu items.
The book icon calls the bookmarks view inside the browser view area.
Bookmark / Favorite maintenance is done by clicking the "modify" link inside the Bookmarks view.

If Dillo is not capable to handle a page, use Firefox instead. See below.

Links to further information:

Dillo homepage
6.2.2. Webbrowser (Mozilla Firefox): Firefox is the well-known standard Webbrowser which is available for Linux, Windows and Macintosh.
This is a complete version.
Since Firefox is a large program it loads not as fast as the Dillo webbrowser and reacts a bit more slowly.
But is is compatible with more websites than Dillo.

Firefox is preconfigured to save downloaded files to /home/root/Documents/Downloads

Links to further information:

Firefox homepage

Firefox is also available for MS Windows and included as a portable Windows version in the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory.
6.2.3. Instant messenger: "Gaim" is a multi protocol instant messenger. It is used for exchanging messages or files in real-time and for chatting.
The most important protocols it supports are AOL Instant Messenger protocol and ICQ.

On first start it asks you to configure your account. Once you did, you won't be asked anymore.

Links to further information:

Gaim homepage

Gaim is also available for MS Windows and included as a portable Windows version in the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory.
6.2.4. WLAN sniffer: With this tool called "Kismet", you can find out how many and what WLANs you are able to receive currently.
This can be very handy when planning your own WLAN at home or a WLAN hotspot:
Kismet shows you for example which WLAN channels are already occupied so you can choose a free one.

Rule of thumb:
Choose one with 3 channel numbers ditance to the next occupied channel (i.e. if channels 1, 4 and 12 are occupied, you can choose a channel between 7 and 9).

Kismet also shows you the characteristics of the receivable WLANs (encryption, load etc.)

Links to further information:

Kismet homepage
6.2.5. PPP Dialer: With PPP Dialer, you can establish dialup connections which you have configured with "PPP Modem" under "System Tools".
Just choose the connection type, connect the dialup device, such as Modem, mobile phone, Bluetooth device etc. and then hit "connect"

To shut down the dialup connection, just press "Disconnect", which is the same, relabeled button when the connection is active.

The log window of PPP dialer will show a lot of messages during connection establisment.
But there is no "Connection established" message.

Rule of thumb:
Once in the log windows the messages stop appearing in short sequences, and as long as there is no error message, the connection can be used.
Usually, the last messages when the connection can be used begin with "DNS IP".
6.2.6. Email (Sylpheed): Sylpheed is a lightweight and feature-rich email client which has a look and feel similar to MS Outlook or other common email clients.
Once you configure an SMTP / POP or IMAP account with it, you can use it over any kind of network or dialup Internet connection.

Sylpheed has been preconfigured to use the KA/PI address book for looking up email addresses.
I.e. when you enter a name into the address fields when composing an email and then press Tab, Sylpheed will look up the name in the KA/PI address book and fill in the email address corresponding to the entered name.
However, this is no complete address book integration, so addresses you add within Sylpheed are added to Sylpheed's address book, not to the KA/PI address book.

Links to further information:

Sylpheed homepage

Sylpheed is also available for MS Windows and included as an installable Windows version in the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory.
6.2.7. Email (OM/PI): OM/PI is an email client, which is part of the KDEPIM/PI program suite, hence it integrates well with the KA/PI address book.
OM/PI has been designed mainly for IMAP mailbox access, but it also supports POP3.

Whether you rather use Sylpheed or OM/PI can depend on the amount of mail you handle.
For a lot of mail handling, we recommend you to use Sylpheed.
For occasional mail reading and replying, OM/PI is ideal.

OM/PI is a derivate of OpieMail (OM/PI = OpiaMail/Platform independent)

Links to further information:

OM/PI project page of KDEPIM/PI
6.2.8. IRC chat: "XChat" is a simple IRC (Internet Relay Chat) client.

Links to further information:

XChat homepage
6.2.9. FTP client: "gFPT" is a graphical FTP client.
FTP clients are used to connect to an FTP server in order to transfer files.
(FTP = File Transfer Protocol).

Links to further information:

gFTP homepage

6.3. Sound & Video

6.3.1. Mixer: This is a graphical Mixer application.
In order to simply set the system volume, you don't need this mixer. Rather use the volume applet in the panel for that.
6.3.2. Quasar Media Player: Quasar is a media player which uses mplayer for playing back music and video files.

Its interface is very intuitive and well designed, and it feautes a lot of features known from modern media players, such as tag reading, playlists, fast library search, filters, cover art etc.

Further information on the
Quasar Homepage

Note for users of older versions of weeXpc:
Quasar replaces the media players "XMMS" and "SMPlayer" from prio weeXpc versions!
6.3.3. Stream Tuner: Stram Tuner is an Internet radio broadcast tuner application.
It can tune into broadcasts from Shoutcast and Xiph.org.

Stream Tuner is configured to use SMPlayer as its player client.

One hint for usage:

When tuning into an audio stream, the audio player first fills its buffer for some seconds before it begins to play.
So please be patient when tuning into a stream and wait for a minute until the stream begins to play.

Streamtuner is also capable of recording streams to disk.
For that task, it uses the "StreamRipper" program which is started automatically when hitting the "record" button.
With Ctrl-C you can quit StreamRipper.

StreamRipper is able to evaluate the metadata of audio streams, so when the stream contains metadata, i.e. data about currently player song with artist name, StreamRipper will create one MP3 file per recorded song and name it correctly after artist and title.

Links to further information:

StreamTuner homepage

Streamripper homepage

SMPlayer homepage
6.3.4. Musicweed: Musicweed is a small tool written by hermocom which acts as a valuable companion to StreamTuner and Streamripper:

If you recorded a lot of songs using the record feature (streamripper) of StreamTuner, you may only want to keep the best songs and "weed out" the directory.

Musicweed, when started, lets you select a directory which contains MP3 files.
It presents each song to the user by speaking its title (using the espeak text to speech engine) and then playing the song.
It shows a dialog in which the user can select "Delete Song" or "Keep Song".

If the user clicks "Delete Song", the currently played song is moved into the "MusicWeedDelete" directory, which can be deleted manually after the Musicweed session.
If the user clicks "Keep", the currently played song is moved into a "MusicWeedKeep" folder.

At the beginning, the user is prompted to enter an optional string which can classify the music which Musicweed will weed out.
That string is appended to the MusicWeedKeep folder name. So if you enter "Guitar" there, the resulting keep folder will be named "MusicWeedKeep_Guitar".

Due to the speech output and the simple user interface, Musicweed can conveniently be used e.g. while driving a car, with the weeXpc connected to the car HiFi. However, a word of warning: Using Musicweed during driving causes distraction and thus is dangerous!

Please note:
Musicweed can be used to weed out flat directories of MP3 files.
This can be any MP3 collection.
If that collection has been created using StreamTuner and Streamripper, be aware that Musicweed will only work correctly if the stream which has been recorded used metadata so streamripper was able to name the MP3 files according to the real artist and title information.

6.4. Graphics

6.4.1. The GIMP: The GIMP is the "Gnu Image Manipulation Program". It is a free and feature-rich alternative to Adobe's "Photoshop".

Since the GIMP is a large program, it will load and run not very fast on the weeXpc. However, for smaller tasks it works very well.

Links to further information:

GIMP online documentation

The GIMP is also available for MS Windows and included as a portable Windows version in the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory.
6.4.2. Painting program: "mtPaint" is a Painting program.
It can be used to draw directly on the screen using the stylus, for documentary or artistic works.

Links to further information:

mtPaint homepage

Screenshot: mtPaint in action
6.4.3. Image viewer: "GQView" is an image viewer with features such as fullscreen, slideshow, random image selection, image rotation, Thumbnail display, zoom, panning just with the fingers directly on the weeXpc screen, find duplicates, EXIF support etc.

It is very convenient to use with simple keyboard shortcuts, e.g. for vieweing your photo collection.

Links to further information:

GQView used manual

GQView homepage
6.4.4. Diagram editor: This is a vector graphics editor for drawing all kinds of diagrams. It is similar to the well-known commercial program "Visio".

Links to further information:

Dia documentation (manual, tutrial etc.)
Dia homepage

Hint:
Please be aware that Dia has two windows: One smaller main window which contains the drawing tools, and one large window for the diagram.
It may happen that on startup of Dia the large window is in the foreground, hiding the smaller toolbox window.
In that case, please use Alt-Tab or the task applet to bring the toolbox window to foreground.
Alternatively, you can use the tools also from the "Tools" menu in the diagram window.

Dia is also available for MS Windows and included as an installable Windows version in the weeXpc's "Windows_Apps" directory.

It needs the GTK runtime also to be installed from the weeXpc.

6.5. Games

6.5.1. LBreakout: Breakout Clone, playable nicely using the keyboard or mouse / stylus in Fullscreen mode.
6.5.2. LMarbels: This is an Atomix clone, a puzzle game similar to Sokoban.
Playable nicely using the keyboard in fullscreen mode.
6.5.3. LTris: This is a Tetris clone.
Search Tetris on Google for a few hundered instructions sheets...
6.5.4. Minesweeper clone (xdemineur): This game is very similar to the Windows game "Minesweeper".
6.5.5. CircusLinux: This is an old Atari game clone.

With Shift-Alt-Right you can "send" the game to the second virtual desktop, which does not have a panel, so the screen fits better.
Also, use Alt and the stylus to shift the window title bar out of the screen.
Then you have all the game screen within the real screen.
6.5.6. Slash'EM: A Rogue-like game.
6.5.7. Digger: Digger is a simple game which has been ported from one of he early 8bit home computers and early PCs.

6.6. Puzzle Collection

This is a collection of many small puzzle games.

Links to further information:

Portable Puzzle Collection manuals

6.7. Other

6.7.1. Calculator

This is the program "Galculator", which provides a calculator with a standard and a scientific interface.

By default, it starts in fullscreen mode with the scientific interface.
In order to switch to the basic (simple calculator) mode, use the options in the "View" menu.

In fullscreen mode, it is even quite convenient to operate the calculator with the fingers on the touchscreen.

Links to further information:

Galculator manual
Galculator homepage

6.7.2. IrDA file send/rceive

This little program allows you to exchange single files with other computers or a mobile phone using the OBEX file transfer standard.

6.7.3. Midnight Commander

Midnight commander, in short "mc", is a two-pane file manager running on the Linux console.
It is a clone of the famous MS-DOS file manager "Norton commander".

People knowing norton commander will instantly feel familiar with the interface. Usage is very similar as Norton commander.

Norton commander can be used using keyboard shortcuts or using the touchscreen / mouse.

There a speciality to mention regarding keyboard usage:

The F keys, which are used for frequent features of mc, are emulated not using the weeXpc-wide F key emulation with Fn-Shift-Number, but by first pressing Cancel and then the number (not holding Cancel down while pressing the number key).

E.g. for leaving mc:
Esc, then 0, then Enter.

Links to further information:

Midnight commander FAQ
Midnight commander manual
Midnight commander homepage

6.7.4. Editor (simple)

Leafpad is a simple geaphical text editor with the standard features of a text editor.
Similar to "Notepad" on MS Windows systems.

6.7.5. Editor for programmers

"medit" is a powerful editor with syntax highlighting, parentheses matching, line numbering, mulit-tabbing etc.

6.7.6. ROX-Filer

ROX is a graphical file manager. It does not have the two-pane window layout as many other file manager, but rather one window showing the contents of one directory.
If you need a second pane for moving or copying files, simply open another window.

Clicking the icons "Documents", "USB", "CF-Card", "SD-Card" and "Harddisk" (only models 3x00) on the desktop also opens ROX filer windows. You can place any directory on the desktop by gragging it from a ROX window to the desktop.

Please remember that you are root on the weeXpc, that means, you can manipulate everything, even delete the most imprtant system files.
So please be careful and rather only open Documents directories in ROX rather than basic system directories.
When browsing and exploring the file system, be careful not to touch anything which you are not familiar with.

Hint for keyboard users:
The context menu for marked items is accessable with the Backslash key (Fn-F).

Links to further information:

ROX homepage

6.7.7. X Virtual Keyboard

This opens a virtual keyboard on the screen, which you can use for text entry when using the weeXpc in portrait (PDA) mode.

When you do this frequently, you can also place the virtual keyboard applet into the panel by starting "X Virtual Keyboard" not from "Other", but from "Utilities" / "Panel" in the X menu.

6.7.8. XClock

A simple clock.

6.7.9. XSMSsend

XSMSsend is a small tool for sending an SMS using a mobile phone which is placed in front of the IR port of the weeXpc.

XSMSsend uses "kammu" (from the kdepimpi package) for phone access.
Long SMSs are split up into several SMSs, each having not more than 160 characters.
Special characters (currently German Umlauts) are converted to 7bit ASCII characters ("US-ASCII"), in order to keep maximum compatibility with phones.

Don't forget to enable the IrDA port of your phone before sending the SMS.

6.7.10. Linux Terminal

"mrxvt" is a terminal (also called console or shell window), with the ability to have multible tabbed console windows in one mrxvt window (hence the "m" in mrxvt).
3 terminal tabs are preconfigured, you can open more by clicking the "new tab" icon in the upper right area. Also, closing tabs and navigating throught tabs is possible with these icons.

Keyboard handling:

Shift-CursorRight / Shift-CursorLeft cycles through the open terminals.
Ctrl-Shift-CursorRight / Ctrl-Shift-CursorLeft moves a tab to the right or left.
Ctrl-Shift-N opens a new tab.
Ctrl-Shitf-W closes the current tab.
Ctrl-Shift-M toggles the menu bar. In the menu you will find some more options.

6.7.11. DOSBox

DOSBox is a DOS emulator.
It is able to run a lot of MS-DOS applications, including many of the famous programs for the Hewlett Packard 200LX palmtop.

In order to use DOSBox, copy everything you want to use under DOSBox into the directory /home/root/Documents/dosbox/c
DOSBox will mount that directory as its drive C:, so everything in that directory is available to DOSBox.
For security reasons, DOSBox cannot access the entire weeXpc file system by default.

You can find a lot of useful DOS applications which are written for or running on the HP 200LX palmtops on
http://www.hp200lx.net in the S.U.P.E.R. archive.
For programs which have been written especially for the HP 200LX, i.e using the PAL libraries, you need a palmtop emulator, such as Palrun.

If you need DOSBox to run only one specific DOS program, you can enter its call into the [autoexec] section of /usr/share/dosbox/dosbox.conf so it is started automatically everytime you start DOSBox.

DOSBox usage hints:

With the command "exit" you can quit DOSBox.
Alt-Enter toggles fullscreen mode.
Sound is not available in DOSBox.
Since DOSBox is an emulator, i.e. it interprets the instructions of DOS programs, translates them and forwards them to the Linux OS, DOS applications do not run very fast in DOSBox.
How fast a program runs heavily depends on the program itself (hardware access, graphics, CPU requirements etc.). So simply try everything you want.

DOSBox still has problems synchronizing its internal time with the weeXpc time, so please be aware that the DOSBox internal time can be different from the actual time.

6.7.11.1. Key mapping: DOSBox has been developed with a standard US 101 key keyboard in mind and is not flexible enough to adapt to the partially much different key codes and keyboard layout of the weeXpc.

Using a sophisticated keymapping scheme, stored in /usr/share/dosbox/mapper.txt, it is possible to use almost all keys as they are intended to be used, with some exceptions:

=   [Fn] [E]
+   [Shift] [Fn] [E]
Explanation : on a US keyboard, when you click on [Shift] with [=] you will obtain a [+].
Similar to the above:

[   [Fn] [T]
{   [Shift] [Fn] [T]

]   [Fn] [Y]
}   [Shift] [Fn] [Y]

\   [Fn] [F]
|   [Shift] [Fn] [F]

;   [Fn] [G]
:   [Shift] [Fn] [G]

Please take care you press first Shift, then add Fn, then the character. If you press Fn-Shift-Character instead (wrong order), you will not get the desired character.

[Fn] [Ctrl] [1] : Gives the keyboard mapper (use it only when you know what you are doing!)
[Fn] [Ctrl] [Backspace] : Shutdown dosbox

6.7.12. weeXpc Manual

This is a shortcut to the weeXpc manual which is installed on the weeXpc.
It is meant as an offline reference.
In case you have Internet access, please always refer to the latest version of the manual under
http://www.hermocom.com/en/services/weexpc/manual

From there, you can also download the latest manual version in NCD (Notecase) format and put it on your weeXpc under /home/root/Documents/Notecase/weexpc_manual.ncd, replacing the older version of the manual.

6.8. System Tools

This directory in the X menu provides configuration programs and system helpers.

6.8.1. Date & Time: Here you can set the system time and date.
The dialogs will guide you through the procedure.
In order to grant system stability, a reboot is required after setting time and date. Hence, please save all open files and close all popen applications when using "Date & Time".

"Date & Time" is able to set the date and time either over the Internet, i.e. it calls an NTP server and requests the exact current time and date, or manually using a familiar dialog.
Also please make sure to choose the correct time zone for your location.

Of course, setting time and date via the Internet needs an active Internet connection.
6.8.2. Input Config: Here you can configure some stylus behavior and the applications called via the applications keys ("Shortcut keys").

Be sure to prepend "wasc" to the application names in the "Shortcut keys" tab, as you can see it when viewing the preconfigured application key functions.
If you don't do it, the programs will load, but the hourglass will not be displayed, and there will be no check for already open instances of the same program, so it may happen that you start a program twice when pressing a button twice or when you forgot that the program is already open and you press the application button once more.
6.8.3. Lan & Wifi: Here you can set the parapeters for network connections using LAN or WLAN Compact Flash cards.
If you choose "wireless" as the network type, a third tab "Wireless" appears. Be sure to also fill that one with the needed information.

In the "Network Profiles" tab you can define profiles which you can later choose between using the XCardScheme application (the PCMCIA card icon in the panel).
This makes sense if you use the weeXpc in different LAN/WLAN environments which require different settings, e.g. at home and in the office. You can then use the "default" scheme for the home configuration and create a new profile "Office" with the appropriate settings.
6.8.4. Light & Power: This program allows you to set the power savings behavior of the weeXpc (screen blanking and suspend settings).
It is selfexplanatory and doesn't need any further description here.

Remember that there is also the screen blanker applet in the panel which allows to disable suspend / screen blanking on the fly or to blank the screen manually.
6.8.5. PPP Modem: Here you can configure dialup network accounts, i.e for modem connections or connections to cellular networks using mobile phones.

"Acount" tab:
1. Define an account name. It must be unique and must not contain spaces or special charaters.
2. Then enter your username and password for the connection and the phone number to be dialed.
3. Choose the port which the connection shall be established over. IrDA is built into the Zaurus. Serial and Bluetooth need additional hardware (an USB to serial adapter, an USB modem or a bluetooth CF card or Bluetooth USB interface).

"Modem" tab:
Usually, let "Device" as it is.
"Initstring" can be ATZ in most cases. But you may need special init strings for some modems, networks or especially for mobile phones.
"Speed": Try 115200 baud first. If your hardware is not compatible with that setting, look up in the hardware manual which setting is appropriate. A safe choice, which works in most cases, is 9600 baud, but it is slow.
"Hardware flow control" makes sense for modems, but not for IrDA or Bluetooth connections.
"Time out" can be left untouched and only increased in case there are problems establishing the connection.
"BT DUN" is only relevant for Bluetooth connections. Use the "Search" button to list the DUNs (hardware addresses) of available devices. If more than one device is in the reception range, more than one DUN may be shown. It may be difficult to choose the correct DUN because it is not obvious which DUN is the correct one of your device. In order to determine the correct one, you can either open a terminal and enter the command "hcitool scan". This will list the available DUNs along with the device names. Or you go with the weeXpc and your Bluetooth device to another location where no other device is available and repeat the "Search" until only one DUN is available. This must be yours.
"Demand dialing": Here you can set if you want to manually connect / disconnect or if this should be done automatically.

"Network" tab:
On dialup connections, usually the IP addresses are given by a DHCP server, so there is no field to enter an IP address here. However, you can choose to auto-detect or manually set a Standard Gateway and the DNS servers. Normally this should be set to "Auto-detect". But in rare cases it can be necesary to set that manually.

Once a dialup profile is configured, you can use it and dial up using the "PPP Dialer" from the "Interntet" section in the X menu.
6.8.6. Package Manager: This is the grapical software package manager where you can install new software, look for updates, and remove installed software.
Please have a look at the Maintenance section above in order to read details about it.
6.8.7. Recalibrate Touchscreen: Choosing this item, you will be prompted to reboot and during the reboot, te touchscreen calibration will be performed.
A black screen is shown with crosshairs on varying positions which you are asked to tap on as accurately as possible.

Recalibrating the touchscreen may be necessary from time to time when the pointer and the stylus action go out of track.
6.8.8. USB Config: In this configuration dialog, you can configure the function of the USB port in client mode.
Remember: It is possible to connect client devices to the USB port, such as mouse, storage devices etc. This is calls USB host mode from the weeXpc point of view. Nothing to configiure here, just use the USB host adapter.

What you configure here is the USB port when it is in client mode, from the weeXpc point of view, i.e. the weeXpc is the client to another USB host, e.g. your PC.
So, you can configure here, what the function of the weeXpc is when connected to a PC:

Details about the USB client modes and their configuration can be found above in the Maintenance section under "USB client".
6.8.9. XCardscheme: Here you can start the XCardscheme program, which is also launchable from the panel and hence described above under Panel applets.
6.8.10. XSambaConf: XSambaConf provides a simple interface to control the behavior of the Samba server on the weeXpc.
The Samba server is responsible for sharing ressources (directories etc.) with other computers.

More about this in the Samba section above.
6.8.11. XScreenshot: With this program it is possible to make screenshots.
This is also available as an (optional) panel applet, and hence described above.

Here you can start the program directly. This is useful if you just want to make one screenshot or if you don't want the XScreeshot panel icon to be visible on the screenshot.

If you plan to make several screenshots and if it does not matter if the screenshots contain the panel icon, you can also start the "XScreenshot applet", see below. It is in the Utilities / Panel section of the X menu.
6.8.12. weeXpc Backup: This tool creates backups of either only the Documents directory or of the entire weeXpc system.

Using the weeXpc recovery DVD, it is possible to restore a system state backup up with this tool.

Please refer to the Backup section above for further information.

6.9. Utilities / Panel

6.9.1. X Virtual Keyboard: This activates the X Virtual keyboard applet.
The applet will be active until X or the entire system is restarted.
6.9.2. XScreenshot applet: This starts the XScreenshot applet.
The applet will be active until X or the entire system is restarted.
6.9.3. Restart Battery status applet: In case the battery status applet behaves incorrectly or has vanished, use this menu entry to restart the applet.
6.9.4. Restart Screen blanker applet: In case the screen blanker applet behaves incorrectly or has vanished, use this menu entry to restart the applet.

7. Troubleshooting

7.1. When GUI behaves incorrectly: Restart X

If there are problem which are related to the Graphical user interface, or to running applications, restarting the X11 system (i.e. the windowing system of the weeXpc) may help. A total system restart is not needed in most cases.

Make sure, before exiting X, that you have saved all open files and closed all running applications!

Then restart X using the item "Exit X" in the X menu. This will shut down X11 and you will find yourself on a Linux text console.
In order to restart X from that console, type "startx" (without the quotes) and press enter.

7.2. When system behaves incorrectly: Reboot weeXpc

If basic operating systems functions don't seem to work correctly, a total system reboot may be necessary.

You can reboot the entire system by either choosing "Reboot" from the X menu, or by entering the command "reboot" into a console.

Make sure, before rebooting, that you have saved all open files and closed all running applications!

7.2.1. Warnings during reboot: During reboot, the Linux system shows some warnings.
These are usually nothing to worry about. Here are some of the known and harmless warnings during bootup:

FAT: bogus logical sector size ...

jffs2_scan_inode_node(): CRC failed...

cramfs: wrong magic

Warning: unable to open initial console

chmod : /tmp: no such file or directory

7.3. In case of a total system crash:

It can happen that the entire weeXpc system locks up so that it does not react to any user input anymore.
In such cases you may need to use the hardware reset button. Please note that using that reset button does not wipe out the contents of the internal flash memory and the hard drive. The seoftware setup and all saved data will survive such a reset. However, before doing a full hardware reset, you should try to shutdown and restart the system cleanly in order to avoid possible problems with the file systems.

There are some things you can try to revitalize the system without doing a full reset. No matter if the weeXpc is switched on and crashed, or if it is switched off and cannot be switched on because it has crashed, please first try the following procedures:

First, please wait about 30 seconds.
Then hit the On/Off button firmly for about one second.
Then wait again 30 seconds and hit the On/Off button once more.

Press the "Menu" button and try to activate the menu.
Navigate to "Other" and then "Linux Terminal". This should open a console. Enter "reboot" here to reboot the weeXpc.

Press Ctrl-Alt-Backspace. This should shut down X11 and bring you to the console mode. Here you can enter the command "reboot" to reboot the weeXpc.

In case you cannot make the unit switch on, please make sure the battery switch is in "locked" position (see Zaurus manual), connect it to the AC power adapter and wait for 10 minutes. Then please try again to switch it on.

If all that did not help, please unlock the battery compartment cover (see Zaurus manual), remove the battery compartment cover and push the reset button using the stylus (the Zaurus manual describes in detail how to do that).
Once you closed the battery compartment again and switched the switch back to "locked" position, the weeXpc will reboot.
Please observe the boot process and if there are any errors, please contact hermocom support.

Also, if you cannot revitalize the Zaurus at all, not even using the Reset button, please contact hermocom support.

7.4. When the pointer is out of track: Recalibrate touchscreen

Sometimes it may be necessary to recalibrate the touchscreen when the pointerdoes not trigger reactions in the correct position on the screen when hitting the screen with the stylus.

When weeXpc is active and you see the panel with the "X" menu on the
right side. Here is described how to reach the necessary menu item without using the stylus:

Use the "Menu" button (below the space key) to activate the menu, use
the cursor keys to navigate to "System Tools" (right arrow to dive into
that menu), then "Recalibrate Touchscreen". This will need a reboot.

Before confirming the reboot, please make sure you closed every application and saved open files.
Most applications can be closed using Ctrl-Q, some need Ctrl-W. Alt-Tab cycles through the open applications.
With the Alt key, you can activate the menu of most applications, then use the cursor keys to navigate through the menu.

This will trigger a reboot and during the reboot you will be asked to hit some crosshairs to calibrate the screen.

7.5. Applications need a lot of time to start

This is a highly subjective thing.
On weeXpc, the more complex applicatoins simply need some time to start.
30 sec or a minute are not uncommon.
OpenOffice is the applicatoin which needs most time: several minutes are needed to start it.

7.6. The system performance decreases during usage

On the Zaurus SL-C1000, there is no swap space. Meaning, that the available RAM memory is limited to the physical memory size of 64MB.
This makes it impossible to run a lot of programs simultanously.
As a rule of thumb, try not to have more than three applications open.
That value of course varies with the complexity of started applications.

If too many applicatoins are open, the system may get extremely slow or even crash without a warning.

On the Sl-C3x00, there are 128MB of swap space available, increasing the amount of available RAM from the physical 64MB to 192 MB in total.
Since physical RAM is much faster than swap space, the system will get slower once swap has to be used by the system.

That means for example:

If you open four programs, the first three may run as fast as usual.
The fourth will take some more time to start and then run fast as well, because it is loaded into physical RAM. The first one may be swapped out by the system to hard disk.
So now you can work conveniently with applicatoins 2-4, reactivating 1 may take some more time because it must be reloaded from swap (which is in most cases still faster than closing and reopening the application).

7.7. Hitting the "Menu" key does not raise the X menu or raises it with a long delay

Occasionally the system has problems with that function.
When hitting the "Menu" key, the X menu comes up only after some seconds or even after half a minute.
The reason for that problem is unknown yet.
The Menu key behaves correctly again after a reboot.
In the meantime, if you don't want to reboot yet, you can click the "X" symbol in the panel instead, which raises the X menu instantly.

7.8. When calling hermocom support

If you have purchased the PRO version of weeXpc,
hermocom support will help you in case you are stuck and don't know how to proceed, if your problem has to do with the weeXpc preinstalled software.

Here you can find contact information:
http://www.hermocom.com/en/contact

Simple support requests or support requests which are covered by warranty are processed free of charge.

For processing of other support requests we may charge our hourly consulting fee:
http://www.hermocom.com/en/services

In case your support request is subject of charging, we will inform you prior to processing the request and let you decide how to proceed.

In any case, when calling hermocom support, please email us information about your weeXpc system.
weeXpc 1.5 and above includes a program which prepares a file "sysinfo.tgz" to be mailed to us which includes valuable information about your weeXpc system state.
In order to generte that package, Please execute the "Prepare Sysinfo" program which you can find in the "System Tools" menu, or execute the command "sysinfo" in a terminal.
This will generate the file /home/root/Documents/sysinfo.tgz. Please attach this file to an email to hermocom support (address see link above).

This file does not contain any private data of yours. It only contains weeXpc-specific status and system information so we have a chance to diagnose your problem without too many questions back and forth.
If you want to look inside the sysinfo.tgz file prior to sending it to us, you can do so easily by either unpacking it in a terminal (using the commands given below) or by opening it with Winzip on a Windows PC.

sysinfo.tgz analysis on the weeXpc:

mkdir -p /home/root/Documents/temp
cd /home/root/Documents/temp
tar xzvf ../sysinfo.tgz

Now you can browse the contents of sysinfo.tgz using commands like find, ls, cat, less etc.

8. Technical details

8.1. Hardware

8.1.1. Sharp Zaurus: The weeXpc is based on a Sharp Zaurus PDA of the SL-C series. Currently the models SL-C3100 and SL-C3200 are supported.
Specifications:

CPU Intel XScale PXA270 416MHz
64MB SDRAM
128MB NAND Flash
640x480 VGA Color TFT touchscreen, rotatable
QWERTY keyboard
SD slot (incompatible with SDHC or SDIO)
CF slot
IrDA interface
USB host and client interface ("USB on the go")
Internal hard disk 6GB (only SL-C3x00)

8.2. Software

8.2.1. pdaXrom: weeXpc is based on pdaXrom version 1.1.0beta3.
It uses the Linux kernel 2.4.20.

pdaXrom (www.pdaxrom.org) is a Linux and X11 based ROM for Sharp Zaurus PDAs.

The ROM which is delivered with a new Sharp Zaurus is not based on X11, but on QTopia by Trolltech.
QTopia is a good platform for PDAs, because it is optimized for small screens and stylus usage.

However, pdaXrom, and thus weeXpc, is much more capable. For example, the range of software available for X11 is much broader than for QTopia.
Since most Linux PCs use X11 as their graphical user interface, X11 can be considered a standard in the PC world.
Also, X11 has better overall performance than QTopia.
8.2.2. hermocom development: A SHARP Zaurus with pdaXrom is very powerful. However, it needs a lot of tweaking, bugfixing and configurations, which many people don't have the time for to do because they want to work with their PDA, and not maintain o configure it all the time.

This is probably the most important reason why the SHARP Zaurus platform never reached a broad user base.

With weeXpc, we want to offer a ready-made software platform which does not need a lot of tweaking an configuration before the user can begin to work with it.

In order to achieve this goal, we took pdaXrom as it is offered for Sharp Zaurus PDAs, modified it heavily with approximately 1.000 adaption steps, eveluated and chose the most useful software, preconfigured everything, compiled new software packages, and wrote this manual.

9. FAQ

9.1. How do I connect the weeXpc to the Internet?: There are basically two groups of ways:

Via network:
Using a LAN or WLAN Compact Flash card, you can connect the weeXpc to the Internet, usually via an internet router (Hotspot, DSL or cable router, or LAN/WAN router in a company).
How to configure such a connection is described in the LAN & Wifi setup description.

Via dialup:
You can use a modem or a mobile phone, connected via USB, USB to serial adapter, IrDA or Bluetooth, or a compact flash modem, to connect to cellular or POTS telephone networks.
Use the PPP Modem setup application for that.
9.2. How to recover from a total desaster?: You get a recovery DVD with weeXpc. Also, there will be a backup solution which generates substitute files for the recovery DVD files containing the state of the weeXpc when you made the backup.

So you can either return to the original state using the recovery DVD,
or you can revert to a backed up state using the recovery DVD and the substitute files from the backup.

See the section "System backups" and "Recovery of the original weeXpc state or of a system backup" of this manual.

However, when handled correctly and according to the rules given in this manual, the weeXpc is an extremely stable system which may never need any recovery.
But of course it is always recommended to create backups frequently.
9.3. Do you have recommendations for literature about Linux for beginners?: There are some good online ressources.

For specific problems, it is always good to use google to search for e.g. error messages or for the goal you want to reach.

In order to learn the basics about Linux, the console and X11, here is a collection of links to valuable ressources:

Console tutorial:
http://www.math.mcgill.ca/services/linux_basics.php

Linux basics:
http://www.linux.org/lessons/beginner/toc.html

X11 basics (the graphical user interface):
http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/~matloff/UnixAndC/Unix/XWindows.html
9.4. Links and hints for advanced users: Experienced users who want to change the configuration by themselves may like to know what software weeXpc is based on and how to configure these components "manually".

The panel, the applets etc. are based on Matchbox:
http://projects.o-hand.com/matchbox/

The window manager used in weeXpc is Openbox:
http://icculus.org/openbox/about.php

Ass the desktop and graphical file manager, Rox is used:
http://rox.sourceforge.net/desktop/static.html

Most configuration files are stored in /etc, as on every standard Linux system.

Some important hints:

Keymapping:
The basic keymapping file is
/etc/X11/kb/akita.xmodmap
The codes in akita.xmodmap for the application keys "Calendar", "Address" etc. ("XF86LaunchA" etc.) are defined in
/etc/xdg/openbox/rc.xml

The X menu:
The menu is constructed from the ".desktop" files in /usr/share/applications
If you want to change the names of applications, remove or add entries etc., you can do that by modifying / adding / removing such .desktop files. The tree structure of the menu is constructed using the categories given in each .desktop file.

The panel applets:
If you like to remove some unused panel applets, add your own ones or change their order on the panel, you can do this by editing the file ~/.matchbox/mbdock.session.weexpc
This file is the "default" panel configuration which is restored by the startx script each time the X system is started.
9.5. Feeds with more weeXpc compatible software packages: There are a lot of ressources on the Internet which offer software packages for the Sharp Zaurus.
Please note that most of these ressources offer packages which are not compatible with weeXpc, but with the original Sharp ROM or Cacko ROM.

However, you may use packages from repositories (also called "feeds") which offer packages compatible with pdaXrom 1.1.0beta3.

Here is a list of some of the most important feeds:

http://www.tyrannozaurus.com/feed/beta3/feed/
http://www.tyrannozaurus.com/feed/beta3/custom/
http://matrixmen.free.fr/zaurus/pdaxrom/oesf/feed/

Please note that after installing software from pdaXrom feeds, the new applications are not integrated entirely into the weeXpc environment.
Some automatic user interface enhancements, such as the hourglass window, automatic window maximisation on startup etc. are not done.
This is what the "wasc" script is responsible for.
See section "Configuring wasc" of this manual.
9.6. Why is an SD card needed for weeXpc on an SL-C1000? Why must it be inserted permanently?: The other Zaurus models have an internal hard disk, which is used to hold most of the weeXpc system. The Zaurus SL-C1000 does not have such a hard disk. But weeXpc needs a lot of disk space for applications and for a swap partition (this is an enhancement to system RAM, using disk space).
Hence weeXpc needs some additional space on the SL-C1000, which is supplied by the SD card.

Since the swap partition (which is used as RAM by the system and hence must be available permanently) is located on the SD card, the SD card must be inserted all the time.
Removing the SD card while weeXpc is running would most probably crash weeXpc. Imagine you pull out one of the RAM modules of your PC while the system is running! It would instantly crash.

Rebooting weeXpc withotu the SD card plugged in is possible, though. All applications and libraries installed on the SD card will not be available after this boot, also no swap space will be available, resulting in worse performance of the system and no ability to run a lot of programs simultanously (trying to do so may result in a system crash).

Inserting the SD again is not enough. The system must be rebooted with the SD card inserted in order to make everything work again.
9.7. Can weeXpc be installed from an SD card?: No. The installation routine of weeXpc is hardcoded to use a CF card. This has good reasons.
For example, on the SL-C1000 the SD slot is occupied for a part of the installation process by the weeXpc SD card.
And, for installtion on an SL-C3200, at least 2GB of card space is needed. But the emergency Linux environment, which is used for running the weeXpc installation script, cannot handle SD cards larger than 1GB.
So installing from a CF card is the only feasible way to install weeXpc.

10. weeXpc version history

10.1. 1.3 (Zaurus SL-C3200 only): weeXpc 1.3 was a testing version sent to only very few people.
It should not be around anymore, as all people who had this version were asked to update to version 1.4 and 1.5.
10.2. 1.4 (Zaurus SL-C3100, SL-C3200 only): weeXpc 1.4 was the first official release.

Changes compared to weeXpc 1.3:

- new zgcc developer image is installed (slightly more header files
  etc included)

- new file /etc/weexpcupdatehistory is created. It will contain information
  about installed system updates

- feed for the package manager chaned from "weeXpc" to "weeXpc3x00"
  on hermocom server

- updated xscreenshot utility

- new DOSBox 0.70 installed

- Dosbox C: drive path was missing, created now (/home/root/Documents/dosbox/c)

- Some System settings tools changed (USB function, Date and time dialog,
  inputconfig) mainly to prevent dangerous changes in these tools

- new weexpc_backup.sh backup script (don't care about this: when doing the
  1.4-1.5 update there will be a better backup tool!)

- new Notecase 1.5.0 installed (don't care - update to 1.5 installs 1.5.2!)

- xpdf removed due to frequent problems with fonts

- updated smplayer to version 0.2.28

- updated galculator to version 1.2.5.2

- new wasc (weeXpc application startup control) v 1.2.0 (update to weeXpc 1.5
  will contain a better one, 1.2.0 is still a bit buggy)
  installed with a great helper tool "wmtrl", which allows wasc to manipulate
  window sizes etc.

- added a license file to the directory where the wikipedia files reside
  (this is necessary by law)

- new Sylpheed Windows version 2.3.1

- new keyboard mapping file: the old one was buggy and did not allow the Zaurus
  to switch off the screen backlight when closing the screen!

- new editor "medit", especially interesting for programmers

- new program "dia", a diagram editor

- new program "planner" for project managermant on gantt charts basis

- diabled splash screen of stream tuner
10.3. 1.5 (Zaurus SL-C3100. SL-C3200 only): Changes compared to weeXpc 1.4:

- Most important change: "Documents" and "Windows_Apps" are not on SD
  card anymore but on internal hard drive. For reasons see text below these
  release notes.

- Hence /home/root/Documents now points to /mnt/ide3/Documents instead
  of /mnt/card/Documents

- /mnt/ide3 is now additionally shared by Samba

- New wasc (application startup control) script: Much safer and
  powerful, better instance control

- New game "digger"

- "§" character is not on key Fn-5 (was missing in 1.4)

- New tool: weeXpc Backup tool (in "System Tools")

- New tool: "watch" command line utility

- New command line network tools included: ftp, telnet, rcp, rlogin,
  rsh, talk, tftp, whois; better versions of ping and logger

- Portable KDEPIM in WINDOWS_APPS was missing some DLLs. They are
  included now.

- Portable Windows versions "Start..." links removed. Instead the user
  must go into subdirectories and start the EXEs directly. Unfortunately,
  Windows does not seem to support relative links, but the existing links
  were not useful, as they were abeolute ones.

- Notecase in weeXpc and portable version updated to 1.5.2

- New Windows versions (installable) of weeXpc programs: Dia, Planner
  and GTK framework in "Windows_Apps" on weeXpc

- Program names in the X menu have been changed for better readability
  (more generinc names are used, not the real program names anymore)

- New tool: "Prepare Sysinfo" in "System tools": This program collects
  some important data from the weeXpc which should be sent to hermocom in
  case of a support request

- Scripts and README on the recovery DVD changed to handle the new
  documents storage scheme

- When connecting to weeXpc via ssh -X from a remote machine, X11 is not
  attempted to be started anymore (/.bashprofile changed)

- New weexpc_manual.ncd in Documents/Notecase

- Some minor changes in system files for stability, data safety and
  better look and feel.

- Added the "script" tool for capturing shell script output
  in a log file.

After updating from 1.4 to 1.5 you may need to reconfigure some applications
to use
/home/root/Documents/.... or /mnt/ide3/Documents/.... (they are equivalent)
instead of /mnt/card/Documents/....
Most applications should handle this change automatically, though.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Explanation of the storage scheme change (SD card -> internal hard
drive):

Dear weeXpc users,

the current scheme of data storage on the weeXpc (user data on SD card)
is a bit risky. Data may be lost when the SD card is not handled
correctly, i.e. when it is ejected after not properly unmounting via
card applet, inserted during the weeXpc is switched off etc.)

This is the reason why I sent you the rules sheet or attached the rules
sheet to recent weeXpc 1.4 packages.

Data safety usually is more important than convenience. And since there
simply are a few weak situations where data can be lost (this depends on
the Linux system and its drivers, so I cannot easily change it), I
decided to change the data storage scheme of the weeXpc.

*** weeXpc versions from 1.5 will store all user data on the internal hard
disk and make the data available to a PC over USB. ***

The SD card will not be part of the main system anymore, it can be used
for backup purposes or for data exchange. It is also worth a
consideration if internal saved user data is regularly mirrored to the
SD card, so the user does not lose the convenience of simply unplugging
the SD card from the weeXpc and put it into a PC (think of the card as a
"weeXpc to go"). But mirroring or synchronizing is also a critical task
and has to be set up and testet very well to make it reliable, so please
don't expect this to come within the next few weeks.

The old scheme, i.e. storage of user data ("Documents") and Windows
programs ("Windows_Apps") on the SD card is not supported anymore
by hermocom, since weeXpc version 1.5 came out.
So it is strongly recommended to anyone to update to version 1.5.

Converting to the new scheme is relatively easy. Most
applications don't have to be reconfigured, because the
central data storage path
/home/root/Documents
is not changed. /home/root/Documents currently is a
link to the actual path /mnt/card/Documents. The new link
target path will be /mnt/ide3/Documents (ide3 is the third
and usually largest partition of the internal hard drive which
has been prepared to hold media data and
is accessable from the outside via USB or network).

Basically, converting means:

1. Copying all "Documents" and "Windows_Apps" data to the internal hard
drive 2. Relinking /home/root/Documents to the new location

A few other modifications are necessary, such as an updated backup
script etc.

The weeXpc update script for the update from version 1.4 to version 1.5
does all this for you.

Benefits: - Significantly reduced risk of data loss - faster access to
the data from within the weeXpc

Disadvantages: - Loss of convenience: Instead of unplugging the card
from the weeXpc and plugging it into the PC, the entire weeXpc must be
connected ot the PC now via USB to access the files. However, we may
later release a program or script such as "weexpc_to_go" which mirrors
the data on the internal hard disk to the SD card, so the convenience
is, at least partially, restored.

We are sorry for the inconveniences. Please feel free to contact
hermocom support if you need help or advice.

Best regards,

Daniel Hertrich, hermocom
10.4. 1.6 (Zaurus SL-C3100, SL-C3200 and Zaurus SL-C1000 supported): Changes compared to weeXpc 1.5:

- Also installable on SHARP Zaurus SL-C1000 which is the cheaper Zaurus model without a hard drive
On SL-C1000 it uses an SD card for storage of user data (Documents), Application_Data (dictionaries etc.) and Windows_Apps (portable Windows applications).
weeXpc 1.6 for SL-C1000 does not have swap space preconfigured.

- weexpc-backup updated to version 2.1.1: Bugfixes and improvements in system backup feature, now compatible with SL-C1000

- Only SL-C3x00: New "Planner" version 0.14.2

- Only SL-C3x00: New package "evolution-data-server_1.8.2" installed, needed for new Planner version

- glib2 updated to version 2.12.4

- Abiword updated to version 2.4.6

- /sbin/fsck.vfat replaced by fixed version for failureless checking of large hard drive partitions

- Only SL-C3x00: mySQL 4.1.23 installed

- "espeak" 1.20 (text to speech engine) with dependence "portaudio" 0.17.1 installed

- CD and SD card now also shared via Samba by default

- Battery applet restart entry in X menu under "Utilities" / "Panel", needed to restart the battery applet when it crashed and disappeared from the panel

- wasc (weeXpc application startup control) updated to versoin 1.3.3: Much improved handling of automatic window maximization and optimized timings

- XSMSsend 1.1.0 installed: Simple tool for writing SMSs and sending them via IrDA port over a mobile phone

- sysinfo updated to version 1.1.0

- Notecase updated to version 1.5.8

- GTK+ version 2.6.2 replaced by fixed version 2.6.2 which adjusts some dialog sizes to Zaurus screen
(relevant for file open / save dialogs of some weeXpc applications)

- Updated manual

- new install scripts on weeXpc DVD-ROM
10.5. 1.7 (Zaurus SL-C3100, SL-C3200 and Zaurus SL-C1000 supported): Changes compared to weeXpc 1.6:

Some changes from 1.5 to 1.6 have been reversed due to problem in 1.6.
This is the reason why there is no update from 1.6 to 1.7.
1.5 users update to 1.7 directly.
1.6 users have to stick with 1.6 or install 1.7 completely from scratch.

These reversed changes are:

- Planner version 0.13 installed again (1.6 had Planner 0.14.2)

- Package "evolution-data-server_1.8.2" removed (had been needed for new Planner version)

- glib2 2.8.1 installed (1.6 hat it updated to version 2.12.4, which caused problems with some applications)

Other changes in weeXpc 1.7, compared to weeXpc 1.5:

- Notecase and Notecase Portable updated to version 1.6.9

- Manual updated

- sqlite updated and installed to hard drive, not flash (needed for MoneyManagerEx)

- wxWidgets 2.8.6 installed (needed for MoneyManagerEx)

- MoneyManagerEx 0.9.1.0 installed

- Quasar Media Player 0.9 installed

- XMMS and SMPlayer removed (replaced by Quasar)

- gqview updated to version 2.1.5

- Sylpheed updated to 2.4.7

Changes applied only to SL-C1000 in order to make the system equal to the SL-C3200 system:

- SD card now has SWAP space on Zaurus SL-C1000

- rc.various init script enhanced to handle SD card swap space of SL-C1000

- The mb-appled-cards (CF-/SD card applet) does not allow SD card eject anymore in order not to risk system stability when swap is still active on SD card (experienced users know how to handle that manually and safe!)

- Added OpenOffice

- Added zgcc (development image for compiling own applications)

- Added Dia 0.95

- Added gimp 2.3.6

- Added game CircusLinux 1.0.3

- Added game Slashem
10.6. 1.8 (Zaurus SL-C3100, SL-C3200 and Zaurus SL-C1000 supported): Changes compared to weeXpc 1.7:

- New Notecase version 1.8.4

- New NotecasePortable version 1.8.4

- sqlite moved from hard drive to flash in order to solve problems with the Dictionary application (zbedic)

- OpenOffice setup cleaned in order to solve problem with OpenOffice crash

- New manual

- Slightly increased installation routine on DVD

11. Credits

Credits go to all developers of software components which the weeXpc is based on.

Especially:

The pdaXrom developement team,
   for creating such a versatile and useful base system for the SHARP Zaurus.
   The pdaXrom team will receive donations from the profit of weeXpc sales.
   http://www.pdaxrom.org

Miroslav Rajcic, the author of the Notecase outliner,
   who was and still is extremely cooperative in improving and adapting Notecase.
   hermocom donated a Zaurus PDA to him.
   Have a look at his website. He is working on a Notecase Pro version with some
   interesting additional features: http://www.notecaseproplugins.com/about-ncp

Han-Dat Luc (member "Meanie" on the OESF forums),
   who fixed a lot of bugs in the pdaXrom distribution used as the basis for weeXpc.
   He doesn't want to receive monetary donations. So hermocom is looking for other ways to do him favors.

And all the other developers of opensource components which are used to make the weeXpc as useful as possible as a very mobile Personal Computing solution.

12. Disclaimer

While "weeXpc" is a product of the company hermocom, most software it consists of has not been developed by hermocom but by many different open source software developers.

hermocom cannot be made liable for any damage to hardware or software, loss of user data or harm due to theft of the hardware or software.

The user always saves his / her data on the Zaurus hardware using the weeXpc software or any third party software entirely on his / her own risk.

This document has been created using the NoteCase Pro outliner.

weeXpc: A PC-like Linux system for SHARP Zaurus PDAs

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:38:37 +0000

Archived 2012-10-10:

This product is not sold or supported by hermocom anymore and this article may be outdated.

weeXpc is now freeware.
You may download it for free. To get access, please contact me and write a few lines, why you need it.

weeXpc is one of the most stable and user-friendly SHARP Zaurus Linux distributions.

It is available for SHARP Zaurus models SL-C1000, SL-C3100 and SL-C3200.
weeXpc is focused towards PC-like usage of the Zaurus, it is not a typical PDA system.

Successor product: OpenPandora

Although you can still obtain weeXpc, weeXpc is not maintained anymore, and the Sharp Zaurus PDAs are reatively hard to get.

If you are looking for a current product similar to a Sharp Zaurus with weeXpc, have a look at the Linux-based OpenPandora PDA.

Quick links for people interested in the weeXpc

What is the weeXpc?
Get the feeling! (Screenshots and photos)
weeXpc hardware platform: The SHARP Zaurus PDA
The online manual
Information for 200LX users

What is the weeXpc?

The weeXpc (pronounced like weeks-pc) is a "wee X PC". That means, it is a tiny PC in the size of a PDA which is based on the Linux operating system with an X or X11 graphical user interface. X11 is the most common standard for graphical user interfaces on Linux PCs.

In contrast to common PDAs, it contains full-featured and open-source productivity tools, such as

Very powerful PIM applications
an MS-Word compatible text processor
an MS-Excel compatible spreadsheet application
a project management tool similar to MS Project
a diagram / flowchart editor similar to MS Visio
a fast and powerful email client
a very versatile outliner for rapid brainstorming or collections of ideas, notetaking, web site authoring etc.
the standard Mozilla Firefox web browser
an instant messenger
a database application
a scientific calculator
a PDF viewer
an ebook reader
a graphics/photo viewer
image processing tools
music and video player
DOSBox, a DOS emulation
some games
utility for data backups and system snapshots
the usual system tools, such as file managers, terminal, text editors etc.
and many applications more

all this in a perfectly pocketable size.

Almost all of these programs have a graphical user interface, so no special Linux knowledge is needed. However, there are also a lot of command line tools installed for the power users. Even an onboard C/C++ development environment is available. The system can be expanded with more software as needed.

Please note that the product "weeXpc" is the software platform. It does not include the hardware. However, for simplicity, when this web page talks about "the weeXpc", the entire wee X pc, i.e. software with hardware, is meant.

Get the feeling!

In order to experience the look and feel of the weeXpc, have a look at the photos and screenshots section at the end of this page.

Also, the weeXpc manual is available online. The manual has been entirely created on the weeXpc, using the NoteCase outliner, by the way.

weeXpc hardware platform: The SHARP Zaurus PDA

The Sharp Zaurus PDA is used for running the weeXpc system (Model SL-C1000, SL-C3200 or SL-C3100), which is a clamshell-shaped PDA with a brilliant color VGA screen, a convenient to use keyboard, a built-in hard drive (not for SL-C1000) and a lot of communication interfaces. Click here to see technical specifications of the Zaurus models.
New Zaurus PDAs are not available anymore, and used ones are hard to get nowadays.

What makes the weeXpc unique?

Unlike most other PDA platforms, it has exactly the same versions of programs installed as those which can be installed on a standard PC, not the usual "mobile" or "light" versions which lack important features.
This is why I call it a PC, not a PDA.

Also, the weeXpc system contains portable Windows versions of several important weeXpc software programs, so working on your data files can also be done on a Windows XP PC: Simply connect the weeXpc to a PC using an USB cable and continue to work on your files conveniently on a large PC.

Your benefit:

Low costs: No license fees, because the entire system consists of open source software
"Productivity everywhere": You always have your files and the software necessary for working with them available in your pocket. Not only for viewing, but also for working on them with all features you are used to from your PC.
A very mature, stable, powerful, but configurable and flexible computer system in your pocket

hermocom's challenge:

The above requirements raise the actual challenge: Making these PC-oriented applications run conveniently fast on the PDA and making the entire environment, which is composed from a lot of different sources, feel like one consistent desktop system with a professional look and feel providing convenient usability.

Also, one goal is to avoid that the user has to do much besides the actual usage of the weeXpc, e.g. the user should not need to worry about installation, configuration and tweaking, so this is done by hermocom in advance.

Only the personalization is left to the end user. Personalization and application usage can be done without any actual Linux or hardware knowledge. The fact that the system is Linux-based is hidden from the user most of the time. The user gets an intuitive, window-oriented graphical user interface (GUI).
So one more challenge is to find a way to keep as much of the great flexibility and expandability of the Linux system, while strictly limiting the steps the user has to take to adapt the system to his needs.

Last but not least: The convenience for the user is not only supported by the "big" paradigms, but also by small, almost trivial, considerations: So, for example, I have put the "X menu", the start menu for the applications, on the right side of the screen, so that it is easily available for right-handed people using a stylus. A lot of PDA systems have that menu on the left side (I always wonder why?). And the clock always also shows the day of the week and day of the month in weeXpc: How often did you see the clock on the screen of your PC or PDA and asked yourself "And what date do we have today?". weeXpc answers that question at a glance. These are only a few obvious examples of the many small optimizations we have put into weeXpc.

I don't want to conceal the fact that, being a Linux and open source software based PC system on PDA hardware, weeXpc is not capable to perform some state-of-the-art tasks which many PDAs nowadays do: weeXpc is not suitable for GPS navigation, for doing phone calls, for Outlook synchronizing and it is not optimized for watching video or playing games (but it is possible to do so).

Information for HP 200LX palmtop users:

I am a long-time power user of the HP 200LX palmtop. Hence weeXpc covers many aspects considered important as a 200LX successor or 200LX replacement.

The weeXpc contains pendants for most, but not all of the famous HP 200LX applications.
The list below gives a comparison between some HP palmtop programs and their weeXpc equivalents, as well as some of the hardware features of the HP palmtops compared to the weeXpc's:

Database (GDB): There is a good database application (Portabase), but data migration from GDB format is not automated. So GDB databases will have to be migrated manually via CSV export and CSV import and manual creation of an empty skeleton database on the target side. Due to data type differences an automated solution is not very probable.

Appointment book and address book (ADB/PDB): The PIM applications of the weeXpc are outstanding and even more powerful than the 200LX ones. Data migration can be done via Outlook (OL2LX software) and subsequent import of Outlook data into the Windows version of the weeXpc PIM applications. Bidirectional synchronization between weeXpc and Outlook is not possible, though. The way of the data is: 200LX --> Outlook --> KDEPIM/PI for Windows --> KDEPIM/PI in weeXpc

MindMap/LX: Although there is a mindmapping program, which runs on the weeXpc, it is recommended to switch to an outliner. The outliner included with weeXpc (Notecase) supports most features of MM/LX, including great HTML export. An outline makes much more efficient use of the small screen size as opposed to mindmapping. Data migration from MM/LX is very easy using the MM/LX import filter of Notecase.

Post/LX or other email programs: The email program coming with the weeXpc is more powerful than those available for the LX. Usage is similarly convenient. Migration of email files from Post/LX is possible using a converter program (converts Post/LX files to mbox format) and an mbox import feature of the weeXpc email program. On weeXpc it is possible to use POP3 and/or IMAP4 access to mail servers. The weeXpc mail program also supports NNTP (usenet news groups).

Spreadsheet: There is no adequate replacement for Lotus 1-2-3 for mobile computers. However, I have found a spreadsheet program for the weeXpc which has a lot of capabilities and can directly import Lotus 1-2-3 files. So data migration will usually be no problem. One caveat: The weeXpc spreadsheet application does not support macros or menus inside the worksheet. Lotus 1-2-3 can be used as well on the weeXpc, running inside DOSBox, the DOS emulation environment. However, this is not very convenient due to the relatively slow speed of the emulation and due to some keyboard mapping issues.

Text processing: Dependent on what you used on the 200LX, it will be more or less simple to migrate your text files. MEMO files will be migrated easily, but with loss of formatting data (save as ASCII, then open on weeXpc). If you need to keep formatting data, you may use the DOC2RTF converter first, which is available for the 200LX. MS Word files and RTF files will be migrated directly by file import. WordPerfect files are not directly importable. However, WordPerfect is able to save files in formats the weeXpc is able to use, e.g. RTF. So WordPerfect files may have to be opened on the HP Palmtop and re-saved in another format.

Plain text files: Files created or edited by text editors such as MEMO or PE, without formatting, i.e. plain ASCII, can be used with any text editor on the weeXpc, too. The weeXpc has several text editors, some of them with a GUI, some on the console. Depending on the used set of characters, the files may have to be converted to another encoding. iconv is installed on the weeXpc, which will do almost any imaginable conversion between character sets. The usual encoding on the weeXpc is Unicode (UTF-8), but other encodings can also be used.

Application development: There are C, C++, Pascal, Forth and many more compilers available for the weeXpc. However, source code which makes use of DOS- or HP palmtop specific libraries or functions (such as the PAL libraries) will have to be ported. Most simple text mode / console programs can be compiled on the weeXpc directly without code modifications, as long as they have no OS-specific code.

Battery life (Sharp Zaurus hardware): The excellent value of several weeks on a set of AA batteries, as we know it from the HP Palmtops, cannot be achieved with the weeXpc, since it has a much more powerful processor, a hard drive and a backlit color TFT screen. Depending on the usage pattern, the weeXpc gives you 4 to 7 hours of constant usage. The battery is replaceable so carrying a spare battery is possible. Although the weeXpc has instant-on, a battery change requires a reboot, unless it can be powered by an AC adapter during battery exchange.

Instant on (Sharp Zaurus hardware): The weeXpc also has instant on, but it is not as fast as on the LX. Depending on how many programs are open, instant on may take between 5 and 20 seconds. Due to the high stability of the system, rebooting is almost never required. This is comparable with the HP 200LX.

Reaction time (Sharp Zaurus hardware): The reaction time on user input is comparable with the LX. The weeXpc has a much faster processor and much more RAM, but the software is also much more complex, so these two improvements balance and result in comparable user input reaction times as on the 200LX. There are things which are snappier on the weeXpc, e.g. searching in databases or emails. However, there are also things which are slower, compared with a doublespeed 200LX. The weeXpc has multitasking, so it also depends on how much applications are open and active at the same time.

Screen (Sharp Zaurus hardware): The screen is much more brilliant than the screen of the LX and it is backlit and in color (TFT). It has a higher resolution of 640x480 pixels. It is a bit higher but narrower than the screen of the LX. It can be read very well in normal or dim light or in total darkness. However, it is difficult (but possible) to read it in brightly lit environment.

Size and weight (Sharp Zaurus hardware): The size of the weeXpc is in two dimensions almost identical to the HP palmtops. Only the third one, the width, is smaller: Take your HP palmtop and imagine the right part cut off, approximately where the numeric keypad begins. Then you have the size of the weeXpc. The weeXpc with its 298gr. is slightly lighter than a HP Palmtop.

Data safety: The 200LX is prone to data loss when the batteries are depleted. All contents of RAM drive C: are erased in such a case. Even the backup coin battery quickly depletes when it once gets active due to main battery failure. The weeXpc does not have this problem. All data is stored in internal flash memory and on the internal hard disk. Both kinds of memory are persistent without power supply. However, storage of data on removable media (SD card, CF card) requires correct handling, i.e. "unmounting" the card before actual ejecting. This is a step which was not required on the LX, and the user will have to get used to it. Unmounting is made easy on the weeXpc using a graphical applet in the panel. It is comparable to "ejecting" a USB flash drive on a PC prior to removing it physically.

Other MS-DOS or HP palmtop programs: weeXpc comes with DOSBox, an IBM compatible PC emulation with DOS operating system. Within this emulation,

you can run almost any program, which could be run on the HP 200LX Palmtop, except the original 200LX ROM programs. However, some of the 200LX ROM programs are available as PC (DOS) versions in the HP Connectivity Pack. The Connectivity Pack can be used under DOSBox, so you can, for example, use the phone database, appointment book, HP calculator etc. on the weeXpc, if you own a copy of the HP Connectivity Pack. The Connectivity pack is not part of weeXpc because it requires you to buy a license to use it.

The specifications of the DOSBox DOS environment are: Intel 80x86 processor, 4MB RAM, VGA color graphics. Using a palmtop graphics emulator, such as Palrun or INT5f, it is even possible to use PAL programs, such as Post/LX, PE, MM/LX, TT/LX etc. However, those programs run a bit slower than on a HP 200LX.

Using a pointing device within DOSBox (Mouse, touchscreen) for mouse-enabled DOS programs is possible but problematic.

Why should I switch to the weeXpc? The weeXpc allows to do more modern things, such as WiFi (connecting to a Wireless LAN) or connecting to a Bluetooth mobile phone (using optional CF WLAN/BT cards), dealing with modern file formats without conversion, viewing PDF files, using large modern storage media (CF, SD, USB sticks or external USB hard drives etc). It can also play media: For example, Color JPG image viewing and high-fidelity MP3 music are no problem for the weeXpc.

Another big advantage is the availability of a pointing device (touchscreen with stylus or a mouse connected via USB) which makes menu navigation and general program operation more convenient and intuitive. However, I also take care that all weeXpc applications can as well be operated using the keyboard, because frequently changing input methods between keyboard and stylus / mouse is inconvenient and slows down the workflow.

And last but not least: The Zaurus / weeXpc is smaller than the LX, so it fits better into your hip pocket or inside pocket.

Screenshots and photos

Click on a thumbnail to enlarge it. A gallery view will appear in which you can switch to the next / previous image by just one click.

{gallery}articles/weexpc_screenshots{/gallery}

Zaurus Productivity Setup

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:04:40 +0000

For all users of SHARP Zaurus PDAs, model SL-C3x00, the following may be interesting.
I have used the "Cacko 1.23" ROM as a basis in order to get as much productivity out of the Zaurus as possible for me. Below you can see a list of modifications and installations I have done.

This productivity setup was kind of the predecessor of "weeXpc", my X11-based PC-like system for the Zaurus. I hit the limits of the QTopia-based Cacko ROM while developing this productivity setup, and thus I decided to migrate to an X11-based platform (pdaXrom). I then applied a lot of productivity enhancements to pdaXrom and from that point slowly developed weeXpc, which you can still buy from me for a small fee.

But if you prefer QTopia, and if you prefer to do it all by yourself and for free, use the following as a guideline:

Sharp Zaurus SL-C3000 / SL-C3100 Productivity Setup using Cacko 1.23 ROM

Please note: Some parts of this setup will only work, if you exactly
duplicate other parts of the setup. For example, if you use the 
provided ~/.slrnrc for the slrn newsreader, it will only work without 
further tweaking, if you also install the pico editor.

Instead of links, I have only used names for references to other
programs / scripts / IPKs. 
You can use the search feature of your browser to find out if more info 
on such a name is on this page.Use google in order to find out where 
else you can find further information.

I have tried to sort the setup items in an order that you do not have to 
jump around on this page. But it may be that a required software package X for 
software Y is mentioned _behind_ software Y here. So if you have a 
problem which may be due to a missing package, first go on and install 
the remaining things, then it may work.

Also, this is kind of a journal. Some sections may end in an error
or other bad result (I have added a note what's going wrong),
when I have not been able to accomplish a setup successfully.
If you know a solution to one of these problems, please let
me know!

Selection of compatible accessories (Hardware)

PNY SD card 2GB
- usable only with new SD driver package, see OESF topic 18523 by Cresho
- for software development, mutt email, homepage and another card for backup
- formatted with ext2 filesystem in order to avoid problems with letter case in file names and with file access rights and file locking mechanims under Linux (important e.g. for software development environment and for mail under mutt)
- - Insert the card into the Zaurus
  - su
  - umount /mnt/card
  - With fdisk, change partition type to "linux"
  - mkfs.ext2 /dev/mmcda1 (all previous contents will be lost!)
  - Eject card
  - Reinsert card and see if it is mounted correctly
WLAN D-Link DCF-660W 11MBit CF WLAN card
WLAN Ovislink WL-1100CF
AC adapters (switching power supplies with abt. 1000mA, work well on the 4.5V setting)
4AA battery holder with outlet plug for Zaurus, use only with rechargeables, as Alkalines will supply a too high voltage!
USB OnTheGo Cable HAMA No 41848 (with USB-A jack f, short)
- for connecting mice, keyboards, USB stick etc.
USB OnTheGo Cable HAMA No 41846 (with USB-B plug m, long)
- for connecting larger devices: scanners, printers, some camera dockings etc.
USB OnTheGo Cable HAMA No 41847 (with USB-Mini-B plug m)
- e.g. for connectio to another Zaurus
Belkin Quadra 4-in-1 Pen
- LED reading light, Laser pointer, Ballpoint pen, PDA stylus
Self-made headset with 3,5" stereo plug, micro on tip
Microsoft Optical USB mouse
Siemens S45i mobile phone
- GPRS setup in Network settings worked straight forward (EPlus)
- Other functions such as synchronization with KDEPIM/PI problematic
Nokia 6310 mobile phone
- GPRS in NEtwork settings: Use init string ATZ and enter APN directly at the phone in setting no 1, then use dial string *99***1#
- The phone did not respond with OK to the AT+cgdcont init string!
Nokia DTL-4 Bluetooth CF card
- Sold, because it works very instable with the bluez drivers!
AGM Bluetooth USB dongle
Billionton Bluetooth CF card
Second battery
External charger (Cheap model for Camcorders and modified to fit the Zaurus battery polarity, made in China)
Fujitsu Siemens Mini RF mouse
IOData CFXGA card
- CF card for external monitor / beamer
- "Presentation" application can be used to display images on external device
- "cfxgamirror" for direct output of screen contents, but with latency (1 sec)
- - is already installed in Cacko 1.23
  - In Settings / Mirror
  - If card is present, "Mirror" switches on mirroring if off, and switches off again (kills process) if on.

Cacko ROM 1.23 beta 1

installed according to the instructions

General tips

Data storage considerations
- Daily used data on SD card
- - For better backupability
  - - daily Documents backup to internal drive for fast file restoring in case of damaged files)
    - Weekly complete card backup to another PC or USB drive
  - And for easier file sharing between several computers
- Large data / unimportant data on internal drive
- - Multimedia stuff, dictionaries, Photos, file system images etc.
  - i.e. no self-modified data
  - not necessary to back it up
  - If you don't work wich such data, consider buying a cheaper SL-C1000!
Disable Magnified screen on every installed application and utility
- tap and hold on its icon of application, a window opens with the magnified screen option enabled. Disable it.
C3000 only: Make sure every application saves its user data to card or HDD or /home/zaurus/Documents (which is a link to the HDD). Not to /home/zaurus, as space is very limited there!
File exchange with PC possible via WLAN/SMB out of the box with Cacko ROM
- Just connect to the Z's WLAN IP with SMB protocol!
- Tweak Samba
- - in /hdd2/usr/lib/samba/smb.conf change "force create mode = 0755" to "force create mode = 0664"
Self-compiled binaries and self-written scripts go into a dedicated directory in the data area
- This is to allow easy recovery from backups without recompiling and rewriting everything
- e.g. directory /mnt/card/Documents/bin (refered to as "bin directory" below)
- In order to make them callable from everywhere, add the bin directory to the path using a /home/zaurus/.bash_profile:
- ```
export PATH=$PATH:/mnt/card/Documents/bin
```
/home/zaurus (only for SL-C3000)
- resides on a small partition /dev/mtdblock3 in flash RAM, so cannot be filled with much content
- If a program needs a file in /home/zaurus, this file should be created elsewhere and linked to /home/zaurus
- mkdir /mnt/card/Documents/zaurushome
- Each new file for /home/zaurus should be put into /mnt/card/Documents/zaurushome and linked back to /home/zaurus
- If a program creates a file in /home/zaurus, move it to /mnt/card/Documents/zaurushome and link it back immediately
- On the SL-C3100 the home partition is larger and there is usually no problem with program writing their files to /home/~
Disable screensaver when on AC power
- in file ~/Settings/qpe.conf set [Screensaver] / Interval_AC_Screensaver = 0
- Each time the "Light and power" configuration is opened and closed again, avlue is overwritten with something >0 so must be reset manually
Screenshots
- In QTopia, use Shift-Fn-C.
- - A shutter sound is played and screenshot is in /mnt/card/Screen_Files
  - Creates large BMP files
- Or install Screenshot applet (screenshotapplet_arm.ipk)
- Creates small PNG files in ~/Documents/image
MIME type handling
- /opt/QtPalmtop/etc/mime.types lists all known MIMe types
- the .desktop files in /opt/QtPalmtop/apps handle which app is launched for which MIME type

General libraries you should install

libiconv_1.8-2_arm.ipk
libncurses_5.0_arm.ipk
libopie1_1.0.3_arm.ipk
libSDL-image_1.2.5cvs-1_arm.ipk
libSDL-mixer_1.2.5cvs-1_arm.ipk
libSDL-net_1.2.5cvs-1_arm.ipk
libsdl_1.2.5-slzaurus20050410_arm.ipk
openssl-0.9.7a_0.9.7a_arm.ipk

Utilities / Tweaking

qtopia combinedbatteryapplet 1.0.5 (also for overclocking)
Keyboard tweaking (modify /home/zaurus/Setting/keyhelper.xml)
- Shift-Space = Space
- make shift and Fn keys sticky
- Make right Japanese key to ALT and ALT-Number to F-key-number
- ```
in :
                
                
                        
                                                         
```
- call "khctl reload" after all keyhelper.xml modifications
- unobvious key / character bindings
- - Shift-minus creates backquote
  - Shift-Fn-/ and Shift-Fn-? create { and }
  - - On non-German configurations, Fn-o and Fn-p do, too.
  - Fn-vocal produces Umlaut (German configuration)
- Reverse the Slash / comma swap (SL-C3100 Cacko)
- - From the used langauge files in /home/zaurus/Applications/cyrillica remove the first two lines in [keyboard]
  - ```
  ,'     ','     '/'
  '/'     ','     ','
```
- from /home/zaurus/Settings/keyhelper.xml remove the section which swaps / and ,
- in ~/Applications/cyrillica/* (whichever is used)
- - remove the first two lines in [keyboard], which are responsible for / and , swap
- reboot
qpesearch 0.0.3a (great file search utility)
temporarily disable suspend timeout

recommended for example during automated shellscrip-driven backups and other maintenance jobs
qpe_suspendapplet for manually disabling it
shell script "setscreensaversuspend.sh" for disabling timeout from other shell scripts

#!/bin/sh

case "$1" in
        off)
        qcop QPE/System 'setScreenSaverIntervals(int,int,int)' 0 0 0 
        ;;

        on)
        qcop QPE/System 'setScreenSaverIntervals(int,int,int)' -1 -1 -1 
        ;;
esac

exit 0

Console
- Cacko default "qkonsole" is the best (Fullscreen, multisession....)
- Tried embeddedconsole-tabs_1.5.0-5_arm.ipk as a second console
- - attention: qkonsole icon is gone afterwards!
  - nice, but not as nice as qkonsole
- qpe-terminal: similar to embeddedconsole-tabs, less features, so not recommended
- To bring back qkonsole icon in Applications tab, use Tab Settings and restore it (command "qkonsole").
Console wrapper
- Needed if you want to open a console from a QTopia icon or from a TreeExplorer send-to entry
- konsolewrap.sh
- ```
#!/bin/sh
qcop QPE/Application/embeddedkonsole 'setDocument(QString)' \
"$1 && echo 'Please press Enter to quit console' && \
read && exit"
```
- Usage:
- - Let icon or TreeExplorer execute /path/to/bins/konsolewrap.sh "console_app_name"
Console prompt containing (shortened) path

The following describes how the console prompt can be set up so that
it always shows the current path, e.g.
zaurus@/mnt/card/Documents> _

Script "pwdtrunc", put it somewhere in the PATH

#!/bin/bash
# pwdtrunc - truncates $PWD, writes to /tmp/pwdtrunc.$EUID
# Mainly from Bash-Prompt-HOWTO, enhanced by Tilman Brock

# How many characters of the $PWD should be kept
pwdmaxlen=20

# Indicator that there has been directory truncation:
trunc_symbol=".."

###
if [ ${#PWD} -gt $pwdmaxlen ]
then
  pwdoffset=$(( ${#PWD} - $pwdmaxlen ))
  newPWD="${trunc_symbol}${PWD:$pwdoffset:$pwdmaxlen}"
else
  newPWD=${PWD}
fi
nPWD="`echo $newPWD | sed -e s=$HOME=~=` "
echo $nPWD > /tmp/pwdtrunc.$EUID

entries in ~/.bash_profile

export PROMPT_COMMAND="pwdtrunc"
export PS1='\u@$(cat /tmp/pwdtrunc.$EUID)> '

make /etc/rc.d/rc.local usable as a general startup init script for all runlevels
- Attention: On C3100 / Cacko 1.23 there is already such a file, but it is not used, so rename it before creating a new one!
- - mv /etc/rc.d/rc.local /etc/rc.d/rc.local.ORIGCACKO
- you can put commands into which should be called at each system restart
- but the file is not used by default.
- Use these commands (as root) to make it used:
- ```
ln -s /etc/rc.d/rc.local /etc/rc.d/rc0.d/S99rclocal
ln -s /etc/rc.d/rc.local /etc/rc.d/rc1.d/S99rclocal
ln -s /etc/rc.d/rc.local /etc/rc.d/rc2.d/S99rclocal
ln -s /etc/rc.d/rc.local /etc/rc.d/rc3.d/S99rclocal
ln -s /etc/rc.d/rc.local /etc/rc.d/rc4.d/S99rclocal
ln -s /etc/rc.d/rc.local /etc/rc.d/rc5.d/S99rclocal
```
Commands for rc.local
- irattach /dev/ttyS1
- - makes IR port usable by applications without need of further interaction
  - e.g. for KDEPIM/PI Beam receive feature
Swapfile
- A swap file is recommended / necessary if you use a lot of applications at the same time or if you use very memory-intensive programs
- Manual and permanent swap file creation
- - dd if=/dev/zero of=/hdd3/.swapfile bs=1M count=128
  - - for 128MB swap space. Change count to fit your needs.
  - mkswap /hdd3/.swapfile
  - swapon /hdd3/.swapfile
  - try with command "free" or "cat /proc/swaps"
  - Automatical enabling of swap during reboot
  - - Alternative 1: install automounter-c3000_0.4.8_arm.ipk (also for SL-C3100)
    - - Replace automatic swapfile recognition in /etc/rc.d/init.d/mntloop (doesn't work for some reason) by this:
      - # turn on swap SWAPFILE=.swapfile SWAP=/hdd3/.swapfile if [ -f $SWAP ] && [ "`grep $SWAPFILE /proc/swaps`" = "" ]; then swapon $SWAP fi
      - automounter seems to cause problems on my configuration so I dropped it again
    - Alternative 2 (only works on C3000): use rc.local (described above) and insert the command:
    - - swapon /hdd3/.swapfile
    - Alternative 3 (for C3100): use /sbin/hddmount script
    - - mount -o remount,rw /
      - in /sbin/hddmount add as the last line before "exit 0":
      - swapon /hdd3/.swapfile
    - Alternative 4 (C3100, if Meanies automounter-lite or automounter package is installed)
    - - in /etc/rc.d/init.d/mntloop is a section which should mount the swapfile. If this does not work, comment out the swapfile handling and replace it by the simple line in "start)":
      - swapon /hdd3/.swapfile
- Easy graphical, but not permanant swap file creation using Anton Maslovskys Memory Monitor Plugin v1.0.3
- - Has to be reenabled after each reboot.
  - qtopia-memoryapplet_1.0.1_arm.ipk or later must be insalled
Loop filesystems
- Loop devices
- - Zaurus has by default only two loop devices
  - Use hluc's mntloop script to create more of them on each reboot (See below)
  - Needed e.g. for mounting own loopback file systems or X/QT cramfs images etc.
- Install automounter-c3000_0.4.6_arm.ipk from http://www.users.on.net/~hluc/myZaurus/
- - What it does:
  - It puts http://www.users.on.net/~hluc/myZaurus/custom/mntloop as mntloop into /etc/rc.d/init.d and links it to rc5.d and rc6.d
  - - ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/mntloop /etc/rc.d/rc5.d/S50mnt
    - ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/mntloop /etc/rc.d/rc6.d/K50mnt
  - And it puts some new (enhanced) hotplug scripts into /etc subdirectories
  - - If you don't want that, install the automounter-lite package, that only includes the mntloop script!
- now, if you put a loopback file system entry into /etc/fstab, mntloop will mount it aotumatically on system startup
- Loopback file systems, being single files, can conveniently put anywhere on /hdd3
Special characters on console in less
- export set LESSCHARSET=latin1
- - for less
File filters

In order to use text files created on other systems (Windows, DOS), it 
may be necessary to convert these files.

The scripts given here can be called from command line with the file to 
be converted as the argument, or they can be embedded into the 
"Send to" menu in Tree!Explorer QT Plus as a command. To do the 
latter, use "Add command" and enter as the command
the script name followed by "%1", e.g.
dos2unix %1
As a name I suggest in this case: "FIlter: DOS2UNIX"
You can then highlight the file in Tree!Explorer and choose 
SendTo / Filter: DOS2UNIX and the file will be converted.

Some of the filter scripts create backups (if actual content may be modified), others don't.

dos2unix (CRLF --> LF)

#!/bin/bash
 
# This script converts CRLF
# line breaks to LF-only used in most Linux environments.
 
tr -d '\015' < $1 > dos2unix.tmp &&\
mv $1 dos2unix2.tmp &&\
mv dos2unix.tmp $1 &&\
rm dos2unix2.tmp

dos2latin1 (Codepage 850 DOS CRLF --> ISO-8859-1 LF)

#!/bin/bash

# This script converts ASCII files created under MS-DOS CP850
# to charset ISO-8859-1 as used in most Linux environments.
# Saves a backup of the old file under FILENAME.dos
# If .dos file exists, conversion is not done (to avoid 
# accidental second conversion)
 
# Needs iconv
 
if [ ! -f "$1" ]; then
        echo "Input file does not exist ($1)"
        exit 1
fi

if [ ! -f "$1.dos" ]; then
        iconv -c -s -f CP850 -t ISO-8859-1 $1 | tr -d '\015' > iconv.tmp
        cp $1 $1.dos
        cp iconv.tmp $1
        rm iconv.tmp
else
        echo File has been converted before!
fi

latin12utf8 (ISO-8859-1 LF --> UTF-8 LF)

#!/bin/bash

# This script converts ASCII files using charset ISO-8859-1 
# to charset UTF-8.
# Saves a backup of the old file under FILENAME.latin1
# If .latin1 file exists, conversion is not done (to avoid 
# accidental second conversion)
 
# Needs iconv
 
if [ ! -f "$1" ]; then
        echo "Input file does not exist ($1)"
        exit 1
fi

if [ ! -f "$1.latin1" ]; then
        iconv -c -s -f ISO-8859-1 -t UTF-8 $1 > iconv.tmp
        cp $1 $1.latin1
        cp iconv.tmp $1
        rm iconv.tmp
else
        echo File has been converted before!
fi

post2mbox (HP palmtop Post/LX mail files --> mbox format)
- described below under "email setup"
gdb2csv (HP palmtop GDB database --> CSV)
- described below under "database"
ascii_8bit_to_7bit

useful whenever an international application should deal with localized high-ASCII characters but cannot
- example: kammu for sending SMS cannot handle German Umlauts correctly
Adapt sed command file to your needs
filter script ascii_8bit7bit.sh

#!/bin/bash

# This script converts special characters to 7bit ASCII
# as defined in the sed command file 
# /usr/bin/ascii_8bit7bit.sed
 
if [ ! -f "$1" ]; then
        echo "Input file does not exist ($1)"
        exit 1
fi

if [ ! -f "$1.8bit" ]; then
        sed -f /usr/bin/ascii_8bit7bit.sed $1 > $1.7bit.tmp
        cp $1 $1.8bit
        cp $1.7bit.tmp $1
        rm $1.7bit.tmp
else
        echo File has been converted before!
fi

used sed command file ascii_8bit7bit.sed

s/Ã¤/ae/g
s/Ã¶/oe/g
s/Ã¼/ue/g
s/Ã„/Ae/g
s/Ã–/Oe/g
s/Ãœ/Ue/g
s/ÃŸ/ss/g

Convenient Internet connection for the command line
- Script netconnect.sh in bin directory
- ```
#! /bin/bash

TRY_IP="130.149.4.20"

echo Connecting to Internet...
qcop "QPE/Network" "connectRequest()" > /dev/null 2>&1 


ping -c 1 "$TRY_IP"  > /dev/null 2>&1 
while [ $? -ne 0 ] 
do
  sleep 5
  echo waiting for network...
  ping -c 1 "$TRY_IP" > /dev/null 2>&1
done
```
- This script uses the QTopia internet connection dialog, if no Internet connection is detected.
- For internet connection detection, replace TRY_IP value by an IP which is always up and near you. You can also leave the default (this is a DNS in Germany)
- This script can be used by command line applications to establish an Internet connection
- - See mutt, slrn etc. below
Internationalization settings for Germany
- cp /home/QtPalmtop/i18n/en/libsl.qmid /home/QtPalmtop/i18n/de
- in ~/.bash_profile, set LANG="de"
- - This uses the files in /home/QtPalmtop/i18n/de
  - Here is the complete ~/.bash_profile
  - ```
  export LANG="de"
  export TC="default"
  export CHARSET="ISO-8859-1"
```
Cacko network card reset scripting (Wifi specifically)

There is a problem in Cacko for C3100 (also C3000?) that you need to 
pull out and reinsert the WiFi card after disconnecting in order to be 
able to reconnect to a WLAN after a suspend.

taken from http://www.thegrinder.ws/main/node/254
/etc/pcmcia/network.opts
- change CARDSUSPEND=y to CARDSUSPEND=n
create new script /etc/apm.d/wlan0

!/bin/sh
PATH = $PATH;/usr/bin
 
case "$1" in
suspend)
        cardctl suspend
;;
resume)
        cardctl resume
;;
 
esac

ln -s /etc/apm.d/wlan0 /etc/apm.d/suspend.d/S20wlan0

Software development

Silvio Iaccarino's onboard development environment, installed on SD card
- Download dev-image_1.5.img
- ```
This environment only works if al files are installed under 
/mnt/card/devel

So you need an SD card formatted with ext2 file system, or you mount 
it (loopback) to this location. The latter should work even on a 
vfat-formatted SD card.

I choose and describe the option of installing the files on an ext2 SD 
card, as this is probably the more robust solution.
```
- su
- mkdir /mnt/loopback
- mount -o loop -t cramfs dev-image_1.5.img /mnt/loopback
- mkdir /mnt/card/devel
- cp -a /mnt/loopback/* /mnt/card/devel/
- - don't worry about missing file "FlexLexer.h". It is a broken link.
- umount /mnt/loopback
- rmdir /mnt/loopback
- Make libraries available to entire system:
- - as root: mount -o remount,rw /dev/hdc2 /hdd2
  - ln -s /mnt/card/devel/lib/* /usr/lib/
  - ldconfig
- Now we are able to compile a lot of (simpler) programs, e.g. fetchmail, procmail, post2mbx etc.
perl_5.6.1-7_arm.ipk
automake-1.9.6
- ./configure && make && make install
- dead end: autoconf is required. where to get autoconf?
Important: After each compilation, also use "strip " in order to strip debug code. This makes the binay much smaller.
IPK generation
- after compiling instead of "make install":
- - mkdir ipk
  - make DESTDIR="ipk" install
  - "ipk" can then be used as the IPK root
- Use ipkg-build.sh to create IPKs

PIM applications: KDEPIM/PI

easiest installed by a 'ipkg install *.ipk' in the directory with the IPKs of KDEPIM/PI on the console
Make KA/PI and KO/PI fastloadable (tap and hold on icons)
- Disable fastload for built-in PIMs
Disable Zaurus' built-in DTM-based calendar
- mv /opt/QtPalmtop/bin/datebook /opt/QtPalmtop/bin/datebook.renamed
- This disables the alarms of the built-in appointment book
Reconfigure Application keys to start KDEPIM/PI apps (Settings / Application key)
mkdir /mnt/card/Documents/kdepim and set KDEPIM/PI data path to there!
German holidays imported via ICS file
- from http://korganizer.kde.org/calendars/hotstuff.html
Migration of Address book of HP 200LX:
- via OL2LX PDB synced to Outlook
- via Intellisync Outlook to Sharp DTM
- via KDEPIM DTM to KA/PI
Migration of calendar from HP 200LX PIM/PE:

manually done via cut and paste from PIM/PE data files
PIM files with special characters should be converted to Latin1 using this script (embedded into SendTo menu of Tree!ExplorerQT)

#!/bin/bash

# This script converts ASCII files created under MS-DOS CP850
# to charset ISO-8859-1 as used in most Linux environments.
# Saves a backup of the old file under FILENAME.dos
# If .dos file exists, conversion is not done (to avoid 
# accidental second conversion)
 
# Needs iconv
 
if [ ! -f "$1" ]; then
        echo "Input file does not exist ($1)"
        exit 1
fi

if [ ! -f "$1.dos" ]; then
        iconv -c -s -f CP850 -t ISO-8859-1 $1 | tr -d '\015' > iconv.tmp
        cp $1 $1.dos
        cp iconv.tmp $1
        rm iconv.tmp
else
        echo File has been converted before!
fi

Here is a script to convert Latin1 "further" to UTF8

#!/bin/bash

# This script converts ASCII files using charset ISO-8859-1 
# to charset UTF-8.
# Saves a backup of the old file under FILENAME.latin1
# If .latin1 file exists, conversion is not done (to avoid 
# accidental second conversion)
 
# Needs iconv
 
if [ ! -f "$1" ]; then
        echo "Input file does not exist ($1)"
        exit 1
fi

if [ ! -f "$1.latin1" ]; then
        iconv -c -s -f ISO-8859-1 -t UTF-8 $1 > iconv.tmp
        cp $1 $1.latin1
        cp iconv.tmp $1
        rm iconv.tmp
else
        echo File has been converted before!
fi

These scripts can of course also be used for other ASCII files

Data export from KDEPIM/PI to mobile phone (nokia 6310i) via IR
- Menu file / export / mobile phone
- Settings:
- - Nokia 6310:
  - - connection: irda
    - device: /dev/ircomm
  - Siemens SK65:
  - - connection: at19200
    - device: /dev/ircomm
- Sometimes it seems to be necessary to manually call "irattach /dev/ttyS1" before it works!
- If data export breaks with an error message after some time, a bug of kammu may have stopped it:
- - If a record is too large, kammu crashes with segfault.
  - Troubleshooting: Call kammu from command line:
  - - kammu text --restore /tmp/phonefile.vcf
    - See where it stops
    - Shorten the last transfered entry in the vcf and see if it works then.

Data security

For passwords, PINs etc. use PWM/PI from the KDEPIM/PI suite.
- Safe and conveniently to use (GUI)
For secure storage of files, no matter which type and size: BestCrypt (self-compiled) (UNSUCCESSFUL, dead end!)
- download source
- untar
- Copy an install-sh from another project (mutt) into the BestCrypt source tree root
- Modify ./Makefile:
- - INSTALL = ./install-sh -c
- Modify mod/Makefile:
- - remove if...endif around line 33
  - - to avoid error "Missing seperator" when compiling
- make
- - If you get the Error about missing asm-generic/pgtable.h
  - - Comment out line 167 in /mnt/card/devel/include/asm/pgtable.h (include of asm-generic/pgtable.h)
- sudo make install
- NOGO: Kernel version mismatch. Apperantly wrong kernel header used. Giving up.
For secure storage of files, no matter which type and size: BestCrypt (precompiled)
- Install libstdc++2.10-glibc2.2_1-2.95.4-16_arm.ipk
- - Downloaded from www.zaurususergroup.org/feed
- Download bcrypt.1.6_4.1.tar.gz (from OSEF topic 18726)
- untar it
- sudo cp bin/*.o /lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/block
- sudo chown root:root /lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/block/bc*
- sudo depmod -a
- sudo cp bin/bctool /opt/QtPalmtop/bin/
- sudo cp etc/bc.conf /etc
- sudo cp /etc/bcrypt /etc/rc.d/init.d
- sudo cp lib/* /usr/lib
- sudo ldconfig
- chmod +x /etc/rc.d/init.d/bcrypt
- Manual
- - see http://www.jetico.com
- Initialization
- - Load modules etc
  - - sudo /etc/rc.d/init.d/bcrypt start
  - Create new container on PC (on Zaurus you can create, but not format a new container dur to a missing /sbin/mkfs binary)
  - - Linux (demo) version:
    - - bctool new -a idea -s 10M bcrypt_container
      - bctool format -t ext2 bcrypt_container
    - Windows (demo) version:
    - - Start the BestCrypt Control Center
      - Menu Container / New Container
      - Take care not to format the container with NTFS but with FAT!
  - Use container on Zaurus
  - - sudo mkdir /mnt/bc
    - sudo bctool mount -t vfat /mnt/card/Documents/bcrypt_container.jbc /mnt/bc
  - Make usage on Zaurus convenient

Synchronizing with Outlook over WLAN

Install English Intellisync on Windows machine as per intructions on http://www.trisoft.de/downloads/c3000sync.zip
- Perform ALL steps, including connection via USB with predefined IP addresses
Set up a WLAN connection (Infrastructure via AP or adhoc) between Zaurus and PC/Notebook.
- Notebook / PC should have an IP address ending with .1
- Otherwise some configuration files or scripts have to be tweaked, because .1 is hardcoded somewhere!
- e.g. use 192.168.123.1. for PC and 192.168.123.201 for Zaurus.
Modify configuration in "zaurus Manager" (you find it in the system tray of Windows when you installed Intellisync) to use the WLAN IP address of the Zaurus
Also, set connection type to "USB TCP/IP advanced" (this has to be done with the USB cable attached to both PC and Zaurus)
On the Zaurus, in Settings / PC Link set the IP address of the Z's WLAN interface and also the USB TCP/IP advanced setting

Dictionaries

zbedic 0.9.6 or later with many dicionaries
- download from http://bedic.sourceforge.net/
- Dictionary path e.g. /hdd3/Documents/zbedic_data
- - Copy dictionary files into that directory
  - Set zbedic dictionary path to that directory
  - let zbedic search for new dictionaries
- even entire wikipedia can be used in zbedic
- - Download wikipedia dump from http://www.crispy-cow.de/wikimedia
  - Copy the file into the dictionary directory
  - Let zbedic search for new dictionaries

Timetracking

download TimetrackerAnalysis package from http://www.kdab.net/~lutz (Zaurus-package)
Install tta_0.9.2_arm.ipk
mkdir /mnt/card/Documents/bin/lib
- This will be for large libraries
Copy libqte-mt.so.3 to /mnt/card/Documents/bin/lib/
su
ln -s /mnt/card/Documents/bin/lib/libqte-mt.so.3 /opt/QtPalmtop/lib
Move the TT Analysis icon into the PIM tab
Now TTAnalysis evaluates the data in kdepim/apps/timetrackerdir

Email

There is now an IPK package available for this complex Email setup:
- "hmc-muttmail" from http://www.hermocom.com/en/download
General considerations

This is a console based set of applications. No QTopia GUI. But it is still convenient to use with the provided settings and scripts.
Choose a location where the data files (mailboxes, signature, queue) are stored. See below.
- default is /home/zaurus/Documents/Mail
Settings (rc files) for all software conponents are stored in /home/zaurus/
Rather do not store your mailbox files on a vfat file system such as the Documents folder of a SL-C3x00!

The reason is:
mutt uses the file properties "last access date" and "last modified date" 
and compares them in order to determine if there is new mail in a 
mailbox. On a vfat file system there is only one date field in the 
properties for a file, so the new mail detection of mutt will not work.

Another reason is: If you keep your mail files on the hard disk
(Microdrive) of an SL-C3x00, mutt will be slower than if the files are on 
flash memory, such as an SD card. Every cursor movement in mutt, 
selecting another message in the message list, will cause the microdrive 
to spin up. This costs time and probably shortens the lifetime of the 
microdrive.

Another reason: If you work with email a lot (like I do), using SD 
instead of microdrive as storage will save power!

So I used /Mail on an ext2-formatted SD card, i.e. /mnt/card/Documents/Mail as my mail directory
But FAT works, too, only less well

Maildir or mbox?

mutt supports mailboxes in maildir format (one file per mail, folder 
structure), and mbox files (one file for an entire mailbox, can also be 
stored in subdirectories).

I have chosen mbox due to the high compatibility with other mail 
programs and because it was easier to migrate my old HP 200LX Post/LX 
mailbox files to mbox than to maildir. I have written a simple program 
POST2MBX for that task.

All files / directories which should not appear in mutt as a mailbox or mailbox folder, but reside in the mail directory, should be preceded by a dot
- e.g. the ".outgoing_queue" or the ".tmp" folder or the ".signature" file
"bin directory" refered to below, should be /opt/QtPalmtop/bin
- since this is where paths to binaries in the default rc files point to

install package openssl-0.9.7a for secure email connections
install package libncurses_5.0_arm.ipk
Migration from HP 200LX: POST2MBX by Daniel Hertrich converts Post/LX to MBOX
- download from http://www.daniel-hertrich.de/download
fetchmail sources 6.2.5 compiled
- fetchmail is for fetching mail from a POP3 server
- ./configure
- for make, yacc is needed: byacc_1.9_arm.ipk installed
- make works. Executables fetchmail and fetchmailconf into bin directory
procmail 3.22 sources compiled
- procmail is for filtering mail into different folders, based on various conditions
- Modifications to src/authenticate.c
- - ```
  #define MAILSPOOLDIR    "/tmp"
  #define MAILSPOOLHOME "/."
```
- this makes sure procmail does not try to access /var/spool/mail/zaurus, which does not exist on the Zaurus
- make
- put binaries procmail and formail into bin directory
mutt sources 1.5.10i compiled
- mutt is the mail program
- Download from www.mutt.org
- in Iaccarino's devel environment, do the following to let the compiler access the ncurses includes
- - ln -s /mnt/card/devel/include/ncurses/* /mnt/card/devel/include/
- ./configure --prefix=/opt/QtPalmtop --with-homespool=mailspool --enable-pop --enable-imap --enable-buffy-size
- - enable-buffy-size lets mutt use the mailbox size to determine if there are new messages in a mailbox (otherwise it uses the modification vs the access date)
  - - this is NEEDED if the mbox files will reside on a vfat partition. It can also be used for ext2/3.
- in config.h replace #define USE_DOTLOCK 1 by #undef USE_DOTLOCK
- - This is only necessary if your mailbox files will reside on a vfat partition (not recommended anyway)
  - It switches off the dotlocking mechnanism which wouldn't work with mailboxes on a FAT partition (error message "Lock count exceeded" when trying to open / close a mailbox)
- make
- put mutt binary into bin directory
export set TERM=linux
- enables colors in qkonsole and keeps cursor keys working!
- But still Umlaut problems...
- - probably an issue with the used combination of libc and libiconv.
msmtp 1.4.4 sources compiled
- msmtp is the program which sends the mails out via SMTP
- compiled without TSL/SSL support, because libraries were missing, but I don't need that right now)
- put src/msmtp into bin directory
- put the enqueue / runqueue scripts (v0.4, seperate package) into bin directory
Setup

Sloppily following the directions on http://www.gentoo.de/doc/en/guide-to-mutt.xml or
http://www.gentoo.de/doc/de/guide-to-mutt.xml

needed: libiconv_1.8-2_arm.ipk
~/.fetchmailrc example (put in your own mail server and authentication data)

poll your.pop.server 
protocol pop3 
user "username" 
password "password" 
is zaurus 
mda "/opt/QtPalmtop/bin/procmail -f %F"
keep

chmod 600 ~/.fetchmailrc
fetchmail options

-k keep messages on server
-v verbose
-a fetch all emails
-m forward messages to procmail

~/.procmailrc example (adapt procmail receipes to your needs, you can delete all receipes and only leave the "default" receipe if you do not need mail filtering)

# All subsequent paths are relative to:
MAILDIR=/home/zaurus/Documents/Mail
 
MAILBOX=inbox
DEFAULT=inbox
LOGFILE=.procmaillog          
                              
LOGABSTRACT=no
VERBOSE=off
FORMAIL=formail
NL="
"

#Spam filter
:0
* ^Subject:.*(credit|cialis|viagra|sex|penis|mortgage|OEM)
$MAILDIR/spam


#All other emails into default inbox folder
:0
* .*
$MAILDIR/inbox

#EOF

mkdir /home/zaurus/Documents/Mail
- reminder: Best is to use an SD card formatted with ext2 file system, but in general, the Mail directory may reside on any file system with enough space on it
Put old mbox files into that new Mail folder
- in .muttrc, reference them as e.g. mailboxes =filename if you want to see them in mailbox list
- - "filename" must be relative to the Mail directory
create or at least touch all inbox files defined in procmailrc, they must exist if procmail writes to them!
Test run: fetchmail -akv -m "/opt/QtPalmtop/bin/procmail -d %T"
- This does not delete msgs on server
- all mails from the server should now be in the mailbox files specified in .procmailrc in /mnt/card/Documents/Mail/
~/.muttrc example (adapt the upper part of it, leave the lower part for now as it is)

# ============== Adapt to your needs: ====================

set from="firstname.lastname@isp.de"         #set to your from address
set realname="Firstname Lastname"            #set to your name

# *** Directory and file settings: ***
set folder = /mnt/card/Documents/Mail
set tmpdir = /mnt/card/Documents/Mail/.tmp     #don't forget to create this first!
set record = /mnt/card/Documents/Mail/sent    #sent mail is saved here (this is an mbox file)
set postponed = /mnt/card/Documents/Mail/send_postponed
set signature = /mnt/card/Documents/Mail/.signature   #don't forget to create your signature!

set editor="pico"                         #or set vi, vim, emacs...

mailboxes =default                        #set names of your mailboxes in mail folder
mailboxes =hplx                           #(the same ones as the filter targets in .procmailrc)
mailboxes =hplx-zaurus                    #take care about the space in front of the equal sign!
mailboxes =dabeta
mailboxes =spam                           #take care these files exist (empty) in "folder" (see below)
mailboxes =backlight_preview
mailboxes =mutt-users
mailboxes =mutt-announce
mailboxes =slrn-user

subscribe hplx@fred                      #subscribed to these mailing lists
subscribe hplx-zaurus@fred
subscribe mutt-users@mutt.org
subscribe mutt-announce@mutt.org
subscribe dabeta@
subscribe slrn-user@lists.sourceforge.net
subscribe backlight@fred

# ====== From here do not touch unless you know what you are doing: =======

# set correct mail addresses for mailing lists, use M for m:
folder-hook . 'bind index m mail'
bind index M mail
folder-hook '=mutt-users' 'macro index m "nmutt-users@mutt.org"
folder-hook '=hplx' 'macro index m "nhplx@fred.eberl.com"
folder-hook '=hplx-zaurus' 'macro index m "nhplx-zaurus@fred.eberl.com"
folder-hook '=backlight_preview' 'macro index m "nbacklight@fred.eberl.com"
folder-hook '=slrn-user' 'macro index m "nslrn-user@lists.sourceforge.com"

# do not save messages to myself or to mailing lists in main
# sent file
fcc-hook '~t ^windows_pc@online\.de$' '/dev/null'
fcc-hook '~l' '=sent_to_lists'

set mime_forward = ask-yes
#set sort_browser=date

#set implicit_autoview = yes

auto_view text/html                      # use .mailcap for these mime types



# *** For SENDING mail: ***
set use_from = yes
set envelope_from = yes
set sendmail="/usr/bin/msmtp-enqueue.sh"  #for queued sending (recommended for Zaurus)
                                          #needs mstmp-runqueue for actual sending

#set sendmail="/usr/bin/msmtp"            #here mail is sent immediately from mutt.
                                          #only posible if internet connection is active
                                          #while hitting "y=send" in mutt

#macro generic S ":unset wait_key\n!msmtp-runqueue.sh\r"    #run msmtp-runqueue when hitting key S

# *** For RECEIVING Mail: ***
#macro generic G ":unset wait_key\n!/usr/bin/fetchmail -k -m '/usr/bin/procmail -d %T'\r" 
#macro index   G ":unset wait_key\n!/usr/bin/fetchmail -k -m '/usr/bin/procmail -d %T'\r"
                               #run fetchmail by hitting key G

macro generic G ":unset wait_key\n!/usr/bin/muttonline.sh\n"
macro index G ":unset wait_key\n!/usr/bin/muttonline.sh\n" 

# *** Appearance: ***

set status_format=" %r %b %f %n      Del %d      Msgs %m %l %> (%P)"
set pager_format="%-10.10i %[!%a %b %d %R]"
set date_format="!%H:%M %a %d %b     "
set index_format="%4C %Z %[%b%d] %-15.15F %s"
set folder_format="%2C %t %8s %d %N %f"
set pager_context=1                     
set pager_index_lines=5                   #show a mini-index in pager
set menu_scroll
set pgp_verify_sig=no                     #dont show pgp in pager
set status_on_top                         #put status line at top
set sort=date                             #sort by message date in index
#set allow_8bit
#set pager="less"                         #you can set an alternative pager
#set locale=\"de_DE\"                     #you may set this to your local locale
set ascii_chars                           #use ASCII characters for threading in index


#set delete=yes                           #delete without prompting
set include=yes                               #quote msg in reply       
set fast_reply=yes                            #no prompting on reply
set beep=no                                         #no noise
set markers=no                                #no + on wrapped lines
set confirmappend=no                          #no prompt for save to =keep           
#set to_chars=" +TCF"                     #no L for mail_list
set mark_old = no                         #do not mark unread messages as old when leaving mailbox

set charset="us-ascii"
#set charset="iso-8859-1"
set send_charset="us-ascii:ISO-8859-15:utf-8"

save-hook .* =archive                     #default mbox to (s)ave mail is "=archive"

bind pager h display-toggle-weed        #toggle headers with h key

# simulate the old url menu
macro index \cb |urlview\n 'call urlview to extract URLs out of a message'
macro pager \cb |urlview\n 'call urlview to extract URLs out of a message'

# default list of header fields to weed out when displaying mail
#ignore them all and then unignore what you want to see
ignore *
unignore  Date To From: Subject
hdr_order Date To From Subject 

# Including the file where you can store your aliases
# format:
# fl firstname.lastname@isp.com (Firstname Lastname)
source /mnt/card/Documents/Mail/.aliases

source ~/.muttrc_colors


# End of file...but it can go on and on and on....:)

~/.muttrc_colors example (optimized for good readability on the Zaurus screen)

color hdrdefault cyan default
color quoted   green default
color signature  cyan default
color attachment brightyellow default
color status   brightgreen blue
color tree     red default
color markers  brightred default
color tilde    blue default
color header   brightgreen default ^From:
color header   brightcyan default ^To:
color header   brightcyan default ^Reply-To:
color header   brightcyan default ^Cc:
color header   brightblue default ^Subject:
color body     brightblue default [\-\.+_a-zA-Z0-9]+@[\-\.a-zA-Z0-9]+
color body     brightblue default (http|ftp)://[\-\.\,/%~_:?\#a-zA-Z0-9]+

# my own messages
color index      brightyellow   default    ~P
 
# new messages
color index      yellow default       ~N

# deleted messages
color index      red default         ~D 

# tagged messages
color index      black        green      ~T
                                                                  
color indicator black cyan

The Online script /usr/bin/muttonline.sh

#!/bin/bash

# netconnect script: See Zaurus Productivity Setup by Daniel Hertrich:
netconnect.sh

echo Sending mail...
/usr/bin/msmtp-runqueue.sh

echo Fetching new mail...
/usr/bin/fetchmail -k -m '/usr/bin/procmail -d %T'

uses qcop to call the QTopia network applet for a connection, then fetches and sends email
Maybe exchange the IP address ping tried to reach by an address of a server which is nearer to you

mkdir /mnt/card/Documents/Mail/.tmp
- we need a large enough temp directory for mutt
touch /mnt/card/Documents/Mail/sent
- this will be the mailbox where sent mail is stored. Maybe you want to archive it from time to time.
~/.msmtprc

account GMX
host mail.gmx.net
logfile /mnt/card/Documents/Mail/.outgoing_queue/msmtp_log
from yourmail@isp.com
auth on
user username
password password
protocol smtp

edit the msmtp-...queue.sh scripts and change the queue directory to /mnt/card/Documents/Mail/.outgoing_queue
mkdir /mnt/card/Documents/Mail/.outgoing_queue
script "m" into bin and link to /usr/bin (to start mutt conveniently)

#!/bin/bash

ps -x | grep "mutt -y" | grep -v "grep" > /dev/null
if  [ $? -ne 1 ]; then 
echo "Mutt is already running!"
exit 1
fi

export set TERM=linux
unset LC_ALL
export set LC_CTYPE=../../../hdd3/tmp/de_DE
mutt -y

MIME handling (viewing HTML mails and attachments)
- HTML mails
- - ~/.mailcap
  - ```
  text/html; links -dump -assume-codepage UTF-8 %s; copiousoutput   
```
- take care you have "auto_view = text/html" in .muttrc
- Install the package links-ssl_0.3_arm.ipk (Links web browser for HTML decoding)
- ln -s /usr/lib/libcrypto.so.0.9.7 /usr/lib/libcrypto.so.0.9.6
- ln -s /usr/lib/libssl.so.0.9.7 /usr/lib/libssl.so.0.9.6
- Image viewing
- - ~/.mailcap
  - ```
  image/jpeg; zimager %s;
```
- only for JPEG!
- PDF viewing
- - ~/.mailcap
  - ```
  text/html; links -dump -assume-codepage UTF-8 %s; copiousoutput   
  application/pdf; qpdf %s;
```
- Install package qpdf2_render-freetype-2.2.1-20040217_arm.ipk
- Remove the "magnify screen" flag from the PDF viewer icon
- Open Word attachments in Hancom Word
- - ~/.mailcap
  - ```
  application/hancomword; HancomMobileWord %s;
  application/msword; HancomMobileWord %s;
  application/rtf; HancomMobileWord %s;
```
- Open Excel attachments in Hancom Sheet
- - ~/.mailcap
  - ```
  application/excel; hancomsheet %s;
  application/hancomsheet; hancomsheet %s;
```

Usage of this setup
- call m at console to start mail environment (mutt)
- Press G (shift-g) in mutt for an online run (establishing connection, fetching and sending mail)
- - The "macro generic G" line in muttrc controls this.
- written mails will be enqueued by msmtp-enqueue.sh and they are put into the "sent" file
- - The "set sendmail" line in muttrc controls this
- If you are done testing this setup and you want to use this as your mail central:
- - delete your mailbox files and recreate them using "touch" (i.e. deplete them)
  - - This cleanup removes duplicates of mail you may have due to frequent trying of the fetchmail/procmail setup
  - Run the muttonline.sh script using Shift-g in mutt once more to "synchronize" your mailbox files with the mail server
  - Edit muttonline.sh:
  - remove the -a option of the fetchmail command: This tells fetchmail to only receive new mails, not All
  - remove the-k option of the fetchmail command: This tells fetchmail to not Keep the messages on server, but to delete them after reception.
  - Now, whenever a new mail has arrived on the server and you press Shift-g in mutt, the new mail is fetched and deleted on the server
- You can even put the SD card into another Linux machine and use your mail files there.
- If you ever want to modify a written message which is queued for sending but is not sent yet, go into the .outgoing_queue directory and edit the corresponding *.mail file

Newsreader (slrn with slrnpull for offline news reading)

Install package slrn_0.9.8.0_arm.ipk (that one with slrnpull, from zaurususergroup.com)
~/.slrnrc example (adapt to your needs)

set username "username"
set hostname "host.tld"
set realname "Firstname Lastname"

%set signature ".signature"

server "news.individual.net" "/hdd3/Documents/News/.jnewsrc"
server "spool" "/hdd3/Documents/News/.jnewsrc_spool"

nnrpaccess "news.individual.net" "username" "password"

set signoff_string "greetings from myself"
%set unsubscribe_new_groups 1

%Use mutt for sending email-replies
set mail_editor_command "mutt -H '%s'"
set mail_editor_is_mua 1

%Auto-save to the newsrc file itself intead of a temporary one
set no_autosave 2


%Switch off confirmation request for "next unread article"
set query_next_article 0

%Switch iff confirmation request for "next unread article in next group"
set query_next_group 0

%Do not ask for downloading x<10000 articles when entering a group.
%Because here the articles are stored locally bz slrnpull,
%it is unnecessary anyway
set query_read_group_cutoff 10000

%Use ASCII chars for thread tree visualization
set simulate_graphic_chars 1 

%Settings for message display
set wrap_flags 5
set wrap_method 2

% This can either be set to "nntp" (read online) or "spool" (use local spool)
set server_object "spool"

% This can be "nntp" (post directly to the server), "inews" (use external
% program for posting) or "slrnpull" (spool message for slrnpull to send).
set post_object "slrnpull"


set postpone_directory "/hdd3/Documents/News/postponed"
set save_directory "/hdd3/Documents/News/saved"
set save_posts "/hdd3/Documents/News/sentposts"
set save_replies "/hdd3/Documents/News/sentmails"
set sendmail_command "/usr/bin/msmtp-enqueue.sh" 

% Basic directory settings
set spool_inn_root "/hdd3/Documents/News/spool"
set spool_root "/hdd3/Documents/News/spool/news"
set spool_nov_root "/hdd3/Documents/News/spool/news"

% These are relative to spool_inn_root unless they start with "/".
set spool_active_file "data/active"
set spool_activetimes_file "data/active.times"
set spool_newsgroups_file "data/newsgroups"

% This value is relative to the directories under spool_nov_root:
set spool_nov_file ".overview"

% Whether to check for each article when reading an overview file (slower,
% but may save you from lots of "article not available" errors).
%set spool_check_up_on_nov 0

%
%% 3. Which external programs do you want to use?
%

% Set your favourite editor.  Use %s for the file name and %d for the line
% where the cursor should be placed (usually at the beginning of the body).
set editor_command "pico +%d %s"

% You can have separate commands for editing posts, mail, and score files.
%set mail_editor_command "jed '%s' -g %d -tmp --mail-mode"
%set post_editor_command "jed '%s' -g %d -tmp --mail-mode"
%set score_editor_command "jed '%s' -g %d -tmp --score-arrange-score"

% If non-zero, abort posting or email operation if the file was not modified
% by the editor.
%set abort_unmodified_edits 0

% In case we need metamail to display an article:
%set metamail_command "metamail"

% WWW browser to use. Xbrowser is used when the DISPLAY environment variable
% is set; non_Xbrowser otherwise.
%set non_Xbrowser "lynx '%s'"
%set Xbrowser "netscape '%s' &"

% Command to use for printing
% Note: On Win32, this variable defines the name of the printer queue to use.
%set printer_name "lpr -Plp"


% Note: All filenames in this section are relative to HOME unless they start
%       with a '/'.

set failed_posts_file "/hdd3/Documents/News/failed.posts"

set mime_charset "iso-8859-1"

% For header window:
% These sorting methods are available:
% If 0, do not sort.  If 1, perform threading.  If 2, sort by subject.
% If 3, thread then sort result by subject.
% If 4, sort by score.  If 5, thread then sort by score.
% If 6, sort by score and subject.
% If 7, thread, then sort by score and subject.
% If 8, sort by date with most recent first.
% If 9, thread, then sort by date with most recent first.
% If 10, sort by date with most recent last.
% If 11, thread then sort by date with most recent last.
%set sorting_method 3

% If non-zero, a header with a new subject will start a new thread.
%set new_subject_breaks_threads 0

%
%% 8. Some preferences for the article pager (see the manual for more)
%

% Which headers do you want to see by default?
% You can also match all headers starting with a given string and exclude
% specific headers by preceding them with "!" (e.g. use "X-,!X-Trace:" to
% display all the "X-"headers except "X-Trace:").
%visible_headers "From:,Subject:,Newsgroups:,Followup-To:,Reply-To:"

% If non-zero, #v+ and #v- will be interpreted as markers of verbatim lines.
%set process_verbatim_marks     1

% If non-zero, hide #v+/#v- verbatim marks.
%set hide_verbatim_marks 0
  
% If non-zero, hide signature in articles.
%set hide_signature             0

% If non-zero, hide PGP signature in articles.
%set hide_pgpsignature          0

%
%% 9. Display / color settings
%

% If non-zero, slrn will draw the thread tree using simple ascii characters
%set simulate_graphic_chars 0

% Enable xterm/win32 mouse support: 1 to enable, 0 to disable
%set mouse 0

% Draw cursor bar ala tin instead of slrn "->" cursor?
%set display_cursor_bar 0

% Set to 1 to have slrn scroll by full page instead of by line.
%set scroll_by_page 0

% Should color be used to indicate the score of an article?
% (0) scores do not influence colors (1) scores are colored by their value
% (2) subjects are colored by score  (3) both are colored by score
%set color_by_score 3

% If non-zero, the subjects of unread articles are highlighted
%set highlight_unread_subjects 1

% If non-zero, URLs are highlighted.
%set highlight_urls 1

% Enables blinking in monochrome mode and allows bright backgrounds in some
% color terminals:
%set use_blink 1

% This color object is only used when highlight_unread_subjects is set to 2
% (see the reference manual for details):
color unread_subject    "white"         "black" "bold"
mono  unread_subject    "bold"

% These settings are used for color terminals:
color article           "lightgray"     "black"
color author            "magenta"       "black"
color boldtext          "brightblue"    "black" "bold"
color box               "black"         "white"
color cursor            "brightgreen"   "black"
color date              "lightgray"     "black"  
color description       "lightgray"     "black"
color error             "red"           "black" "blink"
color frame             "yellow"        "blue"
color from_myself       "brightmagenta" "black" "bold"
color group             "lightgray"     "black" "bold"
color grouplens_display "lightgray"     "black"
color header_name       "green"         "black" "bold"
color header_number     "green"         "black"
color headers           "brightcyan"    "black"
color neg_score         "green"         "black"
color pos_score         "blue"          "black"
color high_score        "red"           "black" "bold"
color italicstext       "magenta"       "black" "bold"
color menu              "yellow"        "blue"
color menu_press        "lightgray"     "yellow"
color message           "lightgray"     "black"
color normal            "lightgray"     "black"
color pgpsignature      "lightgray"     "black"
color quotes            "red"           "black"
color quotes1           "magenta"       "black"
color quotes2           "brown"         "black"
color quotes3           "brown"         "black"
color quotes4           "brown"         "black"
color quotes5           "brown"         "black"
color quotes6           "brown"         "black"
color quotes7           "brown"         "black"
color response_char     "green"         "black" "bold"
color signature         "red"           "black"
color selection         "yellow"        "blue"  "bold"
color status            "yellow"        "blue"
color subject           "lightgray"     "black"
color thread_number     "lightgray"     "black" "bold"
color tilde             "green"         "black" "bold"
color tree              "red"           "black" "bold"
color underlinetext     "cyan"          "black" "underline"
color url               "white"         "black" "bold"
color verbatim          "green"         "black"

% These attributes are for terminals that cannot display color:
mono article            "none"
mono author             "none"
mono boldtext           "bold"
mono cursor             "bold"  "reverse"
mono date               "none"
mono description        "none"
mono error              "blink"
mono frame              "reverse"
mono from_myself        "bold"
mono group              "bold"
mono grouplens_display  "none"
mono header_name        "bold"
mono header_number      "none"
mono headers            "none"
mono high_score         "bold"
mono italicstext        "bold"
mono menu               "reverse"
mono menu_press         "none"
mono neg_score          "none"
mono normal             "none"
mono pgpsignature       "none"
mono pos_score          "reverse"
mono quotes             "none"
mono quotes1            "none"
mono quotes2            "none"
mono quotes3            "none"
mono quotes4            "none"
mono quotes5            "none"
mono quotes6            "none"
mono quotes7            "none"
mono response_char      "bold"
mono selection          "bold"  
mono signature          "none"
mono status             "reverse"
mono subject            "none"
mono thread_number      "bold"
mono tilde              "bold"
mono tree               "none"
mono underlinetext      "underline"
mono url                "bold"
mono verbatim           "none"

%Onekey-score macro for easy thread watching
set macro_directory "/hdd3/Documents/News/macros/"
interpret "onekey-score.sl"
setkey article OneKeyScore->watch_subthread "^W"
setkey article OneKeyScore->ignore_subthread "^K"                 
set scorefile "/hdd3/Documents/News/scorefile"

be sure to use the "server" config command to let slrn save the newsrc file in the News directory instead of in the home (where it may take too much room!)

We need these directories (mkdir them!):
- /hdd3/Documents/News
- /hdd3/Documents/News/postponed
- /hdd3/Documents/News/saved
- /hdd3/Documents/News/spool
- - /hdd3/Documents/News/spool/news
- /hdd3/Documents/News/macros
export set NNTPSERVER='your.news.server'
slrn --create
- initializes slrn
script "sp" for easy slrnpull start

#!/bin/bash

# netconnect script: See Zaurus Productivity Setup by Daniel Hertrich:
netconnect.sh

slrnpull -d "/hdd3/Documents/News/spool" -h "your.news.server"

script "s" for easy slrn start

#!/bin/bash

ps -x | grep "slrn -f" | grep -v "grep" > /dev/null
if  [ $? -ne 1 ]; then
echo "slrn is already running!"
exit 1
fi                                                                

export set NNTPSERVER="your.news.server"
slrn -f /hdd3/Documents/News/.jnewsrc

slrn -h "your.news.server" -d
- This downloads a list of available newsgroups from your server where you can later search for interesting groups. The file will be saved where the newsrc file resides ("server" command in config file)
Setup of slrnpull

/hdd3/Documents/News/spool/authinfo

If your news server requires authentication, generate this file and put 
the login name into the first line, password into the second line.

/hdd3/Documents/News/spool/slrnpull.conf

# field 1: newsgroup name
# field 2: how many articles are pulled at most
# field 3: articles expore after x days (* for never)
# field 4: 0 : pull bodies, 1 : Pull headers only
# if a newsgroup lacks values, the default values are used
 
default 300     14      0
 
de.test 10      7       0
alt.comp.os.unix.linux.misc
comp.sys.palmtops

Put the names of the newsgroups of your interest and parameters (see comments) into this file

Setup of onekey-score macro (for "watching" threads easily)

copy onekey-score.sl into /hdd3/Documents/News/macros
add to ~/.slrnrc:

%Onekey-score macro for easy thread watching
set macro_directory "/hdd3/Documents/News/macros/"
interpret "onekey-score.sl"
setkey article OneKeyScore->watch_subthread "^W"
setkey article OneKeyScore->ignore_subthread "^K"
set scorefile "/hdd3/Documents/News/scorefile"

Usage
- Invoke "sp" to pull news articles (network connection is established if necessary)
- If slrnpull is finished, you can call "s" to read and write news articles.
- - You will see an empty list, press Shift-L and enter * to see the newsgroups
- On first start, in slrn you will see an empty newsgroup list. Press Shift-L and then * and enter, this brings up all slrnpull-ed NGs. Then subscribe to each NG by pressing s repeatedly.
- - From now on, on each slrn start the NG list view will show NGs with new messages.
- If you have written articles, call "sp" anew to post the new articles
- If you want to write an email-reply (r), the setup above cooperates with mutt to use that for writing the mail. If you do not have mutt installed, modify ~/.slrnrc accordingly (set mail_editor... settings)
- Adding new newsgroups
- - Add the desired newsgroup to /hdd3/Documents/News/spool/slrnpull.conf
  - Run sp to pull that newsgroup
  - Run s to start slrn
  - Press Shift-L and enter * to display all available newsgroups. The new one(s) wil be displayed as unsubscribed
  - Press s on these newsgroup(s) to subscribe to them
- Deleting newsgroups
- - Unsubscribe the not wanted newsgroup in slrn (press u) and quit slrn
  - delete the entry for this newsgroup in /hdd3/Documents/News/spool/slrnpull.conf
  - delete the newsgroup (sub)tree in the directory structure of /hdd3/Documents/News/spool/news
- Watching threads
- - if onekey-score macro is installed (see above):
  - Move cursor to (sub)thread to watch
  - Hit Ctrl-w
  - On next slrn start the thread will be marked red and moved to the top of the index
- Cleaning up the news spool
- - expired articles should be removed from time to time using
  - - slrnpull -d "/hdd3/Documents/News/spool" --expire
  - This can take quite some time
  - So it is a good task for the daily maintenance script (see under "Maintenance")

Fax send / receive

efax 0.9
UNFINISHED

Photo file handling

Sharp Photo Storage version 1.0.0 English
- package photostorage_1.0.0-en_arm.ipk
- If you want to use the Zaurus as mobile photo album / camera companion
Viewing: with Tree!Image using optimized files (Picasa export 640x480)
Convenient way to prepare slideshows for Zaurus:
- Many programs, e.g. Picasa under Windows, allow bulk-export of a collection with resizing the images
- resize them to abt. 640x480, use good JPG quality
- Then copy them to the Zaurus
- Using large files (directly from camera) makes loading on Zaurus very slow!
There are even ImageMagick binaries available for the Zaurus:
- ImageMagick_bin_zaurus_5_4_6.tar.tar

WLAN

Hardware: D-Link DCF-660W (prism2_cs driver is used, works out of the box)
Alternative HW: Ovislink WL-1100CF (prism2_cs driver)

needs addition to /etc/pcmcia/wlan-ng.conf:

card "Ovislink"    
version "INTERSIL3", "Generic-Flash" 
#   manfid 0x000b, 0x7100    
bind "prism2_cs"

then restart PCMCIA using
/etc/rc.d/init.d/pcmcia restart

Via Setting / Network / Add easily configurable

Outlining / Notetaking

StageOne!

StageOne! is the most intuitive and stable software, yet actively developed
Migration from HP 200LX MM/LX: Latest version of MM/LX (v3.5x) has StageOne compatible XML export built-in
StageOne does not yet support some MM/LX features, but maybe will (File links etc.)
Enhancing HTML export feature of StageOne by external solution

Many thanks for Jason Haslup for his valuable help in creating initial 
versions of the one2html.sh and one2html.xslt scripts and for patching 
fly with the opoly feature!

Installing libxml2
- gtar -xzvf libxml2-2.6.22.tar.gz
- cd libxml2-2.6.22
- ./configure --prefix=/usr --includedir=/mnt/card/devel/include --mandir=/hdd2/usr/local/man
- export set TMPDIR=/hdd2/tmp
- make
- make install
- - /usr/lib/pkgconfig could not be created in my case
  - reason: I linke the qtphone libgammu stuff there, so this directoy existed as a link.
  - Delete the link
  - rerun make install
  - linked CONTENTS of link taget into new diectory
  - - ln -s /hdd3/Documents/Install_Files/MobPhones/von_helmut_kolb/gnokii-0.6.4_inst/usr/lib/pkgconfig/* /usr/lib/pkgconfig/
Installing libxslt
- gtar -xzvf libxslt-1.1.15.tar.gz
- cd libxslt-1.1.15
- ./configure --prefix=/usr --includedir=/mnt/card/devel/include --mandir=/hdd2/usr/local/man
- make
- make install
Installing gdLibrary
- Make sure libpng 1.2.5 is installed (via IPK)
- ln -s /usr/lib/libpng12.so.0.1.2.5 /mnt/card/devel/lib/
- sudo ldconfig
- Installing zlib-devel_1.2.1_arm.ipk in a special way
- - ipk wants to install .h files to /usr/include, which cannot be done, so:
  - mkdir /mnt/card/temp
  - ipkg zlib-devel_1.2.1_arm.ipk
  - - (don't care about "bad tar header" and input/output errors)
  - ipkg -d /mnt/card/temp zlib-devel_1.2.1_arm.ipk
  - cp /mnt/card/temp/usr/include/* /mnt/card/devel/include
  - rm -rf /mnt/card/temp
- Installing some additional .h files, downloaded from internet
- - jerror.h
  - jpeglib.h
  - jconfig.h
  - jmorecfg.h
  - png.h
  - pngconf.h
  - From freetype-2.1.10.tar.gz all content of "inculde" into /mnt/card/devel/include/
  - - freetype.h
    - ftglyph.h
    - ftsizes.h
  - From fontconfig-2.3.91.tar.gz fontconfig/*.h into /mnt/card/devel/include/fontconfig
- Make sure the libraries themselves are installed
- - libjpeg
  - libpng
  - zlib
- gtar -xzvf gd-2.0.33.tgz
- cd gd-2.0.33
- ./configure --prefix=/usr --without-x --includedir=/mnt/card/devel/include
- config.h changes
- - #undef HAVE_LIBXPM
- Makefile changes
- - replace -lpng with -lpng12
- make
- make install
Installing fly

download fly-2.2.0.tar.gz from http://martin.gleeson.com/fly
gtar -xzvf fly-2.2.0.tar.gz
cd fly-2.2.0
Changes to sources (diffs)

Added the opoly function. The original poly function closes polygons 
automatically. The polygon sketches created by StageOne however are 
usally unclosed. The new opoly function allows to generate open 
polygons.

fly.h
```
50a51
> #define OPOLY 61
```
fly.c

369a370,405
>            case OPOLY:      /* gdImagePolygon() */
>                    done = FALSE; i=0;
> 
>                    if (!quiet) fprintf(verbose_out,"## Polygon ## (");
>                    colour=get_colour(infile,img);
>                    if (!quiet) fprintf(verbose_out,") ");
> 
>                    arg[i++] = get_number(infile); /* get first point */
>                    arg[i++] = get_number(infile);
> 
>                    while( ! done ){     /* get next point until EOL*/
>                            for(c=0; c<=1 ;c++){
>                                    arg[i++]=get_number(infile);
>                            }
>                            if (!quiet) fprintf(verbose_out,"%d,%d to %d,%d; ",
>                                    arg[i-4],arg[i-3],arg[i-2],arg[i -1]);
>                    }
> 
>                    num_entries = i / 2;  i=0;
>                    for(n=0; n                    {
>                            points[n].x = arg[i++];
>                            points[n].y = arg[i++];
>                    }
>                    if( brush_on ) {
>                            gdImageOpenPolygon(img, points, num_entries, gdBrushed);
>                    } else if ( style_on ) {
>                            gdImageOpenPolygon(img, points, num_entries, gdStyled);
>                    } else {
>                            gdImageOpenPolygon(img, points, num_entries, colour);
>                    }
> 
>                    done = FALSE;
>                    if (!quiet) fprintf(verbose_out,"\n");
>                    break;
> 
878a915
>            *opoly="opoly",
986a1024,1027
>    }
>    if( strcmp(input_type, opoly) == 0 ){
>            free(input_type);
>            return OPOLY;

Makefile changes
- replace -lpng with -lpng12
make
put fly binary into binary dir and link into /usr/bin
ln -s /mnt/card/devel/lib/libSDL_ttf-2.0.so.0.6.0 /mnt/card/devel/lib/libSDL_ttf-2.0.so.0
ln -s /mnt/card/devel/lib/* /usr/lib/
ldconfig

Installing HTML tidy
- Download IPK from http://www.hermocom.com/en/download
- Installation from source:
- - Download source from http://tidy.sourceforge.net
  - go into built/gmake direktory
  - make
  - copt tab2space and tiyd binaries from bin directory in source tree to /opt/QtPalmtop/bin
Using xsltproc from libxslt together with XSLT sheet to convert StageOne file to HTML (example scripts)

one2html.sh script for conversion (adapt paths)

#!/bin/bash


# Creates directory with same name as original file 
# plus ".HTML" and puts HTML with images into it

# $1: Input ONE file (entire path or only mile name in cur dir)
# $2: Output directory (no trailing slash)
# $3: Output filename (e.g. index.html)
# $4: XSLT file to use (without path; path is given below)
# $5: max_heading_depth (outline depth limit between using
#     headings and ULs in HTML output)

PROC=xsltproc
FLY=fly
XSLT=/mnt/card/Documents/bin/"$4"
IN="$1"
OUT="$2"
OUTFILE="$3"

if [ -z $5 ]; then
  MHD="2"
else
  MHD="$5"
fi

echo 
echo "Using style sheet: $XSLT"
echo "Creating output directory $OUT ..."
mkdir -p "$OUT"

N_IMGS=`grep -c " /tmp/tmpfly
#fly < /tmp/tmpfly

cp "$OUT"/"$OUTFILE" "$OUT"/"$OUTFILE".orig
tidy --show-warnings false --indent auto "$OUT"/"$OUTFILE".orig > "$OUT"/"$OUTFILE"
rm "$OUT"/"$OUTFILE".orig 

echo done.

one2htmlbeone.xslt file (converts to html with "beone" style sheet, BeOne is the company I work for)



  

  
  
  

  
  
    
    
  

  
    
      
        
          
            
              <xsl:value-of select="@title" />
            

          
          
            
                Daniel Hertrich, BeOne Muenchen GmbH
          
        
      
      
        
          
            
          
        
      
    
  

  
    

    
    
      
        
          
        
        
          
            
          
        
      
      
        
          
        
        
          
            
          
        
      
      
        
          
        
        
          
        
      
    
  

  
          
    
  

  
    
      
        
      
    
  
  
  

  
    
    
      
      
      
    new
size 640,480
type png

    

fill   1,1,255,255,255


  

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    opoly

one2ssi.xslt (generates only content, no HTML headers or styles, can be used for SSI inclusion into existing homepage structure)



  

  
  
  

  
  
    
    
  

  
    
      
            
      
      
        
          
            
          
        
      
    
  

  
    

    
    
      
        
          
        
        
          
            
          
        
      
      
        
          
        
        
          
            
          
        
      
      
        
          
        
        
          
        
      
    
  

  
          
    
  

  
    
      
        
      
    
  
  
  

  
    
    
      
      
      
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size 640,480
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fill   1,1,255,255,255


  

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    opoly

You can create as many different XSLTs you need, just name them "one2XY.xslt"
- X being the format string used when calling one2html.sh
- Y being the style string used when calling one2html.sh
Usage:
- one2html.sh $1 $2 $3 $4 $5
- - $1: Input .one file
  - $2: Output path for HTML and PNGs (is created if not existent)
  - $3: Output file name (e.g. index.html or content.ssi)
  - $4: XSLT stylesheet to use (without path, path is set in one2html.sh, assuming you collect all XSLTs in one place)
  - $5: optional: Max Heading Depth
  - - Specified the outline depth into which headings should be used in HTML output (deeper items will be list items)
    - Default: 2
- Of course, one2html.sh can also be called from a Send-To entry of Tree!Explorer QT plus. Set this as the command (example):
- - /path/to/bins/one2html.sh "%1" "%1.Export" index.html one2htmlbeone.xslt
Even sketches are converted into inline images (using fly)
- This web page has been created using one2html!

Alternative outliners:
- IQNotes: feature-rich, PIM replacement, but not as convenient to use, IMHO
- VYM (View Your Mind): I could not make it compile on the Zaurus yet
- FreeNote: Only for sketches and little text not well structured

Webbrowser

Opera 7.25 IPK package works very smoothly
- ]ou may install also opera7-en-helper_0.0.2b_arm.ipk
- - Lets you set default font size in Opera etc.
  - - (doesn't work here!)
  - Needs qshdlg_0.6.2-1_arm.ipk
Built-in Netfront browser is not so bad either
links-ssl_0.3_arm.ipk
- ln -s /usr/lib/libssl.so.0.9.7 /usr/lib/libssl.so.0.9.6
- ln -s /usr/lib/libcrypto.so.0.9.7 /usr/lib/libcrypto.so.0.9.6
- ldconfig

Kismet for finding open WLANs

Derived from article http://www.oesf.org/index.php?title=How_to_run_Kismet_on_the_SL-6000L
- Installing libstdc++... is not necessary, as it is already there
- installed libpcap0_0.7.2_arm.ipk
- Installed kismet_3.0.1c-20031228_arm.ipk
- Installed kismet-qt_2.0.0_arm.ipk
- Icon of Kismet: Set root privileges and delete magnify screen flag
- edit kismet.conf:
- - for SL-C3100: use hostap drivers:
  - - source=prism2_hostap,wlan0,hostap
- Create a network connection under Setting / Network:
- - SSID: any
  - Mode: Ad-Hoc
  - IP: 10.1.0.2
  - Subnet Mask: 255.0.0.0
  - Gateway: 10.1.0.1
  - DNS: 10.1.0.1
- Connec to to this service
- Start Kismet GUI
- Choose "Sharp-Prism2" in config
Notes
- kismet.conf is located here on SL-C3000: /hdd2/usr/local/etc/kismet.conf
- - on C31000 as denoted in above URL: /home/root/usr/local/etc/kismet.conf
- Do not install newer (2005...) package of kismet.
Slapass with opie-sh for associating to found networks (not tested yet)
- Install instructions for Sharp ROM on http://undertow.2y.net/zaurus/SLapASS

Instant Messaging

qpe-gaim with all its libraries for ICQ, MSN, AOL etc.
- don't install zlib and libpng
- Install new zlib from source (1.2.3)
- Install supplied libpng.so.2.1.0.9 and do the steps in libpngfix.txt
- If the icons disappear...
- - 1. Check if the libpng fix works (from the GAIM Sourceforge page)
  - 2. if not, and if you have X/QT installed:
  - - Move the file /opt/QtPalmtop/lib/libpng12.so.0.1.2.4 away. It may be needed by X/QT, so this is not the ultimate fix. but as long as I have no better idea this is my way of making Gaim work again
  - 3. If 1. and 2. are not successful, I have no clue, sorry.
centericq
- download sources from http://konst.org.ua/centericq
- ./configure --without-msn
- ln -s /mnt/card/devel/include/curses.h /mnt/card/devel/include/ncurses.h
- - (ncurses.h is needed, which is in most cases only a link to curses.h. We have a curses.h, so we create the link)
- make

SSH

openssh-client_3.6.1p1_arm.ipk
openssh-addon_3.6.1p1_arm.ipk
and, if you need it: openssh-server_3.6.1p1_arm.ipk
Exchanging SSH keys so password is not required for logging onto another (Linux) PC:
- generate private and public key on Zaurus
- - ssh-keygen -t dsa
  - - simply press enter when asked for a passphrase, do not enter a passphrase!
  - result: file ~/.ssh/id_dsa and ~/.ssh/id_dsa.pub
- put public key of Zaurus into list of authorized keys of PC
- - copy file id_dsa.pub to other PC
  - on other PC: cat id_dsa.pub >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys2
  - - and maybe, if required: ln -s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys2 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
- now it should be possible to log onto PC using ssh without a password
- - Try it on the Zaurus: ssh -l USER PC-IPaddress
  - - replace USER with user in whose account you installed the public key
    - replace PC-IPaddress with the IP address of the PC

File Manager

Tree!Explorer QT plus (Full version, commercial)
- Very convenient to use
- With "Send-To" feature, configurable
- - can "send to" applications, scripts or directories
- Calls applications by doubleclicking files via their MIME types or send-to menu
- Comes with good image viewer and good text editor
Midnight Commander (mc-mp_4.1.40-pre8_arm.ipk)
- console-based
- F keys via Alt-number (Alt is right Japanese key if keyhelper is configured as descripbed above)
- Problems with "graphic" characters on qKonsole

Text editor notes

Recommended editors:
- Simpleedit 1.0.3: Very nice graphical editor!
- - Supports folding (valuable for programming!)
  - nice Interface, relatively fast
  - Download from http://88.96.49.152/~zaurus
  - OESF topic 18509
  - Has some minor bugs
- Tree!Text QT from Tree!Exporer QT Plus
- - part of commercial application Tree!Explorer QT Plus
  - Nice GUI, good for fast and simple file editing from TreeExplorer
  - supports no European non-UTF-8 charsets!
  - - e.g. ISO-8859-1 not supported
- Pico (pico_4.63-r0_arm.ipk)
- - console application
  - small, nice, simple
  - easy to use
  - good for simple tasks like email composing etc.
- Nano (nano-1.2.5_arm.ipk)
- - Pico clone
  - Has some more important features than Pico!
  - IPK causes problems, mising shared libraries when loading a file.
  - - So compiling on my own version 1.2.5, works well
Tried, but not my favorites:
- vim (vim-base_6.1.392kaoriya-1_arm.ipk)
- - console based
  - very powerful
  - not for everyone!
  - some problems with keyboard mapping, how to solve them?
- tkcEditor (tkceditor-c700_2.0-030722_arm.ipk)
- - GUI application
  - commercial application
  - with syntax highlighting
- Emacs (emacs21-bin_21.2.1-20021126b_arm.ipk)
- - console application
  - very powerful (comparable to vim)
- Joe (joe_2.9.8pre1_arm.ipk)

PDF viewing

qpdf2 (2.2.1), uncheck magnified screen!
if clicking on PDFs launches opera instead of qpdf:
- Remove "application/pdf;" from the MimeType line in /opt/QtPalmtop/apps/Network/opera.desktop

JAVA packages (alternatives):

Jeode (evm): java_slc3000_arm.ipk
- seems to be the most compatible and useful JAVA package.
j2me-zaurus_1.1.8_arm.ipk
- from Meanie's site
- Not entirely compatible with most downloadable JAVA programs for Zaurus
J2SE from Blackdown
- ```
see also http://www.users.on.net/~hluc/myZaurus/custom.html#java
```
- installing the IPK:
- - tar -xzvf ..ipk
  - tar -xzvf data.tar.gz
  - mv j2re1.3.1 /usr/local/
  - ln -s /usr/local/j2re1.3.1/bin/java /usr/bin/java
  - ln -s /usr/local/j2re1.3.1/bin/armv4l /usr/local/j2re1.3.1/bin/armv5tel
  - ln -s /usr/local/j2re1.3.1/lib/armv4l /usr/local/j2re1.3.1/lib/armv5tel
  - ln -s /usr/lib/libstdc++-3-libc6.1-2.10.0.so /usr/lib/libstdc++-libc6.2-2.so.3
  - chmod a+x /usr/local/j2re1.3.1/bin/java
  - STILL DOESNT WORK!

Text processing

TextMaker for Zaurus
- Runs directly in QTopia and is very powerful
Abiword or OpenOffice under X/QT (pdaXQTrom by Meanie)
- relatively slow, but Abiword is quite well usable

Spreadsheets

built-in Hancom sheet is very limited
opie-sheet_1.0.1_arm.ipk VERY SLOW!
Openoffice under X/QT (pdaXQTrom by Meanie)
- slow
Gnumeric under X/QT (pdaXQTrom by Meanie)
- quite well usable

Video playback

mplayer-bvdd-iwmmxt_1.1.5-1_arm.ipk installed
kino2_0.4.3_arm.ipk installed
bvdd drivers v0.4.0-1 installed
sudo 0.1 (already contained with Cacko ROM)
libffmpeg_0.4.6_20030304_arm.ipk
zaurus-vlc_0.5.3_arm.ipk
librt_2.1.3_arm.ipk
After installing all that, built-in Movie player works better than before (probably due to some installed codecs)
Video encoding on Linux PC with mencoder

Every mplayer-playable video can be encoded for good playback on Zaurus with this script:

encoder "$1" -oac mp3lame -lameopts cbr:br=128:mode=0 -vf pp=lb,scale=320 -ovc lavc \
-lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vhq:v4mv:vbitrate=512:vpass=1 -ofps 30000/1001 -oac copy -sws 2 -o output.avi
mencoder "$1" -oac mp3lame -lameopts cbr:br=128:mode=0 -vf pp=lb,scale=320 -ovc lavc \
-lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vhq:v4mv:vbitrate=512:vpass=2 -ofps 30000/1001 -oac copy -sws 2 -o output.avi
mv output.avi zaurus_"$1".avi

Backup solution for user data, programs and configuration

Goal: Easy maintenance while always having a full and easy to recover backup
- goal not reached yet:
- - method too complicated and time consuming
  - but full backup is more important than convenience!
Method:
- 0. Try to save all user data on an SD card, not on Microdrive!
- - my own Microdrive is ONLY used for data which is unimportant (MP3, large reference documents etc.)
  - I have ALL data I work on stored on an SD card!
- 1. Make backup of program / configuration using built-in backup/restore
- - make backup to the SD card
  - this kind of backup is always recommended before and after installing new applications or modifying program configs
- 2. Make full backup of the SD card
- - Alternative a: leaving SD in Zaurus, backing up to USB Hard drive using a shell script
  - - That way you can also backup the internal HDD if necessary
    - Shell script example "fullbackup_usb.sh"
    - #!/bin/bash # execute as root! if [ $UID -gt 0 ]; then echo NEED ROOT PERMISSIONS! exit 1 fi # see above in this document about setscreensaversuspend.sh! sudo -u zaurus setscreensaversuspend.sh off echo Deleting oldest backup... rm -rf /mnt/usbstorage/backup_zaurus_old echo Shifting backup dirs.... mv /mnt/usbstorage/backup_zaurus /mnt/usbstorage/backup_zaurus_old mkdir /mnt/usbstorage/backup_zaurus echo Backup.... tar -cvf - /mnt/card/ | \ gzip > /mnt/usbstorage/backup_zaurus/mnt_card.tgz \ && \ tar -cvf - /home/ | \ gzip > /mnt/usbstorage/backup_zaurus/home.tgz \ && \ echo Copying hdd3 contents... please wait! && \ cp -a /hdd3 /mnt/usbstorage/backup_zaurus/ sudo -u zaurus setscreensaversuspend.sh on
  - Alternative b: Putting SD card into PC card reader and make backup of card there
  - - No way to back up internal HDD
Considerations:
- SD card backup should be done frequently, as there are the important and often modified files!
- built-in backup backs up /home (and /hdd2 on C3000) directory
- - i.e. installed apps and configs
  - Not needed every day, only when applying changes to system configuration / installing apps
Restoring from factory default Zaurus in emergency
- 1. Flash Cacko ROM
- 2. Use built-in backup / restore to restore from SD card
- - If necessary, restore SD card before using PC or another Zaurus

Homepage maintenance / directory synchronization

local copy of website on Zaurus
Option 1: sitecopy (for FTP access of ISP webspace for example)
- download sitecopy sources from http://www.lyra.org/sitecopy (v0.16.1)
- ./configure && make
- Put sitecopy binary into bin directory and link it to /usr/bin/sitecopy
- mkdir -m 700 /mnt/card/homepage/.sitecopy
- - this MUST be on an ext2/3 or another Linux file system, no FAT, due to the required access rights
- ln -s /mnt/card/homepage/.sitecopy /home/zaurus
- /home/zaurus/.sitecopyrc (adapt to your needs)
- ```
site example
        server ftp.exampleserver.com
        username joesmith
        password thisiasecret
        local /mnt/card/homepage
        remote /homepages/myhomepage
        exclude *.bak
```
- chmod 600 ~/.sitecopyrc
- - because the file contains passwords in clear text
- Synchronize the first time (server "example" and local copy)
- - if remote and local are already in synch:
  - - sitecopy --catchup example
  - if no local copy exists yet:
  - - sitecopy --fetch example
    - sitecopy --synch example
  - if no remote copy exists yet:
  - - sitecopy --init example
    - sitecopy --update example
    - sitecopy --catchup example
- Synchronize regularly after each modification of the local copy
- - sitecopy --update eample
- Synchronize regularly after each modification if the remote copy
- - sitecopy --synchronize example
- sitecopy --help gives more advice.
Option 2: rsync (works only in one direction, so I discontinued usage of rsync)

rsync 2.6.2

SSH key exchange so that password is not needed for homepage sync:
On client (Zaurus): 
ssh-keygen -dsa
cd ~/.ssh
scp id_dsa.pub root@SERVER:~/.ssh (replace SERVER by IP or hostname)

On server login as root and:
cd ~/.ssh
cat id_rsa.pub >> authorized_keys

script for rsync

first, for initial sync from server to Z:
mkdir /mnt/card/homepage/   
rsync -rv  root@192.168.0.111:/srv/www/htdocs/ /mnt/card/homepage/ 

then, for syncing
rsync -rv /mnt/card/homepage/ root@192.168.0.111:/srv/www/htdocs/

ATTENTION: /mnt/card must not be vfat, but ext2...

Option 3: Unison (works bidirectionally and very conveniently, but not over FTP. I dropped it because sitecopy is simpler and fits my needs)
- installed package unison_2.9.1-1_arm.ipk)
- SSH key of Z onto server as described above for rsync
- unison must be installed on the server, too
- modify /home/zaurus/.unison/default.prf
- ```
Put two "root" lines into the file, as these:

root=/mnt/card/homepage
root=ssh://root@hplx.mine.nu//srv/www/htdocs   

(self-explanatory: one points to a dir on the zaurus, one to a dir on the server, these two dirs will be synchronized).
```
- run "unison" once on the zaurus to do the initial synchronizing, unison will ask you to decide about changes in one or the other directory
- then add line "batch=true" to the default.prf file, this will prevent unison from asking questions in the future
- Now, after any change in one of the dirs, call "unison" on the Zaurus and the dirs will be synchronized.

Games

glider 0.0.2 (keep the "magnified screen" setting!)
nibbles (runs quite slow, needs jeode)
Minesweeper (minesw_1.1_arm.ipk)
(S)NES emulation (OESF topic 14102)
- install packages:
- - libSDL-mixer_1.2.6-zports-0_arm.ipk
  - libmad_0.15.0b-zports-0_arm.ipk
  - libSDL_1.2.6_zports_5_arm.ipk
  - snes9x_SDL-2_arm.ipk
  - zemufe_0.1.1-3ex_arm.ipk
  - znester_7.1-1_arm.ipk
- typematic rate change as recommended by Cresho in OESF topic 14102 disturbes Cacko setup and is not necessary on Cacko, so don't do it
- Modify /home/QtPalmtop/bin/zemufeex_smc.sh
- ```
#!/bin/bash
export SDL_QT_INVERT_ROTATION=1
cd "$1"
snes9x -win "$2"
exit 0

or if you want to replace the ok/enter key pause with L instead.  L becomes
the pause and start and ok/enter is null so your game wont be interupted,
use the bottom code.


#!/bin/bash
export SDL_QT_INVERT_ROTATION=1
export S9XKEYS=27,100,99,115,120,97,122,108,32,103,106,117,110,121,98,105,109
cd "$1"
snes9x -win "$2"
exit 0
```
- mkdir ~/.znester and put znester.rc into that new directory
- Uncheck "Display with magnified screen" for the zEmu icon in games tab
- Start zEmuFE and doubleclick on ROM files to start games
C64 emulator
- After successful installation of (S)NES
- frodo_0.2_arm.ipk
- frodogui_0.1_arm.ipk
- in Frodogui, change settings to something according to PNG screenshots in documentation of frodogui
- in Frodogui, set drive 8 to a D64 file you want to load
- in Frodo, type LOAD"*",8,1 and then RUN to run the program.
LTris: Great Tetris clone
CircusLinux
- needs libSDL 1.2.5

Databases

Portabase 1.9: works nicely

Migration from HP 200LX GDB format via (z)gdbdump 1.02

original source of gdbdump compiled on Zaurus
gdbdump -s GDBFILE > out.csv
and then CSV through DOS-->Latin1 filter
In Portabase, create a database with the same structure as the GDB, but with no data
The result of filtered zgdbdump output can be imported into the empty Portabase file but Portabase has problems with escaped doublequotes (\" within fields)
Solution: modified gdbdump (zgdbdump) which converts doublequotes in GDB into single quotes in CSV
- This modified version can be requested by me (source or binary)
Script (embedded as a filter into Tree!ExplorerQT's SendTo menu)

#!/bin/bash

# This script converts GDB files created on HP 200LX palmtops 
# to CSV charset UTF-8 which can be imported into Portabase.

# file.gdb is converted to file.gdb.csv and an additional
# file nwmed file.gdb.struc is generated showing the 
# structure of the database, so that a matching database
# can be prepared in Portabase for later import of the CSV.
 
# Needs iconv, sed, tr and zgdbdump (special version of gdbdump)
 
if [ ! -f "$1" ]; then
        echo "Input file does not exist ($1)"
        exit 1
fi

zgdbdump -s $1 > tempfile
iconv -c -s -f CP850 -t UTF-8 tempfile | tr -d '\015' | sed  -e 's/\\r\\n/ /g'  > tempfile1
cat tempfile1 | sed -e '1D' > $1.csv
cat tempfile1 | sed -e '3,$D' > $1.struc
rm tempfile
rm tempfile1

This is the one I will use.
Todo: Total automation of GDB -> Portabase conversion, using Portabase's XML format

kgrok_1.3.0_arm.ipk powerful, but optimized for 5500. Bad screen layout
SQLite: SQL-based library with command line interface
- Installed sqlite3_3.2.2_arm.ipk
- But found that is is not usable without programming a lot, so discarded it again

X/QT: pdaXQTrom by Meanie

Download cramfs images and put them anywhere on the Z (HDD, SD or CF)
- Instructions: http://www.thegrinder.ws/Meanies_XQT/pdaxqtrom/pdaxqtrom.html
- Download: http://www.thegrinder.ws/Meanies_XQT/pdaxqtrom/
Execute the installer script as root
adjust to Cacko ROM per Meanie's tip in OESF topic 16209
- su
- ln -sf /opt/QtPalmtop/lib/gtk-2.0 /usr/lib/gtk-2.0
- gdk-pixbuf-query-loaders > /etc/gtk-2.0/gdk-pixbuf.loaders
Make it faster
- touch /etc/X11/monolingual
Install automounter-c3000_0.4.8_arm.ipk so cramfs images are remounted on reboot

VoIP Telephony

KP/PI from the KDEPIM/PI package
with sipgate.de service (should also work with other services)
Follow intructions in documentation
Important if used behind a DSL/cable router:
- Forward VoIP ports (see FAQ of VoIP providers)
- Set Preferences / SIP Preferences / Socket / STUN Server / Media Min/Max Port to nonzero values, e.g. 1050 and 2000 and make sure that range is forwarded by the router as well
Headset: Use an ear phone, cut off left one and connect a headset microphone to the left line.

Bochs (DOS emulator)

downloaded bochs.tar.gz package by chyang (OESF topic 14684)
- http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=14684&view=findpost&p=93995
download bochs...tar.gz from bochs.sourceforge.net and extract the "bios" directory
download a DOS boot disk image
here, all image and bios files go to /hdd3/Documents/emulation/bochs and /hdd3/Documents/emulation/bochs/bios
gtar -xzvf bochs.tar.gz onto an ext2 fs (links!)
~/.bochsrc example

###############################################################
# bochsrc.txt file for DLX Linux disk image.
###############################################################

# how much memory the emulated machine will have
megs: 32

# filename of ROM images
romimage: file=/hdd3/Documents/emulation/bochs/bios/BIOS-bochs-latest,  address=0xf0000
vgaromimage: file=/hdd3/Documents/emulation/bochs/bios/VGABIOS-lgpl-latest

# what disk images will be used 
floppya: 1_44=/hdd3/Documents/emulation/bochs/dos7.img,  status=inserted
#floppyb: 1_44=floppyb.img, status=inserted

# hard disk
ata0: enabled=1, ioaddr1=0x1f0, ioaddr2=0x3f0, irq=14
ata0-master: type=disk, path="/hdd3/Documents/emulation/bochs/hd10meg.img", cylinders=306, heads=4, spt=17
#ata0-slave: type=cdrom, path="f:\win98.iso", status=inserted
# choose the boot disk.
boot: floppy

# default config interface is textconfig.
#config_interface: textconfig
#config_interface: wx

#display_library: x
# other choices: win32 sdl wx carbon amigaos beos macintosh nogui rfb term svga

# where do we send log messages?
log: bochsout.txt

# disable the mouse, since DLX is text only
mouse: enabled=0

# enable key mapping, using US layout as default.
#
# NOTE: In Bochs 1.4, keyboard mapping is only 100% implemented on X windows.
# However, the key mapping tables are used in the paste function, so 
# in the DLX Linux example I'm enabling keyboard_mapping so that paste 
# will work.  Cut&Paste is currently implemented on win32 and X windows only.

#keyboard_mapping: enabled=1, map=$BXSHARE/keymaps/x11-pc-us.map
#keyboard_mapping: enabled=1, map=$BXSHARE/keymaps/x11-pc-fr.map
#keyboard_mapping: enabled=1, map=$BXSHARE/keymaps/x11-pc-de.map
#keyboard_mapping: enabled=1, map=$BXSHARE/keymaps/x11-pc-es.map

cp opt/Qtopia/sharp/lib/libSDL-1.2.so.0.7.1 /usr/lib/
cd /usr/lib
mv libSDL-1.2.so.0 libSDL-1.2.so.0.ORIG
mv libSDL.so libSDL.so.ORIG
ln -s libSDL-1.2.so.0.7.1 libsdl.so
ln -s libSDL-1.2.so.0.7.1 libSDL-1.2.so.0
mv /home/QtPalmtop/lib/libSDL-1.2.so.0 /home/QtPalmtop/lib/libSDL-1.2.so.0.ORIG
ln -s /usr/lib/libSDL-1.2.so.0.7.1 /home/QtPalmtop/lib/libSDL-1.2.so.0
if I run ldconfig here, the new link is overwritten with another link to libSDL.1.2.so.0.0.7 again! SOLUTION??
- bochs will report undefined symbols then!
dd if=/dev/zero of=/hdd3/Documents/emulation/bochs/hd10meg.img bs=1024 count=10000
run bochs -q -f ~/.bochsrc

Dosbox (DOS emulator)

dosbox_0.6.3-2_arm.ipk installed
ln -s /home/QtPalmtop/lib/libstdc++-libc6.2-2.so.3 /home/QtPalmtop/lib/libstdc++-libc6.1-2.so.3
ldconfig
works, but INSTABLE, uninstalled!
Usage
- On startup, press Cancel a few times to avoid flickering
- Shift-Ctrl-Cancel to exit (don't enter "exit" - it may lock the Zaurus!)
- in /usr/local/dosbox/dosbox.conf after [autoexec]
- ```
mount c /mnt/card/Documents/Dosbox_mount
c:
cd tetris
tetris.exe
```
- Problem: ":" not available via keyboard, so how to change drive??

Screensaver / Suspend

Replace the built-in boring clock screensaver by something more appealing
- LUSScreenSaver_1.4.5-1_arm.ipk installed
- - attention: QTopia may restart automatically after installation of this package
- LUSScreenSaverUtil_1.3.4-1_arm.ipk installed
- LUSSSFish_1.0.0-1_arm.ipk installed
- LUSSSUniverse_1.0.0-1_arm.ipk installed
- New Screensaver Util icon in Settings tab
Screensaver can be disabled entirely by editing ~/Settings/qpe.conf:
- [Screensaver] / Interval_AC_ScreenSaver = 0
- value is reset each time the "light and energy" program is used, so 0 has to be re-set manually after using ight and energy program!
Screensaver and suspend can be disabled temporarily with qcop
- qcop QPE/System "setScreenSaverIntervals(int,int,int)" 0 0 0

Mobile phone connection for SMS using zsms

THIS CAN BE ABANDONED BECAUSE I FOUND OUT THAT KAMMU ALSO CAN SEND SMS, AND IT HAS MORE FEATURES THAN zSMS
zsms_1_0_arm.ipk (contains older versions of zsmstools, I use modified ones, see below. I have not installed this IPK, my scripts will not work with this version!)
mkdir /mnt/card/Documents/Mail/sms
- here sent and received SMSs will be stored
- It's inside mutt's mail directlry because the SMS files will have mbox format so they can be browsed using mutt
mkdir /mnt/card/Documents/Mail/sms/log
- This is for zsms log files
smstools compilation
- mv /usr/lib/libc.so /usr/lib/libc.so.orig
- create ld script /usr/lib/libc.so with the line:
- - GROUP ( /lib/libc.so.6 /mnt/card/devel/lib/libc_nonshared.a )
- ldconfig
- modify Makefile:
- - GCC=gcc
  - LD=ld
- now smstools sources are compilable
- done modifications to getsms sources
- - let getsms..c really delete downloaded SMSs (function deletesms())
  - let getsms create an mbox-compliant file for mutt
- sources / binaries can be requested by email from me
script smssend

#!/bin/bash

#$1: dest. number, e.g. 491771234567
#$2: 'text of SMS'

SMSC="491770610000"
WORKDIR="/mnt/card/Documents/Mail/sms"

echo From smssend Thu Nov 11 11:11:11 2005 >> "$WORKDIR"/sent 
echo Date: `date`  >> "$WORKDIR"/sent 
echo To: "$1"  >> "$WORKDIR"/sent 
echo Subject: To: "$1" -- "$2" >> "$WORKDIR"/sent
echo  >> "$WORKDIR"/sent 
echo $2 >> "$WORKDIR"/sent
echo  >> "$WORKDIR"/sent 

irattach /dev/ttyS1 -s

putsms -d/dev/ircomm -b115200 -mnew -s"$SMSC" -l"$WORKDIR"/log/putsmslog -H "$1" "$2" 

echo Returncode of putsms: $? 

killall irattach

Works with Nokia 6310, maybe adapt PDU mode and baud rate
Adapt SMSC and WORKDIR to your needs

script smsget

#!/bin/bash

WORKDIR="/mnt/card/Documents/Mail/sms"

irattach /dev/ttyS1 -s

echo Retrieving from SM...
getsms -c  -d/dev/ircomm -b115200 -mnew -rSM -l"$WORKDIR"/log/getsmslog_sm -H  > "$WORKDIR"/received_sm
echo Returncode of getsms: $? 
echo Retrieving from ME...
getsms -c  -d/dev/ircomm -b115200 -mnew -rME -l"$WORKDIR"/log/getsmslog_me -H  > "$WORKDIR"/received_me
echo Returncode of getsms: $? 

cat "$WORKDIR"/received_me >> "$WORKDIR"/received
cat "$WORKDIR"/received_sm >> "$WORKDIR"/received
mv "$WORKDIR"/received_* "$WORKDIR"/log/



killall irattach

Works with Nokia 6310, maybe adapt PDU mode and baud rate
Adapt WORKDIR to your needs

usage:
- smssend
- - without the plus, e.g. 491721234567
  - text in single quotes, as 'This is an SMS!'
  - with double quotes, the exclamation mark cannot be used inside the text!

Mobile phone connections in general using kammu

using kammu, SMS, phonebook etc. can be used from Zaurus
Install the kmobilephoneaccess package from KDEPIM/PI, which contains kammu
.gammurc

For Siemens SK65 (and S65 etc.)

[gammu]
connection = at19200
port = /dev/ircomm

For Nokia 6310

[gammu]
connection = irda
port = /dev/ircomm

Call "irattach /dev/ttyS1" before you do anything over IrDA
Send SMS
- echo "SMS text goes here... can be longer than 160chars, because kammu splits automatically." | kammu --sendsms TEXT "+4912345567" -autolen 1000
Send phonebook
- simply use the "Export to moblie phone" feature of KA/PI
- works only for the Nokia phone...

Shoutcast Player / Recorder

There is now an IPK package available for ShoutCAST Player and Recorder:
- "hmc-shoutcast" on http://www.hermocom.com/en/download
see OESF.ORG forum topic 16114 for basics
mplayer must be installed (s.a.)
install ruby_1.8.0-1_arm.ipk
install ruby-qte_0.5.2_arm.ipk
install hmc-shoutcast_h1.0en_arm.ipk
- from http://www.hermocom.com/download

Printing

via a2ps, lprng
e.g. for mutt, maybe others?
UNFINISHED

VNC Server for remote operation

Download fbvncserver-c3000_0.9.4-0.2_arm.zip from http://www.users.on.net/~hluc/myZaurus
Install the IPK
In Settings, find the VNC settings program, adjust settings
- On OK, a windows reports that fbvnc server is started, but it does not work yet
On console start the server with the command: fbvncserver
On PC, in tightvnc enter address 192.168.x.y::5900
Readonly-access seems to work, but every attempt to input things fail, up to crashes of QTopia or at least QConsole.

LaTeX, PDFTeX (experimental, unfinished)

Ressources:
- www.linuxontour.de forum topic 3854
- http://users.ox.ac.uk/~univ0103/z-tex
- - download files from here
  - including MiniIDE (follow link)
Installation
- Installing basic system
- - Install on an ext2 file system! I installed on SD card:
  - mkdir /mnt/card/tex && cd /mnt/card/tex
  - tar xzvf bin.tar.gz
  - tar xzvf lib.tar.gz
  - tar xzvf texmf.tar.gz
  - tar xzvf texmf_cnf.tar.gz
  - chmod a+x bin/*
  - ln -s /mnt/card/tex/bin/tex /mnt/card/tex/bin/latex
  - su
  - ln -s /mnt/card/tex/lib/libkpathsea.so.3 /usr/lib/
  - ln -s /mnt/card/tex/lib/libpaper.so.1 /usr/lib/
  - Check if libpng is installed (ldconfig -p | grep libpng). If no:
  - - ln -s /mnt/card/tex/lib/libpng.so.3 /usr/lib/
  - ldconfig
  - in ~/.bash_profile add the line: export PATH=$PATH:/mnt/card/tex/bin
  - in texmf.cnf set TEXMFMAIN = /mnt/card/tex/texmf
- Installing additional fonts
- - important for installing the german style (below)
  - from a PC tex system, do a tar czvf fonts.tgz fonts (after changing into the directory which holds the tex fonts subdirectory)
  - on Zaurus:
  - - mv texmf/fonts texmf/fonts.ORIG
    - cd texmf
    - tar xzvf fonts.tgz
- Installation of "german" style
- - download files from ftp://dante.ctan.org/tex-archive/language/german
  - copy files into /mnt/card/tex/texmf/tex/latex/german/
  - cd /mnt/card/tex/texmf/tex/latex/german/
  - mv texmf/tex/latex/german/hyphxmpl.cfg texmf/tex/latex/german/hyphen.cfg
  - download files from ftp://dante.ctan.org/tex-archive/language/hyphenation/dehypht.tex and ...deyhphn.tex and copy them into the german directory
  - in hyphen.cfg change "\input hyphen" to "\input ushyph1"
  - latex -ini latex.ltx
- Installation of psnfss package (times fonts, math symbols etc.)
- - download ftp://dante.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/required/psnfss.zip unzip it somewhere (e.g. /path/to/psnfsspackage)
  - cd /mnt/card/tex/texmf
  - unzip /path/to/psnfsspackage/lw35nfss.zip
  - unzip /path/to/psnfsspackage/freenfss.zip
  - cd /path/to/psnfsspackage
  - latex psfonts.ins
  - cp *.sty /mnt/card/tex/texmf/tex/latex/psnfss/
  - cp /hdd3/Documents/Install_Files/Productivity/latex/psnfss/psnfss/8r.enc /mnt/card/tex/texmf/tex/latex/psnfss/
- Installation of "dinbrief" class
- - download ftp://dante.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/dinbrief.zip
  - unzip it
  - extract files as described in readme
  - copy dinbrief.cls and dinbrief.sty (or all files) to /mnt/card/tex/texmf/tex/latex/dinbrief
- /mnt/card/tex/bin/makepdf script
- ```
#!/bin/bash
latex "$1".tex && dvipdfm "$1".dvi
```
- --------- new approach --------
- delete /mnt/card/tex/texmf
- copy entire /usr/share/texmf tree minus docs and obviously unneeded stuff to /mnt/card/tex/texmf
- reconfigure /mnt/card/tex/texmf/web2c/texmf.cnf
- - TEXMFMAIN = /mnt/card/tex/texmf
  - TEXMFLOCAL = /mnt/card/tex/texmf
- latex -ini latex.ltx
- mv latex.fmt /mnt/card/tex/texmf/web2c/
- Works, but ghostscript is still missing!
Usage

Maintenance

File system checks
- From time to time, check all file systems. Especially after system crashes.
- A good way to make fsckecks convenient is to create a script on the SD card (/mnt/card/fschecks.sh):
- ```
fsck.ext3 -c -f -v /dev/hda1
fsck.ext3 -c -f -v /dev/hda2
fsck.vfat -f -r -t -v -w /dev/hda3
fsck.minix -r -v -f /dev/ram1
```
- Reboot into emergency Linux
- ```
Remove battery
Hold D and B key while inserting battery, closing cover and switching battery switch to ON position
--> Zaurus boots into emergency linux.
Log in as root / no password
```
- login as root (no password)
- - the SD card will be mounted as /mnt/card
- start the script /mnt/card/fschecks.sh
- unmount SD card (umount /dev/mmcda1)
- fsck.ext2 -c -f -v /dev/mmcda1 (use fsck.vfat -f -r -t -v -w if your card has VFAT FS!)
- ...how to check FSs in flash (JFFS)?

Still looking for / Todo

Mindmapping program

Emergency tips

See http://www.oesf.org/index.php?title=C3000_Device_Specifics
to understand what is happening

Never do a NAND ERASE from the service menu! NAND contains the emergency bootloader!
- Only possible with NAND restore using the D+M boot procedure
Never use the built-in fdisk (in emergency linux or in stock Sharo ROMs)
Possible Boot modes in emergency cases:
- Service Menu (D+M boot):
- - Battery switch to "unlocked", wait some seconds, connect AC adapter, Hold keys D and M, switch battery swtich to "locked".
  - Servcie Menu (in English) is shown and allows:
  - - NAND backup / restore
    - HDD backup / resotre (requires 4GB+ flash card, no compression!)
  - To reboot normally, press reset
- Console (D+B boot):
- - Battery switch to "unlocked", take out battery, wait some seconds, Hold D and B keys, reinsert battery, battery switch to "locked", if necessary switch on using power button, then release D and B keys
  - Sharp logo, then login prompt. Log in as root.
  - Good for maintenace, file system repairs and /etc config file repairs which prevent clean booting.
  - /etc is found on /dev/mtdblock3
- Maintenance (Flash) menu (OK +on):
- - Remove battery, wait, reinsert battery, battery switch to "Locked", connect AC adapter, Hold OK, press OnOff button.
  - Japanese menu appears (menu structure follows as a tree structure:)
  - - ```
    "Please select the item you wish to run. Move the focus with the cursor key and confirm selection with the OK key.
    
    You can also select the number keys.
    
    If you do not wish to run anything, please select the 1. Cancel key.
```
- 1. Cancel
- 2. perform Fsck (file system check) / Meanies interpretation: "data check"
- - 1.
  - 2. run fsck
- 3. Reset/Erase all (restore factory defaults)
- - 1. Normal
  - 2. Enhanced (checks hard disk, needs 1.5 hours!)
  - 3. back
- 4. Flash/update
- - "System update will be performed. Depending on the contents of the pdate the internal data may be erased. Please back up your data in advance. Execute Update? [YES] [No]"
  - 1. CF
  - 2. SD
  - 3. Back
If normal booting is not possible aymore, e.g. due to modifying something in /etc
- Use D+B boot
- The normal /etc directory is fond on /dev/mtdblock3 in the emergency linux
/hdd3 screwed up
- Enter the Flash menu
- - Selection 2 in the second menu overwrites hdd3 with /dev/zero (LONG process)
- or reinstall Cacko and choose "reformat user area" (restores the entire hard drive, not just /hdd3)
Zeroing an SL-C3000
- see http://www.xlfag.com/zaurus/

Internet Ressources

Hardware-Modification
- http://www.iral.com/~albertr/linux/zaurus/wireless
- - SL-C1000 with built-in wireless via USB
Older ressources

VGA etc.:
http://symzing.way-nifty.com/blog/cat3988248/index.html
 
RestructuredText:
http://docutils.sourceforge.net/rst.html
 
TXT2Tags:
http://txt2tags-pda.sourceforge.net/                              

Simple manual English:
http://www.figlabs.com/catalog/ug.php

Software general etc.:
http://my-zaurus.narod.ru/qpesearch.html
http://at.dev.at/resources.html#C3000
http:/www.thekompany.com/embedded
http://www.elsix.org
http://killefiz.de/zaurus/ (obsolete)
http://zaurus.c-works.net/modules.php?name=PDA-Software&cat=1


Feeds:
http://cacko.biz/cacko/feed
http://www.zaurususergroup.org/feed/
http://www.gnurou.org/software/zaurus/feed/
http://www.cyberphreak.com/zaurus/feed/
http://www.iaccarino.de/silvio/stuff
http://g1gsw.org/ftp/Zaurus/ (Perl...)
http://zaurus.spy.org/feeds/cacko/x11/feed/ (nur X11)
http://zaurus.spy.org/feeds/cacko/qt/devtoolz/
http://zaurus.spy.org/feeds/docs-zaurus-com
http://zaurus.spy.org/feeds/


Cacko SL-C3000 ROM:
http://bryandeluca.com/cacko/c3000/

Howto: Recover from crash / Setup
http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=11019
http://www.linux-solutions.at/projects/zaurus/software.html

General info / misc:
http://www.iaccarino.de/silvio/zaurus.htm
http://www.owen.org/zaurus
http://www.xlfag.com/zaurus
http://www.sibelle.info/gadgets/z3.htm
http://www.users.on.net/~hluc/myZaurus

Images of internals:
http://forum.palmislife.com/viwthread.php?tid=46721&fpage=1
http://www.piro.hopto.org/~piro/zaurus (+some software)
http://hypernote.com/gallery/zaurus (C3000 dismantled)

Opera Download:
http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=11855

Game console emulators
http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=6790

Java programming:
http://developers.sun.com/techtopics/mobility/personal/articles/ztutorial/

Kismet etc:
http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=11855

Picsel Browser:
http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=12436

Bochs Setup:
http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3559&st=33

HNB etc.
http://gurno.com/adam/zaurus/

Doom etc.
http://www.gnurou.org/software/zaurus/

GAIM (ICQ...):
http://qpe-gaim.sourceforge.net/
http://qpe-gaim.sourceforge.net/feed/release

Fax:
http://www.iaccarino.de/silvio/zfax.htm

Software by Silvio Iaccarino, Development package C/C++:
http://www.iaccarino.de/silvio/zaurusstuff.htm
http://zaurus.help4free.de/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=6170&forum=12+(Entwicklerumgebung+Hinweise)

Hardware hacking / microphone:
http://www.dk7in.de/Zaurus.html

GDB conversion:
http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=4220

Bochs usw.
http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3559

C64 ROM Files fpr Frodo:
http://www.clickgamer.com

200LX-keyboard for Zaurus driver (ek)
http://www.wheel.gr.jp/~dai/sl-zaurus/ek.html

Photo Storage homepage:
http://www.zaurusworld.ne.jp/menu21/photo/
Englslish version (unofficial):
http://www.oesf.org/forums/lofiversion/index.php?t10787.html
http://cacko.oesf.org/downloads/photostorage_1.0.0-en_arm.ipk

Navigation (Japanese):
http://www.spacetown.ne.jp/map/

Music creation (Puredata):
http://gige.xdv.org/pages/pd/download.php
Feed: http://gige.xdv.org/pda/release/familiar/

Big kernel with all modules
http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=10599&hl=

Screenshots of various apps:
http://www.users.on.net/~hluc/myZaurus/screenshots/

yEdit:
http://gadget.mda.or.jp/zaurus/yedit.html

Debian on C3000:
http://www.eleves.ens.fr/home/leurent/zaurus.html
http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=9237&hl=debian (hints, problems)

Feed KDE:
http://212.10.30.205/rc10/Zaurus-7x0-860/feed/
http://zaurus.spy.org/feeds/cacko/pdaXrom/1.1.0/rc10/kde-feed/ (mirror of the previous?)

Programming projects for QT
http://www.uv-ac.de/

MIDI / Zaurus:
http://www.geocities.jp/uirozaurus/index.html

IPKGfind package search
http://ipkgfind.handhelds.org/

MPlayer for zaurus:     
http://atty.jp/?Zaurus%2Fmplayer

MONO:
http://www.eringal.com/zaurusmono/

Development qqutil, C++, QT:
http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=12928

Python:
http://www.vanille.de/projects/python.spy
Main feed:
http://zaurus.spy.org/feeds/elkins/
additional packages, IDE:
http://starship.python.net/~hinsen/Zaurus/

Email Postfix/Mutt-Konfiguration (German):
http://www.computec.ch/dokumente/unsortiert/mailserver.htm

Libopie und opie-*
http://opie.handhelds.org/feed/unsupported/sharprom/1.0.3/

Holidays / Feiertage ICS-Download for KO/PI (German)
http://www.feiertagskalender.ch/exportieren.php (3 Euro, j?hrlich)
http://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/holidays.html (ohne Zeitangabe)
http://korganizer.kde.org/calendars/hotstuff.html (bis 2010)

Kismet instructions
http://www.oesf.org/index.php?title=How_to_run_Kismet_on_the_SL-6000L

Keyhelper instructions
http://www.oesf.org/index.php?title=Introduction_to_KeyHelper

QPDF PDF viewing:
http://co2.s16.xrea.com/hiki2/hiki.cgi?qpdf2
(Follow sourceforge link)

SDK DSL QEMU (Softwaredevelopment for Zaurus anywhere)
http://kopsisengineering.com/kopsis/SharpZaurusSdkDsl

X/QT jumbo package by Meanie
http://www.users.on.net/~hluc/myZaurus/jumbo/xqtjumbo.html
Files at http://www.chuckster.org/zaurus

Hardware accessories and spare parts:
http://www.wolf.ne.jp/syuhen/zaurus.html

Printing (LPR, a2ps, file):
http://www.wayga.org/ipkg

EXT2 driver for Windows
http://www.fs-driver.org

OpieReader latest version
http://www.timwentford.uklinux.net

Archive - hermocom

Basalraten-Verwaltung

Screenshots

Download

Installation

Handbuch

C-Diary Diabetes Diary for Symbian Smartphones

Features

Screenshots

Download

If you are interested in C-Diary:

On which cell phones can C-Diary be used?

DIASYM: DIABASS compatible diabetes diary for Symbian cellphones

Features

Screenshots

Download

Licenses

On which cell phones can DIASYM be used?

The Viliv N5 UMPC

UMID M1/BZ as a HPLX successor

Table of contents

UMPC Windows 7 setup guide

hermocom Setup guide for Windows 7 on UMPCs

Table of contents

Viliv N5 as a HPLX successor

Table of contents

weeXpc online manual

The weeXpc by hermocom - Manual

Table of contents

weeXpc: A PC-like Linux system for SHARP Zaurus PDAs

Successor product: OpenPandora

Quick links for people interested in the weeXpc

What is the weeXpc?

Get the feeling!

weeXpc hardware platform: The SHARP Zaurus PDA

What makes the weeXpc unique?

Your benefit:

hermocom's challenge:

Information for HP 200LX palmtop users:

Screenshots and photos

Zaurus Productivity Setup

Sharp Zaurus SL-C3000 / SL-C3100 Productivity Setup using Cacko 1.23 ROM

Selection of compatible accessories (Hardware)

Cacko ROM 1.23 beta 1

General tips

General libraries you should install

Utilities / Tweaking

Software development

PIM applications: KDEPIM/PI

Data security

Synchronizing with Outlook over WLAN

Dictionaries

Timetracking

Email

Newsreader (slrn with slrnpull for offline news reading)

Fax send / receive

Photo file handling

WLAN

Outlining / Notetaking

Webbrowser

Kismet for finding open WLANs

Instant Messaging

SSH

File Manager

Text editor notes

PDF viewing

JAVA packages (alternatives):

Text processing

Spreadsheets

Video playback

Backup solution for user data, programs and configuration

Homepage maintenance / directory synchronization

Games

Databases

X/QT: pdaXQTrom by Meanie

VoIP Telephony

Bochs (DOS emulator)

Dosbox (DOS emulator)

Screensaver / Suspend

Mobile phone connection for SMS using zsms