Is there a way to convert/install Zaurus applications on the N800? I understand that .ipk files are the same thing as .deb file, but the various Zaurus versions (Angstrom, pdaXrom...) have different libraries that work with them, and even within a ROM distribution there may be different UIs (Opie, GPE...) so I would think one would need to deal with that.

Walt

Well, I'm tired and a complete answer of "why things are the way they are" would take quite a while so instead you get the quick answer:
1) Opie needs direct access to the framebuffer, just like Qtopia did. Just forget about those right now.
2) Applications for pdaXrom and Angstrom completely doable with the condition that they'll be ugly and not well integrated. I haven't used pdaXrom so I can't speak for them, but to use Angstrom apps unmodified you'd have to grab an Angstrom rootfs.tar.gz and make a chroot on an SD card or something, then just export DISPLAY=:0 in the chroot and run your apps. You'll end up using lots more memory with a chroot environment though...
3) If you're up to the task of recompiling, any app in Angstrom can be rebuilt in OE into a .deb that has the the right dependencies to install and work in OS2008. If you're serious about this ask me about it and I'll look into it and try and help you. (I haven't tried this yet, so no guarantees).
4) mud builder in scratchbox is capable of recompiling many Debian packages with little or no modification, especially command line tools.

-John

While I understand Zaurus apps cant be used on Maemo directly, it dioes need modifications...

But I recently tried a QT4 sample app on the N800, and I would be glad to know how that is done. It looks pretty finished too.

well, you compile the QT4 libs...then you compile the app that depends on QT4...then you copy the whole thing to the tablet and run it.
Technically any program that can be compiled for Linux, ARM EABI and that can run within the NIT's memory constraints can be made to work. After that it's just a question of how well it is integrated into the Maemo desktop and how well it performs.

You cannot directly run Zaurus binaries on the tablets because the ARM processors differ just enough (as do kernel versions, etc). And Zaurus is Qt3, not Qt4, and they are far from compatible.

That said, ZAURUS SOURCE WILL COMPILE AND RUN WITH FEW CHANGES

1. It has to support working on plain Qt3 under X, not just QWS which is the more limited manager the Zaurus uses, but many apps already do this for testing, and the libraries and headers just use #ifdef QWS in a few places.

2. It will be quirky and/or limited (e.g. it won't pop up the keyboard so get a BT for n800 or use the n810)

3. It requires two libraries providing the glue between Qt and the tablet X stuff (which are under the KDE install). My Zmapper program uses (and includes) these.
libqui.so.1 and libqt-mt.so.3.

Along this same line, I am thinking if QT4 is installed, is there any PyQT compiled against the QT4 libraries that can be ported to the Nokia IT's ?

Having developed on Python on QT, I found that to be a very flexible and also easy development platform.
The important part for me was being abel to develop the app on Windows, Linux and on Zaurus itself.

That seems not to be the case with Maemo apps - windows development is nil, if I am right.

Thank you all....
It looks like I need to finish what I started with learning Scratchbox and Maemo development. I'd rather step back and do things right than get something quickly and be frustrated with it.

Walt

You can download my zmapper application (see the General thread I posted on sunday).

I changed almost nothing from the Zaurus build except paths, and it compiles and runs on the N810.

It is probably slower since it doesn't go directly to the FB. But it works.