Closest thing to a FLOSS tablet ?
- Vous devez vous identifier ou créer un compte pour écrire des commentaires
Hi Everyone
I have been writing two programs to help disabled children communicate,
they are FLOSS.
I have one running on Trisquel with a large touchscreen monitor. It's
okay but it's a fight to get it into the school. Something that could go
in a child's bag would be much easier politically.
There are lots of tablets on the market in the $100-$300 range, in reach
of many families. I am not aware of a tablet that runs Linux. I see
Android, IOS and Windows.
Android is billed as open source but I don't see how anyone can create
free software with a closed source IDE and I am starting to feel that
Windows is actually the least evil of the 3 in that it does not pretend
to be a FLOSS product, obviously I will also hate this platform as well.
Is there anythign running just GNU/Linux. I have heard of Cyanogenmod
and it might be do the job but if I could use just plain GNU/linux that
would be best.
-Patrick
I have a great UMPC (Small laptop that flips into a tablet) that works right out of the box with Trisquel.
It's the Fujitsu Lifebook P1630. It's portable, has a touch-screen, and should fit your purposes very well.
On 07/30/2015 06:36 PM, name at domain wrote:
> I have a great UMPC (Small laptop that flips into a tablet) that works
> right out of the box with Trisquel.
> It's the Fujitsu Lifebook P1630. It's portable, has a touch-screen,
> and should fit your purposes very well.
>
Hi
Thanks for responding to my post. This computer looks great for kids but
at around $2000 it is out of my reach.
Thanks though-Patrick
What are you talking about? They're ranging from $80 to $250, depending on who you buy it from.
I'm looking at ebay.
$80 for one with 1GB memory with HDD (Good enough for Trisquel. I have one with these specs, and it's a fine PC), and $250 for one with 2GB memory and SSD.
On 07/30/2015 07:57 PM, name at domain wrote:
> What are you talking about? They're ranging from $80 to $250,
> depending on who you buy it from.
>
I found this:
I am very happy to be wrong!
Could you point me to somewhere to buy one?
Thanks
Here's a list of ebay listings.
http://tinyurl.com/ndhkb76
"Android is billed as open source but I don't see how anyone can create
free software with a closed source IDE"
the replicant project have a free software sdk:
http://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/ReplicantSDK
Your Best Option currently available(to my knowledge)is running a tablet with Replicant
installed which is a free as in freedom android distribution
there are some problems with certain hardware like wifi or bluetooth cards requiring non-free firmware that Replicant dose not include:
you can find info about the supported devices here:
http://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/ReplicantStatus
this tablet according to the replicant project(and my opinion) is the best in terms of replicant compatibility:
http://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/GalaxyTab270P31xx
but although non-free software is currently need to use the wifi card you can use usb Ethernet to connect the tablet to the internet via a pc:
http://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/ReplicantUSBNetworking?version=14
" I have heard of Cyanogenmod
and it might be do the job but if I could use just plain GNU/linux that
would be best."
Replicant is based on cyanogen-mod but with the non-free parts removed
"Is there anythign running just GNU/Linux."
you could always try a tablet pc such as the x60 tab:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ8dojHT6pQ
the x60 tabs can run libreboot but are quite hard to find so
it may be best to try finding another laptop tablet that can run free software(making sure its not one of the new evil ones that don’t let you change the operating system)
On 07/30/2015 07:15 PM, name at domain wrote:
> "Android is billed as open source but I don't see how anyone can create
> free software with a closed source IDE"
>
> the replicant project have a free software sdk:
> http://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/ReplicantSDK
>
> Your Best Option currently available(to my knowledge)is running a
> tablet with Replicant
> installed which is a free as in freedom android distribution
> there are some problems with certain hardware like wifi or bluetooth
> cards requiring non-free firmware that Replicant dose not include:
> you can find info about the supported devices here:
> http://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/ReplicantStatus
>
>
> this tablet according to the replicant project(and my opinion) is the
> best in terms of replicant compatibility:
> http://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/GalaxyTab270P31xx
>
> but although non-free software is currently need to use the wifi card
> you can use usb Ethernet to connect the tablet to the internet via a pc:
> http://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/ReplicantUSBNetworking?version=14
>
>
>
>
> " I have heard of Cyanogenmod
> and it might be do the job but if I could use just plain GNU/linux that
> would be best."
>
> Replicant is based on cyanogen-mod but with the non-free parts removed
>
>
> "Is there anythign running just GNU/Linux."
>
> you could always try a tablet pc such as the x60 tab:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ8dojHT6pQ
>
> the x60 tabs can run libreboot but are quite hard to find so
> it may be best to try finding another laptop tablet that can run free
> software(making sure its not one of the new evil ones that don’t let
> you change the operating system)
>
>
Hi Tom
Thanks for these links and helpful suggestions. Replicant is certainly
an option but I am a little worried about how long it would take to set up.
Would a netbook with a touch screen overlay seem affordable and FLOSS
friendly ?
Thanks
"Would a netbook with a touch screen overlay seem affordable and FLOSS
friendly ?"
i guess it depends on the netbook
there are definitely freedom friendly net-books
you can find a list of hardware including netbooks that’s reported to work with freedom software here:
https://h-node.org/hardware/catalogue/en
"but I am a little worried about how long it would take to set up."
you can find the instructions for the tablet i mentioned here:
http://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/GalaxyTab270P31xxInstallation
as long as you have basic knowledge of how to use a terminal for this model of tablet it dose not look very intimidating
but if you can just use a netbook then it may be cheaper and easier to setup
"I am not aware of a tablet that runs Linux. I see
Android, IOS and Windows."
android runs the linux kernel
I am a member!
Unless I'm utterly mistaken I'm pretty sure all the cheap ARM tablets are dependent on a proprietary wifi chip. There is non-free firmware required in other words. That said there is work being done on a free software tablet, but I'm not at liberty to say more. I also don't know what the results of that will be. However I'm in regular talks with the primary person working on it. They're doing some interesting stuff as far as the wifi is concerned to get around the issue with all the tablets depending on SoCs that are dependent on proprietary software in this regard.
No idea when/or if it'll be released. There is definitely (from my knowledge of it) going to need to be a fund raiser to get it manufactured. None of these projects are cheap. These kinds of things run $250,000-$500,000 minimally for an absurdly small run. In reality small test runs are probably normally millions of dollars.
On 07/30/2015 07:25 PM, name at domain wrote:
> Unless I'm utterly mistaken I'm pretty sure all the tablet are
> dependent on a proprietary wifi chip. There is non-free firmware
> required in other words. That said there is work being done on a free
> software tablet, but I'm not at liberty to say more. I also don't know
> what the results of that will be. However I'm in regular talks with
> the primary person working on it. They're doing some interesting stuff
> as far as the wifi is concerned to get around the issue with all the
> tablets depending on SoCs that are dependent on proprietary software
> in this regard.
>
Hi Chris
wifi isn't everything to me. I don't want the children to have internet
access anyways so a USB to Ethernet adapter would be more then fine,
it's other topics like the operating system and toolchain that are
worrying me
-Patrick
another important point i may have missed is the drivers for 3d graphics on these tablets are missing in replicant as they are non-free
do the programs you are running require any large amount of 3d graphics?
the 2d graphics work fine though
also the 3d graphics driver being missing dose not mean you
cant display 3d graphics it just means it will be done by
the cpu and so its wont be as fast
make sure to read the full status of the device(Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (P31xx)) here:
http://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/ReplicantStatus#Replicant-42
On 07/31/2015 04:59 AM, name at domain wrote:
> another important point i may have missed is the drivers for 3d
> graphics on these tablets are missing in replicant as they are non-free
>
> what programs are you wanting to run on them?
>
> the 2d graphics work fine though
>
> also the 3d graphics driver being missing dose not mean you
> cant display 3d graphics it just means it will be done by
> the cpu and so its wont be as fast
>
> make sure to read the full status of the device(Galaxy Tab 2 7.0
> (P31xx)) here:
> http://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/ReplicantStatus#Replicant-42
>
>
Hi Tom
Thanks again for all your help.
Thanks for the Replicant links and no I am good without 3d support, one
application is just buttons with images under GTK and the other is a
mouse enabled terminal program.
I think I will try both a netbook and Replicant tablet, each will have
strengths and weaknesses.
Have a great day!
-Patrick
I'm using an HP Compaq 2710p with the Wi-Fi card replaced with a Broadcom BCM4311. (That's one of the cards the 2710p laptops come with though if I'm not mistaken, no idea if the BIOS would entertain the idea of a Wi-Fi card that's not the default in any of the 2710p's).
A Compaq TC1000 might also be a bearable option (after the wi-fi card's replaced with one that supports WPA2 anyway), apart from the slowness I experienced with LXDE on it (LXDE, that was not a typo!). Maybe the TC1100 would be better (they didn't lock laptops to Wi-Fi cards back then so just get a random Wi-fi card that works with non-proprietary drivers and fits the slot).
I guess shopping around for old, used x86 convertible tablets can't hurt. The lack of proper touchscreen on those laptops may be a different question, though.
- Vous devez vous identifier ou créer un compte pour écrire des commentaires