Squeak on Handheld Linux


	links to this page:

Last updated at 8:17 am UTC on 20 October 2007

This page is devoted to the various options of running Squeak on a handheld Linux platform or PDA, such a the Compaq iPaq running Familiar or the Sharp Zaurus Linux PDA (SL-5xxx). However none of the solutions below is fundamentally restricted to handheld devices.
This page is only concerned with the virtual machine (VM). For the more general story, see Squeak on Handhelds.

For information specific to the Maemo platform used on Nokia Internet Tablets see Squeak on Maemo.

Five ways to get the Squeak VM running on a Linux handheld

X11
- Brian Keefer has a page (Sharp Zaurus on SL-5x00 (X11 on QTopia)) with the details of how to run the X11 version on the Zaurus.
- Gerald Leeb also a page on Squeak for the Nokia 770/N800.
DirectFB
- Tim Rowledge, Lee Salzman, Jay Carlson all had some hand in producing a port to DirectFB.
- Tommy Thorn hacked on it to make it run on the Zaurus (DirectFB Squeak on the Zaurus SL-5xxx).
SDL
- Adam Feuer has ported the Squeak VM to SDL (Squeak and SDL).
Qtopia
- Yoshiki Ohshima has a port of Squeak to Qtopia, http://www.is.titech.ac.jp/~ohshima/squeak/zaurus/.
- Squeak on SL-5x00 (Qtopia) is a stopgap mini-fork that may work better on the Zaurus models that snuck out of Japan.
/dev/fb
- Finally, there's a Squeak port to the bare framebuffer device.
- Unfortunately, it's not clear who is responsible for this port.

The five options compared (subjectively)

The X11 version is probably the most stable, but probably also the largest resource hog.
The Qtopia version works on the Japanese models and hopefully works on other Qtopia platforms with very little modification.
The Qtopia port coexists with the Qtopia environment, unlike all other options here.
The X11, Qtopia, and the DirectFB version has precompiled binaries for immediate deployment on the Zaurus.

Some notes

Using a keyboard with Squeak on the Nokia 770/N800