Comment Re:New UI - why?? (Score 1) 196
you want a lightweight interface? Try Inferno (see http://vitanuova.com./ Andrey Mirtchovski got the non-X11 (uses framebuffer) version working. Where a 128MB OLPC seems tight for memory, inferno happily runs its 120KB web browser, and it feels lost in 32 MB -- yep, we don't even have to bother giving it more than that.
You get a reasonable interface, you get a good language (Limbo -- far better than Python!), and you get a more modern OS universe than Linux.
Well worth a look -- now that I'm not working on the LinuxBIOS side any more (a full-time guy at OLPC now handles the LinuxBIOS for OLPC) I intend to do a native port of Inferno to OLPC.
BTW, if you want a command prompt, you can load Linux into the BIOS FLASH, and get an ash prompt on bootup -- or, in the system-as-shipped you can get a Forth prompt. Your choice. But getting to a command prompt on boot is easy, and you can then boot from a USB stick, and run whatever you want. You are NOT restricted to the shipped UI in any way, or even to Linux for that matter. Freedom to hack is a very important part of what OLPC is providing.
thanks
ron
You get a reasonable interface, you get a good language (Limbo -- far better than Python!), and you get a more modern OS universe than Linux.
Well worth a look -- now that I'm not working on the LinuxBIOS side any more (a full-time guy at OLPC now handles the LinuxBIOS for OLPC) I intend to do a native port of Inferno to OLPC.
BTW, if you want a command prompt, you can load Linux into the BIOS FLASH, and get an ash prompt on bootup -- or, in the system-as-shipped you can get a Forth prompt. Your choice. But getting to a command prompt on boot is easy, and you can then boot from a USB stick, and run whatever you want. You are NOT restricted to the shipped UI in any way, or even to Linux for that matter. Freedom to hack is a very important part of what OLPC is providing.
thanks
ron
