Linux/Android on CDMA Touch Pro -- Now working on Verizon! And with GPS!

[arrrghhh]

Originally Posted by hamagc

i'm not positive on how this affects us. i know if windows is set to handle the screen automatically, it screws up the android screen management. i always figured this was something to do with the drivers for it or a setting left over from when winmo gets killed and android boots, and doesn't allow android to get the management for the screen to work.

hopefully makk can bring some more insight into this one for us.

That would be my guess as well, Android's settings aren't "primed" correctly so-to-speak when the backlight is set to auto... Outside of that my explanation will get more cryptic and probably less accurate

[hamagc]

here is some insight into haret provided by edvard on connect-utb:

Most of you who have been following the porting of Android to the Touch Pro and Diamond have used Haret. However, many of you may not know what goes on and why we cant just cook up a native Android ROM right away. Well, its all in the fact that at the moment we need the initializations done in Windows Mobile even though Haret shuts down Windows Mobile completely before booting up anything else.
Read on to learn how it all works

Normally, firmware and drivers work by telling the device (WIFI, GPS etc.) that it should activate and start doing its job. This can be as simple as telling it to power on, or it can consist of complex routines requiring sending of data back and forth before it powers on.

So when you in Windows Mobile tell the GPS to turn on and activate it stay activated until it gets deactivated and doesnt get affected by the booting of Linux.

What Haret does is that it loads the Linux kernel into memory while WM is running, then it takes control over the entire device, disabling memory management functions (MMU) before it copies the Linux kernel from one place in memory, to the place it should be, and executes (jumps) to that location. (Very simplified)

Its also worth noting that Haret might not work in future versions of WM since the MMU takeover only works on operating systems with no security, and running every app in RING 0/Kernel space. Just like DOS did.

When Haret jumps to the Linux kernel location, the Linux kernel starts and clears, and writes over the entire memory used by Windows Mobile.
The GPS device is still activated and transmitting data even though Windows Mobile is gone. This is why the LED state also "hangs" after booting Linux/Android.

In Windows Mobile, when the charger is connected, Windows Mobile tells the LED to light. When Windows Mobile is gone there is nothing there to tell it to stop.
There shouldn't be any differences in running Linux from Haret or running it native other than that you have to initialize all the devices in your phone again.
Hope this can shed some light on how Haret and Linux works.

[arrrghhh]

Pretty much what we've been saying, in a more concise (and hopefully accurate ) manner.

[hamagc]

lol ya just alot more detailed. but pretty much explains it all. we need windows to start everything for us while we are working on the drivers for android to be able to start and stop the hardware (much like the mic, needed to call prior to launching haret). the screen is the same way. i have a feeling that when run automatically, winmo tells the screen to default to dim when on unless another command overrides that. once in android there is nothing to override that so it stays dim. if we take it off, it defaults to just on and android can have it on without being dim. i don't really remember right now but i don't recall android having dimming capabilities. could be wrong though.

[arrrghhh]

LOL well the first post could be considered "concise"... not so much anymore. Good info from Edvard.

[88fingerslukee]

Thanks guys for the searching. That makes more sense than it did before.

Is he saying that GPS could actually work if you have it running before you run Haret? Or is there no way for Android to control it at all right now?

[arrrghhh]

Originally Posted by 88fingerslukee

Thanks guys for the searching. That makes more sense than it did before.

Is he saying that GPS could actually work if you have it running before you run Haret? Or is there no way for Android to control it at all right now?

GPS no workie currently. At all. The underlying Linux kernel doesn't have the drivers to understand what the GPS device is sending, so there's no way for Android to access it either. I'm hoping they'll get that worked out soon... I really want a NAND, I'm not sure what's stopping them now (other than the battery consumption, but it's not horrid... Just not ideal either )

[hamagc]

x2, i am patiently waiting for a nand release to drop winmo. i'm waiting on the camera more than the gps. cell tower location is just fine for me. but occasionally i will use my camera for work so i'd like that.

[tx_jaycee]

Sorry for the noob question but can you explain what you mean by NAND release?

[Santehnik]

NAND release is firmware that replace WM with Android