Author Topic: Ben NanoNote FAQ and Tips & Tricks  (Read 23611 times)

xdpirate (OP)

  • Posts: 490
Ben NanoNote FAQ and Tips & Tricks
« on: June 12, 2010, 08:35:57 pm »
I thought I'd compile a little FAQ for Dingoo owners and NanoNote newbies alike, just to clarify some things.

Table of Contents

If there's anything you want added, or have any other questions, send me a PM, and I'll add it!
« Last Edit: August 04, 2010, 01:28:00 am by xdpirate »

xdpirate (OP)

  • Posts: 490
Re: Ben NanoNote FAQ and Tips & Tricks
« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2010, 11:06:08 pm »
Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a Dingoo and a Ben NanoNote?
The main difference is that the Dingoo is a games console, mainly dedicated to playing and emulating games. The Ben NanoNote is a "half-fledged" computer, which is very similar to the Dingoo in hardware, but the similarites stops there. Since the Ben NanoNote has a full QWERTY-keyboard, this opens up a whole world of possibilities in terms of possible software.

Why should I get a NanoNote?
Basically, if you're familiar with the UNIX-family of operating systems, and enjoy working with them, if you like programming for embedded devices, play with hardware mods on a device where all schematics are available, you should get a NanoNote.

Why shouldn't I get a NanoNote?
The NanoNote is not a Dingoo. It won't be as good as a device for gaming as the Dingoo is, but you have a near-complete, customizable computer at the size of your wallet (even smaller!). I say near-complete because there are of course some limitations, which includes no WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity without an expensive SDIO card.

Is the NanoNote binary compatible with Dingux executeables?
Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Most of the time. There might be problems with missing libraries or differences in existing libraries, but in these cases, minimal adjustments are required to run the executeable on the NanoNote. They might also have very weird keybindings, unless you change them, or the author makes a version specifically for the NanoNote.

Another incompitability pointed out by zear, is the fact that the NanoNote uses 32-bit per pixel color depth, while the Dingoo uses 16 bpp. This can lead to slowdowns in some applications, because the colors have to be software converted.

Can the NanoNotes processor be overclocked for better performance in [insert application name here]?
Short answer: Not at the moment. Long answer: Yes, it can, but there's currently no code to do it. The overclocking code included in gmenu2x for the Ben is the same overclocking code as is in the Dingoo version, and since the Ben uses a slightly different processor (Ingenics JZ4720) than the Dingoo (Ingenics JZ4732), the overclocking code needs to be adjusted specifically for the JZ4720. If the processor is overclocked with the current overclocking code, the LCD gets wavy, and it's generally considered unsafe to do so yet.

Is there a large community around the NanoNote, as with the Dingoo?
There indeed is:

Does the NanoNote have USB Host capability?
No.

Where can I find out more about the NanoNote hardware?
There is a full hardware spec on the official site - http://sharism.cc/specs/ - or repeated below:
  • 336 MHz XBurst Jz4720 MIPS-based CPU
  • Display: 3.0" TFT LCD
  • Resolution: 320 x 240, 16.7M colors
  • Dimensions (mm): 99 x 75 x 17.5 (Closed)
  • Weight: 126 g (incl. battery)
  • RAM: 32MB Synchronous DRAM
  • Audio out: 3.5 mm standard audio jack
  • Memory card slot: microSD|HC
  • 850mAh Li-Ion battery
  • 2GB NAND flash memory
  • mini-USB: USB 2.0 High-Speed Device
  • Single (mono) speaker and integrated microphone
  • Full QWERTY-keyboard

Where can I buy it?
European customers can buy from Tuxbrain.
International customers can buy from Sharism.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2010, 11:25:27 pm by xdpirate »

xdpirate (OP)

  • Posts: 490
Re: Ben NanoNote FAQ and Tips & Tricks
« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2010, 11:06:18 pm »
Tips & Tricks

Edit the hostname of your NanoNote (thanks to arctanx of #qi-hardware)
To edit the hostname of your NN (the text that shows after [email protected] on the console), edit the line that says BenNanoNote in /etc/config/system, and reboot your NN to see the changes.

Reset root password (thanks to arctanx and shevek of #qi-hardware)
If you forgot your password and want to reset it to a null password, replace the first line in /etc/passwd with "root:!:0:0:root:/root:/bin/ash" without the quotes. This also allows you to connect via telnet again, since you can only connect via SSH after setting the root password with passwd.

Mount microSD card at boot
Add the line "mount /dev/mmcblk0 /card/" without the quotes to the /etc/profile file.

Quick mount and unmount microSD
Create two scripts, "msd" (mount microSD) and "usd" (unmount microSD), in /usr/bin.

/usr/bin/msd
Code: [Select]
#!/bin/sh
mount /dev/mmcblk0 /card/

/usr/bin/usd
Code: [Select]
#!/bin/sh
cd /
umount /dev/mmcblk0

Make the scripts executeable by executing the following lines:
Code: [Select]
chmod +x /usr/bin/usd
chmod +x /usr/bin/msd

Then you can type "msd" to mount your microSD card, and "usd" to unmount it.

Have gcal show correct formatting in terminal
Does the gcal output formatting show broken in the terminal? Add the line "export TERM=linux" to your /etc/profile file.

"Couldn't initialize SDL: Unable to open mouse"
To fix this, add the line "export SDL_NOMOUSE=1" to your /etc/profile file.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2010, 11:25:37 pm by xdpirate »

xdpirate (OP)

  • Posts: 490
Re: Ben NanoNote FAQ and Tips & Tricks
« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2010, 11:38:29 pm »
Reviews


xdpirate (OP)

  • Posts: 490
Re: Ben NanoNote FAQ and Tips & Tricks
« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2010, 11:43:58 pm »
Videos

NanoNote booting and running some SDL apps [by zear]
<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220814160723/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfVmWM2UNEE" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfVmWM2UNEE</a>

NanoNote unboxing video [by moritzmetz]
<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220814160723/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQcpUWn6YI4" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQcpUWn6YI4</a>

Ben NanoNote booting [by vegyraupe]
<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220814160723/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_T5FRNN6OI" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_T5FRNN6OI</a>

Editing, building and flashing an Arduino board from NanoNote [by DavidSamblas]
<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220814160723/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apOUKCa4YWg" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apOUKCa4YWg</a>

Ben Nanonote running Abiword [by frankiebee2006]
<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220814160723/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhCoCciVicY" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhCoCciVicY</a>
« Last Edit: June 13, 2010, 12:52:09 am by xdpirate »

xdpirate (OP)

  • Posts: 490
Re: Ben NanoNote FAQ and Tips & Tricks
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2010, 01:26:58 am »
Operating Systems

The Ben NanoNote ships with a modified OpenWRT build. However, to date, two other operating systems (both GNU/Linux-based) have been brought to the NanoNote. Refer to the below list with links to information and downloads.


 

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