Linux on BrailleNotes

[Garrett Klein]

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Theoretically it could be done... there is a port of Linux to the arm architecture. The main issues I would see, as I've thought about something similar for a PAC Mate, are:

1. Analising, reverse-engineering, and re-flashing the rom.
2. (this wouldn't necessarily be needed for the PAC Mate since its braille display uses a modified USB connector) analising/reverse-engineering the bus/communications protocol between the processor and the braille display.
3. Modifying brltty and the kernel to work with said bus/protocol.
4. Getting something like flite ported and integrated into the firmware (it would all have to be burned into rom).
5. Getting the braille keyboard working, which would most likely involve a completely revamped console/keymap system. Oh, the horror and nightmares that would result from that!
6. Grade 2 Braille support, and back/forward translation (even more terrifying than number 5!).
7. Creating a UI that's at least somewhat similar to KeySoft.

	I don't claim to be an expert at such things, but I consider myself knowledgable enough when it comes to a general understanding of how to get many things accomplished with computers. There's probably tons of stuff that would also have to be accounted for, but once you've got the rom hacked and the hardware drivers written everything else is just a question of effort and perseverence.

Garrett

On Wed, Feb 01, 2006 at 07:57:31AM -0500, David Poehlman wrote:
> As I understand it, not only the software but the hardware is  
> proprietary inside.  You'd have to wipe it and start over.
> 
> -- 
> Jonnie Apple Seed
> With his:
> Hands-On Technolog(eye)s
> 
> 
> On Feb 1, 2006, at 7:41 AM, BlindTech of BlindTechs.Net wrote:
> 
> You know, I have thought about this for along time, and have thought
> about how to go about iit. but never got started on thhe beginning
> points of it, but believe mme, it crossed y mind a million times to
> just say "Foget humanware and they crappy customer service" and just
> some how get linux on my braillenote pk.
> 
> On Feb 1, 2006, at 2:55 AM, Chris Norman wrote:
> 
> > Hi people,
> > Does anyone know weather or not there is a linux distribution which
> > will
> > work on the BrailleNote from PulseData?
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Chris Norman
> > <!-- chris.norman4 at ntlworld.com -->
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Speakup mailing list
> > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> 
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