Linux users of Sony Z1 series

[Brouard Nicolas <>]

Le mercredi 16 mars 2005 à 20:10 +0000, Stuart Shelton a écrit :
> On Wed, 2005-03-16 at 20:19 +0100, Brouard Nicolas wrote:
> > You can link these two programs to Fn-Esc and Fn-F12 respectively using
> > sonyxosd. But the sonyxosd program, even in its rpm form, is still
> > difficult to install because of the XOSD perl libraries. In my view, we
> > still need something intermediate between sonypidd and sonyxosd where
> > the final user could choose how to link the function keys to its
> > preferred programms in a file like ~/.sonypidrc to supersede the ever
> > wrong default.
> 
> The new 1.5 release of SonyXOSD now supports the reading of a config
> file from /etc/sonyxosd.conf - from which everything about it can be
> configured ... except for the key mappings :)
> 
> (I have also make Gentoo ebuilds that will automagically build and
> install SonyXOSD and all prerequisites, including Perl modules and
> libraries.  Unfortunately, as I no longer use an rpm-based distribution
> I don't know what the best way to convert this to an RPM would be.  The
> main problem with this is the installation of the perl modules.  For
> anyone who's happy using CPAN, this installation is trivial - perhaps it
> could be scripted?)
> 
> I'll see if there's a nice way to add key mappings to the config file
> for the next release - the problem is making something that is as
> flexible as SonyXOSD is now, but isn't too complex for someone who
> doesn't want to edit the sonyxosd script directly.
> 
> I think I might add a "CommandOverride" option in the config file to
> redefine key actions...

It could be very nice to implement such customisable redefinition. 
I also want to be able to cycle FN-F7 in 3 steps and not 4, like on
Windows. Could it be customisable too?

> > What is not working on a Sony Z1 under Linux? Nothing anymore?
> 
> Hmm - the internal modem is a little patchy (thought can be used through
> slmodem and the AC97 modem driver)
There is no GPL solution, but with Linuxant it works.

> I think the only missing features are now the correct operation of the
> P1/P2 buttons.  I still can't understand why Sony won't just tell us how
> to address the additional buttons - it's not as if it will benefit
> competitors or harm sales at all!

I recently asked again Stelian Pop (sonypi) who gave a very interesting
talk at Linux Solution in Paris on Linux Kernel team and philosophy
(meritocracy), on P1/P2. He said that he couldn't go further yet.

Luc Saillard (subscribed to the list) gave also a very important talk on
Reverse Engineering and the difference between French and American laws
and practices (US needs two different actors: on one side a first actor
writes and publishes the specs, and a second actor, "not linked to the
former", works on how to make the product running with the published
specifications.
So Luc, when will you start reverse engineering the windows sony
drivers? You live in France. Don't feel forced, I am kidding.

Nicolas

>       Stuart
-- 
Brouard Nicolas 
<>