z2buntu

zashi from #zipit has created a very useful program that allows you to map keys from an input device to run any program/script. This is handy for the Zipit as it has a special keyboard. I have used it already to create volume up/down keys and LCD brightness up/down keys.

http://home.vay8.net/doku.php?id=ebindkeys-zipit

Now that U-Boot and the 2.6.35 kernel are out for the Zipit, a newer rootfs is in order. I've tweaked z2buntu and got X running with lxlauncher.
lxlauncher
Get the image here. md5 d87598a784e516d276a1c3bc9807d6ca
Get the tarball here. md5 d8722b55602fafb9ac1224220df2be2e

Without further adieu from me to you, Das U-Boot for the Z2! Z2 U-Boot

For the most part U-Boot works and can be flashed without much worry, unlike in the recent past. SDHC is now supported. There's still issues when trying to flash from a stock Zipit to U-Boot, so this guide is for a Zipit that has already been flashed to run the 2.6.29 kernel (ie you're already running z2buntu, rootnexus, sidetrack, debian, etc).

The z2buntu rootfs contains working compiling tools, but the Zipit doesn't really have the processing power to compile programs in a reasonable amount of time. This is a good use for QEMU. QEMU can run the z2buntu rootfs as a virtual machine faster than the Zipit can run natively. I run Ubuntu Linux on my home desktop so this guide needs to be tweaked for whatever OS you run.

First you need a rootfs. you can download my z2buntu rootfs or create your own using this guide (make sure to use the jaunty distro). If you use the z2buntu rootfs, I would recommend increasing the size of the partition so that you have enough room to install the required packages and source codes you'll be compiling. To do this, write the image to an SD card (change the img filename and the device to suit your needs):

Here's a video of what I've been working on. This zipit is ubooted running the 2.6.35-rc1 kernel, has been hardware modded for USB host, and is running a tweaked version of z2buntu. The new menu program I'm using is lxlauncher with keyboard support enabled and works extremely well.

UPDATE: Marshall at retroactive.be was kind enough to lend me some bandwidth for the z2buntu image. There some pretty cool stuff on his site. My personal fave is the Multari handheld Atari system.