running linux ON an mp3 player
 

My Zen Nano Plus really bugs me sometimes. It has no playlist function and the only way to organize music is by folder. I think that it might use this processor. I got that info from here Down by "hardware". I'm not really sure where to start since the Zen Nano Plus is actually a remade MuVo n200 and my C++ is not very good. I would like to use this project to motivate me to actually learn C++ over the summer.
If anyone has ANY info at all on the hardware inside or some software tips, please post them. Thanks!

Wait, you are asking about actually porting the kernel over to this MP3 player and building an OS around it?

To develop something even halfway decent, it would take a group of experienced programmers at least a year. Even with all the people working on Linux for the iPod, it took quite some time before it was usable.

Has anyone even documented the firmware/bootloader for this device? Has anyone ever attempted to port the kernel to this device, or are you trying to start from scratch?

Yeah. that's what I was thinking.I really had no idea how hard it would be. I am still not sure. the Zen Nano Plus is definitely less complex than the Ipod having such a small screen and less buttons and no touchpad.

This is the first question to answer:
For those who didn't know how it was first done with the ipod:
http://www.ipodlinux.org/stories/piezo/
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7085
Very ingenious...:jawa:

He made his ipod play the bootloader, recorded the sound and decoded it back to assembly code.