running linux ON an mp3 player

Onewheelinweirdo · 04-19-2007, 06:39 AM

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!

MS3FGX · 04-19-2007, 11:19 PM

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?

Onewheelinweirdo · 04-20-2007, 06:37 AM

Quote:

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

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.

nx5000 · 04-20-2007, 07:05 AM

This is the first question to answer:

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS3FGX

Has anyone even documented the firmware/bootloader for this device?

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...

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