From: Mark Allums <mark_at_allums.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 07:40:37 -0600

Björn Stenberg wrote:
>> Would Rockbox be suitable for Google's Android?
>
> Android currently only supports Java application.
> Porting Rockbox to Java would be quite an undertaking,
> and also cancel some of the benefits.


Porting to Java sounds project-y, though perhaps not in a single summer.

As a first step, use a compiler for Java that compiles to native code,
rather than the JVM. Doesn't gcj do that? That way, in theory, one
could run a Java-ed Rockbox as firmware on currently supported hardware.

Why one would want to do that is mainly to prove the concept. Then, one
would proceed to app-ize it.

Any system with a JVM could run it, assuming the CPU and resources are
there. As you say, one loses the benefits. However, one might gain a
few things. There are a lot of people who would enjoy an open-sourced
and/or GPLed iTunes.

So my next suggestion is:

rTunes.

Okay, okay. Rockbox as an app has already been suggested. Still...


Another suggestion: Get USB charging working in Rockbox, instead of
charging through the original firmware, on quite a few targets.


Mark Allums
Received on 2009-01-20