Audrey Hacking Wiki
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What operating system does the Audrey use?

It uses 3Com's Kojak system which is a version of QNX RTP earlier than 6.1, but not exactly stock. It uses libc.so.1, not libc.so.2, for example. Contrary to early reports, there are no PalmOS components in Kojak.

What hardware does the Audrey use?

It has a National Semiconductor Geode GX1 CPU based on the Cyrix MediaGX and is Intel 80386 compatible. This CPU is clocked at 200MHz, though it can be overclocked to 333MHz with a simple modification. The Audrey has 32MB of RAM and 16MB of flash memory using an Intel E28F128 chip. It also has a CS5530 controller, CS9211 TFT to DSTN converter, National PC97317 SuperI/O, Crystal Semi 4299 AC97 codec, and an ADS7843 touch controller.

What kind of Ethernet adapter does the Audrey use?

3Com sold a USB Ethernet adapter especially for use with the Audrey. The model was 3C19250, and it's a straightforward USB adapter using the Kawasaki LSI KL5KUSB101 chipset. The Linksys USB10T, Netgear EA-101, and D-Link DSB-650C are similar. However, the Audrey won't necessarily support these other devices unless you reprogram their Vendor_ID and Device_ID values to match the 3COM device. You can do this using Kawasaki LSI's "qttools" software.

What to the buttons do?

See Audrey buttons for more information.

Can I add more storage using CompactFlash or USB?

At this point, it is impossible to add more storage using either the CompactFlash slot or the USB ports. The system lacks a block driver for both of these connectors, meaning that block storage (the kind you want) is not supported in software. It may be possible, however, to add a storage driver from a later version of QNX. You can also use the character driver for the CompactFlash slot to read and write a single file using tar or other means.

Original Audrey Users

If you are using the original Audrey image and applications, or something close to it, here are your answers!

Getting started

I have a fresh Audrey - what should I do?

The first step is getting shell. This means gaining administrative access to the Audrey's software. After that, you can do whatever you want!

How can I back up the software?

You can back up the Audrey's software to a CompactFlash card and restore it later if something goes wrong.

What hardware do I need?

You absolutely must get a wired USB Ethernet adapter to do anything interesting with the Audrey. Next would be a 32MB CompactFlash card to back up the software. You should also consider getting a spare keyboard and power supply since these are somewhat fragile and may not always be available.

What can I do with the original image?

Many users still rely on the stock image. It includes a functional (but not feature-rich) web browser, email client, and scheduling application which all still work fine. There are limits to these applications, however, including an outdated version of RealPlayer and little support for modern web sites.


Working with the Browser

The original Audrey web browser is simply called "Browser".

How do I add bookmarks?

Go to a page you like and click "bookmark". You can edit the description and categorize it there. The "favorites" category can hold three web sites to be "docked" next to the address bar.

How do I add or change the three "docked" bookmarks?

The three little web pages next to the address bar are the "favorites" in the bookmark page. Simply bookmark a page as a favorite and it will appear there. If you already have three, you must delete one to add another.

How can I clear or edit the history?

The Browser site list (accessed through the drop-down address bar) is stored in /config/BROWSER_SiteList. You may edit this page with vi, blank it out, or overwrite it. It will be re-read when the Browser restarts, usually on a reboot though you can manually restart it too.

How can I make web images look better?

By default, the Browser will only display 256 colors (8-bit images). But the screen can show 12-bit colors! So set the value of /config/BROWSER Use256Colors to "0" to enable greater color depth.

What known bugs are there?

  • Browser does not support HTML tables well.
  • It does not support cascading style sheets or modern flash sites either.
  • The text box used on many web sites gets crazy with large input fields - it will begin scrolling the whole Browser window once approximately one page of text is entered.

Working with the Email application

Working with the Calendar application

Using channels/the wheel

Audrey system configuration

Where is the configuration stored?

Most Audrey configuration items are stored in /config. Other settings are in /nto and /kojak.

How can I fix the time?

The Audrey uses network time protocol on boot to set its time. It has to be connected to the Internet with a USB Ethernet adapter on boot and it has to have a correct set of time servers to look at. The originals don't work, but the following do:

  • utcnist.colorado.edu
  • time.nist.gov
  • pool.ntp.org

To make Audrey's time setting work, edit the /config/Timeserver0 file with one of these servers. You can add the other two in Timeserver1 and Timeserver2 if you want.

To fix it with minimal effort, get shell and type this:

echo pool.ntp.org > /config/Timeserver0

How do I change the screen saver timeout?

Edit the value of /config/SYSTEM_ScreenSaveSecs. Set it to 0 to disable the screensaver.

How do I re-run the DHCP client?

From a root shell, type this:

/nto/bin/dhcp.client

Add-on software

What do I need to add software?

There are many additional software components that you can add to the Audrey - some require an alternate (updated) operating system, while others can run on the original image.

How can I organize and launch all this added software?

You can add icons to the Audrey's own launcher, or you can add a launcher called Shelf which functions like the Windows start button.

Can I telnet into the Audrey?

Yes! You can add telnetd and inetd fairly simply, allowing you to access the Audrey from any telnet-capable terminal software, including "telnet" on Windows and UNIX. This is not a secure method of access, however, so many like to use ssh instead, though this requires more system modification. You can also get a remote xterm for a client running the X window system.

Can I use the Audrey as an mp3 player?

Yes, the Audrey works fairly well for playing mp3 music files over a network share.

Can I use the Audrey as a web server?

The original Audrey image includes a basic web server which can be repurposed to serve whatever pages you want.

Can I get a better web browser?

An advanced version of the Audrey's built-in browser called Voyager is available for install. Some might prefer the more-integrated original browser, however.

Can I add an instant messenger client?

There are two good IM clients for the Audrey:

  • Jabber works on the Jabber network (including Google Talk) and can be bridged to other networks using Jabber "transports"
  • GAIM is an AOL Instant Messenger client

Can I remotely control my PC?

Yes, there is a VNC client for Audrey.

Can I use my Audrey as a picture frame?

There are a few options for this popular repurposing. See the picture frame page for details.

What shell commands should I add?

There are many useful QNX shell commands for Audrey. Some are available in a Plus pack and can be untarred into /nto/bin. This package includes mv, less, use, cut, cmp, fs-nfs2, fs-cifs, and grep.

Alternate Audrey system software

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