Minimum Python requirements? (was: Python for PDAs?)

[Jeff Senn]

Robb Shecter <shecter at darmstadt.gmd.de> writes:
> I've got a question along these lines.  I've been thinking about
> taking an old laptop and making it into a "Python-PDA".  I figure I'd
> put a bare linux load on it, a text editor, python, and nothing else. 
> I'd write my own XML-based PDA software that uses the character mode.
> 
> Any clue as to how much hard drive space I'd need?  I'd probably want
> to install an extra python package or two, like the xml parser.
> 
> Also, how much RAM would I need to run a bare Linux (I'm guessing 2.5
> MB) plus a running python process (???MB).
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> (PS: Anybody else thinking about doing something like this?)

Well.. yes.  I'm actually doing a research project involving embedded
systems and scripted execution of small bits of (very modular) code.
I've toying with building a "Python OS" (well, more of the meaning of
the "OS" in DOS than in "Unix is an OS").

I have actually done this.  A micro-kernel with a nearly full Python
(all the default C modules including REs, Cpickle etc...) plus a TCP
stack and all of the bits of a C RTL you need for Python make a kernel
(on a x86 system) that is about 1M (after you trim out the symbols).

I haven't yet played with dynamic loading, very extensive file system
support, or pthreads yet...

[As for an editor -- I suppose one could write one given the curses
package --- ala Emacs only .py instead of .el as it were :-) --
copious free time being what it is... :-)]

As for runtime (heap) space -- I haven't done much testing -- I
suppose you could get away with very little (<1M of heap) if you are
willing to trim features/modules from Python.

Anyway...take a look here: http://www.abo.fi/~iporres/python/ 
for ideas on how to trim Python's size.

Look here: http://www.cs.utah.edu/flux/oskit/
for components to build your own kernel/OS

I suppose one might also want to look at some of the "tiny Linux"
projects going on...e.g. Linux Router (...is that what it's called?)

If anyone else is working on this sort of stuff ... speak up, I'd like
to hear ideas....

-- 
-Jas
-----------------------------------------------------------  / / |  / \ / /|
Jeff Senn          412-488-2900 voice    MAYA Design Group  /|/| |-/ o | /-| 
Chief Technologist 412-488-2940 fax   2100 Wharton Street  / | | |/    |/  |
Head of R&D        senn at maya.com    Pittsburgh, PA 15203   Taming Complexity
                                                          http://www.maya.com/