While it definitely is a cool project, it’s a micropython one, so the target audience is similar but not the same.
Thanks! Good to see there's an ESP32 community too. I just subscribed ^^
I didn't know this exists! I'm currently using a dependency to load ELF files: https://components.espressif.com/components/espressif/elf_loader
I guess it would make more sense to have the memory mapping done inside elf_loader, so that S3 devices can load to PSRAM and non-S3 devices can load into IRAM. Thanks for the tip!
I don't expect regular Python apps to ever run on Tactility, as the memory requirements are likely too high. There is at most about 8MB of RAM for apps available. Perhaps a special build of micropython could work at some point.
You can open the Files app and there's a folder named "sdcard". So far, all SD card implementations are done via a serial interface (SPI). I cannot mount them on-the-fly yet - only at boot.
There is indeed no way to create new virtual memory mappings. When a binary is loaded, it's manually mapped into IRAM (instruction RAM).
The target audience for things like Lilygo T-Deck is probably the more technical side of the Flipper Zero audience. I can see how it could also become an end-user device (like Flipper Zero is to many people), but we'll need more apps for that.
And sure, you could use a Raspberry Pi, but part of the fun/challenge of this project is that it hasn't been done for ESP32 before (as far as I'm aware). Some differences: a Raspberry Pi draws more power, costs more, and generally doesn't boot in under 2 seconds. I'm also not aware of compact Pi-based handhelds like the Lilygo T-Deck is to my project. edit: There's the uConsole, but it's twice the price, likely has 6+ months delivery time, is much larger, and weighs much more.
In its current state, it's mainly a tool for developers to be able to build prototypes or experiments quickly. From a user perspective, there isn't enough yet. We'll need more apps before it's useful for end-users. I want to improve the core functionality before I build more apps: I already have to maintain about 2 dozen apps and I'd rather spend my time on building a better platform for now.
I worked on an ESP32 operating system for the past year
The project is called "Tactility" and its website is https://tactility.one/
You can run ELF binary apps directly from an SD card without restarting or flashing the ROM. There's an SDK for building these apps, but I haven't made an official release yet.
I wrote a blog post with some background information: https://bytewelder.com/posts/2025/01/06/tactility-one-year-later.html
Source code and project files: https://github.com/ByteWelder/Tactility
GrapheneOS is awesome, though! Lots of other benefits in using it :) I tried it for a while and the only drawback for me was lack of Google Pay support due to integrity checks.
PSA for iOS: you can cancel the subscription immediately and still enjoy the entire period of the free trial.
Framework laptops solve this by having physical switches for the camera and microphone at the top of edge of the screen. Can’t get safer than that except for physical removal.
If you just want CAD without CAM then the free variant of OnShape is amazing.
For me, it’s the feature discovery that’s massively lacking. Last week I wanted to scale the selected area. Had to search for it online. The UX is the least intuitive one of all drawing software I’ve used.