[Icon-tech] findingdocumentationondevelopingprogramsforthebraille plus

[Nick Gawronski]

Hi, With apt-get or aptitude after adding the line to sources.list what 
package should I install to get all of the openembedded stuff I will need to 
compile c programs for the icon or braille plus?  There are a few meta 
packages different derivitives of openembedded looking at the apt-cache 
search openembedded what one would I install if I wanted a complete build 
set?  One package I am trying to build for the braille plus as that is what 
I have is the bsd games package if that is not already built for the arm 
processer.  Is there a way to check to see if that is built for arm?  When 
you talk about the installation of packages so they are temporary installed 
and will not stay after a reflash if we want to install them the normal way 
is that using file explorer?  Is there a command line for normal package 
installation?  What package in debian contains the ipk building programs?
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ken Perry" <kperry at aph.org>
To: "Icon technical discussions." <icon-tech at mulcahy.ws>
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 6:39 AM
Subject: RE: [Icon-tech] 
findingdocumentationondevelopingprogramsforthebraille plus


>
>
> I will try to answer these questions satisfactorily, and you will have to 
> ask for more information if I leave anything out.
> You asked,
> "the big question is
>> how to compile the c source code first so it will run on the braille
>> plus.  Is there any information anywhere about compiling c programs for
>> the arm processer?
>
> Last I heard, the Icon used a cross compile system called OpenEmbedded
> (www.openembedded.org) to build its software for ARM.  I don't know if
> this is still the case.  Maybe Marc can chime in on this."
>
> You are correct part of the system is OE and we are currently building 
> with the Arm gcc tool chain version 3.4.4 release 3.
> You asked,
> "I wonder if another option would be to use binaries from the Debian armel
> branch.  I don't know if these binaries are compatible with the Icon base
> system?"
>
> Some will work and some will not.  If you want to test it install it like 
> so:
>
> Ipkg install Packagename.ipk
>
> This way if you do a reflash it will not stay installed.  Once you know it 
> works you can install it through the regular method.  Know that anything 
> you install this way we do not support.
>
> You said,
> "s for Python development, I would also be interested in some tutorials on
> the classes provided for the Icon UI, and a list of Python modules
> available on the Icon."
>
> If you know python well you can find all this information using the python 
> interpreter and a module called inspect and a function called dir at the 
> console.  If you don't you might want to do some work on python on your 
> own PC to learn it first.  This is how I got started on the device I wrote 
> the tuner first on Windows then I learned the SBTK that runs the Icon UI. 
> There are also the docs on tech.aph.org/mm and there are a list of the 
> SBTK functions there.  Which is what our UI tool kit is called.
>
>
> You asked,
> "As I don't have an Icon, I was also wondering if
> there is some kind of Icon UI "simulator" available to be able to develop
> on a Linux PC?  Or is the only test environment the Icon itself?"
>
> You can develop  anywhere but you can only really test the code on the 
> Icon.  The SBTK is only on the Icon.  I test a lot of my code on Linux 
> though and then port it over.  I find sometimes I have to change the code 
> due to problems with the small environment for example audio is fixed 
> point and some xml functions are slower do to the small platform.   You 
> can work around almost any problem but again I suggest if you're starting 
> out with python you should write some applications for your PC first even 
> if it's under windows.
>
> Ken
>
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