Getting Started

[Qwak]

I had a look on the wiki, but the getting started section looked a bit sparse!

Just curious, what's the development environment like?

Do we use GNU c++ compiler? .. is there a special build of it to produce executables for Pandora?

Also, is it possible to develop on a Windows PC, and either run on a Pandora Emu, or have a Pandora attached to my PC that I can debug on etc?

Ok, you can stop laughing now!

Jamie.

 

[Capn_Fish]

QUOTE
Just curious, what's the development environment like?


Just like any other one (whatever you make it, in other words), except with some limitations (OGLES).

QUOTE
Do we use GNU c++ compiler? .. is there a special build of it to produce executables for Pandora?


Yes. http://www.angstrom-distribution.org/build...%A5ngstr%C3%B6m

QUOTE
Also, is it possible to develop on a Windows PC, and either run on a Pandora Emu, or have a Pandora attached to my PC that I can debug on etc?


Not so far as I know. You might have luck building your own toolchain under Cygwin. Emulating the Pandora has been discussed, and at least doing the CPU is easy (QEMU), but I believe it's the graphics that aren't guaranteed.

You can always just code on the Pandora itself as well.

 

[Wertigon]

QUOTE
Also, is it possible to develop on a Windows PC, and either run on a Pandora Emu, or have a Pandora attached to my PC that I can debug on etc?

Not so far as I know. You might have luck building your own toolchain under Cygwin. Emulating the Pandora has been discussed, and at least doing the CPU is easy (QEMU), but I believe it's the graphics that aren't guaranteed.

You can always just code on the Pandora itself as well.


Personally I believe this to be crucial to developers. If you want a platform to succeed, the first thing you need to do is ensure a smooth build process, and being able to directly compile your program on your quad-core and then load it onto the Pandora would help that tremendously. Hoping it happens!

 

[Tobs]

A lot of people have said that they way they will do it is to set up a shared folder using SMB or similar between the P&|a and the development computer. Then it's easy enough to compile to that directory on the dev. computer and just refresh the file list on the P&|a, and run the new app.
Of course you get into complications with large files and there's the slowness of loading over a network, but then maybe just upgrade to ethernet network?
Another problem with that is no debugger, and I guess console would be difficult to access in full screen mode.

Tobs

 

[torpor]

Remote debugging over the network is going to be easy. I'm personally looking forward to having all the development tools needed to make Pandora applications, *on the Pandora itself*. I can't stand the hassle of cross-compiling and debugging when the machine itself is more than powerful enough to run the developer tools...

 

[Wertigon]

A lot of people have said that they way they will do it is to set up a shared folder using SMB or similar between the P&|a and the development computer. Then it's easy enough to compile to that directory on the dev. computer and just refresh the file list on the P&|a, and run the new app.
Of course you get into complications with large files and there's the slowness of loading over a network, but then maybe just upgrade to ethernet network?
Another problem with that is no debugger, and I guess console would be difficult to access in full screen mode.

Tobs

That is *almost* what I'm after, but I want to be able to type "make && ./pandoraapp" on my main desktop - basicly, a single step to try out my app. Of course, debugging would suck, but for quickly testing performance and doing those last minute bugfixes this would be invaluable. Slowness isn't going to be a huge issue since I'll probably be connected with an USB-cable the old-fashioned way anyhow.

Might look into it once my Pandora arrives if this isn't a reality by then...

 

[TrevorBradley]

Of course you get into complications with large files and there's the slowness of loading over a network, but then maybe just upgrade to ethernet network?
Another problem with that is no debugger, and I guess console would be difficult to access in full screen mode.

Tobs

802.11g is pretty darn fast. Unless you're streaming HD video, it's more than sufficient for any conceivable task.

I plan to turn my Pandora on, leave it closed on the desktop, and use ssh and access the machine over wireless. One more linux machine on the network... Debugger will work just fine even in full screen mode.

 

[Qwak]

One option I'm looking at is to isolate all the platform dependent stuff from the game.

I'll have different plaform specific libs I can link the game to (one for windows, one for Pandora, etc). So in theory (!) once the platform specific stuff is developed, it will be possible to develop the game part while linking to the Windows lib, and then just switch libs every so often to test on a real Pandora.

Mind you, I like the sound of remote debugging over a wireless network, Windows PC <> Pandora. That would be mega useful.

Also, will it be possible to connect the Pandora to a keyboard / mouse / monitor; and have the dev tools and debug window running on the monitor, while the game runs full-screen on the Pandora?

 

[Holliefant]

QUOTE
Also, will it be possible to connect the Pandora to a keyboard / mouse / monitor; and have the dev tools and debug window running on the monitor, while the game runs full-screen on the Pandora?


As far as I know a Mouse and a Keyboard should be no Problem at all.
Monitor...
Video Out for TV..

 

[torpor]

I'm wondering if I can plug my new DLP pocket projector into the Pandora .. can't find the details about the video output format .. is it going to be HDMI'able?

 

[benjymous]

Also, will it be possible to connect the Pandora to a keyboard / mouse / monitor; and have the dev tools and debug window running on the monitor, while the game runs full-screen on the Pandora?

You could quite easily SSH into the pandora from your desktop PC, and run a debugger in a terminal window whilst the Pandora's display is running your fullscreen game.

If your PC is running Linux, you could also run a full IDE on the pandora, but redirect the IDE's UI windows to your PC display (so you'd be using an editor running on the pandora, but the display and input would all be piped through your PC) - this is an incredibly easy thing to do with linux, so won't need any special support (any machine can run an X-windows based app and tell it to redirect its display and input to another computer running X)

 

[Squidge]

Do we use GNU c++ compiler? .. is there a special build of it to produce executables for Pandora?
Yes, http://www.codesourcery.com/gnu_toolchains/sgpp/

Also, is it possible to develop on a Windows PC, and either run on a Pandora Emu, or have a Pandora attached to my PC that I can debug on etc?
Yes, you can ssh over usb/wifi to the Pandora, run gdb and run Insight on your PC. Then the app runs on the Pandora, the output appears on the Pandora, and you debug on the PC. If you prefer the output to be on your PC instead, you can export the X display from the Pandora via wifi or USB to your PC.

That is *almost* what I'm after, but I want to be able to type "make && ./pandoraapp" on my main desktop -
How about 'make && rsh pandoraip /dir/pandoraapp' ? (assuming '/dir/pandoraapp' is on a nfs or samba share from your PC).

 

[dentrado]

I'm wondering if I can plug my new DLP pocket projector into the Pandora .. can't find the details about the video output format .. is it going to be HDMI'able?

The output on pandora? No only S-video.

 

[Capn_Fish]

That is *almost* what I'm after, but I want to be able to type "make && ./pandoraapp" on my main desktop - basicly, a single step to try out my app.

I've been coding stuff in OGLES recently, and just build natively for i686 Gentoo to test (there are OGLES to OGL wrapper libs available). That works fine for me (Input and performance aside).

You could probably do something similar on Windows.