GP32 Help For Newbie Gp32 Coder?

[xizal]

Hello all.

My first post here and as I'm new to coding on the GP32 I'm hoping a guide or easy setup instructions for getting started exists.

I've read about devkitARM and I've also seen mention of another environment called ADS which is supposed to produce better quality/faster code? I've also had a look at mirko's SDK and the GP32 SDK and it would seem most people use a modified version of mirko's SDK.

Also any guides on creating a setup to build for Windows and the GP32 from the same project?

I want to start with simple multiplayer games so my two young kids can play with the GP link adaptors but I'd also like for them to be able to play the games on their PCs as well.

I don't intend to use SDL but if there's a similar lightweight SDK I can use I'd be interested in that or else I'll have to write my own.

So basically I'm hoping to get the basics from experienced GP32 coders like a few pointers on getting a Windows/GP32 build environment up and running and anything else you think might be useful for me to know.

Any help will be much appreciated.

 

[slaanesh]

SDL is a great way to get software ported from one platform (ie. PC) to another (ie. GP32) and vice versa.

For simple games this may be the way to go if you want games that are both available on GP32 and PC.

I've always been interested in getting the RF modules to do something interesting. There are a few examples of their use on the GP32 software archive.

 

[xizal]

Thanks for your help slaanesh.

I had thought getting it setup would be very difficult as I know very little about setting up the development environment etc but I've just now read more about SDL on the GP32 and the posts by Kidchaos on here, gp32spain and the devkitARM mailing list are especially encouraging. He also has debugging working over USB which would be handy to have too.

I saw in the archive GPEngine has multiplayer support but I didn't find anything else. I'd appreciate if you could point me to a couple of the RF module examples on there.

 

[kidchaos2k6]

Thanks for your help slaanesh.

I had thought getting it setup would be very difficult as I know very little about setting up the development environment etc but I've just now read more about SDL on the GP32 and the posts by Kidchaos on here, gp32spain and the devkitARM mailing list are especially encouraging. He also has debugging working over USB which would be handy to have too.

Hi xizal,

As you will discover, the gp32 is still a decent machine, but now its been for 5 or 6 years running around, and the tools and the information are very outdated on the internet, and the homebrew moved to the NDS or the GP2X scene... Anyway, D_Skywalk did a tutorial on setting the cross environment Win/GP, it should be on his site...

As i comment in others posts, the latest version of DKARM is working fine with the GP, and im debugging the code using the gdbstub/arm-eabi-gdb (google for it)... But i dont have enough experience on developing a game, and for the moment im just trying to port sources...

Do you have any previous experience on developing games? The thing about the gp32 is that its almost bare hardware, with no OS, so you have to integrate everything while developing the game, ant it makes thing tricky....

Regards,

@B^)>

 

[xizal]

Thanks for the reply Kidchaos.

I've had the GP32s and link adaptors for a long time and I tried out some of the emulators and games and also looked into writing simple games and porting other games back then too but as my kids weren't that keen on playing with the GP32s until recently they've mostly been stored away until they were interested. I haven't got recent experience writing games but I did do a lot of it in my youth. These days I'm much more into the technical side of programming so much less creative than I used to be and I guess I'll probably stick to also doing porting work at least initially anyway.

So anyway, I did a lot of searching and eventually found the GP32 GDB Win32 server but I haven't found much about the eabi gdbstub yet and I also found D_Skywalk's Win/GP toolchain tutorial so thanks for mentioning those.

I also found a little bit of info on making replacement firmware so I'm going to work on a new firmware before anything else. I'm hoping to make the GP32 as easy as possible to use for my kids (they're still young so are only looking to press a specific button to get stuff working ).

As you said there isn't that much new info or uptodate setup guides to be found about developing on the GP32 but I think I'm sorted enough to be able to move forward with making a new firmware and also I should also be able to get the older SDL toolchain up and running quite easily thanks to D_Skywalk's tutorial. I'm from the UK and I don't know the spanish language at all but google's translation isn't too hard to follow for the most part anyway so it wasn't too difficult to follow it.

 

[kidchaos2k6]

So anyway, I did a lot of searching and eventually found the GP32 GDB Win32 server but I haven't found much about the eabi gdbstub yet and I also found D_Skywalk's Win/GP toolchain tutorial so thanks for mentioning those.

About the gdbsutb with multifw support, i downloaded both from here:
http://gp32.misantrop.org/Down.php

As detailed in some readme there's no such thing as eabi GDB stub. The gdb client is divided between the gdbstub.cpp that you compile and link with your fxe, and the gdbserver that receives the info in your computer. You start your program, and crash it with an asm call... The EABI gdb client wil catch the running application and you can restart it from the point it was traped. On Sourceforge DKARM site look for arm-eabi-insight, ...

The packaged gp32gdb stub site was lost, but can be found here

http://web.archive.org/web/20050311232702/...db/gp32gdb.html

Although it sounds pretty, the USB-stub crashes very easily, particulary when ISR's are activated (eg, playing a sound) but usually is better than (sacred) printf's everywhere!!!!

@B^)>

P.S: Many people had problem with their GP's while updating their firmware, be sure the batteries are charged or use a DC-adaptor. Your children will start fighting for one gp32_console if you lose the other !!