PND for PyQt and/or PySide

[Eric Jardim]

Hi all,


The OpenPandora is almost perfect for deploying Python + Qt applications. It comes with Python and Qt4 installed, but PyQt is only available thru opkg. Further, PyQt version is pretty old, although the Qt4 version is updated. We can also build the Nokia's PySide, an alternate Qt binding for Python.


I am still not confortable with the Pandora toolchain neither the PND packaging system. I really need help for someone(s), at least the first time, to guide me thru this task.


The prizes are a legion of Python + Qt applications working out-of-the-box inside an OpenPandora. BTW, I am developing a cool environment for developing on the Pandora, but I still need some help with this first steps.


Please, don't be shy Thanks!

 

[Caine]

If there is sufficient space available on the NAND (seems unlikely), I wouldn't mind having PySide in the firmware.


It is against the design principle of PNDs to have other PNDs as dependencies yet these libraries aren't something I would want to bundle per application. GTK/PyGTK are preinstalled, why not QT/(PyQT|PySide). Both toolkits are about equally popular on Linux.


That said, if there is no space then there is no space and XFCE is GTK based. How much space does PySide require?

 

[skeezix]

We definately wanted 'cartridge' experience pnds (no dependancy hell like on desktops), but we also planned on adding some dependancy support to pnd. Its just somethign we need bodies to work on (not hard, but theres a lot of edge cases when you have apps/libs on removable media!) .. especially when it comes to things like java, be nice to have a java app that can just refer to the java pnd as a dependancy say, rather than include it in each app; that said, our historical logic has been.. each app shoudl include any extra libs it needs, but if those libs become high demand we'll build them into firmware or work on dependancy system. To this end, as an interim solution, a java installer pnd was released.


For QT we have a build in firmware, but there are newer builds floating around (4.7 and with better GL support, etc). They're usually embedded in the pnd for each app, since not too many so far, and really .. SD is big now


Anyway, PySide or PyQt might be good candidates for an installer pnd now, so peopel could hav e them if they like, but we're not fans of installers; but putting both of those in firmware might be gratuitous. Hard to say offhand


I don't have a handy build of either right now I'm afraid, but if someone pops one out, that would be _awesome_; they do work, I've built them before (I do a lot of python and QT stuff, and am working on a pyqt based game). I'm just real-life-busy right now, so up to someone else this round, likely..


jeff

 

[Eric Jardim]

If there is sufficient space available on the NAND (seems unlikely), I wouldn't mind having PySide in the firmware.

I don't mind too, but since a fresh Pandora have about 100MB free NAND, I see no problem putting it on the SD card.

It is against the design principle of PNDs to have other PNDs as dependencies yet these libraries aren't something I would want to bundle per application. GTK/PyGTK are preinstalled, why not QT/(PyQT|PySide). Both toolkits are about equally popular on Linux.

Qt and Python are preinstalled, but PyQt is not. PyQt package is "only" 3MB, but the opkg version is pretty outdated and the all the docstrings were removed. If you plan to program inside the Pandora, this is not cool, since you cannot use code insight with docstrings.


Anyway, I see no problem since Java is distributed in a PND and all Java apps require this PND. Fair enough!

That said, if there is no space then there is no space and XFCE is GTK based. How much space does PySide require?

I don't know. This depends on the compilation mode and removing or not the docstrings. Right now I am dealing to install the 32bit toolchain on my 64bit debian.

 

[Eric Jardim]

I don't have a handy build of either right now I'm afraid, but if someone pops one out, that would be _awesome_; they do work, I've built them before (I do a lot of python and QT stuff, and am working on a pyqt based game). I'm just real-life-busy right now, so up to someone else this round, likely..

Awsome! Right now, I am trying to build something with the toolchain. Since I can build PyQt and PySide, I will need some help with PND packing. Can you help with this?

 

[Caine]

Awsome! Right now, I am trying to build something with the toolchain. Since I can build PyQt and PySide, I will need some help with PND packing. Can you help with this?

Are you having any specific problems with packing it into a PND?

 

[skeezix]

I am the lead designer of the pnd system, so yes, I can help with that


There are a few pre-built toolchains around you can use (such as Codesourcery, or sebt3's yactfreu (spelled wrong), or djwillis toolchain, or Ivanovic's toolchain installer, or .. etc


jeff