Pandora Python For The Pandora


klikklak

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Right, what is the status of python support for the pandora? does it exist and is it fast enough to do random productivity programs for it? Or maybe even games?
 
klikklak said:
Right, what is the status of python support for the pandora? does it exist and is it fast enough to do random productivity programs for it? Or maybe even games?
Python and PyGame will be available at launch IIRC. Python is in the Ångström repo, so you can install it whatever happens.
 
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Specifically, we can expect Python 2.6 and PyGame 1.8.1, as those are the versions in the Angstrom repo. I'm pretty certain that Python is guaranteed for inclusion, but I haven't yet heard confirmation for PyGame. I know that Skeezix, at the very least, is advocating for its inclusion, so I'm hopeful. Even if it's not in by default, an "opkg install python-pygame" will fix that.

As for speed, hard to say. I have a Touch Book (based on the same SoC as the Pandora) and it runs my PyGame programs just fine without any modification. Granted, none of them are very intensive programs, but it's a start.
 
marshal said:
I hope they also include python3 in the default installation.
I think there's almost no chance of that. The default installation is based on Angstrom, and they don't have Python 3 in their repository. It should be available eventually (it's available for ARM from the Debian repositories), but I don't expect it to be standard in Pandora. Python 2 has been around for too long to replace it easily, so I would suggest focussing on that. Python 2.6 even includes a tool to convert to Python 3 (called 2to3), so just write your code in 2.6 such that it's easily convertible to 3. There actually aren't that many major differences, and the changes to print and integer division are probably the only ones a beginner would notice.
 
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Thanks all for the quick reply. I presume it has a proper distro so that getting QT bindings won't be that hard if I go the productivity route?


Now I just need to learn programming properly.
 
klikklak said:
I presume it has a proper distro so that getting QT bindings won't be that hard if I go the productivity route?
You mean like pyqt? It's in the repo (you could have checked, tsk tsk!). It might even be installed by default, but if not, "opkg install python-pyqt" will get it for you. If you want to distribute your applications to other Pandora users, the extra dependency might cause problems, but I'm not sure how they plan to deal with that.
 
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Last I checked, CPython was in the distribution, but theres been lots of mucking around since. I'm under the gun right now or I'd just turn the thing on and check :)

Even if not there, it would be trivial to add (ipkg), but it would be a shame to make a game and require everyone to patch up to use it.. or include it in the pnd.

How much do you bet theres going to be people making patch-kits of 30 ipkgs in one download, day 10? :)

Checked (how awesome is that?) -- python 2.6.2 is in now.

I have to run or I'd check some libs out for you.

I could just list files in the distribution for everyone, but as its massively subject to change (how mcuh do we compress into NAND!), so that might be misleading.

jeff
 
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