Pandora Testbed that emulates Pandora?

[jorlinn]

I'd like to play with a Pandora emulator as long as I don't have a Pandora yet.


Preferred specs:


- Cross-platform


- Ability to use real peripherals, like mouse (emulating touchscreen and/ or nubs) and Joystick.


This way I can test out programs (provided that the emulation is accurate enough) and help with their development.


Another benefit would be to interest people into buying a Pandora for themselves.

 

[Blue Protoman]

There are no Pandora emulators. It's a PC; there are several ways you could test things.

 

[wardred]

Blue,


I think he means something like the android emulator Google provides you with for their development tools. VERY handy for doing development on the PC, and testing it there, even if you have a Pandora. I think somebody was looking at doing this, but I don't know how far it got. Basically you'd need an arm emulator and an emulator for the gfx, at the very least.


Something like: http://code.google.com/p/qemu-omap3/ might get you close.

 

[jorlinn]

There are no Pandora emulators. It's a PC; there are several ways you could test things.

A PC is X86-based, a Pandora is not a PC at the hardware level.


@wardred:


Thanks for the link


The project you point to is far from ready, but it's a start and that's always good.

 

[Letalis Sonus]

The Pandora is a PC, just like the C64. It ain't an IBM-compatible PC.

 

[double7]

I'd like to play with a Pandora emulator as long as I don't have a Pandora yet.

If you like to get the look and feel of the pandora desktop you could try any linux distribution with xfce desktop.


A small one would be System Rescue CD - as you can see in the screenshots it can run with qemu. It's working in VMware too. The System Rescue CD is limited to basic tools for system recovery, if you like to see a xfce system with more software installed you could try xUbuntu.

 

[TrashyMG]

Qemu can be used to emulate an arm based device, which may be able to run the pandora's Angstrom OS. Simulating Nubs and such may be a bit tough.

 

[jorlinn]

Blue,


I think he means something like the android emulator Google provides you with for their development tools. VERY handy for doing development on the PC, and testing it there, even if you have a Pandora. I think somebody was looking at doing this, but I don't know how far it got. Basically you'd need an arm emulator and an emulator for the gfx, at the very least.


Something like: http://code.google.com/p/qemu-omap3/ might get you close.

Qemu can be used to emulate an arm based device, which may be able to run the pandora's Angstrom OS. Simulating Nubs and such may be a bit tough.

Quemu seems the best horse to bet on then. Thanks for the pointers


Are there any Pandora developers around to give any advice on what ports to read out to map the ports to a different input device/ keyboard map?

The Pandora is a PC, just like the C64. It ain't an IBM-compatible PC.

IBM-Compatible: point taken.


I don't consider the Commodore 64 to be a PC, I consider it to be a to be a *home computer* and a kick-ass system


Especially the music was impressive for someone used to the IBM-PC bleeps.


It´s one generation before the IBM-PC even though they did exist at the same time.


I guess it's something about focus. A Comodore 64 was built for games and happened to have a few (home) business programs written for it.


An IBM-PC was primarily built for business with games as a side function.


I have not seen any C64 in a serious business of those days. I did see a lot of IBM-PC's and it's clones.


That may just be because they did not want their employees become too distracted during working hours


@double7:


I've been a Linux/ Unix user since 1997, so I have seen my share of window managers and desktop environments.


XFCE is no stranger to me.


I run Ubuntu, Arch and FreeBSD on a daily basis.


I only boot to Windows when there is a program I need/ game to play that still won't work on Wine.

 

[Letalis Sonus]

Yours wasn't a C64 C, huh?

 

[WizardStan]

I don't consider the Commodore 64 to be a PC, I consider it to be a to be a *home computer* and a kick-ass system

In the days of yore, before Mac came along and sullied the word, PC actually meant Personal Computer, and was basically congruous with home computer. It's only really been recent, as far as I'm aware, that PC has come to mean "computer running MS Windows".

 

[3jane]

A Personal Computer (or Micro Computer) was class of hardware below the Mini Computer, which was a big step down from a Computer (Mainframe).


None of it really means anything any more. What with everything being built out of the same or similar hardware, these distinctions don't make sense... and if you do use the old terms you confuse the hell out of people born after 1980 who think "mini computer" is something you carry in your pants.

 

[jorlinn]

A Personal Computer (or Micro Computer) was class of hardware below the Mini Computer, which was a big step down from a Computer (Mainframe).


None of it really means anything any more. What with everything being built out of the same or similar hardware, these distinctions don't make sense... and if you do use the old terms you confuse the hell out of people born after 1980 who think "mini computer" is something you carry in your pants.

:lol:


You'd need a classic adventure capacity for your pants to stash a "mini" in your pocket.


It's roughly about the same size of a Mini® car(!)


@Letalis Sonus :unsure:


I stand corrected, I have probably been brainwashed by the IBM PC salesmen back in the days...


I did play C64 at the home of my first love. I guess I was too busy looking at her to have noticed the designation "Home computer"

 

[TrashyMG]

Since I'm old sk00l I get irritated when people say Macs are not PCs because It's a F'ing Personal Computer!!.. Just like my fight when I was younger to inform others that a 3 1/4" floppy disks are not Hard Disks, just because they have a harder plastic shell. I had to rip out a 10 Meg MFM hard disk drive from my old IBM PC just to explain it to my class.. I remembered to park it.


Now get off my Lawn!

 

[jorlinn]

Ok, let´s get back on topic, even though this thread is already rather old. Such a shame that it went way offtopic so soon, though I admit I took part in that too.


I´d still love a good testbed. I can´t get Qemu to run. I´m not a seasoned developer, but I do like to be able to test out programs while waiting for my actual pandora/

 

[dementio]

I've tried QEMU, but had a few hangups getting an ARM image made. If anyone has one already created for OP development, can I get a copy? If needed, I can upload it to my server for general use.


Edit: looking through qemu-omap3, it looks like the perfect candidate. I'll see what I can whip up as far as a OP dev QEMU image. I'll upload it once it's done so you guys can grab it.