nanogui: Thread: Psion Revo Plus and MicroWindows

Folks,

	I'm brand new to the list so forgive me if this is a real stupid/FAQ
question but I couldn't see it in the FAQ so....
	
	What do I need to do to get MicroWindows working in the above
handheld (currently running EPOC)?

Kind Regards,

Jim George

> 	What do I need to do to get MicroWindows working in the above
> handheld (currently running EPOC)?

You need an operating system with a framebuffer device.

AFAIK EPOC doesn't.

But there are, I think, Linux ports to the Series 5 hardware so you may get
lucky with that... but I suspect it's in a very alpha stage, if there
are....

Let me know how you get along, I am interested, in a very loose manner, in
geting nano-X on top of EPOC myself....

	-Darran

I can tell you that there are beta releases for the 5MX and Series 7 but the
Revo Plus and Mako are definitely alpha, probably pre-alpha to be honest.

check-out linux-7110 at sourceforge for details.

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: Darran D. Rimron-Molloy ####@####.####
Sent: 17 December 2001 17:23
To: George, Jim [C]; ####@####.####
Subject: RE: [nanogui] Psion Revo Plus and MicroWindows


> 	What do I need to do to get MicroWindows working in the above
> handheld (currently running EPOC)?

You need an operating system with a framebuffer device.

AFAIK EPOC doesn't.

But there are, I think, Linux ports to the Series 5 hardware so you may get
lucky with that... but I suspect it's in a very alpha stage, if there
are....

Let me know how you get along, I am interested, in a very loose manner, in
geting nano-X on top of EPOC myself....

	-Darran

The microwindows design is very flexable, even if a "framebuffer" (ie, a 
region of memory that is used to draw directly to the screen) doesn't exist.

Microwindows implements a series of drivers that handle the actual hardware 
calls for video, mouse and keyboard.  Even though framebuffers are the 
primary method, there are drivers that can draw on many different devices.

Each screen driver (see microwin/src/drivers/scr_* for examples), implements 
a series of methods for drawing / reading from the screen.  This is the only 
place where the system actually draws on the screen, so as long as you have 
some way to twiddle the bits on your particular video device, you should be 
OK.  

Good luck!
Jordan

On Monday 17 December 2001 10:22, Darran D. Rimron-Molloy mentioned:
> > 	What do I need to do to get MicroWindows working in the above
> > handheld (currently running EPOC)?
>
> You need an operating system with a framebuffer device.
>
> AFAIK EPOC doesn't.
>
> But there are, I think, Linux ports to the Series 5 hardware so you may get
> lucky with that... but I suspect it's in a very alpha stage, if there
> are....
>
> Let me know how you get along, I am interested, in a very loose manner, in
> geting nano-X on top of EPOC myself....
>
> 	-Darran
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: ####@####.####
> For additional commands, e-mail: ####@####.####

I would have thought that it would be possible to build Microwindows as an EPOC application, if that is what you are trying to do.... you would have to make a screen, keyboard and mouse driver that suited EPOC.

[Please note that the last time I suggested that someone wrote another set of device drivers it caused a small flame-fest, please let's not got there again.]

This would given the ability to make a single application with Microwindows embedded in it (like the Microwindows Mine demo) which would run under the EPOC OS. Note this is an EPOC application that uses the code from Microwindows.... it has nothing to do with Linux.

It is highly unlikely that you would be able to run an X type 'server' along side the EPOC OS, but as noted there is a Linux port for this class of device. Actually this may be possible, but let's not run until we can walk.

I don't have any experience with the Psion 5.But working on the assumption that you have a build system/enviroment, you should be able to find the system calls for connecting to the 'screen', clearing and setting pixels on the display.

I would suggest using the null keyboard and mouse drivers to start with and concentrating on the display driver. Microwindows is easier that Nano-X and the 'Mine' demo makes a good proft of principle.

May the source be with you... drop me a note if you need some more pointers.
Simon 

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Darran D. Rimron-Molloy ####@####.####
> Sent:	Monday, December 17, 2001 5:23 PM
> To:	####@####.#### ####@####.####
> Subject:	RE: [nanogui] Psion Revo Plus and MicroWindows
> 
> > 	What do I need to do to get MicroWindows working in the above
> > handheld (currently running EPOC)?
> 
> You need an operating system with a framebuffer device.
> 
> AFAIK EPOC doesn't.
> 
> But there are, I think, Linux ports to the Series 5 hardware so you may get
> lucky with that... but I suspect it's in a very alpha stage, if there
> are....
> 
> Let me know how you get along, I am interested, in a very loose manner, in
> geting nano-X on top of EPOC myself....
> 
> 	-Darran
> 
> 
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: ####@####.####
> For additional commands, e-mail: ####@####.####

Simon,

	unfortunately I'm not a developer (EPOC, Linux or any other) so I
wouldn't be comfortable trying this.

	I guess I'll have to wait for someone else to blaze the way and then
be an early adopter.

Thanks anyway,

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: Simon Wood ####@####.####
Sent: 18 December 2001 11:08
To: 'Darran D. Rimron-Molloy'; George, Jim [C]; ####@####.####
Subject: RE: [nanogui] Psion Revo Plus and MicroWindows


I would have thought that it would be possible to build Microwindows as an
EPOC application, if that is what you are trying to do.... you would have to
make a screen, keyboard and mouse driver that suited EPOC.

[Please note that the last time I suggested that someone wrote another set
of device drivers it caused a small flame-fest, please let's not got there
again.]

This would given the ability to make a single application with Microwindows
embedded in it (like the Microwindows Mine demo) which would run under the
EPOC OS. Note this is an EPOC application that uses the code from
Microwindows.... it has nothing to do with Linux.

It is highly unlikely that you would be able to run an X type 'server' along
side the EPOC OS, but as noted there is a Linux port for this class of
device. Actually this may be possible, but let's not run until we can walk.

I don't have any experience with the Psion 5.But working on the assumption
that you have a build system/enviroment, you should be able to find the
system calls for connecting to the 'screen', clearing and setting pixels on
the display.

I would suggest using the null keyboard and mouse drivers to start with and
concentrating on the display driver. Microwindows is easier that Nano-X and
the 'Mine' demo makes a good proft of principle.

May the source be with you... drop me a note if you need some more pointers.
Simon 

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Darran D. Rimron-Molloy ####@####.####
> Sent:	Monday, December 17, 2001 5:23 PM
> To:	####@####.#### ####@####.####
> Subject:	RE: [nanogui] Psion Revo Plus and MicroWindows
> 
> > 	What do I need to do to get MicroWindows working in the above
> > handheld (currently running EPOC)?
> 
> You need an operating system with a framebuffer device.
> 
> AFAIK EPOC doesn't.
> 
> But there are, I think, Linux ports to the Series 5 hardware so you may
get
> lucky with that... but I suspect it's in a very alpha stage, if there
> are....
> 
> Let me know how you get along, I am interested, in a very loose manner, in
> geting nano-X on top of EPOC myself....
> 
> 	-Darran
> 
> 
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: ####@####.####
> For additional commands, e-mail: ####@####.####