Hi!

A picture says more than a 1000 words.... :D

Aenea

Curious yet? YES! :cool:

Curious yet? YES! :cool:

No questions? hehe, what do YOU see in those pictures?

Aenea

No questions? hehe, what do YOU see in those pictures?

Aenea
An iLiad emulator?

No questions? hehe, what do YOU see in those pictures?

Aenea
I see: the amount of Qt apps for iLiad will increase in near future. :D
The only Qt app we have right now is KeePassX.

First the included examples [fontsampler] included in qtopia core, then one of the dozens of Qt apps which are waiting to port.

Qt is pretty popular for Linux based embedded systems like Zaurus.

Very cool!

How'd you get around the libc issues?

Very cool!

How'd you get around the libc issues?

hehehe, I didn't, I repeat, DIDN'T port Qt 4, I ported Qtopia 4!

Qtopia is, basically, Qt 4 for embedded devices and instead of running on top of an X server (which on the iLiad is XFBdev, an X server on top of the framebuffer device), Qtopia runs straight on the framebuffer...

This means -> faster GUI -> faster startup times

And this is not all, I hacked around, well basically, added a ton of ARM features to qemu-arm which is now capable of running ARM compiled (with the 'official' iRex OE gcc compiler) applications ON x86 LINUX :D

So, is it an emulator? Kinda!!!

What you see is:
1) an uname -a of the actual (virtual) machine (i686)
2) in /opt/iliad I have a complete copy of the iliad filesystem and I just ran uname -a again from the command-line (with binfmt_misc you can set a magic sequence so it can identify ARM compiled code and happily runs /usr/bin/qemu-arm which runs the iLiad code unchanged!)
3) I started the Qt4 X11 application qvfb (tweaked for the iliad, just the iliad dimensions and depth (4 bits) as default)... QVfb is a virtual framebuffer for use with Qtopia applications...
4) you see that I run the fontselector example with the runqt script (which just passes a few default parameters so it uses the QVfb framebuffer instead of /dev/fb) and the program shows it's output in the QVfb application. BTW. this and all the other (have tested most of them) examples are actually ARM executables as well....

Where is this leading?
1) An easy to use development environment (Trolltech just released plugins for Eclipse for C++/Java/Qt4/Qtopia/Jambi) without the need to move the programs to the iLiad for testing and debugging the ARM code
- For even faster development you can initially develop your program with a native (for me x86_64) compiled QVfb *and* native compiled Qtopia Core 4 + native app you're writing which performs a lot faster since It doesn't need vmware (needed a 2.4.19 x86 kernel for qemu-arm to work), doesn't need qemu-arm and doesn't use the slowness of it all
- When the app is ready for debugging you start using the qemu-arm + vmware environment
2) Easy and fast GUI applications for the iLiad. I'm actually planning to replace the whole lot, well, I skip the X server and all that stuff and will write my own, better (well, according to my taste), content-lister. My own document plugins (which should render faster), etc., etc.
3) I hope to add Qt Jambi (should be trivial, but you never know) support so we can also use Java as a development language which automatically has the same look and feel as the C++ applications. Oww and yes, I also have a working JVM...

Oww, I almost forgot, the thing with Qtopia is, you can write your own screen driver plugin. I just extended the framebuffer one and actually implemented the dirty rectangle routines which are neatly available in the screen driver interface (which call the iLiad's special update routines) -> no need for patched Xlibs and adding update routines all over the place...

Drawbacks?
- No more stock X apps, but since I prefer KDE over Gnome and since KDE uses Qt as its base I don't see real problems... (just like porting a gnome app to KDE...)

Well, that's it!

Aenea

PS. And to just piss of Mobipocket even more, one of the document plugins will be secure mobipocket in C++. According to Dutch law no-one can prevent me from writing an app which does the same as theirs (I'm allowed to write a DRM circumvention program, but not distribute it, but a viewer contains no circumvention, if the laywers say it is then the original Mobipocket viewer is also prohibited...) only, hehe, faster startup times and faster rendering and, ohh, did you see that font selector demo? :D

Very cool!

How'd you get around the libc issues?

Simple: re-compiled lots and lots of packages! (in case anyone wondered what I've been up to the past weeks! :))

Aenea

And to just piss of Mobipocket even more, one of the document plugins will be secure mobipocket in C++. According to Dutch law no-one can prevent me from writing an app which does the same as theirs (I'm allowed to write a DRM circumvention program, but not distribute it, but a viewer contains no circumvention, if the laywers say it is then the original Mobipocket viewer is also prohibited...) I agree that there is the world of difference between a viewer, which requires a valid MobiPocket ID to work, and a "DRM circumvention program" which creates a DRM-free document. So in a rational world you would be correct, but I suggest getting legal advice anyway - because laws are not rational.

Aenea,

Please, please, PLEASE tell me you have access to a Sony PRS-500, Hanlin or Bookeen Cybook Gen3 to see if the same can be done on one of them! (Hint. Hint.)

Derek

... because laws are not rational.And lawyers even less so. :grin:

No way! Aenea, first finish all the work for the Iliad. :-)
I am selfish. Yep egoistisch. Dutch first!
But does this mean you can make an OS for the Iliad and since we can boot from CF, it could skip the old Iliad software completely.
I am not a unix et all expert, so I need icons and clickeys and such.
Oh yes I could learn, but I do not have the time to do everything. I still need time to breathe. :-)

Please, please, PLEASE tell me you have access to a Sony PRS-500, Hanlin or Bookeen Cybook Gen3 to see if the same can be done on one of them! (Hint. Hint.)

If you can install software on them and they run linux it could, but eh, one reader at a time okay?

Aenea

I agree that there is the world of difference between a viewer, which requires a valid MobiPocket ID to work, and a "DRM circumvention program" which creates a DRM-free document. So in a rational world you would be correct, but I suggest getting legal advice anyway - because laws are not rational.

Mwah, this is just one tiny part of the whole project and there's enough work to be done. In the mean time I can also see what happens with that 'old' program of mine and that law firm :)

Aenea

No way! Aenea, first finish all the work for the Iliad. :-)
I am selfish. Yep egoistisch. Dutch first!
But does this mean you can make an OS for the Iliad and since we can boot from CF, it could skip the old Iliad software completely.
I am not a unix et all expert, so I need icons and clickeys and such.
Oh yes I could learn, but I do not have the time to do everything. I still need time to breathe. :-)

Well, I'm gonna change a huge part of it yes, but it off-course will still be linux, but it just will look and function quite different!

Aenea

Qtopia is, basically, Qt 4 for embedded devices Note that FBReader started out on the Zaurus, and it has Qt 3 and Qt 4 versions. It might be much faster on the iLiad without X11.

Also, take a look at the Monochrome Icons on KDE-Look (http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.php?content=18317). This may be the best default icon theme for iLiad Qtopia.

How faster is the refresh? Did you tell the iRex this? Maybe they are interested.
Regards, Gil

I only say When we can get a release for all of us that have the possibity of reflashing the iliad....

and irex is repairing my iliad for a problem of the screen in this moment...

ok , i will go to other thread
ommmm,ommmmm

This sure looks interesting...!!!

I am unfortunately not a programmer. I also don't know much about Linux.
However, I always like to hear the words "fast and easier" and if both oth them come together I get a nice and warm feeling spreading through my body...:book2:

Just one question...if you are so Linux-development savvy, then would it perhaps make sense to look at the "Linux Kernel Update" project first? The way I understand it, the current "old" Linux Kernel is placing a lot of restrictions on the Iliad's capabilities. Maybe creating a "new" Kernel (iRex is offering support for that project) first and then implementing all those wonderful changes there would make sense?

Whatever you do, you're sure going to make a lot of us Iliad users very happy indeed!!!

We are actually hoping that Aena will work for Irex soon.
*crosses fingers*

Yes, I read about that...sounds like it might be good news, but I'm not sure. Who knows where the development priorities for iRex lie at the moment...might not be in our best interest...

I only say When we can get a release for all of us that have the possibity of reflashing the iliad....


That could take awhile, depends how much time I put into it :)

Aenea

Just one question...if you are so Linux-development savvy, then would it perhaps make sense to look at the "Linux Kernel Update" project first? The way I understand it, the current "old" Linux Kernel is placing a lot of restrictions on the Iliad's capabilities. Maybe creating a "new" Kernel (iRex is offering support for that project) first and then implementing all those wonderful changes there would make sense?


a) 'all the wonderful changes' will work regardless of the kernel version
b) can you really tell me what the benefits would be if there was a 2.6 kernel? (Yes, I do know the differences, but, for the current iLiad, I really do not see the point...)

About 'linux savvy': I can do both kernel/driver development AND application development (and GUI design and GUI development and a couple of other specialisations... (nope, don't like to specialize in ONE thing...)), but right now I want my iLiad to do the things this project will provide...

As to answer b) myself: I hear most people speak highly of the new power management features the 2.6 kernel will bring, one problem right there: not much has changed for the PXA255 and the changes that are in the 2.6 can easily be back-ported.... The rest of the improvements of the 2.6 kernel are mainly better support for newer hardware which is especially needed if you own a desktop computer or laptop with the latest (and maybe changing) hardware, not for an embedded device with a set of known and never-changing hardware... (is there really a piece of hardware in the iLiad that doesn't work (correctly) because of the 'old' kernel?)

Aenea

We are actually hoping that Aena will work for Irex soon.
*crosses fingers*

But, like CommanderROR said: will I have the time to work on this project or do they have other plans for the future of the iLiad software? (probably the latter...)

Aenea

Note that FBReader started out on the Zaurus, and it has Qt 3 and Qt 4 versions. It might be much faster on the iLiad without X11.

Also, take a look at the Monochrome Icons on KDE-Look (http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.php?content=18317). This may be the best default icon theme for iLiad Qtopia.

Yup, nice icon-theme, thanks for the tip!

Aenea

@Aenea

I don't know much about Linux Kernels (or anything to with Linux actually...^^) but I had heard about the Power-Saving features, and since I'm the official specialist "Startup-Time and Power-Saving" complaints that was my main reason for suggesting this.
In Addition, I have heard complaints about missing support for certain features in the "old" Kernel the Iliad uses at the moment from some of our other developers, but really can't give you any details without going deep into the archives of mobileread and searching for them by hand...

If you tell me that there are serious drawbacks to staying with the old Kernel, then I certainly won't contradict you... ;)

any good news about this project?¿

any good news about this project?¿

Hehe, still going nicely I'd say, nothing ready for a release though and that could still take a while! These things are not done in a weekend or two... With all the bells and whistles I want in it it will take more like a month or two, three if something takes longer as planned (and it always does :huh:)

Aenea

We are actually hoping that Aena will work for Irex soon.
*crosses fingers*

Well, hehe, I got a reply from iRex today, they are looking for people with more Linux experience than me, haha, ah well, he probably forgot I was hacking around in the Linux kernel when he was, what, 12? :D

Aenea

Sorry to hear that...but there is a silver lining for all of us here...more good stuff from free, open-source developers, all for the public good... ;)

btw...do you think you can do anything to improve the battery life of the Iliad? Just my personal standard-request...sorry....I just have to try...again and again... :D

Sorry to hear that...but there is a silver lining for all of us here...more good stuff from free, open-source developers, all for the public good... ;)

btw...do you think you can do anything to improve the battery life of the Iliad? Just my personal standard-request...sorry....I just have to try...again and again... :D

Well, I know the PXA255 in the iLiad is capable of better power management than the current software is using (and also know the extra functionality can be added to it if necessary), but I have to do some extensive tests to see if those will actually work well with the rest of the iLiad hardware. Since iRex still hasn't said why it isn't possible in the current (and apparently also not in the 2nd 'new and improved') hardware design it has to be done with trail and error...

I am planning on doing just that in the future, but at the moment most of my time is spend on the software mentioned earlier in this thread...

Cheers,

Aenea

Well, just don't forget about it altogether...there might be more than one interested forum-member... ;)

If I remember correctly, the Iliad can't do Sonystyle (haha) suspend mode because of the way the buttons are wired up or something like that.
It's supposed to be a hardware problem. It is possible that there is at least some room left for improvement even should that prove to be true...I'm looking forward to hearing what you find.

Well, just don't forget about it altogether...there might be more than one interested forum-member... ;)

I know, I will not forget it, I don't want to turn of the damn thing every time I stop reading for a little while AND wait for ages to let it start up again, one has to change (or preferably both!).

If I remember correctly, the Iliad can't do Sonystyle (haha) suspend mode because of the way the buttons are wired up or something like that.
It's supposed to be a hardware problem. It is possible that there is at least some room left for improvement even should that prove to be true...I'm looking forward to hearing what you find.

What I would like to investigate if it's possible to suspend to flash or CF... And also, I want to make sure it is actually a hardware problem and not incompetency of the software people (they really needed me there: :whip:)...

Aenea

All Hail the Goddess Aenea! :D

I can't imagine what the folks at iRex are thinking, but I suppose they have their reasons. I have some connections at Sun. Ever thought of working on Solaris?

Meanwhile, I can't wait to see what you come up with for a content lister! Something that can display more than 6 items per screen, please, but doesn't have teeny tiny folder expansion icons like FBReader. Surely there must be a happy medium in there somewhere....

All Hail the Goddess Aenea! :D

:blush:

I can't imagine what the folks at iRex are thinking, but I suppose they have their reasons. I have some connections at Sun. Ever thought of working on Solaris?

But the big question is: does it run on the iLiad?? :blink:

Meanwhile, I can't wait to see what you come up with for a content lister! Something that can display more than 6 items per screen, please, but doesn't have teeny tiny folder expansion icons like FBReader. Surely there must be a happy medium in there somewhere....

Hehehe, please don't insult me, I *don't* work for iRex you know! :D

Ok, now I'm serious: I might have a few more pictures next week so you can see what I made of it....

Aenea

I would like to help you develop a qtopia desktop for the iliad. Care to share your sources?

Is there any progress on this or is it a dead project?

Is there any progress on this or is it a dead project?

It's going a bit slower than expected at first but it's still going...

Thank you for the update...I was getting a bit worried... ;)

Thank you for the update...I was getting a bit worried... ;)

No need to worry, things take more time as usual and it's not the only project I'm working on (no, the others are not ebook related..) And hey, I need time to read as well you know :D

(I do admit though that that nasty mobi reader page number bug is irritating the hell out of me the past few days, so I expect my own working alternative pretty darn soon....)

So you'll be fixing the iliad's mobi reader to display proper page numbers?

So you'll be fixing the iliad's mobi reader to display proper page numbers?

Nope, am working on an alternative reader which doesn't use any of their existing code...

Thanks for staying with iLiad projects!

I hope you don't still have any legal troubles?

Thanks for staying with iLiad projects!

I hope you don't still have any legal troubles?

yw. And no, don't have any legal troubles and really want to keep it that way! (hence, no new releases of decoders and stuff :))

The only problem I'm having: way not enough time to do the things I want do... hmmz...

Cheers,

Aenea

Hello, Aenea

Any news about qt porting?

In light of news from Nokia, qt port for iLiad seems to be very exciting.. May be, you can write here what help do you need?

Any news about qt porting?

Yeah, there is...

I ported, am still porting, Qtopia Core. For a lack of a better name I named it Etopia...

A long, long time ago :D I thought it would be a straight forward port, but since the iLiad (and the other e-ink devices) don't have much memory I had to remove code, optimize code, change some completely and add some here and there.

For the most part this is working now, finally. Right now I'm working on the viewer application and with it the viewer plugin interface and the application interface (consisting of a host of classes starting with an E, like EApplication which extends QApplication...).

After that I'm going to make the 'portable librarian' (errr, the replacement content-lister...).

When that is finished I will release a beta version.

Please note, the whole system will also consist of a desktop librarian which uses Qt4 and will run on OS X, Windows and X Windows based systems like Linux. This is really not finished at all, yeah, a prototype thingy...

Also: since this still is a hobby and don't program regularly I really don't know how long it will take before it is finished...

Aenea

In light of news from Nokia, qt port for iLiad seems to be very exciting.. May be, you can write here what help do you need?

At the moment I still want to do it alone (me==perfectionist!).

When everything is usable for programmers, eg. it has a nice set of working API's I will let it loose. It will be easy to program for it since Qt apps/games can be ported, but also I already have done some nice things with the Javascript support in Qt/Qtopia!!!!!

At a later stage someone might be able to port QtJambi to the iLiad so the Etopia/Qt API's can be used in Java... (Java VM is running currently...)

Questions for all:

Is it a real problem that the filesystem needs to be *replaced* by this project?

I might be able to let it boot from CF but it's not going to be that fast (BTW: the current version of Etopia boots in 20 seconds *through* NFS....). And/or I could add a check for a key (combination) in the kernel and decide to boot either version...

Do you think there's a need for some kind of form of security so no malicious software can be installed?

I do have added LIDS 1.2.2 support to the kernel and Qtopia can use that (SXE=Safe Execution Environment)...

http://www.aeneatech.com

there is a viewers of images for qtopia?
, with pre-cache of the next image?

If there isn't i will look to port one to the iliad/Etopia


And please, please tell more about this project.