iLiad Question to Adam. B

[templario]

First of all i´d like to thank you (and all the other developers of course) for all your effort, i just got my cf card today and i´m tryin all your applications, and so far are working quite well, so please keep up the good work, indeed is much appreciated. Unfourtanately i haven´t got the time or the skills to try to port applications (and even i nevere used linux as the operating system).

Now i notice that all your ports must be in the root of the cf card, and i find that after a few applications it looks a bit messy, is there a way to install each program in a different folder, and have all of then inside another folder (named for example my programs)??

Thanks again.

[Adam B.]

That brings up a good question. Right now, I compile all my programs for a specific path. While they *could* work in a different place, most look for additional files within that path. For example, FBReader looks for all of it's icons withing /installedpath/share. So I had to release a version that works with compact flash cards and also mmc/sd.

However, I could setup the initial run script so that it makes a symbolic link somewhere on the root file system to wherever you have the program copied. I am hesitant to touch the root file system with a script though. I haven't yet, and I'm not sure if I want to before the unbricking option is available.

[templario]

That´s fair, thanks a lot. And by the way, have you made progress with abiword?. I think if you make it work, many people would find it useful.

[Adam B.]

Unfortunately, AbiWord is another program where you have to touch the root file system in order to get it to work. This, in addition to my word/rtf issues may delay it until I am comfortable releasing it as a working program.

[narve]

Originally Posted by Adam B.

That brings up a good question. Right now, I compile all my programs for a specific path. While they *could* work in a different place, most look for additional files within that path. For example, FBReader looks for all of it's icons withing /installedpath/share. So I had to release a version that works with compact flash cards and also mmc/sd.

However, I could setup the initial run script so that it makes a symbolic link somewhere on the root file system to wherever you have the program copied. I am hesitant to touch the root file system with a script though. I haven't yet, and I'm not sure if I want to before the unbricking option is available.

That seems like a better solution to me. One single link from the root system to your-favorite-application-folder sounds better than different binaries and the requirement for everything to be in the root of your memory card. But then I don't know much abut Linux

[mtas]

Originally Posted by narve

That seems like a better solution to me. One single link from the root system to your-favorite-application-folder sounds better than different binaries and the requirement for everything to be in the root of your memory card. But then I don't know much abut Linux

One can always do as I've done. I've created a directory in the root of my CF card called _additional_progs and install all "extras" in that directory. By doing it in this way the directory is not shown in the content lister.

Then, in /usr/share/contentlister/mode/en (or whatever language you are using) I created a directory called e_additional_progs that contains the enclosed Manifest.xml and icon.

In this way you will have an extra menu entry in the main menu of the content lister which contains all your locally installed programs.

If you want to get really "fancy" you can then use the reorder script I posted earlier with the following content in the file new_order:

recentdocs
CF
main
MMC
USB
additional_progs
reference
setup
profiles

In this way you will have a main menu with a first page with recentdocs at the top and additional programs in the bottom.

[kapoira]

mtas i have a question for you, and your method, i'm searching of a way to do that the cqview gets the hardware keys to do this i have to call it via the content listener and i don't wanna change the content listener because the possibility of a bricked iliad.

if i do it your way, can i put a binary in the cf, and it will be called via the content listener...¿? thanks for the reply, and for the trick

I'm thinking of a way to minimize the code i have to change in the cqview, i preffer to only port it, without a change of the original.(This is i'm searching)

now i'm in the work and i don't have acces to my iliad, and the vm for compiling.

Sorry for my english.

[mtas]

Originally Posted by kapoira

mtas i have a question for you, and your method, i'm searching of a way to do that the cqview gets the hardware keys to do this i have to call it via the content listener and i don't wanna change the content listener because the possibility of a bricked iliad.

if i do it your way, can i put a binary in the cf, and it will be called via the content listener...¿? thanks for the reply, and for the trick

I'm thinking of a way to minimize the code i have to change in the cqview, i preffer to only port it, without a change of the original.(This is i'm searching)

now i'm in the work and i don't have acces to my iliad, and the vm for compiling.

Sorry for my english.

Yes you should be able to do this. don't have my iLiad with me right now but on my CF card I've got all extra programs installed in the directory _additional_progs with each application in its own directory and its own manifest.xml i.e. in the root directory on your CF card put a directory structure like this:

_additional_progs
|--->program_1
| |--->Manifest.xml
| |--->program_executable
| |--->Other files for this program
|--->program_2
| |--->As for program_1
|--->program_3
|--->As for program_1

[templario]

That´s what i meant with my question to Adam B, is it very difficult for the average Joe to do the same as you?, is it danger to brick the Iliad? In that way the card looks clean.
Thanks

[mtas]

Originally Posted by templario

That´s what i meant with my question to Adam B, is it very difficult for the average Joe to do the same as you?, is it danger to brick the Iliad? In that way the card looks clean.
Thanks

Well, I don't recommend this for somebody not comfortable with using the command line interface. I'll try to create a script that does this later in the week.

The risk of bricking the device by doing this is virtually nil as long as you don't remove any of the existing directories.

[smoogle]

Couldn't the programs all be adjusted to look for all files in their local directories?

[Alexander Turcic]

Just an idea... would it be possible to prepare a package and provide a shell installer with all the ports from Adam for an easy install?

[Adam B.]

You know, that's a good idea.

What I can do, throw together a bunch of my programs, layed out like mtas suggested. I can include dillo, mrxvt, keyboard driver, etc if the dev's don't mind. That way, there can be a single, shared library directory (thus saving space) and a way for users to have a large quantity of 3rd party apps.

I'll see what I can do.

[Alexander Turcic]

Originally Posted by Adam B.

I'll see what I can do.

[narve]

Originally Posted by Adam B.

You know, that's a good idea.

What I can do, throw together a bunch of my programs, layed out like mtas suggested. I can include dillo, mrxvt, keyboard driver, etc if the dev's don't mind. That way, there can be a single, shared library directory (thus saving space) and a way for users to have a large quantity of 3rd party apps.

I'll see what I can do.

Sounds like a great idea!