geekmaster formula 42 (the dithermatron demo)

[twobob]

I just wanted to show support for Geekmaster here.

Excellent job on this. Some details on piping a video thru the dithmatron would be greatly appreciated. As an almost first time c coder I find the structure daunting but no doubt it will become clear with some actual elbow grease.

Compared with implementing Cross-platform tool chains this looks to be fun in the making.
Much appreciated.

I, for one, am definitely watching your work, with admiration.
If I can hookup a viddy in the sometime I will.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by twobob

Compared with implementing Cross-platform tool chains this looks to be fun in the making.

There is a selection of cross-platform tool chains mirrored in the KeK project.
Read the posts of that thread for details and then the first post of the thread for current info.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by twobob

I just wanted to show support for Geekmaster here.

Excellent job on this. Some details on piping a video thru the dithmatron would be greatly appreciated. As an almost first time c coder I find the structure daunting but no doubt it will become clear with some actual elbow grease.

Compared with implementing Cross-platform tool chains this looks to be fun in the making.
Much appreciated.

I, for one, am definitely watching your work, with admiration.
If I can hookup a viddy in the sometime I will.

You can reformat the C code to any of many popular styles using a tool called AStyle. many programmers editors have it built in. Or you can run it as a standalone tool. It can add a lot of "white space", if that makes the code more readable for you.

For my own personal preference, I like as much of the code "above the fold" visible with no scrolling) as possible. I let my eyes dart around in what is visible, as I absorb the code, and the more visible the better (for me).

I am glad you enjoy it. My demos are really just examples that demonstrate how to use the ALGORITHMS and function that I present (which is why they are called "demos"). The point is to teach people how to use fairly low-level access to computers that is quite "cross-platform". I my case, I usually try to support all the eink kindles, and I plan to add support for Nook Simple Touch to my future demos (now that I have one).

I also make my demos use a single C file, so they are easy to compile with gcc or tcc (tinycc). Graphics demos usually run a lot faster if cross-compiled with gcc, than when compile on the kindle with tcc, but tcc can be easier to install and use (from an SSH shell).

[geekmaster]

Also, check out the newtrix demo thread, and the geekmaster kindle video player thread (and the videos in it). They have newer versions of the eink update logic.

[twobob]

Originally Posted by knc1

There is a selection of cross-platform tool chains mirrored in the KeK project.
Read the posts of that thread for details and then the first post of the thread for current info.

Ah happy days, I see that project now.
I will carefully pick that which I need.

At the moment I have the arm-none-linux-gnueabi-gcc in action.

But I have a few more to try out as well to see what suits the task I have in mind best.
They seem much of a muchness to a newb like me

No doubt there will be a speed / size advantage to each.
Time will tell.

Really appreciate you guys putting this stuff out here.
Lifesaver.

[twobob]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

Also, check out the newtrix demo thread, and the geekmaster kindle video player thread (and the videos in it). They have newer versions of the eink update logic.

I'm tinkering with getting the sound going.

Always happy to help out when I can. perhaps if you get a moment (and yes, I've read a great deal about your obligations vicariously so I'm not holding my breath) you could shove me a look-see at some audio-code.

No pressure, I'm working on it anyhow and I'll be putting it out MIT or something if I actually manage something of note.

Cheers

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by twobob

you could shove me a look-see at some audio-code.

Cheers

The quotes show two built-in audio players, both that can accept audio (different formats) piped from STDIN:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?p=2080308

As I recall, aplay needs a parameter to tell it that the input format is "cd" audio, to match what ffmpeg puts out.

I never got around to posting my "all features" static build of ffmpeg for the kindles (tested on K3 and K5). I think I still need to post my "raw2gmv" video trancoder too. I could pipe ffmpeg|raw2gmv|gmplay on a K5, but a K3 was only fast enough to pipe raw2gmv to gzip and to a file (like videos saved in the gm video thread), then play that with zcat piped to gmplay.

The problem with ffmpeg is that even the online guides show starting multiple instances of it, one to output video and another to output audio. Both output streams sync to the input framerate, so the stay in sync.

If you want to do something useful, try building ffmpeg with also sound. I think I had toolchain version problems. NiLuJe suggested a hint to fix alsa sound in the gm video thread, I think...

[geekmaster]

Also, the same algorithms that make the interesting Moire (aliasing) effects in some of my demos also work well for audio instead of video. I used to do audio in the olden days when the only affordable "video" device was blinking front panel LEDs, and audio only needed a single output bit driving an audio amplifier. Back then, we used guitar amplifiers because computers did not have amplified speakers (or even sound cards).

[twobob]

yes indeed, my old vic 20's 16k (WITH RAM PACK!) of ram seem silly now.

and the STFM was indeed revolutionary.

I am indeed trying to construct a very healthy toolchain using buildroot
but when I compile the GCC ver 4.4 I get...

/tmp/ccSlmrCk.s:33: Error: selected processor does not support `bx lr'

How hum. I'll keep digging until I get one to completely build. The advantage of buildroot is allegedly a large client-ready toolset. let's see how it goes I'm a couple of days into doing that one now.

Yeah audio. I've done a bit, http://soundcloud.com/twobob always happy to get my hands dirty.

I'll keep digging then. and read the links to death again.

Much appreciated

[geekmaster]

Check out the KeK thread for a toolchain. I just used CodeSourcery to build ffmpeg (and my demos). I also test my demos using tcc (tinycc), which is packaged to run on all eink kindles (in its own thread, which can be found in the tools index). Beware that programs compiled with tcc run a lot slower than if compiled with gcc, but tcc is very handy for on-kindle development and debugging.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by twobob

Yeah audio. I've done a bit, http://soundcloud.com/twobob always happy to get my hands dirty.

The devil wears a Guiness T-Shirt, eh?

[knc1]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

Check out the KeK thread for a toolchain. I just used CodeSourcery to build ffmpeg (and my demos). I also test my demos using tcc (tinycc), which is packaged to run on all eink kindles (in its own thread, which can be found in the tools index). Beware that programs compiled with tcc run a lot slower than if compiled with gcc, but tcc is very handy for on-kindle development and debugging.

The Code Sorcery (Mentor Graphics now) 2012.03-57 build added to the tool collection yesterday would probably be a good, general purpose, choice.
There is also a "getting_started" guide (with same build number in name) in the tool collection provided by Mentor Graphics.

Following the common MR practice, the first post is being kept current with the overall state of the project.

[twobob]

Just to be clear:

I have Codesourcery toolchain 90% installed.
(I need to find a suitable root AFAIK to do the full-job-monty-compile but the arm-none-linux-gnueabi-gcc -03 works fine with a single c file argument )

I can report that Buildroot does not like to play on Slackware 64 multilib. but looks AWESOME on a system it would work on.... so to that end.... I'm half way thru a CLFS build just to be good and thorough. I'll go 32 bit and KISS. see if I can get us some of those toys.

I have downloaded and used the TCC. works great

So really Kek is my last port of call and it seems it should have been my first one.
Ho-Hum, this is the way of things. but it was quite the learning curve and if I'm honest spending 3 days configuring toolsets should be a required activity of all would be developers, keep out the riff-raff. hehehe.

no but seriously. Kek here I come. Happy days. the CLFS can wait a while.

I want to play!!!

[knc1]

Originally Posted by twobob

I can report that Buildroot does not like to play on Slackware 64 multilib. but looks AWESOME on a system it would work on.... so to that end....

I don't recall seeing the i.MX3* series or i.MX5* series Freescale SoC having been added to Buildroot, although one of the i.MX2* series SoC chips was added a few months ago.

Did someone sneak in some Freescale defines I didn't notice?
Or did you add them youself? If so, please contribute them to the Buildroot project.

[NiLuJe]

@twobob: There's sporadic evidence that Amazon uses scratchbox internally, if you want to go the whole LFS way of things, and not just a X-TC .

(I know, it's fun to point to another project after spending two days making faces at buildroot, no? ).

I personally only need a TC, so crosstool-ng suits me just fine, but YMMV .