Kobo programs

[embryo]

I was wondering what language I have to use to create an utility with a simple GUI for Kobo?
I know Koreader uses lua with Qt but what about KSM or Cool Reader and the other Vlasovsoft utilities?
They too use Qt.
Is it only bash scripts?
I'm not with a computer, so I can't check the files...

I'm using Python 2.x, but I don't suppose it is supported out of the box.
For the GUI I use wxWidgets or Kivy.
Not much luck there also I think.

And do we know what versions of the languages and libraries are supported?

TIA

[Ken Maltby]

You could search using "arm-linux-gnueabihf".

Luck;
Ken

[NiLuJe]

No Qt at all on KOReader's side. The UI toolkit, as it were, is custom, written in lua/ffi, bit-banging the framebuffer device directly. And while it is using CRe, that's the *engine* part of the CR project, not the Qt GUI, that's once again done with a bit of C++/Lua magic

[Lucas Malor]

You can try Python 3 for Kobo:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...20#post2885820

To compile the graphic libraries you need, you can use CrossToolchains, an ARM VM or a chroot.

[NiLuJe]

You forgot strong liquor. .

(Python is kind of a PITA to cross-compile, and third-party modules are even more fun).

[frostschutz]

Golang works as well but the binaries it produces are huge...

[Lucas Malor]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

You forgot strong liquor. .

(Python is kind of a PITA to cross-compile, and third-party modules are even more fun).

I compiled Python 3 on a quemu ARM VM and it was very simple to do. I can't say the same for any 3rd party package. PyGame was a big failure, for example.

[NiLuJe]

Meh, qemu, that's cheating ;p.

[embryo]

Originally Posted by Lucas Malor

You can try Python 3 for Kobo:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...20#post2885820

To compile the graphic libraries you need, you can use CrossToolchains, an ARM VM or a chroot.

I'm new to programming, so all
the languages and libraries compiling is a little over my head for now.

So, the python 2.x is not included like in some other linux distros...

I wanted something that I could share with other users without the need of extra language / libraries installations.

I have to look at lua or golang, but since both lack a simple way to create GUI, maybe I'll stick to the pc / android programming for now.

[frostschutz]

Well, you could make a webapp as a shell script within my WebPortal mod (it comes with some sample apps such as a notepad). But this only works with WiFi on and you have to contend with the Kobo's webbrowser.

I have some remote plans to extend my pngshow program (which currently only displays static images) into something that could be used to make interactive things from the shell; kind of like what zenity does for simple dialogs. But I don't know if/when I'd get around to that, it also depends on when I'd need such a thing for my own mods I guess.

So far apart from WebPortal none of my mods have GUI components really, except for AutoShelf which you can turn off/on with a simple tap anywhere on the screen. So lacking a real GUI, I'm currently going for very simplistic alternatives.

I wanted something that I could share with other users without the need of extra language / libraries installations.

For the smallest footprint you'd have to stick to C/C++ and use the libraries already present on the Kobo.

[embryo]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

Well, you could make a webapp as a shell script within my WebPortal mod (it comes with some sample apps such as a notepad). But this only works with WiFi on and you have to contend with the Kobo's webbrowser.

I have some remote plans to extend my pngshow program (which currently only displays static images) into something that could be used to make interactive things from the shell; kind of like what zenity does for simple dialogs. But I don't know if/when I'd get around to that, it also depends on when I'd need such a thing for my own mods I guess.

So far apart from WebPortal none of my mods have GUI components really, except for AutoShelf which you can turn off/on with a simple tap anywhere on the screen. So lacking a real GUI, I'm currently going for very simplistic alternatives.

Hmmm, I was thinking of something independent of nickel...

For the smallest footprint you'd have to stick to C/C++ and use the libraries already present on the Kobo.

So, are you using C/C++ or something else?

If we forget the GUI part for a while, from the posts till now, I can conclude that the languages that can be used without extra instalations are: C/C++, lua and golang (+shell scripts).

Is that right?

[frostschutz]

Originally Posted by embryo

So, are you using C/C++ or something else?

I'm not much of a C programmer really.
In my case it's mostly shell scripts, and some C snippets to help things along.

[embryo]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

I'm not much of a C programmer really.
In my case it's mostly shell scripts, and some C snippets to help things along.

I forgot about bash.
So, let's add this to the available ways...

Thank you for the info.

[NiLuJe]

You can forget about bash and stick to basic shell features, the Kobo runs busybox ash, not any recent version of bash.

[Lucas Malor]

I do not think Go is included in Kobo, so you'll have the same troubles. I don't know about Lua. If you don't want to install anything external, you have to use QT and C/C++, bu I personally discourage a beginner to do that.

With a "bash" script you can launch some Kobo command line tools, but they are not so much powerful. It depends by your goal.

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

Meh, qemu, that's cheating ;p.

Where's not? Sysop skills are always a collection of Barba Tricks