iLiad Connect to Xfbdev - no vnc

[mind]

I was wondering if this is possible, in order to use iLiad monitor for editor like xemach or vim (or whatsoever) and typing. I tried the following:

on iLiad I changed the following line in /etc/rc5.d/S99start

/usr/bin/Xfbdev -screen 768x1024x8 -3button -dpi 160 -br -nolisten tcp &

to

/usr/bin/Xfbdev -screen 768x1024x8 -3button -dpi 160 -br & #-nolisten tcp &

After I obtained:

core2duo ~ # nmap -p 6000 ereader

Starting Nmap 4.20 ( http://insecure.org ) at 2007-09-23 23:44 GMT
Interesting ports on ereader.mshome (192.168.1.172):
PORT     STATE SERVICE
6000/tcp open  X11
MAC Address: 00:16:7C:00:27:11 (iRex Technologies BV)

Nmap finished: 1 IP address (1 host up) scanned in 0.127 seconds

but xmessage and xterm failed to connect:

core2duo ~ # DISPLAY=ereader:0 xmessage asd
Xlib: connection to "ereader:0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol specified

Error: Can't open display: ereader:0

I think that's an auth problem, one that normally can be fix with a xhost + command. Unfortunaly iLiad doesn't have a xhost command.
So what can I do? Is there any xauth for compiling and is it safe?

If you have any idea please post here.

Regards, Gil

[Adam B.]

Try adding "-ac" to the launcher script. I believe it will allow connections that way.

[mind]

Yead thanks it worked! I simply did:

DISPLAY=ereader:0 xterm

for getting a fresh xterm. Anyway how can I force the refresh and how can I obtain the keyboard? I simply went to scribble and changed from pen to rubber. It's a good start though, I really thank you

Regards, Gil

[Adam B.]

I'm attaching my port of VNC (server and viewer), you may have more luck with that and the hacked libX11 that has screen refresh built in.

Take a look at this thread and read around. I don't know of anyone who has a working solution as of yet.

[mind]

A workaround for the keyboard, just type:

core2duo ~ # DISPLAY=ereader:0 xterm -hold -e screen

Then open a new shell on your PC and digit:

core2duo ~ # screen -x

Then as you type in second shell, the same will display on iLiad... of course you need the "manual" refresh (i switch between pen and rubber in scribble mode).
Hope this help

[mind]

PS: maybe you don't have screen... On gentoo just

emerge screen

For other distros I think it's the same (apt-get install screen ???).

@Adam: I'm not experienced in porting or sort of... Anyway if this could be tried on your vmware image and/or I don't risk very much to brick my iLiad I could give it a try in my sparetime.

Regards, Gil

[mind]

Is the displayMgr that's responsable for refreshing? If so, there is a "-a" option that will accept message from any host.

root@ereader:~# displayMgr -h
Usage: displayMgr -<option> <argument>
  no arguments : start server process (local access only)
  -a : allow messages to be sent from any host (starts server process)
  -h : display this message
  -p : disable partial update
  -w <filename> : load waveform from filename

Maybe just loading it with -a option in S99start will do the trick, but after I don't know how to send this signal (the signal of refreshing I hope).
I think that with a little of scripting is possible to update every keystroke, so using iLiad as a monitor for typing.
Regards, Gil

[jimbocho]

Don't forget this useful tool too. If you combine the S99start modification above, as well as the screen trick above, as well as this displayMgrClient trick, you can use the iRex as a minimal X11 display!! Way cool.

root@ereader:~# displayMgrClient -h
Usage: displayMgrClient -<option> <argument>
  no arguments : send messages to local loop
  -d <dotted decimal ip address> : send messages to ip address
  -h : display this message
  -p : test of partial update
  -r <seconds> : repeat a full update every <seconds>
  -t : update toolbar area

I started up an xterm on my PC linked to screen as described earlier in this thread, then invoked on the iRex:

root@ereader:~# displayMgrClient -d 127.0.0.1 -r 4
(W)displayMgrClient.c:156,main() Server address 127.0.0.1

Now I can go to the terminal on my PC in which I launched screen -x and run some X11 applications, like xclock, running on my PC, using the iRex as an X display. The screen updates at 4 second intervals automatically thanks to displayMgrClient (you can make it 1 second if you want). COOL!!! I can use my PC's keyboard to input text into the iRex as an X display but I don't know how to get the mouse to work though.

(I have no idea what kind of message displayMgrClient is sending behind the scenes.. but it's not that important to me because I can just run it on the iRex. If you really wanted to figure it out maybe you could use tcpdump?)

-Jim

[jimbocho]

Thanks to Adam for sharing his VNC client and server ports! I thought I would share with everyone how I got the iRex to be a display for my Windows PC using them.

Start VNC server on your PC first. I chose to not set a password to make it easier for the iRex to connect. Then download Adam's vnc.tar.gz from above and copy it to a CF card and put it in the iRex. Then ssh to the iRex and run:

cd /media/cf
tar zxf vnc.tar.gz
cd vnc
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/media/cf/vnc/lib ./vncviewer -display=:0 10.193.243.198

Of course, put your IP address in the last line. This will allow you to use your iRex as a display for your PC, but the cursor will not update frequently enough to use the mouse effectively. If you want to make the screen update faster, start a second ssh connection to your iRex and run the displayMgrClient I mentioned earlier, like:

displayMgrClient -d 127.0.0.1 -r 1

This will make the display update every 1 second, which makes using a mouse just bearable. However it can still be a bit painful.. Hit control-C when you're done.

Besides the mouse refresh, the other big caveat is that for speed there is only minimal display refreshing, so after switching windows a few times, you start to get a lot of artifacts..

Hope some other people find this info useful.. Thanks to Adam B. for his porting efforts!

-Jim

[mind]

Nice info
Is the vnc that Adam posted some thread ago here?
Anyway, good job. I didn't have much time, anyway I started a kde session, but after the refresh you loose the wallpaper.
Try some fixing if you want:

core2duo: ~ # DISPLAY=ereader:0 startkde

Regards, Gil

[jimbocho]

vnc is an attachment in this same thread, message #4. Here is the direct link though:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...58&postcount=4

Thanks for the info on KDE.

-Jim

[Luka Trifunovic]

I find this tool very useful for reading books in djvu (because javadjvu doesn't have zoom, pan, bookmarks etc.). Problem is that when refreshing using displayMgr it doesnt refresh well, some pixels from previous page are still there. but when I press button for some page in content lister it refreshes well. Is there any way to refresh automatically (but to refresh well)? Does file iliad_refresh.conf has anything to do with it? How to start vnc in full screen (at the bottom of the screen there is toolbar from I guess matchbox)

[Antartica]

Originally Posted by Luka Trifunovic

I find this tool very useful for reading books in djvu (because javadjvu doesn't have zoom, pan, bookmarks etc.). Problem is that when refreshing using displayMgr it doesnt refresh well, some pixels from previous page are still there. but when I press button for some page in content lister it refreshes well. Is there any way to refresh automatically (but to refresh well)? Does file iliad_refresh.conf has anything to do with it? How to start vnc in full screen (at the bottom of the screen there is toolbar from I guess matchbox)

The iliad_refresh.conf is a plain-text configuration file for the hacked libX11.so

It has only one line of text (and a new-line), containing a word ("Full" or "Typing") and a number.

The word indicates the type of refresh:
Full - refresh witn a screen flash, very little ghosting.
Typing - refresh stealthly, a lot of ghosting

The number is the timeout in milliseconds to wait for more changes to the screen before doing th refresh. The lower it is, faster refreshes but you can "double-refreshes" (it refresh the screen a number of times one after another).

Examples:
Full 750
Typing 100

Hope that clarifies the iliad_refresh.conf file

[Luka Trifunovic]

Thanks!
I put "Full 1500", but there is still ghosting (little). But as I said when I press flipbar (it turns, page in content lister in background) and refreshes screen and than there is no ghosting. I there any way to do this kind of refresh automatically?

[Luka Trifunovic]

I just compared it with dilllo, I have same settings but dillo refresh is much better. How is that possiblle?