utils/emulator/docs/readme.txt

   1 wxWindows PDA/Embedded System Emulator
   2 ======================================
   3
   4 This is a simple display emulator for embedded
   5 applications (wxWindows or other) that use
   6 an X server. The Familiar Linux distribution
   7 is one such environment, using Tiny-X.
   8
   9 wxEmulator uses Xnest, which is the XFree86
  10 X server compiled to show a virtual X desktop
  11 in a window. wxEmulator hijacks the Xnest
  12 window by reparenting its window, and shows
  13 this window with appropriate PDA-style decorations
  14 surrounding it.
  15
  16 No real emulation is done, apart from the work
  17 that Xnest does. You compile your apps on your
  18 host as usual and test them out with the emulator
  19 to get an idea of the constraints of the embedded
  20 system display. Then compile the apps for your
  21 target system with a suitable cross-compiler,
  22 or if you have the luxury of lots of space on
  23 your target device, compile natively on the
  24 target.
  25
  26 It is intended to create a tarball of the
  27 emulator, wxX11 and maybe some other useful
  28 components such as a simple window manager so that
  29 people can quickly start developing embedded
  30 GUI applications without the need for actual
  31 target hardware.
  32
  33 Running wxEmulator
  34 ==================
  35
  36 Make sure Xnest is in your PATH. You can download
  37 a binary from the XFree86 ftp server or a mirror,
  38 or you can compile Xnest from source -- but this
  39 downloading XFree86 source in its entirety and
  40 compiling it. Say goodbye to half a gig of disk
  41 space if you take this option.
  42
  43 Then run wxEmulator:
  44
  45 % emulator &
  46
  47 or
  48
  49 % emulator mydevice.wxe &
  50
  51 to specify a configuration file. Run emulator --help
  52 to show what options are available, such as --use-display
  53 for specifying a display other than :100.
  54
  55 After a brief flicker in which wxEmulator steals
  56 Xnest's window, you should see an emulated iPAQ with
  57 a checked screen that indicates raw X with nothing else
  58 running.
  59
  60 Running any X applications with the Xnest display
  61 number (currently 100) will show those applications
  62 in the emulator window instead of the normal desktop.
  63
  64 For example:
  65
  66 % xeyes -display :100 &
  67
  68 Before running any other programs, run a window
  69 manager such as twm:
  70
  71 % twm -display :100 &
  72
  73 If the X program or WM you want to run doesn't support the
  74 -display argument, try exporting the DISPLAY variable
  75 before running it. E.g.:
  76
  77 % export DISPLAY=:100
  78 % xterm &
  79
  80 For details on the configuration file format, please
  81 see default.wxe. Eventually it will support
  82 device buttons.
  83
  84 Compiling wxEmulator
  85 ====================
  86
  87 You need to use wxX11 -- no other port is supported.
  88 Configure and make wxX11 in the usual way (see docs/x11/install.txt
  89 at the wxWindows top level), then compile wxEmulator
  90 using the makefile that configure created.
  91
  92 Have fun!
  93
  94 Julian Smart, March 2002
  95