Android gingerbread in a pnd?


Alright, video showing Fruit Ninja, Angry Birds, and Angry Birds Space:
Hmh Angry Birds seems to be skipping lots of frames compared to the .pnd version that's floating around.. Perhaps something's wrong with the SGX driver.


On that note, they (TI/Imagination technologies) really make my life hard with all those closed source binary blobs.. I can see from the open kernel part that blob is not setting up swapchains correctly, but I really have no clue why it acts like that. The problem is in a file named gralloc.omap3, which is clearly based on open source Google code, Imgtec just added their stuff there and closed it. I doubt it contains that much IP details that their competitors could copy, the only effect this has is to make people like me suffer by forcing to read the disassembly and trying to make some sense out of it :(

On other devices the files under keychars where used to map new layouts.
Does anyone have an idea what the proper keymap should be? I think I could change it, if I knew how it's supposed to be (no Android devices here).
 
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Ah, found it: GameKeyboard.


Available on the Google Market...so I cannot get it right now.
 
I have an xperia play and no its not xperia play only. Its probably one of the most useful apps on the market. It lets you emulate the xperia play keys if necessary as well as touch screen events mapped to hardware keys. Edit: Also, the file that needs to be edited is /system/usr/keychars/. I think for stock android it should be qwerty.kcm.bin
 
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For a strat I would say, that the options, home and back buttons should be mapped to the middle Pandorabuttons (start, select, Pandorabutton)
 
Wow - I was looking at onpon4's video and I'm impressed with how well this is running!


Get this refined to use the Pandora's controls & networking (if not already) and this is a huge 'emulation' feather to put in the device's cap.


I wonder if we can, through control mapping, emulate other Android tablet bits. Like using an analog control as gyroscope inputs. I.e. play the tilt/balance ball in a wooden maze games using the analog controller instead of flopping the device around.


Something that occurs to me though - there are lots of comments around this being slow or skipping frames and such. Keep in mind that it is:


a game (Angry Birds/other)


running inside an OS (Android)


running inside an simulated machine space (May not be an accurate description...)


running inside an OS (Angstrom)


running on a Pandora


I think it's awesome.
 
Ah, solved the missing google login problem. Just need to install the latest GAPPS for Gingerbread.


Market works, but only 10 or so programms. Will test 1 or 2 tricks to enable more apps. Probably we must edit the build.prop.


If I find a good solution, I'll post more tomorrow.
 
I've been trying out a few games, the only one that seems to run particularly slowly is Cut The Rope, the rest seem to be running almost full speed except for the frame skipping. I will admit the first version of Peggle I played was on the IPod so I'm well used to using that slider at the side of the screen to fine tune my shots!!


(null)
 
Hmh Angry Birds seems to be skipping lots of frames compared to the .pnd version that's floating around.. Perhaps something's wrong with the SGX driver.
PND Version of Angry Birds runs perfectly fine at 600MHz standard. :) Maybe the PND port is just better optimized for the Pandora? Maybe Android just eats to much ressources on the Pandora, compared to Angström OS?

On that note, they (TI/Imagination technologies) really make my life hard with all those closed source binary blobs.. I can see from the open kernel part that blob is not setting up swapchains correctly, but I really have no clue why it acts like that. The problem is in a file named gralloc.omap3, which is clearly based on open source Google code, Imgtec just added their stuff there and closed it. I doubt it contains that much IP details that their competitors could copy, the only effect this has is to make people like me suffer by forcing to read the disassembly and trying to make some sense out of it :(
Sounds like all the Android Devices don't run so smooth because of Android itself but on secret closed driver stuff? (So the Companies are chating! :D )


Hm, looks like it is not easy to get this "professional" performance only with open source components then?
 
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Jxd v5200 has a sgx 531 and it performs very well (better than this) and I don't think they "on the inside" so I don't think its insider trading of closed code for things to operate smoothly... probally just needs some more love.


I had some issues (two screen output on one screen) with the rowboat sgx driver when I was porting Android, i got similar performance as this, I was marking it up to my inadequate skills or strength of the hardware. I haven't seen anything impressively graphic intensive so far on the Pandora... But poorly written or buggy android sgx drivers would also make sense.


I think this solution is much better than a dual boot situation as it won't split the community. Running this "virtual machine" on top of angstrom is a really good alternative for those that want both OS's


I have a tool to help get scan codes and key codes I'll try to do some work on qwerty.kl or turtle.kl or whatever it is called for the keymap


Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2


EDIT: here's the tools if anyone else is interested, and kinda a half-ass walkthough I wrote on how to change to keymap for a different (similar) device


http://forum.openhan...topic,29.0.html
 
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cazmiester:


I've found a way you can install the file manager.

  1. In Angstrom save the apk to the root folder of the SD card you have in the right slot while running android.
  2. Rename it to remove the '-' (eg from com.estrongs.android.pop-1.6.1.6.apk to com.estrongs.android.pop1.6.1.6.apk) (this is because you there is currently no way to type a '-' on the keyboard)
  3. Load Android
  4. On the apps screen choose Dev Tools, then scroll to the bottom and start the terminal emulator.
  5. now type in the following:




Code:
cd mnt

cd sdcard2

su

pm install com.estrongs.android.pop1.6.1.6.apk

exit


If you go back to the apps screen it should now be installed and you can use it to install other apps.


- Neelix
 
cazmiester:


I've found a way you can install the file manager.

  1. In Angstrom save the apk to the root folder of the SD card you have in the right slot while running android.
  2. Rename it to remove the '-' (eg from com.estrongs.android.pop-1.6.1.6.apk to com.estrongs.android.pop1.6.1.6.apk) (this is because you there is currently no way to type a '-' on the keyboard)
  3. Load Android
  4. On the apps screen choose Dev Tools, then scroll to the bottom and start the terminal emulator.
  5. now type in the following:




Code:
cd mnt

cd sdcard2

su

pm install com.estrongs.android.pop1.6.1.6.apk

exit


If you go back to the apps screen it should now be installed and you can use it to install other apps.


- Neelix
where did you get the file manager from?
 
Thanks notaz! I sent you a donation, enjoy :D


If anyone else wants to support notaz with a donation, there's a teeny little donate button at the bottom of this page.


http://notaz.gp2x.de/
 
Okay, just some quick more info:


Gamekeyboard works, so you can use the Pandoras DPad to simulate presses on the touchscreen :)


It doesn't work with Peggle, as Peggle has a wheel which you slide to control and not simple buttons, but it should work with most of the games.


However, ABXY can't be used right now, as these are mapped to special Android-Buttons (Menu, etc.)


When this is changed, you can use the DPAD and ABXY with Gamekeyboard to play touchscreen games :)
 
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