Simple Pandora crossdev setup?

[Sdw]

So, digging through my collection of stuff a while ago, I found my Pandora!
I think it's a first-generation, first batch device (I think it arrived early 2011 to me).
Back then I never did much with it, bu now I think it would be fun to write some stuff for it.

Setting upp Linux toolchains and getting cross-compile ARM-GCC-versions and library paths right is just about the most boring thing imaginable, so ideally I'd just like to get a nice Virtual Machine with the right stuff installed so I can start coding, but looking around it seems like there is no such thing.

What's the easiest way forward?

Oh, when I tried to create an account here it said that my username was already taken, turns out my old account from the Pandora site must have been migrated here. I found some of my old posts, and about 10 years ago I was asking the exact same question about getting a VM with pre-setup toolchain.
Keeping fingers crossed for better luck this time!

 

[pmprog]

I always recommended @sebt3 's vm, which is all set up.

 

[HelenF]

There's also the option of building on the Pandora with the giant code::blocks PND. And depending what you're doing, you might not have to code in C/C++. I did a bit in Python as well.

 

[Sdw]

I always recommended @sebt3 's vm, which is all set up.

Yeah, I saw mentioned in the stickied thread in this forum, however the link was dead. I did a search in the forum for "Yactfeau" and did find a thread, however, the link to the VM itself did not seem to work.
Any idea on where to find the latest version of this? It seems to be just what I'm looking for.

There's also the option of building on the Pandora with the giant code::blocks PND. And depending what you're doing, you might not have to code in C/C++. I did a bit in Python as well.

I actually prefer to write in C, as close to the "metal" as possible. Ideally I'd just want a raw framebuffer access or something, don't know if that's possible, or you have to go via SDL?

 

[Farox]

Look here https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/ptitsebs-beta-lair.77439/ and download Codeblocks beta (it have GCC 9.3 and many many useful libs ). Is a package with an IDE (Code::Blocks) but you can use standard comman line interface (CLI), and with it you can code with almost everything on the Pandora itself.

Prepare an SD-Card with EXT2 file system and put this PND inside along with swapfile pnd (usefull if you like me have a CC Pandora with only 256MB RAM), plus Codeblocks.pnd con cooperate with WxPhyton and MonoRuntime mounting this at startup.
Maybe @ptitSeb could add more info to my notes.

Happy coding.

 

[ptitSeb]

Not much to add, you already nailed it!

 

[pmprog]

If you still want the VM, I have my copy still, i think. It has a few other bits added (some Gameboy tools, and a few others). Could try and find somewhere to upload it

 

[Sdw]

with it you can code with almost everything on the Pandora itself.

I did see some references to this, and coding on the Pandora. While it's a cool feature for sure to have a handheld that you can actually code on, sitting and writing any serious code on a 480x272 screen with a miniscule keyboard would be torture!

 

[TrashyMG]

I did see some references to this, and coding on the Pandora. While it's a cool feature for sure to have a handheld that you can actually code on, sitting and writing any serious code on a 480x272 screen with a miniscule keyboard would be torture!

Think there was some funkyness to mounting codeblocks and exporting display I remember having to work around it, but I used to just ssh in from my desktop and just do all my work there.

For a long time I used sebt3's cross compiler, but had some oddities with a few games that would have random glitches despite having no warning during compiling.

 

[levi]

I think I've got a copy of sebt3's cross compiler maker on this machine. Three shell scripts from just before Christmas 2016.

Here's crosscompiler.sh: https://anonpaste.org/view/1lnytbi8y6qoh
Here's crosscompiler_nozen.sh: https://anonpaste.org/view/2o9vztb4mhes8
And here's crosscompiler_1_2.sh: https://anonpaste.org/view/2v1lix2ix4isk

All encrypted with the password 'pandora'. Because it required me to encrypt it.

No further instructions are there, although they might well be in the forum thread. I can tell you I marked the plain .sh and the nozen.sh as executable, but apparently never ran the _1_2.sh on this machine. But I'm not sure I ever actually ran it in anger on this machine. I can check on my server later, but it's currently down for maintenance until tonight.

Edit: You'll need to hit the 'md' button at the bottom to stop the markdown engine interpreting shell punctuation as markup.

Edit2: Just checked on my server. Same perms, but the files actually date from just over a year earlier.

 

[ptitSeb]

I do (mostly) all my code using codeblocks mounted, but on the SSH and SSHFS (or Samba) and with the comfort of my PC with it's ultrawide screen and VSCode as editor

 

[Sdw]

I do (mostly) all my code using codeblocks mounted, but on the SSH and SSHFS (or Samba) and with the comfort of my PC with it's ultrawide screen and VSCode as editor

OK, now that sounds like a much nicer solution for sure!
I'll start with installing the Codeblocks and setting up an SD card with that, and then I'll start search for info on how to get a Samba share set up.
Thanks!

 

[ptitSeb]

Samba has been removed from default firmware IIRC, to save some space. But ssh is there, and you can find some sshfs driver for windows so you can map a drive to the whole Pandora filesystem...

 

[PowerGod]

Samba has been removed from default firmware IIRC

Are you sure ? It still works for me, I have a shared folder on my Pandora, and the firmware is updated to the last one... maybe remained there just because I never reflashed ?

 

[pmprog]

I do remember that being a thing, because I asked about it at one point, and Notaz confirmed it had been removed.

 

[Sdw]

Alright guys, thanks for all your help so far, and sorry for asking more questions, but I kind of got stuck on the very first step:

Prepare an SD-Card with EXT2 file system and put this PND inside along with swapfile pnd (usefull if you like me have a CC Pandora with only 256MB RAM), plus Codeblocks.pnd con cooperate with WxPhyton and MonoRuntime mounting this at startup.

First of all, why is it necessary to have a second dedicated SD-card for development? My "main" card with the OS etc. has plenty of space free, and also is in a Windows-readable format meaning I can copy files to/from it (not sure whether it's FAT32 or exFAT or something else).
And if I need a EXT2 card, can I somehow format it from the Pandora itself and then copy the PND to it from the other card? I don't have a PC Linux install to do those things on.

 

[pmprog]

You need an EXT2 formatted card (or partition), because it is required for setting things like executable flags, symlinks and things like that (I think, could be making it up).
And yes, you can get GPartEd for the Pandora, and use that to (re)partition your SD card

 

[Letalis Sonus]

(I think, could be making it up).

All of these things are also supported with NTFS.

 

[levi]

Yeah, but last time I checked, Linux couldn't create or delete folders on NTFS.

 

[TrashyMG]

Yeah, but last time I checked, Linux couldn't create or delete folders on NTFS.

When was the last time you checked 2003?