Pandora Wiki - User contributions [en]

Development tutorials

2010-06-09T16:25:55Z

Geckojsc: /* SDL Tutorials */

== General Game development ==
Just start basic. Follow the Jump'n'Run tutorial (or any of the others). Copy their code. Change bits. Break it.. fix it. Write it over and over until you know what is happening where and why. Get a pandora or GP2X and cross-compile it for those platforms. Run your little creations on other devices (Android phones and iPhones are great). Little milestones like this will keep you motivated to continue learning.

Making a game, or programming a whole project is a massive undertaking. Be prepared to fail the first few attempts... quit at least 5 times only to come back and give it another go... and even then you might have only programmed Mahjong. If, at the end of all this, you are still keen, you can step it up to 3D graphics and start working on "bigger projects".

Remember.. no one can learn to program in a day... and I wouldn't expect anyone who started programming tomorrow to be able to produce a Mario clone, let alone quake 4 in a month.

== ARM Cortex A8 Tutorials ==
* [[Floating Point Optimization]]
* [[Assembly Code Optimization]]

== SDL on Pandora ==

SDL is NOT a game engine, but it will provide you with the foundations for putting stuff on the screen, getting keyboard and controller input and making sounds. All of these are basics in programming games.

You can locate a lot of SDL specific information at [http://www.libsdl.org]

=== Getting started with SDL on the Pandora ===
(This portion assumes you already have a dev environment ready)

First, you need to grab the SDL libraries, you can either compile them yourself or grab some pre compiled libs.
You can get the sources for SDL [http://www.libsdl.org here] and compile it yourself.

Or

You can get the pre compiled libraries [http://www.angstrom-distribution.org/unstable/feed/armv7a/base/ here] (they are named libSDL... etc).
These are ipk files so windows user might need 7zip in order to open them.
You will need both the 'normal' lib and the -dev library.
You might want to get the SDL_image, SDL_mixer and other SDL_* libraries, since these add to general functionality of SDL.

=== Basic Pandora specific SDL Information ===

SDL maps the controlls on the Pandora in the following fashion:

* The Left and Right nubs are represented as Joystick 1 and 2.
* The D-Pad is linked to SDLK_LEFT/RIGHT/UP/DOWN.
* The abxy / lr buttons are (A):home (B):end (X):pgdn (Y):pgup (L):right shift (R): right ctrl
* START(ALT) button : SDLK_LALT
* SELECT(CTRL) button : SDLK_LCTRL

=== SDL Tutorials ===

These tutorials assume you know the basics of C++ programming, and know your way around a C++ compiler.

* [http://www.lazyfoo.net/SDL_tutorials/index.php Lazy Foo's Tutorials]. Not Pandora specific, but a good guide to getting your programming environment set up, along with many SDL tutorials.
* [http://iki.fi/sol/gp/ Sol's Graphics for beginners]. Not Pandora specific, but a good place to get started with SDL graphics coding.
* [http://jnrdev.72dpiarmy.com/ 2D Jump'n'Run Tutorial]
* [http://gpwiki.org/index.php/Category:All_SDL_articles The Game Programming Wiki's tutorials]

==OpenGL on the Pandora==

*[[OpenGL ES 1.1 Tutorial]]

*[[OpenGL ES 2.0 Tutorial]]

*[[Combining OpenGL ES 1.1 and SDL to create a window on the Pandora]]

== The Kernel ==
* [[Kernel build instructions|Compiling the Kernel from Git]]
* [[Kernel interface|Kernel Interface]]

== Matchbox Window Manager ==

* [[Matchbox|Matchbox version]]
* [[xoo on ubuntu|Setting up xoo on Ubuntu 8.04/8.10]] (Theme Testing and Development)

== See Also ==

* [[Development Tools]]

[[Category:Development]]

Development

2010-06-04T13:52:42Z

Geckojsc:

* You can [[Setting up a cross-compiler|set up a cross-compiler]] to compile code for the Pandora on your PC.
* Or you can [http://www.gp32x.com/board/index.php?/topic/53964-cross-compiling-is-bollocks-toolchains-are-bollocks-use-your-pandora-to-build-apps/ set up and compile directly on the Pandora]!
* Porting & programming:
** If porting existing software, try the [[porting guide]].
** If creating new code, the [[development tutorials]] may be useful.
* [[Libpnd hub|Package]] your software in PND fromat for distribution.

[[Category:Development]]

Cross-compiler

2010-06-04T13:48:23Z

Geckojsc: Changed the indroduction slightyl because you don't *need* a cross compiler.

One of the ways to compile your applications to the ARM architecture is through a cross-compiler.

== Using the SDK-Installer ==
Cpasjuste on the GP32X forums has made a nice script to get a build environment and libraries installed on Ubuntu/Debian systems. Download links and a brief explanation can be found in [http://www.gp32x.com/board/index.php?/topic/52343-pandora-sdk-installer/ this thread].

== Manual Installation ==
If you want a bit more control, Code-Sourcery hosts a bunch of cross-compiling suites for various platforms on their site, some editions have to be paid for, but they do have "lite" editions without support that are completely free.

Head up onto [http://www.codesourcery.com/sgpp/lite/arm/portal/subscription3057 here]. The recommended release at time of writing is [http://www.codesourcery.com/sgpp/lite/arm/portal/release1039 2009q3].

Installers are available for Linux and Windows. Alternatively, download and unpack the tarball, then add the bin directory to your path.

== Example: Setting up a cross compiler using Code Sourcery, and doing so inside a VM ==

Skeezix makes some notes in [http://www.rjmitchell.ca/~jeff/blog2009/2010/06/02/getting-up-and-going-with-a-crosscompiler-for-pandora-arm-in-5-minutes/ his blog] about setting up CodeSourcery's prebuilt toolchain in a VM very quickly.

[[Category:Development]]