Mercurial on Synology

First telnet, and boostrap to install ipkg, classic (look at this and uses this).

Then ipkg install py26-mercurial (many mercurial flavours in repository btw: one for every major python version).

Now mercurial should be installed somewhere in '/opt/bin' (which redirects to '/volume1/@optware/bin'), type hg -v to check this (or maybe hg-2.6 -v as ipkg apparently let me do the symbolic link: ln /opt/bin/hg /opt/bin/hg-2.6).

You need to have some directory ready to hold a code repository, e.g. '//volume1/repos', executing hg init /volume1/repos/testhg will init/create a mercurial dir with (hidden) management files in it.

We could start working in this, as a shared folder on the network (\\diskstation\repos\testhg), or via http (execute cd /volume1/repos/testhg, and hg serv, it mounts an http server on port 8000, accessible via 'http://192.168.0.X:8000' !), or via ssh (through 'ssh://user@192.168.0.x//volume1/repos/testhg') ! So Nice !

I finally choosed the ssh way, to easily secure transaction.

So, now ssh on synology:

Let's activate the service using the web interface.
Test it using kitty or plink with: plink.exe -ssh -2 root@192.168.0.X "set" should print a lot of variables contents.

But, if we execute plink.exe -ssh -2 root@192.168.0.X "hg": it should fail with ash: hg: not found. When the ssh daemon starts a session, it uses only a subset of the usual user environment, so our PATH variable is missing directories, hence cant find hg.

We might override this by editing (vi) /etc/ssh/sshd_config on the synology, to set PermitUserEnvironment yes.
(to restart the ssh daemon after this, type killall sshd and /usr/syno/etc.defaults/rc.d/S95sshd.sh start)
This script mod triggers the execution of a script $HOME/.ssh/environment for each ssh session creation: let's create such (executable) script with the line PATH=/opt/bin:/opt/sbin:$PATH in it.

Now back to plink: we should now be able to execute hg through ssh.

And... Everything should roll from this point :)

(Once in a while, telnet into your box (putty) and ipkg update and ipkg upgrade)

Obese debug information (sqlite and qtcreator)

SQLite.c is the 'amalgemon' version of the Database: a huge .c file containing all the dependencies to compile SQLite into our projects.

Using GCC, and standard mingw compilation option, we probably all notice the ton of compilation warning telling us that debug infos are too huge to be handled correctly (if you tried that, it's impossible to trace sqlite sources with gdb).

The problem is concerning the embedded debugging information in STABS format: GCC is handling more modern types of debugging info. We just have to tell it to use them (http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc/Debugging-Options.html)

in your .pro file (assuming you're using QtCreator), force these flags to be used:

#remove standard debug generation for c files
QMAKE_CFLAGS_DEBUG -= -g
#(*= 'if not present'), force uber debug infos, perfect for gdb
QMAKE_CFLAGS_DEBUG *= -ggdb


No more compilation warning=quickest compilation, and we're now able to trace sqlite.c in gdb... Another win ;-)

Mame 132 and automated avi creation

This is an How-To build a special mame.exe, wich allows some automation from AutoIt.

I needed to find a way to send keys inputs which would trigger AVI recording of my games: but as Mame is using 'raw inputs', it cant be fooled with standard windows messages injection

Fortunately the Mame project is really really (really) easy to modify and build, so i patched some sources to allow that.

First, go there and follow every steps: http://mamedev.org/tools/

Once you get your first build, modify some sources:

Add More Windows Message to allow events from the outside:

Augment raw inputs with incoming windows messages:

Build it and voila. You should have a brand new mame.exe, listening for your external messages.

I have such a binary build available for willing people.

Next post should be an explanation for the whole Mame Avi Move Maker build with AutoIt...

Regards (and eventually leave comments)

Clutter 1.0.0: Win32/MinGW (updated)

Personal Hack for a win32 build of clutter-1.0.0 libraries.

• static libraries,
• interactive.exe and the whole dll package (glib, pango, etc),
• and a configuration package (prebuild.zip)

In there.
Basically all you need is:

Get Code::Blocks/QtCreator whatever (but a Mingw flavor): http://www.codeblocks.org/downloads/5

Get Clutter-1.0.0, and unzip-it somewhere on your hdd: http://www.clutter-project.org/sources/clutter/1.0/
Get GTK dependencies from http://www.gtk.org/download-windows.html (binaries+dev packages): pango, cairo, glib, gtk+
Get some other Mingw port from http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=7382 :
gettext, libiconv

I put all those libraries side by side with clutter-1.0.0.

Concerning mingw, it's likely that the package delivered with cb/qtcreator is outdated:
Get latest mingw API For MS Windows (http://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw/files/ , dev version) and unzip it into your mingw directory
Get latest glext.h (http://www.opengl.org/registry/api/glext.h), to update your probably old \mingw\include\GL\GLext.h.

Now some autoconf stuff:

Get And Unzip prebuild.zip (http://alimbourg.free.fr/clutter-1.0.0) into clutter-1.0.0/build/
It will create some qtcreator\ dir as it's my primary develoment platform, but rename it at will.
The configuration package uses perl (i'm using tinyperl, included in archive) to autoconfigure clutter build, generate marshaling info and glib-enum-typing header files. It makes it ready to compile.
Edit configure.pl to match your installation directories as it needs GLIB for some prebuild steps.
Then, execute configure.bat.

(Finally, it tweaks some qtcreator .pro project files to list every needed source files all the content from clutter\, clutter\COGL, clutter\Pango, clutter\json, clutter\win32: this, of course, has to be done 'by hand' for the other tools)

It's now ready to compile...

QtCreator Debug Helper...

QtCreator (1.1 for now) is great tool to work with...

The whole Qt thing is, too.

I'm sharing some experience with the beast.

If you need some relevant debug infos concerning the Qt class guts, you need to instruct gdb on how to print them.

It's done via a 'debugging helper': some dll/plugin loaded by gdb on startup.

On my machine they didnt work without a rebuild after each Qt SDK every integration:

• go to Tools->Options...->Qt4->Qt Versions,
• check the active Qt SDK, and its path (QT_PATH).
• *remove* the whole *QT_PATH/qtc-debugging-helper* directory via explorer
• back to the Options Pane, select the active SDK, and press *Rebuild*
• go to Options->Debugger->Debugging Helper, check 'Use debugging helper', uncheck 'Use debugging helper from custom location'
• next time you debug your qt app, you should get some '43 custom... loaded' from gdb

Cool Dialog GUI (9 quads method)

Hey all,

If you want to draw some cool looking rectangle/dialog:


this is the 9 quads method using... Clutter.

First we need some texture like this (256x256 icon):














To be loaded with:

texture = cogl_texture_new_from_file  (texPath, 10, COGL_TEXTURE_NONE, COGL_PIXEL_FORMAT_ANY, NULL);

Then, some layout parameters (inner rectangle coordinates):

float framing[4]={108.0/256.0,50.0/256.0,200.0/256.0,147.0/256.0};

and a function which splits the texture into 9 quads, to stretch the whole thing smartly:

static void _cogl_9_rectangle (float x_1, float y_1, float x_2, float y_2,
float framing[4], CoglHandle texHandle)
{
float  verts[12*9];

if (!cogl_is_texture(texHandle))
return;

cogl_set_source_texture (texHandle);

cogl_push_matrix ();
cogl_translate (x_1, y_1, 0);

float subrect[4];
float w = x_2-x_1;
float h = y_2-y_1;
//uniformly stretched
subrect[0]=w*dims[0];
subrect[1]=h*dims[1];
subrect[2]=w*dims[2];
subrect[3]=h*dims[3];
//and or preserving original texture dims
int tex_w = cogl_texture_get_width(texHandle);
int tex_h = cogl_texture_get_height(texHandle);
float value = tex_w*dims[0];
if (value<subrect[0]) subrect[0]=value;
value = tex_h*dims[1];
if (value<subrect[1]) subrect[1]=value;
value = w - tex_w*(1.0f-dims[2]);
if (value>subrect[2]) subrect[2]=value;
value = h - tex_h*(1.0f-dims[3]);
if (value>subrect[3]) subrect[3]=value;
//and the 9 quads
cogl_rectangle_with_texture_coords (0.0f, 0.0f, subrect[0], subrect[1],
0.0f, 0.0f, dims[0], dims[1]);
cogl_rectangle_with_texture_coords (subrect[0], 0.0f, subrect[2], subrect[1],
dims[0], 0.0f, dims[2], dims[1]);
cogl_rectangle_with_texture_coords (subrect[2], 0.0f, w, subrect[1],
dims[2], 0.0f, 1.0f, dims[1]);

cogl_rectangle_with_texture_coords (0.0f, subrect[1], subrect[0], subrect[3],
0.0f, dims[1], dims[0], dims[3]);
cogl_rectangle_with_texture_coords (subrect[0], subrect[1], subrect[2], subrect[3],
dims[0], dims[1], dims[2], dims[3]);
cogl_rectangle_with_texture_coords (subrect[2], subrect[1], w, subrect[3],
dims[2], dims[1], 1.0f, dims[3]);

cogl_rectangle_with_texture_coords (0.0f, subrect[3], subrect[0], h,
0.0f, dims[3], dims[0], 1.0);
cogl_rectangle_with_texture_coords (subrect[0], subrect[3], subrect[2], h,
dims[0], dims[3], dims[2], 1.0);
cogl_rectangle_with_texture_coords (subrect[2], subrect[3], w, h,
dims[2], dims[3], 1.0f, 1.0);

cogl_pop_matrix();
}

(http://code.google.com/p/syntaxhighlighter/ rocks)

Clutter/Qt Creator IDE

A new incomer into the free IDE arena: QT Creator from trolltech/nokia.



The Windows version is based on the Mingw32 environment.... So Clutter is compilable with it.



http://www.qtsoftware.com/downloads/sdk-windows-cpp


Very neat IDE. Provided to spread Qt4.5 all around the world, this IDE is included in the Qt SDK. Dont be afraid, you can use it to build your project without any Qt in them.

To build Clutter(*) on Windows using this one: you need to follow the prebuild.bat step (see previous posts), to allow Clutter to be built under a minimalistic MinGW environment.

And get the project file Clutter.pro, for use with QtCreator, to be modified for your needs.

cheers

(*: Nokia/Qt and Intel/Clutter are competitors concerning mobile frameworks... Kinda ironic to build one using the other)

Win32 Clutter (0.9.2 and Bleeding edge) compilation...

... Still using code::blocks:

Okay i enhanced my scripts to make all this compiling with a native code::blocks install, but various clutter versions...

Basically all you need is:

- to get Clutter sources: using GIT repository (origin/master branch fe), or here : http://www.clutter-project.org/sources/clutter/0.9/ (0.9.2)
- to create some %CLUTTER%\clutter\build\codeblocks directory
- to unzip in there, content of http://alimbourg.googlepages.com/codeblocks.zip
- to modify 'prebuild.bat' which configures various compilation defines, plus generates some .h/.c files using glib tools: so you have to change some paths to point your glib directory...
- run 'prebuild.bat': it will ask for perl.exe, but if you don't have it installed, will copy my own "clutter-enum-types.c/.h" (hence, should be out of sync at some point)

Read http://www.clutter-project.org/blog/?p=68 for dependencies. See previous posts about how to get them.

After that, everything should be ok for you to compile...

For Visual Studio Users: all you have to do is to create .vcproj with all the source files... But probably that some typical gcc include files would be missing (i dont have visual right right now to check that) like libintl.h, iconv.h (?).
gettext, libiconv package for win32 are available here, but i dont know how they integrate themselves into a visual studio framework...

PM or Comment if you need some more ;-).

Clutter, 0.9 and above, places to look for

BTW: for those interested in clutter 0.9.0 and above, i'm recommending using the test files as turorials as the other repo directories are still not very 0.9 friendly. And things did change a lot(!) between 0.8 and 0.9....

Anyway, browsing clutter-xxx/tests/interactive and clutter-xxx/tests/conform directories should bring you with enough juice to start.

Coming soon, some basic clutter code of mine.

Bleeding Edge Clutter (Win32 build with C::B)

Using GIT to retrieve repository:
GIT binaries here: http://code.google.com/p/msysgit/

• Start "Git GUI"
• 'Clone Depot'
• Source Depot is git://git.clutter-project.org/clutter
• Target is yours: c:\Prog\clutter
• Press 'Clone' and wait a while

Thanks to them, they improved Win32 support :) No more dirty GL hacks to make it work.

Get the latest CB files (see previous post about building Clutter on Win32): unzip this into your clutter\build\cb\: http://alimbourg.googlepages.com/cb-latest.zip

Run prebuild.bat and that's it. Open Code::Blocks and the workspace: everything should rock'n'roll...

I'm doing some application tests to confirm my first impression: Clutter *is* pretty smart (even if i miss the 3rd dimension of OpenGL :|)

Cheers,

Clutter 0.9 (CodeBlocks/MinGW/Win32 build)

Do you know Clutter ?

"Clutter is an open source software library for creating fast, visually rich and animated graphical user interfaces. "

http://www.clutter-project.org/

Great Project. Really.

A bit too much intricated with gnome/gtk, not really win32 native ;), not so much pictures to display about, but... Nice and Smart code: really promising architecture.
Wanted to figure this on win32, as i'd like to create some click n play frontends for my htpc...
Good news: it's buildable on Windows/CodeBlocks (mingw) with a bit of luck and elbow grease :)

Here is a recipe:

Get Code::Blocks (Mingw flavor): http://www.codeblocks.org/downloads/5

Get Clutter0.9, and unzip-it somewhere on your hdd.

Get GTK dependencies from http://www.gtk.org/download-windows.html (binaries+dev packages): pango, cairo, glib, gtk+

Get some Mingw port from http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=7382 :
gettext, libiconv

I put all those libraries side by side with clutter-0.9.

Now some OpenGL trickeries: this is the main problem when compiling on win32 as internal OGL support is only up to 1.2, and clutter is more 1.4. So, as usual, we'll play with extensions and runtime function pointers retrieval.
Note that clutter/cogl is dealing with >1.4 extensions as well: mine is a hack concerning 'some functions 'between' OGL 1.2 and 1.4... So:

Get latest glext.h, to update your probably old \codeblocks\mingw\include\GL\GLext.h.

Create clutter-0.9.0\build\cb directory ('cb' stands for code::blocks, took the directory location from the old msvc_2k5 port).

Unzip this patch/project archive file in clutter-0.9.0\build\cb.

Run cb/prebuild.bat: it will copy some config files, create the actor-marshall.h/.c, and replace some files with a patched version (have a look into prebuild.bat as it probably wont fit with your directory configuration).

Now open code::blocks and cb\clutter.workspace: you should be ready to compile and link both clutter and interactive_d projects.

To execute interactive_d.exe: you need a bunch of dll in the running directory as the content of clutter-0.9\test\data. This is my complete build folder.

interactive_d.exe needs the name of the test to be ran, as a parameter, such as 'interactive_d.exe test-clutter-cairo-flowers'. Here is a two rows list of possible params:



test-actor-clone test-actors
test-animation test-behave
test-binding-pool test-clip
test-clutter-cairo-flowers test-cogl-multitexture
test-cogl-offscreen test-cogl-primitives
test-cogl-tex-convert test-cogl-tex-foreign
test-cogl-tex-getset test-cogl-tex-polygon
test-cogl-tex-tile test-depth
test-easing test-events
test-fbo test-fullscreen
test-grab test-layout
test-main test-model
test-multistage test-offscreen
test-paint-wrapper test-perspective
test-pixmap test-project
test-random-text test-rotate
test-scale test-score
test-script test-shader
test-stage-read-pixels test-text-field
test-text test-texture-quality
test-textures test-threads
test-unproject test-viewport

That's it for Clutter 0.9 :)
I'm going to dive more and more into it next days... And will publish my investigations in there. Stay tuned ?