Host-based development with Xoo and Xephyr

Revision as of 19:27, 27 April 2007

One of good ways to get started developing is getting rootfs working on host machine, since most of us doesn't have real hardware.

Xoo is a graphical wrapper around Xnest, the nested X server. You can make Xnest look like a particular device's display and set up buttons on that device. This is useful for embedded developers who want to simulate a target device on their desktop machine.

Getting rootfs

Use the Building OpenMoko using the MokoMakefile to get rootfs, just before make openmoko-devel-image run

# sed -i 's/fic-gta01/x86/' build/conf/local.conf

than just run make openmoko-devel-image. After a while(half of day) you should have in build/tmp/image/ file openmoko-devel-image-x86-$(DATE).rootfs.tar.gz mine is here [1].

Install Xoo on your host

For gentoo users run just

# emerge xoo

Debian/Ubuntu

# sudo apt-get install xoo xnest

For Fedora (package has been submitted to Fedora for approval, see https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=236297):

# ftp://ftp.xelerance.com/xoo/

for any other find a way how to do it in your distro.

Making X cooperate

• Make sure your iptables do not prevent you from connecting to port 6000(x11) on localhost

• Make sure your X is listening on port 6000(X11) on localhost (netstat is friend)

• Enable conection from localhost

# xhost localhost

Preparing rootfs

• Unpack rootfs file in any directory and cd to that dir.

• Get dev files in rootfs

# sudo mount --bind /dev/ rootfs/dev/

• Chroot to rootfs

# sudo chroot rootfs /bin/sh

Getting it up

In another term start xoo, good idea is to download [2] and run

# xoo --device neo1973.xml

In chrooted enviroment export display to connect to started xoo

# export DISPLAY=localhost:1.0

and start window manager.

# x-window-manager

By this time you should have matchbox running in Xoo window.