test environment for new extensions prior to submission

[Rudock1]

Hi guys,

I apologize if this question is already answered...or in a FAQ I've blindly missed.

For the sake of this discussion, let's say there are two types of extensions, CLI and GUI. I recall reading multiple times that extensions should be tested on the most frugal test environment to accurately determine the dependencies, if any.

For CLI I believe that means to add "base norestore" to the kernel boot parameters.

For GUI, I'm kinda lost.  I'm testing on a UEFI system that does not have a legacy BIOS option. 
I think it is first boot "base norestore" as above for CLI, then tce-load -i Xorg-7.7.tcz for Corepure 64. Then tce-load -i flwm.tcz, aterm.tcz and wbar.tcz.

I thought that I could just run startx, but it times out with "Failed in waitforX"

So I don't have the "frugal" X windows steps.  Can you help me to fill in the missing parts?

thx
Billy
Rio Del Mar, California

[aus9]

Hi Until you get a better reply

I am on TC64 and have similar issues but with framebuffer (fb)

If you have the boot list called xbase.lst, reboot and at the kernel line
(or for grub2) called the linux line
or where you put tce=something

add boot code lst=xbase.lst

2) if you do not have such a beast here is mine

aterm.tcz
bzip2-lib.tcz
fltk-1.3.tcz
flwm.tcz
freetype.tcz
glib2.tcz
graphite.tcz
harfbuzz.tcz
imlib2-bin.tcz
imlib2.tcz
libffi.tcz
libfontenc.tcz
libICE.tcz
libjpeg-turbo.tcz
libpng.tcz
libSM.tcz
libX11.tcz
libXau.tcz
libxcb.tcz
libXdmcp.tcz
libXext.tcz
libXfont.tcz
libXmu.tcz
libXt.tcz
pcre.tcz
wbar.tcz
Xfbdev.tcz
Xlibs.tcz
Xprogs.tcz

Now you may have an issue with Xfbdev which I believe stands for frame buffer device.

I have read somewhere, that TC64 and framebuffer is not compatible

[andyj]

A minimal test environment would be the one that has the fewest extensions needed to build and run the application. Many configure scripts will include whatever they can find on a system, so if it finds sound or icu or cap/pcap it will get sucked in even if you don't explicitly give it that configure option and then you will have an unexpected dependencies. You can add the tce and lst boot options to specify a particular tce directory (such as tce=sda1/tce-dev) and onboot.lst (such as lst=onboot-dev.lst) to be used and then add some different configurations to extlinux.conf to pick your environment.

[Juanito]

..and if you're testing a gui extension you can start with "base norestore" and then:

x86: tce-load -i Xvesa flwm aterm wbar
x86_64: tce-load -i Xfbdev flwm aterm wbar

..then start the gui and load your new extension to test.

[aus9]

Thanks Juanito

but that method does not work for me. Still get the failed in wait for X error

slight variation on your method is I leave bootcode to name tce=something

at console prompt

Code: [Select]

cd /mnt/something/tce/optional
tce-load -i Xfbdev flwm aterm wbar # for TC64
change something to sda1etc

this saves download from cloud. If I do not change dir, your command fails with a msg about
the first TCE not found.

[Sashank999]

@aus9 Hi

As you are using Xfbdev, you must specify vga= bootcode. Else it will not start GUI. This worked for me when Juanito said me this.

[aus9]

I thought we are not allowed to load Xfbdev to use a bootcode? However, I will make a boot list and then use a boot code to see if I make a desktop

Edit on reboot
I am in! But will Juanito approve?

I now have a working frame buffer  flwm.lst with a bootcode of vga=795 (YMMV)

[jazzbiker]

Hi, guys!

Let me remind one way to work upon fbdev without any bootcodes ( base bootcode ). It is accessible if You are booting with grub2.

Code: [Select]

tc@box:~$ cat /mnt/sdb1/EFI/BOOT/grub/grub.cfg
...
insmod all_video
set gfxmode=auto
set gfxpayload=keep
...