KDE on scratchbox for maemo 4

This article describes how to compile KDE for maemo. It takes the Nokia N810 as example device. It uses the cross-compiling environment scratchbox on an Intel-based computer.

Overview

• maemo is the core software stack that runs on mobile devices like Nokia's N810 or N900
• garage is where the projects for maemo are hosted, somewhat compareable to Sourceforge.
• OS2008 is maemo 4.x (more info). Compare it with Debian's Lenny.
• Diablo is the version (feature upgrade 2008) of maemo.
• Scratchbox is a cross-compiling environment to enable you to create software for maemo on an i386.
• Busybox is a single binary that allows you to run commands like ls, cat and bunzip2
• Hildon is an application framework and desktop shell for maemo, compare it to the role that Plasma plays in KDE 4

On the Nokia itself

• install openssh on the Nokia N810
• install subversion

ssh root@localhost
apt-get install subversion

In scratchbox

You cannot install scratchbox on an X64 computer, so, install an i386 into a VMWare virtual machine. The following describes how to install scratchbox into a SUSE 11 32bit installation. It might work same or similar with any Linux.

Hello world

First, we want to compile a "hello world" program for the Nokia. Here is how.

• Set up scratchbox

root@i386 # useradd -m scratchboxuser
root@i386 # wget http://repository.maemo.org/stable/diablo/maemo-scratchbox-install_4.1.2.sh
root@i386 # chmod 777 maemo-scratchbox-install_4.1.2.sh
root@i386 # ./maemo-scratchbox-install_4.1.2.sh -s /scratchbox
root@i386 # /scratchbox/sbin/sbox_adduser scratchboxuser
root@i386 # su - scratchboxuser

• set up the SDK

scratchboxuser@i386 $ wget http://repository.maemo.org/stable/diablo/maemo-sdk-install_4.1.2.sh

Start the install script and accept all choices:

scratchboxuser@i386 $ sh maemo-sdk-install_4.1.2.sh

• start scratchbox

scratchboxuser@i386 $ /scratchbox/login
[sbox-DIABLO_ARMEL: ~] > sb-conf select DIABLO_ARMEL
[sbox-DIABLO_ARMEL: ~] > cat > main.c << EOF
#include <stdio.h>

int main()
{
  printf("hello world");
}
EOF
[sbox-DIABLO_ARMEL: ~] > gcc main.c
[sbox-DIABLO_ARMEL: ~] > file a.out
a.out: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, ARM, version 1 (SYSV), for GNU/Linux 2.6.8, dynamically linked (uses shared libs), not stripped

• copy the file to your Nokia N810 using scp

=> the file is executable on the Nokia

Re-login

To re-login after a reboot of your virtual machine run

/scratchbox/sbin/sbox_ctl start
/scratchbox/login