OpenEmbedded / Angstrom Demo

Requirements

  • SAM board
  • power supply
  • Serial, USB & Ethernet cables
  • USB hub
  • USB keyboard & mouse
  • USB key
  • SD card
  • headphones
  • Computer to control the demo via serial line or SSH access

Setup

Once the Linux kernel and root filesystem loaded, you can access the Linux console through the serial line plugged on DBGU port.
Use the root login account without password.

Network configuration

To let your target use the Network you have to configure it.

  • using a DHCP server
The target finds a proper network configuration at boot time.
  • using a static TCP/IP configuration
Using the ifconfig command, setup a free IP address suitable for your network : 
root@at91sam9263ek:/$ ifconfig eth0 10.159.245.170
eth0: link down
eth0: link up, 100Mbps, full-duplex, lpa 0x45E1

SSH access

The ssh client cannot connect to the dropbear SSH target server using the root account. An user account with password have to be created with the adduser command : 

root@at91sam9263ek:/$ adduser foo_user
Changing password for foo_user
Enter the new password (minimum of 5, maximum of 8 characters)
Please use a combination of upper and lower case letters and numbers.
Enter new password:
Re-enter new password:
Password changed.

Run applications

General advices:

  • run one application at a time : it is an embedded system with not so much memory !
  • each time a text field has to be filled, the virtual keyboard shows up: do not be surprised. This is a feature for PDA class devices. It can of course be disabled.
  • appart from using the USB keyboard, you can enter text with virtual keyboards (two models) or with the rosetta the handwriting recognition program : it is fun to test entering text with both !

Calendar

Beware, the action of clicking on the day view sets a calendar event: the window spawn slowly : do not double-click

Sketch Book

Very good to test touchscreen behavior.

Games

  • Tetris : use the USB keyboard
  • Go : a two players game

Calculator

IRC client

Can be fun if connected to Internet

Text Editor

Can be used to show the rosetta the handwriting recognition program. Beware: the rosetta handwriting have to be learned : do not expect very good results the first time.

Terminal

Low interest but can be a pleasure for geeks wink

File manager

Can be used to show the media hot plug capacity : connect the USB key and/or SD card now to show the "automount" capacity :

  • go in the /media directory
  • try to open /media/sda or /media/mmcblk0p1 : no media in the slot : no data
  • plug the media
  • wait for a little while
  • use the refresh button
  • the media data appear

USB keys are normally formated in the FAT flash filesystem : it should be ok.

Remark: do not try to use the file manager to open a file : default applications are not suitable for this system

Image Gallery

Go have a loot at images that you media contains using the open button : USB key (/dev/sda or /media/sda1 or SD card /media/mmcblk0p1). Beware that image scaling is very CPU consuming : scale images on your host before viewing them on the target. Remember, that is what is done on famous portable media players (with a fronted application to load content in them) ! => images format : 320x240

Note: you can make a sideshow.

Adjust audio output

Pointing hand check AudioFAQ page for more information.

Video player : mplayer

Setup:

  • setup DISPLAY environment variable : 
export DISPLAY=:0
  • put the screen into landscape mode : two commands available :
    • screen rotator applet in the utilities menu
    • xrandr -o left
    • adjust audio output following advices above
One all those things done, here is the mplayer command line : 
mplayer -vo sdl -sws 0 -hardframedrop -fs <your_movie_file>

=> you can rotate back the screen in portrait mode using this command : 

xrandr -o normal

Install new applications

Check the dedicated page : OpenEmbeddedAngstromUse#With_pre_built_packets_in_hands