Rockbox on Motorola Linux phones

[rasputin007]

Hi
I am NOT a programmer, so please be kind to me! 
However I am able to edit firmwares for the Motorola RAZR2 V8, which runs a now abandoned Motomagx OS (kernel 2.6.10-dev , gcc 3.4.3 and libc 2.3). There are some cross-compilers for this firmware, which I am using to compile new kernels (with some success).
I came across a Rockbox 3.4 version that works to a degree on the V8, but you have to install SDL libs first.
http://www.mediafire.com/?mmm3g2oyojr That's the link to Rockbox 3.4 and the SDL libs. The Rockbox extention of mpkg is just another form of tar.gz, but it is used to install new things on the V8.

Now there are still some problems, especially with the keypad and volume buttons, they only work partially (volume can not changed during mp3 play!). Also it runs not completely smooth, but it is working as most of the games can be played.

I wanted to recompile the Rockbox source with the V8 cross-compiler, but the Makefiles just stopped me in the tracks.

This is a lovely and brilliant application, which would be perfect on the V8, but it needs some fine tuning and for that I would need some help. I don't expect anybody to do the work for me, but I would like to hear some suggestions on how to go from here.

If you need any more info, please ask.
I hope I have chosen the right thread to post this.
Thanks

[Bagder]

The Rockbox port for the Motorola phones was made independently of the main Rockbox project and we never got any decent improvements back from them. Thus, Rockbox itself has no support for these phones or running in that environment.

So, it pretty much leaves you on your own. Or ask the guys who did the Rockbox work for that platform before.

[rasputin007]

Thanks, but I have no idea who made this. A friend saw this, but it was not working, because the theme setup was all mixed up, which I managed to correct and it worked then, even the database setup itself fine and worked. It feels sometimes a bit rough and key pressing is trial and error -no text for softkeys.
But I really like it and it would be great to get it working.

One more question:
When I do the /tools/configure script in the build-dir folder with the arm-gcc as the cross-compiler (the usually used cross-compiler is arm-eabi) I get a lot of "preconfigure" Make options.
Is there a way to get around this or do I chose just one and then "fiddle" the Makefile?

It will be a lot of trial and error, but then I am used to that.

[Bagder]

When I do the /tools/configure script in the build-dir folder with the arm-gcc as the cross-compiler (the usually used cross-compiler is arm-eabi) I get a lot of "preconfigure" Make options.
Is there a way to get around this or do I chose just one and then "fiddle" the Makefile?

Sorry, I don't understand. The usual compiler for Rockbox on ARM is not the eabi one.

If you go outside of the documented procedures of how to build (the official one provided by rockbox.org) Rockbox you may of course get some quirks and problems, but then you need to clearly state what you're doing when you ask for help.

I don't understand what you mean with "preconfigure" Make options, can you elaborate?

[rasputin007]

The arm-eabi cross-compiler is the one I use to cross-compile for the V8 phone.
I have now the one that is recommended by Rockbox, I have used the /tools/rockboxdev.sh script, so now I have the arm-elf-eabi to cross-compile Rockbox.

These preconfigured options come up when you run /tools/configure and you chose one of them, like No. 40 and No. 41 are for a gigabite model.
Looking at the functions in the configure file, those were the closest to the V8, which has arm-architecture, smca11 Freescale processor, little endian system, but a screen size of 240x320.

That is what I meant with "preconfigured options". Naturally there is no Motorola V8 option in that configure script. And that was my question if it would be possible for me to add one to it and what would I need.

[saratoga]

That is what I meant with "preconfigured options". Naturally there is no Motorola V8 option in that configure script. And that was my question if it would be possible for me to add one to it and what would I need.

You need to actually port rockbox to your phone:

http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/NewPort

As Bagder said, the port to your phone was done independently of us, so we don't have any code at all written for it.

A better approach for now might be to get the code for the build you're using and start with it.  Then once you understand it start changing things. 

[Bagder]

When writing "Rockbox As An App" to run within another OS and system, like the one you suggest, I think the only sensible thing is to make sure it builds with the stock compiler everything else in that OS is built with - rather than stick out your neck and build just this app with the Rockbox-endorsed compiler set.

I believe that old Motorola hack was more or less a simulator running on the phone, so they probably picked a configure target with a screen size that matched and then they built a simulator for that.

[rasputin007]

I ran it with the arm-eabi (cross-compiler for V8 gcc 3.4.3 and libc.2.3), but it always complains that it can not find the "...-elf-..." gcc.
I could symlink and rename them from "arm-linux-gnueabi-..." to "arm-elf-....". Did the same on the arm-Debian that runs in Qemu, so that I could compile the V8 kernel with a newer gcc and libc version, as I am not able to bootstrap an arm-Debian rootfs, but still have problems as the 2.6.10 kernel and the gcc 4.3 do not seem to get on too well.

Well, as you can see I am not scared to try new paths, but it might take some time until I get somewhere.
I think the "original" Motorola Rockbox was build for the E8, which is also a Linux based OS, but quite different to Motomagx.

The suggestion about using an emulator as the platform to run Rockbox sounds actually quite convincing, as the Rockbox app has 2 executables (Rockbox.portrait and Rockbox.landscape) which are called by a shell script (run.sh or run2.sh). I just combined those 2 shell scripts into one, so you can chose how you want Rockbox to run.

Thanks for your input, and I am sure I have to come back with some more questions.

[Chronon]

It is a simulator, not an emulator.  All communication with hardware is handled through SDL.  There's no emulation of specific hardware involved in it.

[rasputin007]

Thanks Chronon for pointing this out.
I am looking now for support from the Motorola modding community, especially on the programming side, as I am not feeling competent enough there.

btw I was playing with the Rockbox 3.4 on the V8 last night and actually the volume buttons are working. It was the fact that usually you have not more then 10 volume steps (often less) on Moto apps, but Rockbox has far more volume steps and pressing the volume down button just 4 times hardly made any impact.
However it can easily happen that the keypad freezes after pressing some buttons in succession, or the flip gets closed and opened again, but still the power-off button works to turn off the phone in a "proper" manner.