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Code Block
languagebash
titleapt-get
me@my-computer:$ scp -r build/artifacts/* pi@dukepad:/opt/dukepad

 

 

root@dukepad4:/opt/dukepad# vi run.sh 

echo "Using $JAVA_HOME"
cd /opt/dukepad
$JAVA_HOME/bin/java \
       -Dcom.sun.javafx.transparentFramebuffer=true \
       -Dprism.verbose=true \
       -Degl.depthSize=24 -Dprism.glDepthSize=24 \
       -Dcom.sun.javafx.experimental.embedded.3d=true \
       -Di2c.bus=0 -Di2c.address=0x68 \
       -Dprism.maxvram=209717200 \
       -Dprism.targetvram=100663296 \
       -Xmx90m \
       -Xms90m \
       -DuseMag=false \
       -jar dukepad.jar

We played with a lot of different command line values (for example, for remote debugging, JMX monitoring, etc). The maxvram and targetvram values are in bytes, and indicate how much of VRAM JavaFX will use for graphics. We didn't fine tune these values, just picked something that seemed reasonable, so there might be the ability to tweak these values for better performance (although it doesn't seem to be highly likely). We set the VM heap size to 90m so as to make startup a bit better, so that instead of the VM running out of space during startup it would just start off with a big chunk of memory. The OS still has another 150MB or so to play with, which is probably excessive, but the DukePad FX app didn't require a lot of heap (a lot less than 90MB actually), so we didn't see a reason to make it really large.

If you execute this script at this point, it should start up the DukePad, with whatever applications you have in your /opt/dukepad/apps directory. A quick note, if you have any MP3 files for music or MP4 files for media or JPG files for images, then put them in /opt/dukepad/media/images, /opt/dukepad/media/movies, /opt/dukepad/media/music as appropriate. If you want preview thumbnails for movies, also include in the movies directory medianame-thumb.jpg, where medianame is the name of the media file. For example, IronMan.mp4 would have IronMan-thumb.jpg.

If you want to enable auto-start, so that when the DukePad is booted up it will automatically launch the UI, then do the followingTo enable auto-start:

Code Block
languagebash
titleapt-get
root@dukepad:~# nano /etc/inittab

...

Code Block
languagebash
titleapt-get
#1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 tty1
1:2345:respawn:/bin/login -f pi tty1 </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1 2>&1

Edit this file in /etc/init.d

Code Block
languagebash
titleapt-get
root@dukepad:~# vi /etc/init.d/asplashscreen 


#! /bin/sh
### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:          asplashscreen
# Required-Start:
# Required-Stop:
# Should-Start:
# Default-Start:     S
# Default-Stop:
# Short-Description: Show custom splashscreen
# Description:       Show custom splashscreen
### END INIT INFO




do_start () {
    echo "Starting Duke Pad"
    /usr/bin/fbi -T 1 -noverbose -a /opt/dukepad/Duke-Startup.jpg
    exit 0
}


case "$1" in
  start|"")
    do_start
    ;;
  restart|reload|force-reload)
    echo "Error: argument '$1' not supported" >&2
    exit 3
    ;;
  stop)
    # No-op
    ;;
  status)
    exit 0
    ;;
  *)
    echo "Usage: asplashscreen [start|stop]" >&2
    exit 3
    ;;
esac


:

 Now it is time to get the code for the DukePad JavaFX

Hardware

 

  1. Setup your raspberry PI as usual. Here are quick start instructions if needed.
  2. If your installation does not already have it, download and install the latest JavaSE 8 Embedded release
    1. At this time (Sep 2013), we have weekly builds. After the official JavaSE 8 Embedded release is out, just use that.
  3. Setup the DukePad launcher and apps
    1. Clone the OpenJFX repo
    2. cd into rt/apps/experiments/DukePad
    3. Either open this project as an Intellij project, or use the gradle build script. The gradle script is iffy at this moment, and the IntelliJ project doesn't work well behind firewalls. YMMV.
      1. If using Intellij, build the project. This should download the required libraries from Maven. Feeling ambitious? Contribute a better gradle script or maven scripts. The world will love you.
    4. Once built, the runnable files are in build/artifacts. Copy everything in this directory onto your PI.
      1. We generally put things into /opt/dukepad, but you can put them wherever you like
      2. It is best to run things as root (you can switch to root with "sudo su")
    5. ssh into the PI, switch to the superuser
    6. Create a shell script (described below) to launch the DukePad java application
  4. Configure the PI with additional software requirements
    1. apt-get install fbi
    2. apt-get install mgp321
    3. Edit /etc/inittab. Comment out the line
      1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 tty1

      and replace with

      1:2345:respawn:/bin/login -f pi tty1 </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1 2>&1

       

This guide assumes that your Raspberry PI has "dukepad" as the host name, although of course you can use anything (including the raw IP address). The real work starts with step 3, building the DukePad software.

 

 

  • Add the boot/config.txt configuration file modifications required (screen resolution, memory split, etc)
  • Add a pointer to the JavaSE Embedded release that people should pick up
  • Add a pointer to the JavaFX Embedded release to pick up
  • Add instructions for cloning OpenJFX and building DukePad. At the moment we require using Intellij which isn't right. There is a gradle script, but it isn't reliable.
  • Add hardware instructions (all zipped together?)
  • Add pointers to where to get hardware
And finally, edit /etc/rc.local before "exit"
 Code Block
languagebash
titleapt-get
# START DUKE PAD
nohup /opt/dukepad/run.sh > /opt/dukepad/log.txt &
Hardware
OK, now for the hardware for building the DukePad. Some of the apps require hardware setup. There are some other steps not yet documented on this wiki for setting up accelerometer support. The following two files provide all of the template for laser cutting acrylic for the body of the DukePad. There are two different thicknesses, 3mm(1/8") and 4.5mm (3/16"). We're working with Special Computing to provide pre-built kits that can be ordered. This wiki will be updated with further information as it becomes available.
Image Added
Image Added
Credits
We'd like to give a special thanks to the following individuals / companies for helping us out in this project, either directly or indirectly. First thanks to Eben Upton and the Raspberry PI foundation, for giving us the PI in the first place, and for taking time out to talk over with us technical details that helped us make JavaFX work well on the PI. We'd like to thank Bill at Special Computing for working with us to make available dev kits of the DukePad for customers.
Also, thanks to the PiBow for an amazing enclosure for normal raspberry PIs, and the inspiration for the design of the DukePad case. And thanks to Rich, Jasper, Alexander K, Stas,  Debbie, Gary, John Yoon, and all the others who have helped in producing the hardware and software for the DukePad (and our management for supporting us in this wild JavaOne keynote idea!). We hope it will be useful to the Raspberry PI community, particularly in the Educational markets as a way for kids to learn how computers work and to fire their imaginations for those things that are not yet built, but desperately need a builder to dream them up and make them happen!