Create a VMWare appliance with full working ps2dev environt

Post by **Oobles** » Thu Jul 06, 2006 2:58 pm

Idea: Create a VMWare appliance with a full working ps2dev environment.

Details: Getting the ps2dev or pspdev toolchains running on a windows environment is full of difficulties. A VMWare appliance has the advantage of setting it up once and allowing people to get straight into developing in a short amount of time. As the VMWare player is free it doesn't cost anything to get started.

Benefits:
- It will make it easier for people to get started with ps2dev.
- The environment can be tweaked and improved and rereleased easily.

Problems & Issues:
- The download might be quite large with a full install.

Time & People required:
- Project needs one person to take ownership of the environment.
- A script may need to be developed which helps rebuild the environment from scratch.
- Requires maybe a few days to configure and setup and release.

This idea has been floating around for a while with no-one really with the motivation to do it. It would be a great addition to the community. A useful linux or bsd distribution would need to be selected with preferably a minimal install. A solution which allowed the users development drive to be mounted would allow new environments to be downloaded without effecting their code/projects repository. If anyone sets this up, let me know of the resulting distribution size and I'll try and setup a place for it.

Oobles.

Post by **Oobles** » Thu Jul 06, 2006 3:00 pm

As an example of creating a discussion thread for an idea I've copied the vmware idea from the "Ideas and Concepts" thread. If you want to discuss this idea do it here and not in the "Ideas and Concepts" thread.

Oobles.

Post by **Drakonite** » Thu Jul 06, 2006 3:33 pm

This is a prime example of the purpose for this new area...

Setting up a vmware setup with ready to use ps2dev toolchain has been discussed numerous times, but it's forgotten about before anyone puts it together.

---

The VMWare idea is a great idea IMO. It's quite a bit easier to provide a prebuilt setup via VMWare VM than prebuilt cygwin setups, and it would also work substantially better. There would be no major compatibility issues to worry about.

To catch up those that do not know, VMWare Player is a free cutdown version of VMWare that allows you to run a Virtual Machine that has been created by a full version of VMWare.

IMO this is something that needs to be discussed quite a bit before it's done, as numerous things need to be decided, and would best be decided by group, including:

OS -- It'd either be a BSD or Linux. I seem to recall a few oddities/issues with certain tools and BSD, and if that is the case then I would recommend Linux simply because all the tools are known to work, though a distro would still need picking...
Which toolchain(s) -- Do we have one package with ps2, psp, and any other toolchains we build all in one, or seperate packages?
Included programs -- What selection of tools and utilities do we need to include, which ones do we want to include?
Included target libraries -- do we want to include SDL and all of that, or require them to build it on their own?

chp · Post by **chp** » Thu Jul 06, 2006 4:18 pm

As an alternative I can recommend Cooperative Linux. Since this application could be distributed alongside the image, it could have customized install process, and as a bonus you could simply mount the image in linux to get similar access to the development environment if you don't want to build it on your own computer. It also gives you direct access to your windows drive without much hassle, since you can mount drives directly inside.

I've been using coLinux for about 6 months without any problems so far for both PSP and PS2 development.

futaris · Post by **futaris** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:53 am

I too would recommend people use coLinux rather than VMWare... Besides, if you really want both Linux and Windows, Xen is a better alternative, if WINE/Cedega doesn't float your boat.

ubergeek42 · Post by **ubergeek42** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:46 pm

VMWare Server is now free, which should make it easier to create a VMWare disk image for use with VMWare Player.
http://www.vmware.com/products/server/

It also looks like VMWare hosts images created by its users, and some of them appear to be quite large(this may be an option for hosting)
http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/appliances/index.html
How to showcase a virtual appliance on VMware's VMTN Site

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:51 pm

I'm currently building MS Virtual Server 2005 R2 + Ubuntu + PSPSDK if anyone's interested? I'm sick of cygwin.

Jim

niemand0815 · Post by **niemand0815** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 5:00 pm

regarding the distribution of the propably rather large image:
why not use p2p (bittorrent) for distribution?

regarding the platform:
the easiest way would propably be to use a very small linux to keep the os-overhead rather small. that linux needs to access the windows disks properly.
also, maybe we do not need any linux guy if there was a kind a special "autostart application" giving the dev-environment a gui (for example: you start the vm-instance, and get prompted for everything and just have to press a button to get something compiled which you programmed under windows).

hope that makes sense (as i am not into programming [yet] and have only limited knowledge abotu linux/unix).

ubergeek42 · Post by **ubergeek42** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 6:10 am

The only problem with that is, I don't think there is a way for VMWare to read from your main windows drive. I have been using VMWare(Slackware 10.2, full install, ~4gigs) for a while now and the best solution I have found is to use Windows Networking and share a folder, because Linux can access windows shares using samba.

Also just a side note; VMWare Server is a bit slower then VMWare Player, graphics wise. They apparently both support copy and paste(of files and clipboard) between guest and host systems, but I haven't been able to get this to work.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 8:08 am

Even with compression, the ubuntu disk I was working on is 250Mb, and the other bad thing is that the UI is very slow under VPC, whereas Windows runs almost at full speed. Not really a success. At least it's easy to delete and start again.

Jim

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 9:18 am

I redid it in VMWare Server and it's great. I installed the PSPSDK and tested it and that's fine too, though probably it needs a proper root account adding. It also has web and usb access so you can talk to the rest of the world and your psp. Might be cool to add samba too.
It's 698Mb. Is anyone interested if I torrent it out? I have about 1Mbit unmetered upload, so someone could have it in a couple of hours?

Jim

j · Post by j » Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:49 am

I can host a finalized version of this.. I may put a per thread/per ip limit of ~50-100kb/s but if that isn't a problem I'd be more than happy to.

sdfnanderson · Post by **sdfnanderson** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:21 am

Good morning.

I´m a brazilian student and this concept is a good option because we can deploy the virtual machine in the classroom, studying in group the ps2 sdk.

another reason is because the "locked" machines of my campus don´t agree changes in our linux distros pre installed, and our win 2k stations are locked too.

sdfnanderson · Post by **sdfnanderson** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:26 am

about the hosting of the virtual machine, we can contact the vmware web site and subject our distro. That web site have some downloadable linux "images" hosted.

sdfnanderson · Post by **sdfnanderson** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:29 am

shall we read this articles from the vmware web site:

http://www.vmware.com/products/free_virtualization.html
http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/appliances/overview.html#4

sdfnanderson · Post by **sdfnanderson** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:42 am

We must think always with this concept: The virtual machine will be created for the NOOBLES. We need to create one START UP GUIDE TO THE NEW USER.

Example:

A) REQUIREMENTS:

1) LEARN C AND C++
2) LEARN HOW TO USE THE LINUX (LOG ON, ls, ee-gcc, etc, etc, etc)
3) LEARN HOW TO COMPILE ONE ELF TO THE PLAYSTATION
4) LEARN PS2LINK

B) LIST OF DOWNLOADS

1) VMWARE PLAYER
2) THE IMAGE / VIRTUAL MACHINE
3) THE START UP GUIDE

j · Post by j » Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:48 am

It's up to you, I'd still be happy to host the psp-dev related vmware images.

sdfnanderson · Post by **sdfnanderson** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 3:51 am

i´ve create one HOW TO install the vmware player (HOWTO.PDF) for all who want start using the virtual machine in the MICROSOFT WINDOWS.

http://www.geocities.com/SDFNANDERSON/HOWTO.pdf

PS. This Section could be called
"EASY PROCESS SETTING UP PS2DEV IN WINDOWS OR LINUX USING VMWARE" or something like this. A lot of people don´t know who is vmware... ;-)

jum · Post by **jum** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 8:25 pm

Jim wrote:I redid it in VMWare Server and it's great. I installed the PSPSDK and tested it and that's fine too, though probably it needs a proper root account adding. It also has web and usb access so you can talk to the rest of the world and your psp. Might be cool to add samba too.
It's 698Mb. Is anyone interested if I torrent it out? I have about 1Mbit unmetered upload, so someone could have it in a couple of hours?

Jim

Jim, is it possible for you to do a quick write-up on how you did this, specifically:

- vmware Virtual machine config
- Ubuntu install, options/packages required and config on the virtual machine
- PSP compiler installation/config on the virtual Ubuntu
- PSPSDK installation/config on the virtual Ubuntu

Also if you did other stuff like getting USB and PSPLink working, and how to transfer files between Windoze and the virtual Ubuntu, how to access Windoze filesystem from within virtual Ubuntu etc.

I have tried to install Ubuntu (5.05) on MS Virtual PC, but no luck so far.

Cheers - Jum

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:07 pm

Here's the virtual disk, 715Mb.
http://members.iinet.net.au/~jimshaw/Ubuntu.rar.torrent
This is an Azureus tracked torrent. Be good. Share.

You need to go to www.vmware.com and get the free VMWare Server software.

Configuration is simple, add an existing hard drive (the one you just downloaded), USB, Networking using NAT and a CD/DVD if you want it.

It would be nice if someone hosted this, or worked on it more.

The username and password for Ubuntu (and root) are
user: pspsdk
pass: pspsdk

The latest PSPSDK and my mod player source are already installed.

Jim

j · Post by j » Thu Jul 20, 2006 10:50 pm

I can host it... but according to utorrent it will take 4 weeks [edit: faster now] to download. Want to send it directly to me?

sdfnanderson · Post by **sdfnanderson** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 11:32 pm

+- 700MB, okay.
I will try to download the torrent file. thanks.

sdfnanderson · Post by **sdfnanderson** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 11:38 pm

Why we can´t create one image to PS2DEV and ANOTHER to PSPDEV, ready to use?

j · Post by j » Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:24 am

http://virtual.krnl.net/?cat=4

ftp://virtual.krnl.net/ubuntu/ubuntu-ps ... 060721.md5
ftp://virtual.krnl.net/ubuntu/ubuntu-ps ... 060721.rar 749,543,614
ftp://virtual.krnl.net/ubuntu/ubuntu-ps ... 060721.txt

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 7:30 am

Thanks for grabbing and hosting!

->sdfnanderson
I don't see any reason why you couldn't add PS2SDK to this too.
I mean, once you've got the development tools stored on ubuntu, installing the PSPSDK is as easy as

Code: Select all

svn co svn&#58;//svn.pspdev.org/psp/trunk/psptoolchain
chmod +x toolchain.sh
sudo toolchain.sh

You need the sudo to complete the install of the headers and libs.

Jim

j · Post by j » Fri Jul 21, 2006 7:39 am

If you make any more (different o/s, target, etc) just post 'em or e-mail me. I'm not sure anyone else reads this thread besides us.

Post by **Oobles** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 10:53 am

Hi,

First off.. great to see that the ideas area has born some fruit already. :) Well done to Jim for getting this done.

Is this release ready to be announced, and does virtual.krnl.net have the bandwidth to support many downloads? If not, I will also mirror it at ps2dev.org.

Can I also suggest a slight name change to ubuntu-pspdev-20060721 so that people know what environment it has installed?

Regards,
David. aka Oobles.

j · Post by j » Fri Jul 21, 2006 11:25 am

Yeah, bandwidth I have a'plenty. Name change, will do. I thought of doing that but it became longer than I liked :-).

Edit: Changed the name of the files.

Whether it is ready for release... there is nothing left for me to do. I haven't done any testing besides verifying the rar archive.

I say sure, announce it. I'll load it up and see if it compiles the demos.

j · Post by j » Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:01 pm

Hmm, the root password doesn't seem to be pspsdk...

So you can't make samples in the /usr/lib/pspdev/psp/samples/ because it is read-only. But it does make them :-P

When Jim gets back he can give us the root pass I can edit/package it right back up on the server.

Post by **Drakonite** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 2:22 pm

root doesn't have any password set at all (no login). You can sudo for root activities though.

With this being for a specific job (building psp/ps2 programs), does it really need a full GUI system? ...

Just by removing packing that are not needed for psp/ps2 dev via the ubuntu package manager, including extra drivers that make no sense for vmware, (and deleting the toolchain source files, which would not be needed since it's already built) I dropped the disk image size by approx 500MB. By starting from scratch and only including what is needed (and not having a GUI system) I'd think it should be able to be reduced by another 500MB...

And btw, unless you are running this vm on machines with >1GB of ram, dropping the ram vmware uses for the vm down to 256 or 192 should noticably increase the performance.

forums.ps2dev.org

Create a VMWare appliance with full working ps2dev environt

Create a VMWare appliance with full working ps2dev environt

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