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Official GP2X SDK Released
gizmateer writes "According to Gizmos for Geeks, GamePark Holdings, Inc. has officially released the GP2X SDK. The GP2X source is available for Windows and Linux developers on the GP2X site. If you need more library source, GPH provides the contact dev@gp2x.com and GPH will provide it on the developers' forum. GPH mentions that you can get most of the library from the Internet, as Dev-C++ for GP2X was coded with the source code which is already opened on the Internet. The GP2X makers have gone a long way since being accused of not understanding the GPL."
The GP2X makers have gone a long way since being accused of not understanding the GPL.
Actually, they still don't understand it. MPlayer is embedded in the GP2X firmware in a modified version (using the custom mpeg decoding hardware), but no source code for it has been released.
They outsourced the Linux development to another company, and then that idiot company did stupid things like mix in proprietary SD card drivers right in. So now they're stuck between the proprietary people saying they can't release it, and the free software people saying they have to, and they're trying to figure out how to seperate the two and make us all happy.
It sucks. And I don't know if they'll ever be able to make anyone happy. But they're trying, and what they need is our help and support, not our bitching. Bitching won't help them figure out what the fuck they're doing. Bitching will make them hate the Linux community and do whatever they can to get away from us. But if they get enough help and support from us, then it'll be easier for them to get out the source, they'll be more likely to want to get out the source, we'll get it faster, and in the future they'll be more likely to put out (compliant) GPLed products in the future.
I don't want us to be doormats and let them get away with whatever, but I don't want us to be viewed as psycho attack dogs that everyone stays away from. Let's save the meanness and the bitching for those that don't try, and help those that do try.
"What is Internet Explorer 7? Are you saying we can't access the normal internet?" - I love tech support. Really.
Maybe they'd get more support if articles like this posted a little more information. I DON'T KNOW WHAT GP2X IS!
My friend calls it a "Linux Gameboy". It's a handhead game device that takes SD cards and play homebrew games and roms. It also plays movies and shows pictures, and whatever else people can make it do.
Links: http://www.gp2x.com/ http://wiki.gp2x.org/
"What is Internet Explorer 7? Are you saying we can't access the normal internet?" - I love tech support. Really.
You supposedly can network over USB with the current firmware. Telnet, HTTP, and FTP minimally.
I wouldnt know as I bought mine from GP32z.com. I tried upgrading the firmware to the latest to try all this new functionality out. Finally found a card that the thing would upgrade with (almost any SD card works for normal use, but only CERTAIN cards can be used to upgrade). Finally get my "Upgrading Firmware..." screen. But it never goes away. 15 minutes later and with help from peeps on #gp2xdev, decided to reset it and see what i get.. A brick...
I have been mailing GP32z.com repeatedly asking if they can help me fix the unit or even point me in the right direction. I have only had the thing for a month. It was GREAT until this... I have heard that other vendors take the units back and reflash them. I hear it requires special cables and stuff that you could do on your own, but I am not that kind of hacker.
I highly recommend the GP2X. It is a WONDERFUL device! I watched TV shows on it. The MP3 player is good. MAME on it rocks. I wanted to buy some of the commercial games just coming out for it now. Even hooked it up to my TV - looked awesome. The picture viewer is STELLAR! I just popped in a SD card from my NIKON and was browsing away. I even used the Text viewer for some Mark Twain books acquired from Project Gutenberg.
This is a GREAT device. Dont buy it from GP32z.com. Someone else will have to recommend a vendor, but I know others will help you out if your device becomes a brick. Make sure you have good post sales support.
I've ported one of my games which I'd written with the SDL, but I wouldn't say it's for the general public yet:
- I had to take the unit apart to get one of the speakers working (and solder it back on).
- The memory card supplied with it didn't work properly
- The headphone socket doesn't appear to work at all
- The joystick's very dicky.
- The build quality isn't the highest.
- There's a slight lack of coherence between the applications.
- The top buttons are too easy to press accidentally.
Apart from that, not too bad. Price should be a bit lower with more sales.
The link that SHOULD be included in every future GP2X news item is Here. An avid member of the GP2X community has written an amazing review of pretty much everything the GP2X can do at present with the included software, many homebrew applications, and various linux applications. It covers native games[1], homebrew linux games, emulators running many consoles up to the SNES/PSX era, and media applications. It includes pictures and screenshots of the unit doing its various things. Also included is a *VIDEO* of the unit in action, showing just how well it emulates various systems at present[2] and runs various ported games (ultima 7 and duke nukem 3d are shown. not shown is a nice working Quake 1 port).
Read the review. Watch the video. Then buy a GP2X since you will be convinced. I ordered mine yesterday and plan to use it primarily as a media player[3] but also as a gaming console via emulators and native games.
[1] - Commercial developers are porting GBA and other similar-requirement games directly to the GP2X, they boot directly into the game software with no OS. Check out screenshots and videos of Payback for the GBA and then imagine the same game at 2x the resolution with 4xAA and network support.
[2] - Most available emulators are ports of existing emulators written for x86 Linux. This means they need new emulation cores written in ARM asm to run well, and they need massive changes to utilize the GP2X's dual core ARM architecture.
[3] - The GP2X can decode divx, among other codecs. It can output to a TV at 720p HD, an amazing feature for a handheld media player, or just display at QVGA on the internal lcd. I have a 4GB SD card to fill with movies to watch on the go, and plan to put a 400GB external USB hard drive under the seat in my car to house my movie/mp3 collection to play through this device.