Lazarus on Windows for Android

[polypress]

I am looking to get a new smart phone. The old one is based on Windows Mobile 6.5 and has worked well but is slow. Applications can crash if more than a few are loaded.
The new phone would be Windows Phone 8 or Android based, and applications written for WM6.5 (WinCE) are not compatible with either of these.
Can Android applications be written on Windows XP based Lazarus/FPC (1.0.10/2.6.2) or does is have to be Linux based Lazarus/FPC?

Regards

[Leledumbo]

Can Android applications be written on Windows XP based Lazarus/FPC (1.0.10/2.6.2)

Yes, but not with FPC 2.6.2. Use FPC trunk with native arm-android support (the hacked 2.5.1 might work, but I don't suggest that anymore)

or does is have to be Linux based Lazarus/FPC?

No

[jmpessoa]

Hi,

From this thread:
 
Lazarus1.1 For Android -FPC2.7.1-

http://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,20918.msg121775.html#msg121775

You can download here:

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=89ae6b50650182c6&id=89AE6B50650182C6%21149


See the zariq post here:

http://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,21544.0.html

Greetings!

[polypress]

I have tried to access the skydrive site but each time it causes ie8 to crash.
Is this site or this link OK?

Please confirm before I try again.

Regards

[jmpessoa]

Sorry.

Please, try this:

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=89AE6B50650182C6&id=89AE6B50650182C6%21129

or: https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=89ae6b50650182c6

And this:       "Laz4Android1.1-41139-FPC2.7.1.7z"

Thank you.

[polypress]

Thank you for the links jmpessoa.
I have downloaded the files and installed them, creating a running version of 1.1/2.7.1 together with various files such as arm-linux-androideabi-as.exe, arm-linux-androideabi-id.exe, arm-linux-androideabi-strip.exe, but I'm not sure what to do with them now.
If I try to use them in the environment file path then I'm told it should be ppcrossarm.exe (as for wince, but fpc.cfg is missing) or fpc.exe or ppc386.exe (as for win32). I have project compiler target os as android and cpu family as arm.
Is there a link to show how to use this installation for android?

Regards

[polypress]

Further to my last post, I have gone through the pdf file which came with the installation.

Unfortunately it is in Chinese (with a little English content) showing a test with a project called androidlcltest.lpr.

On testing it with the paths setup as best I could with the information available, it has come up with errors such as "illegal parameter -CpARMV6" and "Fatal: cannot find unit system used by fcllaz of package FCL" which it appears to be trying to register, and this prevents further processing.

Any help to resolve this one example would be appreciated. If I can get this one to work, then hopefully I can get other more demanding applications to work.

[Leledumbo]

I have downloaded the files and installed them, creating a running version of 1.1/2.7.1 together with various files such as arm-linux-androideabi-as.exe, arm-linux-androideabi-id.exe, arm-linux-androideabi-strip.exe, but I'm not sure what to do with them now.

ld and as are linker and assembler, respectively. strip is not really required, you can just tell the compiler not to generate debugging info. You'll need to rename the linker and assembler prefix to arm-linux- (I assume this FPC version still uses the hacked arm-linux target instead of native arm-android), because by default fpc.cfg only contains -XP$FPCTARGET- which will be expanded to (on arm-linux target) -XParm-linux-, which will make searching of assembler and linker fails, because the name differs (e.g. arm-linux-androideabi-as instead of arm-linux-as). You can also modify the -XP in fpc.cfg or specificially specify -XP only for this project to match the name of the assembler and linker.

If I try to use them in the environment file path then I'm told it should be ppcrossarm.exe (as for wince, but fpc.cfg is missing) or fpc.exe or ppc386.exe (as for win32)

fpc -Parm will call ppcrossarm while fpc only will call the host compiler (ppc386 in your case).

I have project compiler target os as android and cpu family as arm.

If you're using hacked arm-linux, then your os target should be linux instead of android.

On testing it with the paths setup as best I could with the information available, it has come up with errors such as "illegal parameter -CpARMV6"

The compiler might not be built with ARMv6 code generation support, you should know exactly how the compiler is built (i.e. what options are passed).

and "Fatal: cannot find unit system used by fcllaz of package FCL"

Either fpc.cfg misses path to arm-linux version of the basic units or because of the previous error.

[polypress]

Thank you for your prompt response Leledumbo.

It will take a while to absorb and incorporate all of your suggestions so I probably won't be live for a while.

However, the android files are of the form "arm-linux-androideabi-as.exe". Are you saying I need to convert its name (to arm-androideabi-as.exe or arm-android-as.exe or arm-linux-as.exe) or to change the file name called from lazarus to "arm-linux-androideabi-as.exe" or to change file names within fpc.cfg?

What are -XP$FPCTARGET- (the XP bit) and -XParm-linux- and fpc -Parm and where are they called?

I don't know if I'm using a hacked arm-linux - it came from Skydrive which seems to be connected with Microsoft, so I assume it shouldn't be hacked.

How can I find out if the compiler was built with ARMv6 code generation support?

Which part of fpc.cfg defines the path to the arm-linux version of the basic units?

The download was supposedly a fully working 1.1/2.7.1 + example, so could it be the environment needs to be modified?

I am familiar with assembler and Delphi (Lazarus) programming, but this all seems a little more difficult.

Regards

[jmpessoa]

Hi!

1. From original Post:
    http://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,20918.msg121775.html#msg121775

After decompression:

--> Find "build.bat" batch file, right-click for edit. if necessary modify line 4:
     SETFPC_BIN_PATH = F:\laz4android   
     for something more convenient for you.
     For me:  SETFPC_BIN_PATH = C:\laz4android 

--> now double-click the "build.bat' to build Lazarus and wait for the completion of the batch...

2.  To compile "androidlcltest" See the zariq post here:
     http://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,21544.0.html


3. After some experimentation I got the following configuration (for my comfort or laziness  )
    as shown in the accompanying figures (Attachments).

   My Comment about "Other"

   I think just  this is necessary:

   -dANDROID -Xd -CpArmV6 -CfSoft -FLC:\adt32\ndk7\platforms\android-8\arch-arm\usr\lib\libdl.so

    where -CSoft can may be substituted by -CVfpV3 ... etc.
   
    In fact, if you can omit this part

   -FUC:\adt32\eclipse\workspace\App1\obj\JNIHello -oC:\adt32\eclipse\workspace\App\libs\armeabi\libjnihello.so

and act manually this tasks....

Greetings!

[Leledumbo]

I'll wait until you do what jmpessoa say before I answer, perhaps the package is already designed as such (i.e. requires running some batch file before used).

[truetom]

HI! I am the founder of this package,as jmpessoa say this package can compiled androidlcltest project,you just do this:
1.download laz4android1.1-41139-FPC2.7.1.7z from http://sdrv.ms/12cHbIZ

2.decompression this file to any path,etc : c:\laz4android

3.edit "build.bat" line 4
  SET FPC_BIN_PATH = F:\laz4android
 this line change to  SET FPC_BIN_PATH = c:\laz4android

4.now double click the "build.bat",now you can see a command form is running ,it's building lazarus.exe,please waiting for build finished.

5.after builded lazarus.exe ,you can run the lazarus.exe to open the androidlcltest.lpr ,which is location c:\laz4android\examples\androidlcl. before compile this project ,you must download android NDK and extract it.

7.adjust project's libraries to your NDK path,this menu: project->project options->paths(left)->libraries(right) .

8.if the libraries path is correct ,now can CTRL+F9 to compile this androidlcltest project, a file which name is "liblclapp.so" should created at C:\laz4android\examples\androidlcl\android\libs\armeabi

9.now edit "generate_debug_key.bat" ,run it to create a key.you must already installed JDK ok.

10. edit "build_debug_apk.bat",run it to build a android apk package.you must already installed Android SDK ok.

hope can helped you! Greeting!
sorry for my bad english.

[polypress]

Hello truetom
I have followed your instructions fully (I think) but when I get to compile with Ctrl+F9 I am given the following message "Fatal: cannot find unit system used by fcllaz of package FCL". According to Leledumbo this is because either fpc.cfg misses path to arm-linux version of the basic units or because the compiler might not be built with ARMv6 code generation support, [you should know exactly how the compiler is built (i.e. what options are passed)]. I have searched fpc.cfg and there is no sign of the path for arm-linux, but also, is the compiler built with ARMv6 code generation support? If your installation works OK, then I assume it is, or could each installation have different levels of (ARMv6) support?

Would it help if I attached some files to these posts? If so, which do you suggest?

Regards

[jmpessoa]

Hi!

Do you did the zariq hint?  http://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,21544.0.html

To compile androidlcltest had to change the target from Linux to android
and deselect -WR(relocatable) option under code generation. didn't have to change paths
to android ndk / sdk which I have installed in c:\android. Also the "so" extention is not added,
so need to rename the file or add it in the project options.

Greetings!

[truetom]

Hello polypress.
I guess you select the project's Target OS is wrong.
Check this menu:
Project -> project options -> Code generation (left) -> Target OS:android    Target CPU family: arm  (right)