6 reasons why you should develop your app for LinuxICE

kev000 · 03-23-2008, 06:51 PM

This seems to be a question that I get asked me from time to time. Here are some reasons why you might want to write your next carpc app for LinuxICE:

1. LinuxICE is an open platform.
When you think "open platform" you might think Google's Android Open Mobile Platform which is touted to be very successful as mobile phones based upon it are released later this year. Open Platforms are better than closed platforms for many reasons. Their Code and APIs are open to anyone to take advantage of. This helps developers write their code faster and better.

2. LinuxICE is more lightweight than other platforms
While LinuxICE is currently based on a slimmed version of Ubuntu, it's more than an Operating system. It's the tools required to integrate a car infotainment system --all the tools required to get the job done and nothing more.

3. LinuxICE is designed with car infotainment in mind.
Unlike XP, LinuxICE is designed from the ground up for Car Infotainment. Window XP requires a "frontend" to be able to be used in a car. LinuxICE has no frontend because the entire desktop (nGhost2) was written for car infotainment.

4. The LinuxICE platform is a distributed network of tools
While most frontends for carPCs are big monolithic apps that do a great number of different things, LinuxICE tools are a number of different applications that integrate one with another to achieve the best performance. This allows an application to specialize on one thing and do that one thing really well.

5. LinuxICE tools are fully network aware, pluggable, with an open API.
Every major compenent in LinuxICE is fully network aware. They communicate locally and externally with other applications that use Their APIs. That means other programs on other computers can interact with them. For example, an application that interacts with the nGhost Desktop can control the media playback remotely. nGhost can also provide these "client-plugins" with a gui for interaction with the user.

6. The LinuxICE platform is language apathetic.
Applications for the LinuxICE platform can be written in virtually any language. From python, perl, c/c++, or even .NET. Following the "no developer left behind" methodology, the APIs for integrating with the LinuxICE components are available to virtually every language.

The goals of LinuxICE are simple, provide a platform for Car infotainment applications that is flexible, powerful, and easy to use and develop for.

We hope to see what new app you can develop for the LinuxICE platform.

Notes:
-LinuxICE componets/tools: These tools consist of the following: The core-OS, icepanel, and the nGhost desktop

-icepanel and nGhost IPC API documentation.

-Development video of the nGhost Desktop:

nGhost2 - Messaging Demo

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Himszy · 03-23-2008, 07:01 PM

May I ask.....What percentage of people that have a Car PC run LinuxICE?

kev000 · 03-23-2008, 07:39 PM

Over the space of development, LinuxICE has received 1000+ downloads. And it's only in beta still. While that may only represent a fraction of those running carpcs, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't develop for it. The entire industry benefits from a better platform. Attracting developers helps the platfrom move forward and gain critical mass. Not to mention that by having an alternative stimulates competition. Everyone again benefits from having a competitive platform.

edit: The LinuxICE software repo has recorded 3399 unique IP addresses since January this year. ...For what it's worth

Himszy · 03-23-2008, 07:58 PM

I agree but as it seems that most people (incl myself) program in VB on here I can't see it taking off any time soon....

But an OS purely for Car PCs does sound promising.....

-zip- · 03-24-2008, 11:26 AM

What about windows third party apps though? ex. Phone, or GPS and devices like powermates or fusion brain etc?

kev000 · 03-24-2008, 03:09 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by -zip-

What about windows third party apps though? ex. Phone, or GPS and devices like powermates or fusion brain etc?

If you are asking if LinuxICE supports them now the answer is no. that's the whole reason why LinuxICE needs developer's support.

If users are looking to use LinuxICE and have it support everything that windows XP supports then the user will be disappointed. However if a developer is looking for a good platform to write the new revision of the "fusion brain" driver, maybe he might find it advantageous for him to write it for both platforms at the very least.

When developers start supporting the new platform, the end result is more users and a better experience for everyone in the long run.

There are a whole set of different reasons why LinuxICE will be advantageous for _users_, but that's another thread =).

maxxell · 03-25-2008, 08:33 PM

If LinuxICE is based on Ubuntu, does it support whatever hardware ubuntu supports or do you need to redevelop drivers from square one?

kev000 · 03-25-2008, 09:09 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by maxxell

If LinuxICE is based on Ubuntu, does it support whatever hardware ubuntu supports or do you need to redevelop drivers from square one?

yes, LinuxICE takes advantage of Ubuntu's fine work in getting devices to work.

nice wrx btw

benedums · 03-26-2008, 12:20 PM

Will there be a JVM already included with LinuxICE?
If so which one, Sun?

Can you offer a "Design Guide" for LinuxICE apps?
How will we communicate with Ng2 and ICE-panel?

I would look them up in the links for the API docs but the don't seam to be working.

maxxell · 03-26-2008, 01:05 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by kev000

yes, LinuxICE takes advantage of Ubuntu's fine work in getting devices to work.

So if I wanted to use the LinuxICE setup, and my current setup uses the griffin powermate, a generic USB GPS receiver, and soundblaster USB audio, would you anticipate me having problems with compatibility?

Oh, and I use Mitch's Sirius hardware. What are the odds of that working?

benedums · 03-26-2008, 03:15 PM

I've been working on developing a Java library (used to create a java app) for the Sirius SC-C1 that Mitch makes. I've got it ported over to Java but am having some issues with the virtual comm port communication.

It will work under Linux and Windows once the comm issues are resolved (Tested on Ubuntu, NT, XP) so I see no reason it wouldn't work on LinuxICE.

Performance wise it should be as good or better than the C# version provided by Mitch.

And it's open source, I've actually started a project on sourceforge.net. search for JSirius

kev000 · 03-26-2008, 03:17 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by benedums

Will there be a JVM already included with LinuxICE?
If so which one, Sun?

Can you offer a "Design Guide" for LinuxICE apps?
How will we communicate with Ng2 and ICE-panel?

I would look them up in the links for the API docs but the don't seam to be working.

JVM is not included by default (there hasn't been a need for it yet).

Ubuntu installs Sun's JVM from the repo.

The links should work now to the docs describing the protocols for communicating with ng2 and icepanel.

you'd basically open a TCP socket connection with simple message commands.

I'll see if we can work up a design guide for how an application should act within the platform. stay tuned...

Quote:

So if I wanted to use the LinuxICE setup, and my current setup uses the griffin powermate, a generic USB GPS receiver, and soundblaster USB audio, would you anticipate me having problems with compatibility?

Oh, and I use Mitch's Sirius hardware. What are the odds of that working?

USB GPS shouldn't be a problem.

As for the Powermate, there may be some tiny configuration that needs to happen. I found this: http://tomthegeek.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html. A ng2 plugin for the powermate would be a good idea if anyone was interested.

I'm not familiar with Mitch's Sirius hardware (link?). That may require some driver/plugin work to get it to run.