Need Some Info About Compilng AmigaOS 3.x Binaries in AmiDevCpp

[Franz Bazarov]

Hi, this is my first post outside of "Member Introductions".

I'm getting my development environment together, and I'd like to use AmiDevCpp as one of the tools in my toolbox.

I downloaded & installed the most recent version (yesterday) , and it compiles code for Windows & AROS. I must say that the delay-time after changing editor syntax coloring is obscenely long, but otherwise, the IDE seems very cool, and well executed.

Can someone tell me exactly what I need to add (including full paths) in order to compile AmigaOS 3.x binaries?

Since it doesn't compile AmigaOS 3.x out of the box, I presume that it needs libraries added. I'll need to know exactly what to install & where to install it, since there was no mention of this caveat in the (rather short) manual.

A little advice on this matter will help me to get up & running quicker (without time-consuming experimentation), so thanks in advance!

[Franz Bazarov]

Upon further examination, it appears a path in the makefile was munged into windoze NONSENSE~1 format... even though the real path had no spaces in it.

Weird.

Anyway, I just pasted the correct path into the makefile, saved it, then re-opened the Project, and it compiled cleanly & ran properly in WinUAE.

Yeah!

So that works.

But while I'm here, is there anything else that I should install for full functionality, or am I good to go?

Over the next few months I want to work with OpenGL via Mesa, for use in AmigaOS 3.x - any idea of how to configure AmiDevCpp for this?

I'd like to also port UNIX code, including X11 stuff... what will I need to do this?

Additionally, I have a gazillion Lattice C source code examples, from the C encyclopedia for the Amiga... what pains will I go through to make them work in gcc in AmiDevCpp, & what should I look out for?

In Amigaland, what should I look out for when trying Lattice examples in SAS C 6.50?

I like the style that these examples are written in, and I'd like to make good use of them.

Thanks!

[Franz Bazarov]

Either that or very few people use AmiDevCpp.

In any case, I have found that the previously mentioned Lattice C examples (which are included in the ACM 1-4 bundle) will work in AmiDevCpp, with very minimal tweaks, and only a few non-critical compiler complaints.

However, a new issue has cropped up. AmiDevCpp crashed. The program has an integrated exception handler, called madExcept 3.0... and it appears to be configured incorrectly.

Unless, it's real purpose is to make the user "Mad".

= )


Even after restarts of AmiDevCpp, madExcept pops up when you run AmiDevCpp. Every time. Even after re-boot. It does not go away, and it's button functions do not appear to work correctly.

AmiDevCpp will run ONLY if clicked again, after the madExcept box is up. Otherwise it will not run.

This appears to be a programming error, on the part of the author of AmiDevCpp.

I've attached a screen grab of the madExcept box. Has anyone else had this issue? How can I make this damnable box go to bit heaven?

= )


Or, ironically, judging from the dimensions of the following image, Bit-Hell... anywhere but on my desktop...

= )


Thanks!

[Franz Bazarov]

I put this together while studying how AmiDevCpp is put together. Maybe others will also find it useful.

I'll be attempting to bring the subsystem versioning up to date, to see if it breaks AmiDevCpp. Here's what I've gathered so far:

==========================================================================
AmiDevCpp Compiler IDE Help Document                Revision: May 10, 2009
==========================================================================
AmiDevCpp is an Amiga-specific extension to: wxDev-C++ v6.10.2 which is, 
itself, an extension to the application known as: Dev-C++ v5

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


==========================================================================
AmiDevCpp Default GCC Configuration:
==========================================================================
  - m68k amigaos  gcc v3.4.0
  - i386 aros     gcc v4.2.2
  - powerpc-aros  gcc v4.2.2
  - ppc-amigaos   gcc v4.2.0
  - ppc-morphos   gcc v?.?.?
  - x86_64-aros   gcc v4.2.2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


==========================================================================
- GCC Info:
==========================================================================
  - April 21, 2009: GCC 4.4.0 has been released, it is available here:
    http://gcc.gnu.org/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


==========================================================================
Dev-C++ v5
==========================================================================
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dev-C%2B%2B
  
  - Dev-C++ 4.9.9.2 was the last official release of Dev-C++:
    http://sourceforge.net/projects/dev-cpp/
  
  - It is now maintained by Bloodshed Software:
    http://www.bloodshed.net/
    
  - Dev-C++ 5.0 version: beta 9.2 (4.9.9.2) (9.0 MB) with Mingw/GCC 3.4.2 
    was the last release, in 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


==========================================================================
wxDev-C++ 6.10.2
==========================================================================
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WxDev-C%2B%2B
  http://wxdsgn.sourceforge.net/

  - The latest version is 7.0 Release Candidate 5 (March 2009)
    http://wxdsgn.sourceforge.net/?q=node/4
    
  - There is a built-in Auto-Update feature, however it has not 
    been tested with AmiDevCpp yet.
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Franz Bazarov]

Further documentation:

Using the Auto-Update feature in AmiDevCpp does NOT break the program. Everything functions correctly after the update.

In other news, I created a separate install of the newest version of wxDev-C++ and I will be attempting to bring AmiDevCpp up to date by integrating it (by hand) into the new wxDev-C++ v7R5.

First impressions of the v7R5 release are very good. Slower initial load time, faster native compilation, no annoying delays in the interface, in fact, the interface is VERY fast.

I'll post instructions if it works with the AmiDevCpp components.

[Franz Bazarov]

OK, AmiDevCpp does break if you update some components not listed as "Installed". Best to sort by "Installed", to avoid having to endure the long re-install of the program.

I will point out that this program is a bit flakey. After the first re-install of AmiDevCpp, I found that there were no weird delays after choosing "Tools"-->"Editor Options". Which was great, but within a half an hour of use, "MadExcept" was back again. MadExcept seems to NEVER go away, once it has been triggered.

It does not seem to effect program functionality, though.

I did one experimental update of AmiDevCpp with the current v7R5 wxDevC++ as a selective overlay of the /bin directory, and it did not work properly as an Amiga compiler after this attempt.

I wish that there was a more formal description of how AmiDevCpp was integrated into wxDevC++.

Experimentation is a bitch, because of the long install... so if an experimental overlay fails, you have 10 minutes of installation to do again for the next try. Clearly not optimum hacking.

I'm going to switch focus to attempting to only update the GCC compiler to the current Amiga version (v4.3.2), which can be found here:

http://amiga.sourceforge.net/


I think that I'll have a better likelihood of success integrating that into the default AmiDevCpp.

Once I get that to work, I'll probably mess around with the AmiDevCpp mechanism again, until the whole thing is up to date.

Don't let my coffee mug avatar scare you, feel free to chime in...

= )

[NovaCoder]

I never RTFM...which actually get's me in a lot of trouble come to think of it.

What does AmiDevCpp give you over Cubic IDE running under WINUAE?

Is the GCC that comes with AmiDevCPP really old then? I'm using Storm C V4 on my 1200, apparently that has one of the later versions of GCC or maybe just the last 'stable' Amiga version?

How can you test your code when you compile using AmiDevCpp under Windows, do you then have to fire-up WINUAE or has it got an emulator built in to it?

[Franz Bazarov]

Originally Posted by NovaCoder

I never RTFM...which actually get's me in a lot of trouble come to think of it.

What does AmiDevCpp give you over Cubic IDE running under WINUAE?

Is the GCC that comes with AmiDevCPP really old then? I'm using Storm C V4 on my 1200, apparently that has one of the later versions of GCC or maybe just the last 'stable' Amiga version?

How can you test your code when you compile using AmiDevCpp under Windows, do you then have to fire-up WINUAE or has it got an emulator built in to it?

Quite the contrary, the current standard GCC is at version 4.4.0

Soooo, the gcc for AmigaOS mentioned above at v4.3.2 is pretty darn close to current.

(The more current the version, the greater the likelihood of easily porting newer software from another platform).

Cubic looks cool. Haven't tried it. The main difference appears to be that Cubic costs money, while AmiDevCpp is free. It appears that neither have great & up-to-date support.

The advantage of AmiDevCpp is that you can re-target your code to MANY different systems, all from one place, and with little or no rewrites to your source. AmiDevCpp is a Cross Compiler, and it is pretty neat in that respect. Does 68K Amiga, AROS, Morphos, PowerPC, 64-bit variants, Windows, & a whole lot more, all from one place.

The gcc in Storm C is ****A N C I E N T****. You would be better off using SAS C 6.5x if you are inclined toward archeology.

So, with AmiDevCpp downloadable with a built-in gcc v3.4.0, it's not sooooo old that it is irrelevant.

Of course the newer the better, for porting.

There are some reports that newer=slower / worse optimization.

Big deal. If you want fast & slick (but old & incompatible with modern stuff), use SAS for sure. The reason to use gcc is for compatibility with the modern world.

This way you can just download most UNIX/LINUX/Mac/**IX gcc source, and compile it for your target, and chances will be very good that it will work.

To test I run WinUAE in full-screen 1600x1200 mode & my Windows in the same mode, at the same frequency.

I compile directly to the Amiga directory then select WinUAE on my Windoze Taskbar. This switches screens seamlessly. To leave Amigaland, and switch back, I just use Alt-->Tab.

Works great.

[NovaCoder]

Thanks for that, very interesting.

So I guess if I ever wanted to I could update the version of GCC used by my Storm C IDE for a newer one?

You say that the point of GCC is making cross platform compiling easy (which was of course the whole idea behind C in the first place...Java is just a copy-cat) BUT the hard thing must be finding all of the platform specific libs, or am I missing something here?

[Franz Bazarov]

The only thing that I have found that is truly portable is TCL/TK. No re-writes needed. Ever. Works on every platform exactly the same. Quite nice.

But, people have forgotten her beauty nowadays, or they call her an old maid.

C's portability is a Lie sandwich. With scrumptious tender-fried Lies on the side. ...And an extra helping of sweet, mouth-watering Lies for dessert.

= )


Yummm!

AmiDevCpp comes with the libraries, and everything you need to code out of the box.

If you are running windows, it is pretty much the best option.