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Migrating from XP to Raspberry Pi and BST — Parallax Forums

Migrating from XP to Raspberry Pi and BST

VIRANDVIRAND Posts: 656
edited 2014-09-08 13:23 in Propeller 1
Are there convenient instructions for installing BST on a raspberry Pi, and using BST?
Because my propeller tool is on an old hat XP PC, and I have pies now.

And will (for example) Hydra games work the same through BST?

Comments

  • David BetzDavid Betz Posts: 14,516
    edited 2014-09-05 19:14
    VIRAND wrote: »
    Are there convenient instructions for installing BST on a raspberry Pi, and using BST?
    Because my propeller tool is on an old hat XP PC, and I have pies now.

    And will (for example) Hydra games work the same through BST?
    I don't think it will be possible to run BST on a RaspberryPi. It would have to be recompiled for the ARM architecture and the source isn't available. You can probably run SimpleIDE or PropellerIDE on the RaspberryPi though. Either will allow you to do Spin programming.
  • Brett WeirBrett Weir Posts: 288
    edited 2014-09-05 19:30
    David Betz wrote: »
    I don't think it will be possible to run BST on a RaspberryPi. It would have to be recompiled for the ARM architecture and the source isn't available. You can probably run SimpleIDE or PropellerIDE on the RaspberryPi though. Either will allow you to do Spin programming.

    Spin support seems have been seriously deprecated in the latest SimpleIDE, but PropellerIDE is totally wicked awesome.
  • VIRANDVIRAND Posts: 656
    edited 2014-09-05 22:25
    Ok so if anyone knows exactly how to install a spin tool on a Pi,
    Please let me know. I've looked around and not really found source code
    (Except which requires more additional software to be installed first)
    Even for Propelleride, but another possibility looks like maybe
    remastering a knoppix or another live distro with mainly just either BST or propelleride,..

    Maybe I'll just install original propeller tool on a little old windows 7 mini "net book" for now.

    However, a Pi spin tool kit would also be ***very portable, just like the propeller boards themselves,***
    and I think others would agree, and hope maybe someone will do it soon if it hasn't been yet.
    (I don't know how, which is why I asked.)
  • Bob Lawrence (VE1RLL)Bob Lawrence (VE1RLL) Posts: 1,720
    edited 2014-09-05 22:43
    Ok so if anyone knows exactly how to install a spin tool on a Pi,

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/141469-SimpleIDE-for-Raspberry-Pi-Raspian

    re: New version 0.9.46 is now in dropbox http://: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...-linux.tar.bz2
  • Bill HenningBill Henning Posts: 6,445
    edited 2014-09-06 12:55
    See

    http://learn.parallax.com/propeller-c-set-simpleide/raspberrypi

    You will need a PropPlug for it to work "as-is". Heater's modified propeller-load can program the prop without a PropPlug, using tx, rx, gpio#17 (and gnd) from the Pi.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-09-06 13:26
    A Propeller loader for the Raspberry Pi is available here:

    https://github.com/ZiCog/pi-propeller-load

    Just follow the instructions in the README.txt file.
  • VIRANDVIRAND Posts: 656
    edited 2014-09-06 18:21
    Ok, now some big puzzle pieces are coming together.
    I will try installing simple IDE on a Pi and the propeller loader (good option though I do have prop plugs and also
    a free USB port on the Pi because I use keyboards with built in mice. And now there are new Pies B+ with 4 USBs).
    Needing only spin and pasm since that's how I do graphics and sound based projects, not C.

    Looking forward to getting big old PC hardware off my propeller desk and spinning in other places.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2014-09-06 18:43
    VIRAND wrote: »
    Ok, now some big puzzle pieces are coming together.

    I would appreciate it if you post how it all works out. I tried this a while back, but there were too many peices in too many places and got overcome by events before I could get set up.
  • VIRANDVIRAND Posts: 656
    edited 2014-09-06 21:59
    I would appreciate it if you post how it all works out. I tried this a while back, but there were too many peices in too many places and got overcome by events before I could get set up.
    I too still have low confidence. However, a first glance at Bill Henning's link seems to be step by step instructions for simpleIDE, which I hope can
    be used for spin/asm like propeller tool, even though a couple of people elsewhere said it's apparently more for C programming. But I'll try it unless
    something better comes along first.

    edit:I just read the simpleIDE manual and it does look like "all C". I have no idea how to use it for Spin. I don't think I can use it.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-09-07 01:22
    VIRAND,

    SimpleIDE has supported Spin since forever. From the version 1.0 user guide:

    Three compiler types are supported:
    • C
    • C++
    • Spin

    C and C++ projects are compiled by the Propeller GCC compiler that is installed with SimpleIDE.

    Spin is a custom object-based language (not related to C or C++) that Parallax developed for the
    Propeller microcontroller’s multicore architecture. It is compiled by the OpenSpin Compiler, which is also
    bundled with SimpleIDE.

    Get the user guide here:

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/157283-SimpleIDE-User-Guide-1.0

    I have a fairly recent build of SimpleIDE for the Raspberry Pi here. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/81267937/SimpleIDE-0-9-46.armv6l.raspberrypi-linux.tar.bz2

    Sadly I can't for the life of me remember how well that particular build worked. If it worked at all. Do please tryit, others have reported my builds worked OK. I have to fire up my new model B+ and check it my self. But not today.

    Or there is the download from Parallax, a slightly older version: http://learn.parallax.com/propeller-c-set-simpleide/raspberrypi

    I have no idea which version Bill Henning is using with his Propeller and Pi products.

    Note: You have to click on the button at the lower left of simple IDE to enable or disable the side panels. With the side panels up you can select the language C, C++, or Spin. See image below:
    347 x 225 - 19K
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-09-07 03:33
    It seems Simple IDE doesn't support PASM... which you indicated as a desired item.

    Maybe taking this is steps is wise? Can you use your XP machine for Linux? As a reinstall or dual boot?

    If you can, then you can have Brad's Spin Tool for PASM and Simple IDE or Catalina C for what they do.

    +++++++++++++++
    It seems the code issue here is that a PASM compiler may never have been created in C source code that is open-source.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-09-07 03:47
    Loopy,
    It seems Simple IDE doesn't support PASM...


    Yes it does.

    PASM is part of the Spin language, as implemented by the Propeller Tool, as we all know.

    openspin is created by Roy Eltham. Roy reverse engineered Chip's original Spin/PASM compiler from the Prop Tool, written in x86 assembler.

    openspin is what SimpleIDE uses as it's Spin compiler.

    Ergo: SimpleIDE supports PASM.

    Why would anyone assume otherwise?
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-09-07 03:51
    Thanks for clarifying that. But I hang on to BST because there are some special PASM features. I fear these are nowhere else to be found.

    The original PASM doesn't seem to provide as good a PASM compiler as Brad's Spin Tool.
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2014-09-07 09:00
    IIRC, Brad never make an ARM version of BST/BSTC.

    Openspin is the only choice unless you want to install mono.
  • VIRANDVIRAND Posts: 656
    edited 2014-09-07 19:04
    It seems Simple IDE doesn't support PASM... which you indicated as a desired item.

    Maybe taking this is steps is wise? Can you use your XP machine for Linux? As a reinstall or dual boot?

    If you can, then you can have Brad's Spin Tool for PASM and Simple IDE or Catalina C for what they do.

    +++++++++++++++
    It seems the code issue here is that a PASM compiler may never have been created in C source code that is open-source.

    I wonder if I asked the wrong question thinking BST was like the original spin Propeller Tool if it's not.

    I'll try to clarify...

    My first propeller was a Hydra.
    What I want to do is basically...

    -Buy raspberry pies and propeller proto boards (wired like Hydras or Demo boards, for graphics and sound)
    -"Glue" all the pies to the proto boards
    -Install ANY software in the pies that can (like original propeller tool) be used to write Spin and load the propeller EEPROM with it.
    -Copy my (usually incomplete) Spin files from the PC into the raspberry pies and finish them on the pies.
    -Throw away the PC that I originally wrote the Spin stuff on.
    -Carry around the pies that are glued to the propeller proto boards (plus a TV) and finish the Spin projects on them conveniently.

    Ideally, (perfect theoretical example) I would like to be able to glue a Pi to a Hydra and be able to use it to modify and compile all existing Spin games on it, for Example of what I want to be able to do with the Pi, hopefully without doing anything too much differently than I would with Parallax Propeller Tool on a PC, (After whatever new spin tool is completely installed on the Pi by any means,) and the PC is Gone. In reality, not the Hydra but all kinds of other propeller spin projects would be programmed with the Pies.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-09-07 21:46
    VIRAND,

    So basically you want a Spin compiler and IDE on the Pi. Right?

    BST is "like" the Propeller Tool. But:

    BST runs on Linux and Mac not just Windows like the Propeller Tool. It has some useful additional language features and optimizations. It is closed source and now totally unsupported. It seems unlikely we see any new developments for BST or any chance of versions for the Pi or whatever architecture. It is basically a dead project.

    PropellerIDE is a new propeller tool from Parallax that is under testing now. It does not have the extensions of BST but it does run on Linux, Mac, Windows and the Raspberry Pi.

    See this thread:

    http://Open Propeller Project #3: Propeller IDE V0.1 Package Available

    During yesterdays discussion on the end of that thread we see that PropellerIDE is running on the Pi.

    Or you can try SimpleIDE. SimpleIDE was created as an IDE for C/C++ programming of Propellers but also supports Spin. It also runs on Linux, Mac and Windows. I believe there is a version of SimpleIDE for the Pi from Parallax. I have a build of a slightly newer version of SimpleIDE for the Pi here that you can try: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/81267937/SimpleIDE-0-9-46.armv6l.raspberrypi-linux.tar.bz2



    Both PropellerIDE and SimpleIDE use the open source spinc ompiler written by Roy Eltham, OpenSpin (and yes that supports PASM).
  • VIRANDVIRAND Posts: 656
    edited 2014-09-07 23:05
    Ok, yes, that looks like it.
    I'll try propelleride on the Pi.

    The link has a typo,
    but I found instructions around page 42 of that thread (for future reference).
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