NAME
README.epoc - Perl for EPOC
SYNOPSIS
Perl 5 README file for the EPOC Release 5 operating system.
INTRODUCTION
EPOC is an OS for palmtops and mobile phones. For more informations
look at: http://www.symbian.com/
This is a port of perl to the epocemx SDK by Eberhard Mattes, which
itself uses the SDK by symbian. Essentially epocemx it is a POSIX look
alike environment for the EPOC OS. For more information look at:
http://epocemx.sourceforge.net/
perl and epocemx runs on Epoc Release 5 machines: Psion 5mx, 5mx Pro,
Psion Revo, Psion Netbook and on the Ericsson M128. It may run on Epoc
Release 3 Hardware (Series 5 classic), too. For more information about
this hardware please refer to http://www.psion.com/
Vendors which like to have support for their devices are free to send
me a sample.
INSTALLING PERL ON EPOC
You can download a ready-to-install version from
http://www.oflebbe.de/oflebbe/perl/
You will need at least ~6MB free space in order to install and run
perl.
Please install the emxusr.sis package from
http://epocemx.sourceforge.net/ first.
Install perl.sis on the EPOC machine. If you do not know how to do
that, consult your PsiWin documentation.
Perl itself and its standard library is using 4 MB disk space. Unicode
support and some other modules are left out. (For details, please look
into epoc/createpkg.pl). If you like to use these modules, you are free
to copy them from a current perl release.
STARTING PERL ON EPOC
Please use the epocemx shell to start perl. perl integrates with the
conventions of epocemx.
Editors on Epoc
A suitable text editor can be downloaded from symbian
http://www.symbian.com/developer/downloads/files/editor.zip
Features of Perl on Epoc
The built-in function EPOC::getcwd returns the current directory.
Restrictions of Perl on Epoc
Features are left out, because of restrictions of the POSIX support in
EPOC:
· socket IO is only implemented poorly. You can only use sysread and
syswrite on them. The commands read, write, print, <> do not work
for sockets. This may change iff epocemx supports sockets.
· kill, alarm and signals. Do not try to use them. This may be
impossible to implement on EPOC.
· select is missing.
· binmode does not exist. (No CR LF to LF translation for text files)
· EPOC does not handle the notion of current drive and current
directory very well (i.e. not at all, but it tries hard to emulate
one). See PATH.
· Heap is limited to 4MB.
· Dynamic loading is not implemented.
Compiling Perl 5 on the EPOC cross compiling environment
Sorry, this is far too short.
· You will need the epocemx SDK from Eberhard Mattes.
· Get the Perl sources from your nearest CPAN site.
· Unpack the sources.
· Build a native perl from this sources... Make sure to save the
miniperl executable as miniperl.native.
Start again from scratch
cp epoc/* .
./Configure -S
make
cp miniperl.native miniperl
touch miniperl.exe
make
perl createpkg.pl
emxsis perl.pkg perl.sis
SUPPORT STATUS OF PERL ON EPOC
I’m offering this port "as is". You can ask me questions, but I can’t
guarantee I’ll be able to answer them. Since the port to epocemx is
quite new, please check the web for updates first.
Very special thanks to Eberhard Mattes for epocemx.
AUTHOR
Olaf Flebbe <olaf@oflebbe.de> http://www.oflebbe.de/oflebbe/perl/
LAST UPDATE
2003-01-18