This article explains how to use the FOX Board SDK on Windows system using a VMware Virtual Machine running Linux

Unfortunately there isn't a version of FOX Board SDK that can runs on Windows. The easiest way to do that is to use a Virtual Machine like VMWare that can runs a Linux systems on your desktop. Fortunately VMWare release a free version of a player that can runs prebuilt images of ready to use operative systems.

From this page you can download a VMWare image with Linux Debian Sarge 3.1 and the complete FOX Board SDK already installed.

Now your FOX Board SDK is ready to use.

How to copy files between Windows and the Virtual Machine

Linux Debian Sarge 3.1 has by default a SSH server already installed.
SSH is like a FTP server but is not integrated in Windows so to exange files between Windows and the Virtual Machine
you have to use WinSCP, a freeware SSH client for Windows.

• Download WinSCP

Check the IP address of Linux Virtual Machine typing:

debian:/home/fox/devboard-R2_01# ifconfig

Change the IP on the fly if it needs typing:

debian:/home/fox/devboard-R2_01# ifconfig eth0 192.168.0.91

Then start WinSCP from windows:

A WinSCP Login configuration box

and set:

• Host name: 192.168.0.91
• Port number: 22
• User name: root
• Password: pass
• Protocol: scp

Now press Save if you want to save your configuration or Login to have access to the virtual machine:

WinSCP directory view

On the left you have now the directory tree of your real Windows machine and on the right the
directory tree of the virtual machine.

To copy a file from a directory tree to another just drag and drop it.

How to continue now

With the SDK you can compile your own applications, make a porting of applications available on Internet, change the Kernel
configuration, etc.

To do that, follow the articles available in the SDK How Tos section of the FOX Board documentation index.

WMWare troubleshooting

This is a list of how to resolve some problems that you could meet using VMware instead of a real Linux machine.

How to transfer the fimage to the flash memory of the FOX Board

It is possible to re-program the whole flash memory contents with a new flash image by ethernet, web or ftp. See this article for more info:

• How to reflash a FOX Board

to re-program the flash memory through ethernet from the Virtual Machine you have to configure the ethernet board as a bridge as shown in this picture:

Ethernet configuration on VM

After that set the eth0 IP address of the Linux VM using an address visible from the FOX Board like 192.168.0.91 typing:

debian:/home/fox/devboard-R2_01# ifconfig eth0 192.168.0.91

then start the programming typing:

debian:/home/fox/devboard-R2_01# boot_linux -f

On the FOX Board close the BOOT jumper and reset.

The -f option will update the read only partition maintaining all the changes made on the rewritable filesystem (configuration file changes and user added applications).
In this way you can change the only the system files mantaining application and configuration files.

To completely rewrite the whole Flash memory (including the MAC address configuration) use:

debian:/home/fox/devboard-R2_01# boot_linux -F

By default boot_linux uses fimage as default image file. To specify a different filename use:

debian:/home/fox/devboard-R2_01# boot_linux -f -i filename

Change the keyboard layout

The default keyboard layout of this VMware image is US. To change it type:

# kbdconfig

select Select keymap from full list and then the keyboard layout of your country.

Alternative method to change the keyboard layout

Load the right keyboard layout choosing from the right one in the /usr/share/keymaps/i386/qwerty directory and load it with the loadkeys command. For example to load the Italian keyboard layout the right command is:

# loadkeys /usr/share/keymaps/i386/qwerty/it.kmap.gz

Setting Memory Size of VM

Contribute of F. Stanischewski

When initially installed the VMplayer allocates 256 MB of RAM. The VM will run properly with 128 MB also. To change the size edit the *.vmx file with a text editor

memsize = "256" 

to

memsize = "128"

Additionally you can do it via the VMplayer menu under Player -> Troubleshoot -> Change Memory Allocation...

Configuring floppy drive

Contribute of F. Stanischewski

Edit the *.vmx file with text editor If a floppy exists

floppy0.fileName = "A:"

or if not

floppy0.present = "FALSE"

Configuring CD-ROM drive

Contribute of F. Stanischewski

In the initial installation the CD-ROM drive is configured for a Linux system:

ide1:0.present = "TRUE"
ide1:0.fileName = "/dev/cdrom"
ide1:0.deviceType = "atapi-cdrom"

In case of a Windows system you have to edit the *.vmx file with text editor and replace lines with following contents

ide1:0.present = "TRUE"
ide1:0.fileName = "auto detect"
ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"
ide1:0.autodetect = "TRUE"
ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE"

Problems after restart with network connection

Contribute of F. Stanischewski

After shutting down the VM Player and restarting it sometimes the network connection gets broken. The reason for this is the "Automatic Bridging" of the VM Player to a network adapter in bridging mode.

To get back the connection start the program vmnetcfg.exe in the directory where the vmplayer.exe is installed.

Go to the Automatic Bridging page and switch off automatic bridging

Go to the Host Virtual Network Mapping page and select for VMnet0 an existing network adapter

Access of files of the VM by the host system

Contribute of F. Stanischewski

The VM system is a completely capsulated system. So, there are two diferent files systems. To enable files access the easiest way is to install Samba on the VMplayer Linux system. Then a new drive can be mounted inside to host system.

Read also:
http://dev.emcelettronica.com/FOX-Board
http://dev.emcelettronica.com/FOX-Board/Install-the-SDK-on-Linux