This article is Part 3 of the exciting new LinuxDevices.com series by Jerry Epplin that explores the history, status, alternative architectures, and future developments of Linux on PDAs and handheld devices. In this installment, Jerry explains how to download, install, configure, and test the Microwindows Development Toolkit by Century Software. Learn how to install the full X-based simulation of the iPAQ ScreenTop environment on your desktop Linux box — that way, you can develop and run iPAQ apps while you're waiting for your iPAQ to arrive (or if you aren't ready to buy one)! Epplin writes . . .

“In the previous articles in this series, I introduced the options available for Linux on the Compaq iPAQ PDA and walked through the installation of the base handhelds.org distribution. Although Compaq ships the iPAQ with Windows CE, they also sponsor a remarkably open project at www.handhelds.org with the goal of porting Linux to the iPAQ.”

“The handhelds.org distribution is a straightforward Linux port based on X, so it appeals to experienced Linux software developers. In addition, at least three other companies are developing add-on GUI development toolkits, all of which replace X with a GUI built directly on the Linux framebuffer interface. This article examines one of these three, namely the Microwindows Development Toolkit by Century Software. Future articles will take a look at the other toolkits.”

“As I outlined in the introductory article, the Microwindows Development Toolkit is based on Microwindows, a windowing environment that targets the Linux framebuffer and can also be ported fairly easily to other environments. Microwindows supports two APIs: the Windows GDI and Nano-X, an X-like API intended for low-footprint applications. On top of Microwindows the toolkit provides FLNX, a version of the FLTK application development environment modified to target Nano-X rather than X. This may sound complex, but the result is simple: most applications developed for the Microwindows Development Toolkit will target the FLTK API.”

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