Running X apps on Kindle Touch

X is a windows system for Unix (Linux) systems. The Kindle Touch uses a Linux kernel.

Window Naming

To make a window visible its title must be set according to the following naming scheme:

L:<layer>_N:<window_type>_ID:<custom_title>

L: Layer

<layer> is one of:

• A -- Application Layer
• C -- Chrome Layer
• D -- Dialog Layer
• KB -- Keyboard Layer
• SS -- ScreenSaver Layer

N: Window Type

<window_type> can be "application", "dialog", "pillowAlert", ...

ID:

<custom_title>: name of the window or the parent window for dialogs. "system" is reserved for system stuff

Other flags

• PC str "N" - set size to full screen
  • "TS" - size to show chrome layer
  • other or missing - normal window, size so that title bar is visible
  • valid for L:A only
• M bool modal dialog window
• valid for L:D only
• RC bool round corners of the window
• RKB bool requires KB -- positioned so as to expect showing keyboard valid for L:D only

Examples

show fullscreen clock with distorted aspect ratio:

xclock -name "L:A_N:application_ID:xclock" 

show clock with 300x300 pixels size in the center of the screen:

xclock -geometry 300x300+150+250 -name "L:D_N:application_ID:xclock" 

print message

xmessage -geometry 100x100+200+500 -title "L:D_N:application_ID:xmsg" "Testmessage"

Fonts

KT has only very few X11 fonts installed. Some x-clients do not start, if the required font is not available.

xfonts are located in /usr/share/fonts/X11/misc/. Additional fonts need to be placed there and the file fonts.dir must be updated accordingly. To activate the new fonts. The x-server must be restarted.

To force the x-client to use an other font is often possible with the -font option. Example:

xmessage -title "L:D_applicationID:" -font "*200*ISO*" "Test"

Applications

X Terminal

Evilvte

evilvte -title "L:D_applicationID:evilvte" 

Evilvte accepts inputs from the Kindle onscreen keyboard:

lipc-set-prop -s com.lab126.keyboard open evilvte:ABC:1

Xterm for Kindle Touch

http://www.fabiszewski.net/kindle-xterm/

Problems

Occasional restarts of xserver (and framework of course)

Information Sources

• Forum: X apps run on native touch Xorg, especially #11,#13