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AmiZilla is still alive- ROAar! :) This is a full update of what we've been doing for the last 6 months- work on the NSPR, XPCOM and how exe compiling is going. Plus we've started a multi-platform GTK->MUI(Zune)/Reaction abstraction layer- check out the screenshot and demo exe links!
AmiZilla Update 28/06/05
Ok, many people seem to think the AmiZilla project is dead, and with good reason, as there's been no information released in a long time! So I thought I'd put out an update, so people can see things are happening!
Ok, firstly, the NSPR is basically functionally complete- this is a base Operating System abstraction layer (for things like TCP/IP etc). XPCOM seems to be mostly functioning- XPCOM is a Cross Platform Component Object Model- it allows different components in Mozilla to message each other, and access files on any platform etc. A couple of people have had the code compiling with these layers, producing an exe of around 500M in size (with debug info), which ran and exited cleanly, but requires an X11 server as a screen device! At the moment, we have switched from a static huge exe, to a library version (a2ixlibrary), but we haven't been able to do a complete build with this yet.
We're creating some helpful documentation on what files are needed, and how to compile an exe etc, along with some much needed info on how to set up a Cross-Compiling environment on Linux and Windows. This is very important, as unless you have a Dragon accelerator, you can't compile AmiZilla on a 68k-based Amiga, as they physically just don't have enough memory to compile it (you need 256-512M memory at least, and we won't even go into how long it takes to compile 200M of source code, on a 68k...)! It should be possible to compile it on an AmigaOne, or Pegasos though.
But more interesting, a couple of people are working on a GTK->MUI(Zune)/Reaction layer, primarily for the AmiZilla project, but it will be able to be used for other GTK apps too. It's likely, we will be looking at getting Firefox running first (it's only a simple compiler switch, to compile either Firefox or Mozilla), then maybe the whole Mozilla suite if people want it (probably unnecessary though). We're looking at getting it running on 68k/MUI first, and hopefully the 68k exe should run on AmigaOS4 and MorphOS as is.
Then we can look at MorphOS/OS4/AROS native ports. With a MorphOS port we may need a compile of the latest version of GCC ie: 3.x, to be able to compile AmiZilla though.
The GTK->MUI/Reaction layer will be done as a separate project, to make it easier to support multiple OSes (Amiga 3.x, OS4, MorphOS and AROS), but the initial target will be to get Firefox running on Amiga 3.x. Also, an AROS bounty has been put up for a GTK->MUI (Zune) layer, so that it can then be easily ported to any other Amiga Operating System (if not already done). Also, the MorphZone bounty program is considering, either starting their own GTK->MUI wrapper bounty, or pointing it towards the AROS one. The GTK layer will be done as two shared libs- glib.library and gtk.library.
So far, GTK->MUI seems fairly straightforward, as MUI is quite flexible, and fairly similar in structure to GTK- these both use an Object Model (ie: as in using objects like Windows, Buttons etc, not as in C++/Java Object-Orientated programming!), and GTK does not poke directly into it's data structures, but uses functions for object manipulation.
We've put together a basic working example using GTK calls, of initialising GTK (really an MUI call), opening a Window with a Button on it, closing the Window, and shutting the system (MUI) down. We've also compiled the GTK dev-kit examples helloworld and helloworld2, without any modification to their sources. One minor problem is that MUI gives back a pointer when it's initialised, but GTK doesn't, so we'll have to save that pointer somehow, probably in per-app data, saved within the library structure itself.
GTK->MUI Screenshots
GTK->MUI Demo code and compiled exes (68k)
GDK is an OS independent video abstraction layer for GTK- GTK makes it's calls to GDK, which then calls the underlying system (in Linux it's X-Windows). We haven't looked into it fully yet, but we shouldn't have to worry about GDK, as only GTK calls it, and Firefox shouldn't make any direct calls to it- and as we're replacing GTK calls with MUI/Reaction ones, GDK won't be called!
More of a challenge will be GLib- we're currently researching how much Firefox uses it, as some of GLib is very simple, and would just take a recompile, but other stuff like events, signals and threads could be more problematic, and may require replacing with Reaction/MUI calls.
More developers are always welcome to join us- the more resources we have, the quicker this will get done! :) To join the AmiZilla list, either send an email to amizilla-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, or go to the Yahoo AmiZilla website (but you need to create a Yahoo account, to do it this way). Also, donations to help encourage more developers, are most welcome too! :) - AmiZilla donation page.
- Ants
AmiZilla Team
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| Poster | Thread |  elwood
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 8:19:30
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Elite Member
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Joined: 17-Sep-2003
Posts: 2785
From: Lyon, France | | |
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| Quote:
Good, so the exe won't grow bigger. 500 MB? Ouch.
Good job to all! |
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| | Cyborg
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 8:22:14
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Regular Member
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Joined: 26-Nov-2003
Posts: 407
From: Germany | | |
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| @AmiZilla Team
Great to hear the project is progressing! 
Now also the last people should see that you're doing an amazing job! Keep it up and us informed 
Edit: typo  Last edited by Cyborg on 28-Jun-2005 at 08:23 AM.
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| | Mr_Capehill
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 8:33:09
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Super Member
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Joined: 15-Mar-2003
Posts: 1763
From: Unknown | | |
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| | MagicSN
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 8:47:09
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Hyperion
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Joined: 10-Mar-2003
Posts: 612
From: Unknown | | |
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| Are you guys working on both Reaction and MUI implementation of GTK ? Are the two versions at the same state ? Or is one of them "ahead" ? Are there people involved in the project who have AmigaOne's and already could adapt the makefiles and such for OS 4 (IMHO it often makes a lot of sense to already adapt the project to several destination platforms while working-on instead of "in the end"... of course I don't know the Mozilla source-code, so I cannot really give a qualified comment how viable this is right now, especially as you guys have all hands full with making the OS 3.x version already) ?
Steffen |
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| | Rudei
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 9:28:03
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Elite Member
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Joined: 20-Nov-2002
Posts: 3141
From: Herts, England | | |
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| This is good work and a welcome news update.
Best of luck to the whole team involved, I'm off to make a donation since every little helps.
Rude! |
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| | mwoof
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 10:25:02
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Super Member
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Joined: 12-Jan-2004
Posts: 1172
From: Larisa, Greece | | |
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| What is the size of the executable of Mozilla (or Firefox) on a Mac??? |
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| | AmigaMac
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 12:10:12
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Cult Member
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Joined: 26-Oct-2002
Posts: 844
From: 3rd Rock from the Sun! | | |
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| What is the size of the executable of Mozilla (or Firefox) on a Mac???
25.3 MB on disk |
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| | VooDoo
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 12:17:24
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Super Member
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Joined: 16-Jun-2003
Posts: 1098
From: Croatia | | |
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| | TrebleSix
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 13:46:36
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Elite Member
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Joined: 6-Sep-2004
Posts: 3683
From: Pembs, Wales | | |
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| Well done for getting this far chaps. All the best wishes for continued success |
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| | AmigaMac
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 13:57:55
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Cult Member
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Joined: 26-Oct-2002
Posts: 844
From: 3rd Rock from the Sun! | | |
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| Is Thunderbird on the roadmap for future porting? |
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| | BobW
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 14:34:30
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Regular Member
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Joined: 9-Apr-2004
Posts: 238
From: Central, NY USA | | |
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| From what I understand Thunderbird is Mozilla compiled with different flags. |
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| | alx
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 16:05:44
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Super Member
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Joined: 7-Mar-2003
Posts: 1224
From: Midlands, UK | | |
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| Quote:
| From what I understand Thunderbird is Mozilla compiled with different flags. |
Sure you're not thinking of Firefox? The Mozilla Suite might include a mail client, but I'd have thought that thunderbird would be a completely different set of sources (albeit perhaps with much in common)
That said, I don't think that there's quite as pressing a need for a new mail client - the current ones work fine, and e-mail hasn't changed as much as the web in the last few years. |
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| | amipal
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 16:45:13
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Super Member
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Joined: 8-Apr-2003
Posts: 1875
From: Worthing, West Sussex, UK | | |
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| This is fantastic progress. You guys should be proud of yourselves! 
Its building the underlying components that's going to take the time. Once all the small, niggling bits are out of the way, the rate of progress will increase dramatically! Well done chaps.  |
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| | BobW
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 17:27:49
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Regular Member
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Joined: 9-Apr-2004
Posts: 238
From: Central, NY USA | | |
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| @ALX
I thought it was the case for both Firefox and Thunderbird. I may be wrong though. |
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| | mbilla
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 19:53:08
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Super Member
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Joined: 25-May-2003
Posts: 1368
From: EU | | |
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| Great to hear!!!
Let's hope GTK is done very soon, as long as there are enough Amiga programmers, so they can port easier Linux progs: OpenOffice, Thunderbird, Celestia, ScanView and tons of other great progs!
Of course FireFox is a must! Mozilla can come later. Last edited by mbilla on 28-Jun-2005 at 07:53 PM.
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| | Manu
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 21:04:49
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Super Member
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Joined: 4-Feb-2004
Posts: 1286
From: Unknown | | |
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| Thanks for the progress report. Keep going and let's hope some new
coders could join you. |
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| | Samwel
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 22:25:43
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Elite Member
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Joined: 7-Apr-2004
Posts: 3335
From: Sweden | | |
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| Fantastic news.
Keep up he good work!
How much time, approximately, will it take before a alpha Firefox
can be compiled? With the current speed of progress!
6 months? 10? 12? |
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| | freaks
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 28-Jun-2005 23:56:10
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Regular Member
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Joined: 8-Jun-2004
Posts: 318
From: france | | |
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| nice to hear some news from the amizilla project.
indeed..
i think the mui/reaction warpper is a good idea, i hope the amiga version will remove all the bloat, unnecessary stuffs... and result in a fastn' responsive browser.
thus the amiga version might be the better version of mozilla(cauz: bloat-free)
keep up the good work ppl! |
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| | Plaz
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 29-Jun-2005 0:43:46
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Super Member
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Joined: 2-Oct-2003
Posts: 1364
From: Atlanta | | |
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| Nice job Ants.
Quote:
| Sure you're not thinking of Firefox? The Mozilla Suite might include a mail client, but I'd have thought that thunderbird would be a completely different set of sources (albeit perhaps with much in common) |
They do have much in common and some have said that once Mozilla
has been ported cleanly, Thunderbird might be finished easily.
I tend to be more speptical, but hopeful too.
If I understand correctly, the current version of Firefox is based on Mozilla 1.8.
This is the same version of Mozilla that the Amizilla project is targeting.
I'm not sure how that will translate exactly in terms of porting firefox directly.
But I would think that it would come very close.
Can anyone correct or confirm my version numbers?
Plaz |
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| | Ants
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Re: AmiZilla Update
Posted on 29-Jun-2005 5:06:06
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Member
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Joined: 28-Jun-2005
Posts: 74
From: Auckland, New Zealand | | |
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| > Good, so the exe won't grow bigger. 500 MB? Ouch.
That's only with debug info- using tha a2ixlibrary, and no debug info, that'll drop by a huge amount! :)
-Ants |
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