Running Qt/Embedded Applications

A Qt/Embedded application requires a master application to be running, or to be the master application itself. The master application is primarily responsible for managing top-level window regions, and pointer and keyboard input.

Any Qt/Embedded application can be the master application by constructing the QApplication object with the QApplication::GuiServer type, or by being run with the -qws command line option.

This document assumes you have the Linux framebuffer configured correctly and that no master process is running. If you do not have a working Linux framebuffer you can use the Qt/Embedded virtual framebuffer, or you can run Qt/Embedded as a VNC server.

Change to a Linux console and select an example to run, e.g. examples/widgets. Make sure $QTDIR is set to the directory where you installed Qt/Embedded and add the $QTDIR/lib directory to $LD_LIBRARY_PATH, e.g.:

    export QTDIR=$HOME/qt-VERSION
    export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$QTDIR/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH

Run the application with the -qws option:

    cd $QTDIR/examples/demos/textedit
    ./textedit -qws

You should see the textedit example appear. If your mouse doesn't work correctly you must specify the type of mouse to use. You can exit the master application at any time using Ctrl+Alt+Backspace.

If you wish to run additional applications you should run them as clients i.e. without the -qws option.

    [gfx driver][:driver specific options][:display number]

    export QWS_MOUSE_PROTO=IntelliMouse

    export QWS_MOUSE_PROTO=MouseMan:/dev/inputs/mice