MPKG

From OpenEZX

1 Some details about the mpkg package format used for EZX
2 Create a package
3 Install a package
4 Remove a package

Some details about the mpkg package format used for EZX

To make a long story short the mpkg package is just a renamed tar.gz with special directory structure, filenames and icons. In this small example we will package a program called foobar.

[edit]

Directory structure

The archive must contain a directory with the name of the application.
All files are placed under the directory.

[edit]

The .desktop file

You need a file called foobar/foobar.desktop

[Desktop Entry] 
BigIcon=foobar.png  Big icon
Comment=Foo Bar     Comment
Exec=foobar         Executable
MimeType=xxx        optional. It is for document based app,which means the app can open some
                    documents.Mimetype specifies what kind of documents the app can open. See
                    /etc/mime.types for the list of known mimetypes.
MimeTypeIcons=xxx   The icon that associates with the documents.
Icon=foobar-sm.png  Small icon
Name=foobar         Program name
Version=0.1         ???
OsVersion=1.1       ???
Shared=2            Where you seen icon (User1, Extra, Gamesetc.
Type=Application    What other types are available?
                    1=Sub-menu, 2=Application, 3=Browser App(?),
                    4=?(uses Action registry to launch possilby dual-use apps, such
                    as SYSqtapp/camera/camera, which is used for both still
                    and video capture, but are separate icons in the UI)

If your target ezx device supports animated icons:

AniIcon=anim.gif    Animated gif used when icon gains focus

Other (optional) entries (may not be supported on all ezx platforms):

Args={arguments}    Arguments passed to Exec
Visible=[0|1]       Application is visible to user(?)
Url=[http URL]      For Type==3
Action=[Reg Name]   For Type==4
LockEnabled=[0|1]   ??

[edit]

Icons

There are two different types of icons. The big and the small one.

Resolution for big: 71 x 32, 8-bit/color
Resolution for small: 32 x 15, 8-bit/color

[edit]

Create a package

tar -czf foobar.mpkg --numeric-owner --owner=2000 --group=233 foobar

NOTE: At least the app manager for the ROKR E2 in version 45P preserves the tar files' uid and gid attributes (but not permissions). When installing to the memory card this should not make any difference, as FAT does not support uid or gid attributes, however, the install fails with no appreciable error message. (Only if the install includes subdirectories?) When installing to the phone's memory (/ezxlocal), an owner other than user 'ezx' group 'ezx' can prohibit application write access to the installed directory.

[edit]

Install a package

A780: This phone can handle mpkg natively. European phones have MPKG installer disabled. A special MPKG installer or flashed phone is required. I don't know if the same is aplicable for Asian A780's

E680: You need an mpkg installer for this phone. (Someone with E680 please fill up.)

Just tap inside the file manager on the package and you will be asked for installation.

The package gets installed to .system/QTDownLoad/foobar.

[edit]