GUI apps in busybox?

hi,

I've got an embedded busybox device that repoposed from its previous function as online streaming device , it seems that this device uses frame buffer(called FbMixerManager) for graphical output, which can run mplayer and streaming online broadcasting. being new to busybox, i don't quite understand how this works.

can someone knowledgable explain how does GUI application run in busybox?

Originally Posted by xiongnu ...how does GUI application run in busybox?

It doesn't.
Busybox does not support any GUI or graphics functionality.

Originally Posted by xiongnu I've got an embedded busybox device ...

Perhaps you don't understand what Busybox is.
Busybox is a monolithic application program that consolidates numerous GNU Linux utilities and applications, as well as initialization and daemon functions.
To call a media playback box a "busybox device" is like calling a PC used for web surfing a "chrome box".
You're describing the computer by just one of its installed application programs.

Your media box is probably running the Linux OS.
The GUI application executes like any other program would under Linux.
You could reconfigure a Linux desktop to perform just like this embedded device if you wanted.

Originally Posted by xiongnu ... it seems that this device uses frame buffer(called FbMixerManager) for graphical output,

Framebuffers do not have names like FbMixerManager.
Framebuffer is one thing (i.e. a device name).
FbMixerManager is the name of a utility, for which Google returns only one search result. It may be proprietary code.

Originally Posted by xiongnu ... which can run mplayer and streaming online broadcasting.

There you go. MPlayer is the application doing the playback.

You could contact the manufacturer of this media box to obtain a copy of all the GPL code used in it. Some manufacturers will ignore you (and blatantly violate the GPL), whereas the big consumer electronic companies have websites to distribute the open-source code used in their products.

Regards

Originally Posted by blue_z Busybox is a monolithic application program that consolidates numerous GNU Linux utilities and applications, as well as initialization and daemon functions.

BusyBox has no relation to GNU whatsoever. Although some utilities work only with Linux, its base userland utilies work across POSIX.

A security distro from the USAF runs busybox and you can run gui programs. Might look into that for ways to create your custom distro.

Busybox as noted above is usually a compressed collection of command line programs.

Originally Posted by blue_z It doesn't. Busybox does not support any GUI or graphics functionality. Perhaps you don't understand what Busybox is. Busybox is a monolithic application program that consolidates numerous GNU Linux utilities and applications, as well as initialization and daemon functions. To call a media playback box a "busybox device" is like calling a PC used for web surfing a "chrome box". You're describing the computer by just one of its installed application programs. Your media box is probably running the Linux OS. The GUI application executes like any other program would under Linux. You could reconfigure a Linux desktop to perform just like this embedded device if you wanted.

i've looked at the manufacture firmware package, it contains:
lk.rom
tcc892x_mtd.rom
system.img

total about 64MB, i am very curious how did they (media box developer) pack gui interface/applications into one package, since busybox doesn't support gui, and x-windows will require more storage space.

Originally Posted by xiongnu i've looked at the manufacture firmware package, it contains:

Those look like just names of binary images.
There is no easy way to determine the projects/packages contained within.
If you think the images are not compressed, then extracting the text strings might be mildly interesting.

Originally Posted by xiongnu i am very curious how did they (media box developer) pack gui interface/applications into one package, since busybox doesn't support gui, and x-windows will require more storage space.

There's a huge choice in how to do "graphics" without an open-source GUI window environment.

Assuming a Linux kernel and given that there is a framebuffer device, then the system can easily be augmented with libraries and utilities to demux, decode and playback videos (with just a serial console and no GUI environment).
I've used gstreamer to specify a "pipe" on the command line to specify the source video file, the plugins (demux, decode, et cetera) for processing, and the video sink (i.e. the framebuffer).
For another SBC I configured a build to run Kodi as the dedicated application. That Buildroot configuration file is available at the Wandboard forum.
I know of one TV box that does not use Linux (although it could, i.e. there's a MMU), but boots a proprietary standalone program.

Regards