Installing Applications using Arch Linux on the Pi

Type the numbered commands below at the command prompt. Accept defaults and each invitation to continue. The first three will install a lightweight GUI and the fourth should start it. In the subsequent steps,
  • FPC is Free Pascal;
  • Geany is an editor that will syntax-highlight your Pascal code and provide key-presses for compiling and executing your programs;
  • Midori is a browser (to view this website!);
  • Leafpad is a handy simple editor;
  • Scrot is a screenshot utility
  • Open JDK allows you to run Java bytecode from, for example, Oxygene for Java programs compiled on a PC;
  • we finish by installing a few SDL libraries.

Most installations are quick. The -Syu switch forces a system update, which can be time-consuming. We were able to use Free Pascal independently and via Geany last month. Current installations (early March 2013) apparently work, giving binaries in the expected locations, but we obtain the error: "ppcarm can't be executed" on attempted use of fpc. The direct command /usr/lib/fpc/2.6.2/ppcarm test.pas produced an error message stating that ppcarm was unable to open test.pas. (The equivalent command on our Debian system, /usr/lib/fpc/2.6.0/ppcarm test.pas, produced a working executable file).

We found this Raspberry Pi page to be most useful.

  1. pacman -Syu openbox lxde gamin dbus
    (This took about 16 minutes.)
  2. pacman -Syu xorg-server xorg-xinit xorg-server-utils
  3. pacman -Syu mesa xf86-video-fbdev xf86-video-vesa
  4. xinit /usr/bin/lxsession
  5. pacman -S fpc
  6. pacman -S geany
  7. pacman -S midori
    (This took about 3 minutes).
  8. pacman -S leafpad
  9. pacman -S scrot
  10. pacman -S openjdk6
  11. pacman -S sdl
  12. pacman -S sdl_net
  13. pacman -S sdl_gfx
  14. pacman -S sdl_image
  15. pacman -S sdl_sound
  16. pacman -S sdl_mixer

Follow the steps on the next page to start using the Geany editor with the Free Pascal compiler.

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Programming - a skill for life!

Setting up the Raspberry Pi, installing Lazarus, use of the GPIO port (with and without PiFace), web servers and remote control

  1. First use of the Pi
    Setting up the operating system and some applications
  2. Installing and using Lazarus
    How to install Lazarus and use it for console and forms-based applications
  3. Installing SDL Libraries
    How to install SDL libraries
  4. Installing Programs
    Suggestions for other useful software
  5. Getting Started with the Pi's GPIO Port
    How to use Raspberry Pi's GPIO port for output and input
  6. Getting Started with Pascal on the PiFace
    How to use Pascal to control input and output on the PiFace
  7. Getting Started with a Web Server on the Pi
    How to set up an Apache web server on the Raspberry Pi by James Farnsworth
  8. Getting Started with SSH and PSCP for the Raspberry Pi
    How to use SSH to communicate with the Raspberry Pi and to upload files with PuTTY's PSCP
  9. Getting Started with Remote Control of a Raspberry Pi's OS and GPIO port by PHP
    James Farnsworth explains his ways of using PHP to control the Raspberry Pi's OS and GPIO port
  10. Arch Linux on the Pi
    Setting up the Arch Linux operating system on the Pi
  11. Installing Applications using Arch Linux on the Pi
    Installing a GUI, web browser and text editor using Arch Linux on the Pi
  12. Running test Pascal console programs using Arch Linux on the Pi
    How to use the Geany editor with Free Pascal under Arch Linux on the Pi
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