Program and Test Qt Embedded Code on PC - virtual framebuffer

"Qt for Embedded Linux applications write directly to the framebuffer, eliminating the need for the X Window System and saving memory. For development and debugging purposes, a virtual framebuffer can be used, allowing Qt for Embedded Linux programs to be developed on a desktop machine, without switching between consoles and X11." (Source: http://doc.trolltech.com)

0) You need a linux host, I have debian Lenny at home.
1) Download Qt for X11. The Library source (*.tar.gz), not the SDK (*.bin).
2) Installing Qt/X11. You may meet following error message during ./configure.

You might need to modify the include and library search paths by editing QMAKE_INCDIR_X11 and QMAKE_LIBDIR_X11 in /home/lolveley/bin/qt-x11-opensource-src-4.5.1/mkspecs/linux-g++.

The reason is the some dependencies are missing. Try this:

• > apt-get build-dep qt4-qmake

3) Qt for Embedded Linux library must be configured and compiled with the -qvfb option

• > ./configure -qvfb
• > make
• >make install
  

4) Compile and run tool qvfb (Qt virtual framebuffer) as a normal Qt for X11 application.

• >cd path/to/Qt/tools/qvfb
• >make
• >make install
  

If you encounter the error "/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lXtst", you need install "libxtst-dev".

5) Running embedded applications using the virtual framebuffer. Note: try the examples compiled with embedded Qt, not X11. Otherwise, you may encounter the error like "qvfb: cannot connect to X server". See example here.


Reference .

• The Virtual Framebuffer