# Flutter for Embedded Linux (eLinux)
This software is a **non-official** extension to the [Flutter SDK](https://github.com/flutter/flutter) to build Flutter apps for Embedded Linux devices.

## Objective
Our objective is to use Flutter in embedded systems. We're developing this embedder to use Flutter in embedded products. We would be grateful if you could give us feedback on bugs and new feature requests. We would like to cover the specifications of general-purpose embedded systems.

## Features
- Flutter optimized for Embedded Systems
  - Minimal dependent libraries
  - Lightweight than Flutter desktop for Linux (Not using X11 and GTK)
  - arm64/x64 devices support
- Display backend support
  - [Wayland](https://wayland.freedesktop.org/)
  - Direct rendering module ([DRM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_Rendering_Manager))
    - Generic Buffer Management ([GBM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesa_(computer_graphics)))
    - [EGLStream](https://docs.nvidia.com/drive/drive_os_5.1.6.1L/nvvib_docs/index.html#page/DRIVE_OS_Linux_SDK_Development_Guide/Graphics/graphics_eglstream_user_guide.html) for NVIDIA devices
- Keyboard, mouse and touch inputs support
- Equivalent quality to Flutter desktops
- API compatibility with Flutter desktop for Windows and GLFW
  - APIs such as MethodChannel and EventChannel are completely the same with them

If you want to know more details, see also [flutter-embedded-linux](https://github.com/sony/flutter-embedded-linux), which is flutter embedder for eLinux.

## Documentation
See https://github.com/sony/flutter-elinux/wiki

## Contributing
See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md).

## Quick start
### How to insall flutter-elinux
```Shell
$ git clone https://github.com/sony/flutter-elinux.git
$ sudo mv flutter-elinux /opt/
$ export PATH=$PATH:/opt/flutter-elinux/bin
```

### Install other tools
```Shell
$ sudo apt install curl clang cmake pkg-config
# If you want to use Weston as a Wayland compositor:
$ sudo apt install weston
```

### Run flutter sample app in Weston
You need to install a Wayland compositor such as Weston and launch it before launching your Flutter apps.

```Shell
$ flutter-elinux devices
2 connected devices:

eLinux (desktop) • elinux-wayland • flutter-tester • Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS 5.8.0-63-generic
eLinux (desktop) • elinux-x11     • flutter-tester • Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS 5.8.0-63-generic
```

```Shell
$ flutter-elinux create sample
$ cd sample
$ weston &
$ flutter-elinux run -d elinux-wayland
```

If you want to run your flutter app in X11, use `elinux-x11` instead of `elinux-wayland`:
```Shell
$ flutter-elinux run -d elinux-x11
```

## Companion repos
| Repo | Purpose |
| ------------- | ------------- |
| [flutter-elinux](https://github.com/sony/flutter-elinux) | Flutter tools for eLinux |
| [flutter-elinux-plugins](https://github.com/sony/flutter-elinux-plugins) | Flutter plugins for eLinux |
| [flutter-embedded-linux](https://github.com/sony/flutter-embedded-linux) | eLinux embedding for Flutter |
| [meta-flutter](https://github.com/sony/meta-flutter) | Yocto recipes of eLinux embedding for Flutter |

## Base software
This software was created based on the [flutter-tizen](https://github.com/flutter-tizen/flutter-tizen) (branched from [this version](https://github.com/flutter-tizen/flutter-tizen/commit/ed128233c0bce33c77dd0df69afa59f0888d2d00)). Special thanks to the flutter-tizen team.