PAServer, also called the Platform Assistant server, is a command-line app. It is created to be installed on such platforms as Windows, Linux or macOS. In this article we will consider the peculiarities of Delphi Linux PAServer.
This command-line application is intended to be installed on a remote system which is located in the same network that is being used by your development system. When it is done, the Platform Assistant will allow Embarcadero RAD Studio to work and interact with your remote system. As a result, you will get the possibility to build multi-device cross-platform apps for Linux and conduct the debugging process remotely.
Fmx Linux was presented in 2017 as a modification of FireMonkey that had to bring it to Linux.
With the Platform Assistant server, it is also possible to use the Deployment Manager as well as to import the Linux SDK.
If you develop apps on Delphi, how to install a PAServer on Linux – can be a rather expected question. That’s why let’s take a look at the algorithm of action.
Ways and process of PAServer installation
Option 1. The PAServer installer can be downloaded from the internet. For doing that, you can follow the links: for RAD Studio Sydney (10.4), RAD Studio Sydney (10.4.1) or RAD Studio Rio (10.3)
Option 2. You can also take the installer that is located in the RAD Studio installation directory which contains the PAServer folder. The installer that you should use is LinuxPAServer21.0.tar.gz (if you have RAD Studio 10.4.X versions) or LinuxPAServer20.0.tar.gz (if you have RAD Studio 10.3.X versions).
The installation of the Platform Assistant on Linux is not challenging at all. However, we’ve prepared a short guide for you that will help you to cope with this task quickly and easily.
- Step 1. You need to copy the installation file mentioned above and place it in the directory of the Linux machine that you are going to use.
- Step 2. Now you should open the Terminal and the local directory where your recently copied installation file is placed now.
- Step 3. To unpack the file, it’s necessary to execute the command: tar –xvf LinuxPAServer21.0.tar.gz (LinuxPAServer20.0.tar.gz).
- Step 4. All the steps provided above will lead to the creation of the PAServer-21.0 (20.0) subdirectory. In this subdirectory, all the PAServer binaries for Linux.
Before the installation process, we also can recommend checking the guide on the official website for any possible updates.
As soon as the installation is finished, it is possible to start running the Platform Assistant.
Ways and process of PAServer installation
Based on our practical experience, we can say that sometimes connection issues between the machine on which PAServer is running and the development system that you use are possible. However, to avoid interruptions in your working process we recommend you to test the connection using the button with the same name. To find it you need to open Tools Options and then to go to the Connection Profile Manager page.
If something goes wrong, you may see an error message that notifies you that the connection is refused due to the mismatch of the machine and PAServer versions. It means that you need to update your PAServer to the version that was mentioned in the error message that you got. The version of the Platform Assistant that is running on the remote system is shown in its banner.
PAServer is a crucial part of the process of building GUI Linux applications using FmxLinux for Delphi. To learn more about it, you can read one of our previously published articles on the issue or watch the video on FmxLinux prepared by Embarcadero Technologies and published on their YouTube channel.
We hope that our article will be useful for you and your development team. However, if you have any questions or you feel that you need assistance from our specialists, at Softacom, we are always open for communication and will be extremely happy to help you.