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# 1. Introduction

## 1.1 What's TiLP

TiLP is a linking program; it allows you to connect your TI graphing calculator to a computer/workstation and transfers data between them. TiLP is free software and licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL).

TiLP can run on several platforms:

- Linux
- Windows
- Mac OS-X with X11 extension
- FreeBSD

TiLP supports all common physical link cables:

- TI's BlackLink
- TI's GrayLink
- TI's SilverLink (USB)
- home-made parallel (aka $5-cable)
- home-made serial (aka $4-cable)
- TI's DirectLink USB (84+, 89 Titanium, Nspire)

TiLP also supports the following virtual links (internal connections with an emulator):

- VTi (Virtual TI)
- TiE (TiEmu 2 & 3)

TiLP supports all TI graphing calculators:

- TI89, TI89 Titanium, TI92, TI92+, V200 (68k)
- TI73, 82, 83, 83+, 84+, 85, 86 (z80)
- NSpire

This documentation covers using TiLP on all available platforms. Topics which are specific to a particular operating system are enclosed within brackets ( "[" and "]" ).

## 1.2 Features and limitations

Features :

- multi-platform,
- support all cables
- support all handhelds
- support all the operations handled by TI-Connect and/or TI Graph-Link software
- built-in ROM dumper

Limitations :

- Titanium thru USB under Linux: cable need to be plugged again once TiLP is closed (due to a bug in the 89T's OS).
- NSpire emulating a TI84+: not supported on the oldest OS versions due to the incorrect USB descriptor exposed by the Nspire.

## 1.3 System requirements

In order to run TiLP, your computer must meet one of the following sets of requirements, depending on your operating system:

Linux:

- a Pentium PC or better with any Linux distribution installed
- 25/30MB of RAM (most part is used by GTK+)
- an X-Window system
- GTK+ 2.16+ libraries
- USB support through libusb, unless you only have the old cables
  Please check that you must have R/W permissions on the corresponding device (/dev/ttySx, /dev/parportX or /proc/bus/usb).

Windows:

- a Pentium PC or better with Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, Vista or 7
- 25/30MB of RAM (most part is used by GTK+)
- GTK+ 2.24 libraries like 2.24.8
- the Silver/Direct Link driver for Windows is not needed any longer

Mac OS X:

- a Macintosh computer running OS X

FreeBSD:

- same requirements as Linux.

All systems must have an available port that will support your cable (see section 3 below).

## 1.4 Installation

Linux:

- Check whether your favorite distro has packages for recent versions of libticonv, libtifiles, libticables, libticalcs, and tilp. If it doesn't, the recommended way to install TILP is to use the install_tilp.sh helper script. This script has worked for dozens of persons on multiple distro flavors.
- check that your serial/parallel ports and your USB filesystem have the appropriate permissions ! See the CONFIG file in libticables (the install_tilp.sh script reminds you about it).

Windows:

- In TILP II 1.16+, TILP can be installed side by side with TI-Connect, TI-Nspire Computer Software (TINCS) and TI-Nspire Computer Link Software (TINCLS). You'll have to install the filter driver manually, see the README file for instructions.
- if you want to do everything manually, download and install the gtk-win GTK+ runtime 2.24.x or later. Be sure to have a single version of the GTK+ runtime on your system.
- execute the InnoSetup installer. It can download the GTK+ runtime for you.

MacOS X:

- Same as Linux: the install_tilp.sh script works on MacOS X, provided the appropriate packages have been installed from MacPorts

FreeBSD:

- Same as Linux: the install_tilp.sh script should work on FreeBSD.

## 1.5 Configuration / Setting-up (Linux)

See the CONFIG file shipped with the libticables2 library, either in the source tarball or in your distro package. Your distro package should automatically install udev definitions that make it possible to use TILP as a regular, non-root user; if it doesn't, please file a bug against the distro package.