Greetings List Lurkers,
The last day of January, a month closer to SPRING! A mild day to boot!
Maybe time for a fresh start on writing the dreaded newsletter.
I need to edit, but so damn much goes on in a week...
ANDROID CARPUTER
Done.
Rooted the KEWEIER RK3188 MTCC-KLD6-V2.97 Android Auto Radio Head
Saturday. With a fair amount of help from the good folks at the XDA site
we got this done. The endorphins stil washed over me. I ship back to
Amazon a rooted lab queeen, enjoy my new reverse camera, and contemplate
where to go from here. Put a fork in this. It will hopefully not appear
again.
VISUAL BASH
GUO amd he bzinga project:
As mentionedf last week, I dusted off the Bash-Zenity project with the
thought of adding this to trantor as a GUI based control framework. So far
it is interesting, as GUIs now haunt my dreams looking for the best way to
configure things...
http://bzinga.net/
DTG and I had a discussion about how GUI code needs to be non-blocked.
The approach I am thinking about for now involves putting the GUI code in
includes that get included only when you need them. The Visual Bash
framework really works. Will this work for adding a GUI with bzinga?
Thus the line between bzinga and the Menubot function gets fuzzier all the
time, and after some playing around with zenity, I am more convinced that
the use of zenity for a gui interface, (see the Bash Zenity Integration
page: http://bzinga.net/ :^) is not a bad plan. Beyond this we really
need to clean up the VisualBash page. Now that we have the "include"
function that is similar to the one in python (C and a lota other languages
:^) we need to git this.
http://docbox.flint.com:8081/visual.bash#ImportingFunctionBlocks
I just reviewed the Visual Bash git page Effin set up, and we need to
refactor this page completely. We need to reorganize all of the visual
bash functions into functional includes...
Possible include files are:
- ianda.shi - Identification and Authorization
- dvdusb.shi - DVD/USB utilities
- sanity.shi - System sanity tests
- maint.shi - Maintenance includes
- ops.shi - Operational includes
- dev.shi - Development includes
- sphinx.shi - Sphinx generator includes
- tiddle.shi - Tiddle includes...
- gui.shi - Graphical User Interface using bzinga
Could 2017 may be the year of VisualBash?
We have a presentation on the subject due in June...More on that later.
The "SanityScript" remains born but without love. Right now the vision is
that sanity do the following:
- Check that all the components you need are in place in terms of program
- Possibly check at to the validity of the includes and functions using MD5
"sanity.shi" may be tasked with is
- checking for variable conflict within functions. This is a big thing,
but on the other hand, so it sanity...
The problem is that I cannot resist the challenge of the GUI menu
generator "menubot.sh" that will allow you to test stub your "shi" files
with a crude but working "sh". Who knows where we go from there? Again,
the Design questions remain:
- Do individual functions call for particular software packages
by adding their local requirements to a file or memory variable?
- Should the sanity program try to md5 sum the components?
- Can the sanity program help resolve namespace issues?
Could 2017 may be the year of VisualBash?
We have a presentation on the subject due in June...
KINDLE LIBERATION FRONT
Today Brett receives his new kindle. If he bricks this one he is in
trouble deep.
The two broken Kindles are in Niagra, as as we expected the master
Kindlenista, Joe Hart, agreed with our diagnoses and appears hopeful for
partial or total rehabilitation. As mentioned, One has been bricked, and
the other has lost it's touch pad. The Kindle-master, Joe, who has Debian
booting on his Kindle Fires is preping for surgery. He intends to take to
touch pad from one and attach it to the rom of the other. We wish him the
best, as he is still getting up his nerve.
I want to try using the KingoRoot.apk I got from XDA to root a kindle.
Do you think what works with a 5.1.1 Keweier would work with a 5.1.1
Kindle?
http://docbox.flint.com:8081/kindle#2RootKEWEIER
If nothing else this meeting we will set up the google play on Bretts new
Kindle.
I am becoming convinced that there could be a commercial opportunity in
customizing kindles. I have even attempted to enlist none other than DTG to
help. So far no luck. May we need Effin in the mix.
Speaking of the Hart, he was right that cheap Kindles were still there,
but no more. https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Fire-7-Inch-Tablet-8GB/dp/B00T
SUGXKE
They are available in color, but the price went up thirteen bucks to
$49.00 so it is the same proce as what you can get at Staples. IMHO not
worth it.
Finally I still really want a version of the Universal Insight Virtual
Realty Glasses for the Kindle. 3d Teleconferencing way cool! Anybody see
such a thing? I am thinking about trying to fabricate one based upon the
original cardboard.
TRANTOR
Connectivity:
Everyone is back from vacation and apparently the fellow that coordinated
the Kimball library public access is no longer with DII. So, Lee Bonamico
is delving into this to find the new DII POC. We wish her luck. The
reverse proxy was stable but is down right now. When it was up we were
able to burnish the control software a bit. We are gonna check on it today.
This project is still operating in development at the library and in this
first month of new year we are about to open it to the world. So it appears
within a meeting or two we will be online. Right now we are as you recall
using one of the original Gates Foundation grant based Dell machines. Sarah
the librarian is actually talking about doing a press release...
So, once we get this working we will then deliver the trantor v 3.0
machine to the Aldrich, swap it with the existing 0.015 system, set up
static IP, avahi bonjour and things may actually be accessible via DNS for
the world. Well a fellow can dream...
With this is accomplished we will switch to the excellent hardware
platform that Marius delivered. This production case contains both
USB2.0/3.0 and and a DVDRW. This will be the production device.
From a software standpoint, the first, second and third passes for Trantor
are done. The third pass, is in the Aldrich Public library for evaluation,
and the latest feature is there is a new include that actually rebuilds the
index.rst from the existing sub-rst files. With the bzinga project there
is likely to be a fourth (forth? :^) pass...
We are still striving to develop a development cycle... The vision of a
restful website remains:
- Take the existing code
- edit it with enki, a restful editor almost built for the job.
(a most difficult to install but rewarding bit of software)
- if necessary propagate the change using a shell script
(thank god for sed and awk)
- run "ctrantor.sh mkitso" which builds
-- a new index.rst from the existing stuff, and then
-- builds new web site based upon this index.rst
- check out the result...
- lather, rinse repeat...
Again, I restate sphinx now rocks my world. I am convinced the trick to
sphinx and ReST in general is enki, which is a pain to install, but may be
a very new product. As we said about enki. The ticket at this time
appears to be to run under Linux Mint 18 as opposed to Ubuntu Trusty. The
insight here is that enki is oriented towards use in a Red Hat
environment...
The hard part of this turns out to be getting:
1. enki running with the preview mode working
(invaluable once running)
2. getting sphinx running or maybe more accurately
3. making the system "sane" - a menu choice. Design questions include:
- Do individual functions call for particular software packages?
- Should the sanity program try to md5 sum the components.
Configuration Management: Tried to get enki running on trantor. No luck I
think that enki wants the hat. This Red Hat exclusiveness is a very
disturbing trend. As mentioned above, the trantor project now uses the new
visualbash include function to load up various scripts full-o-functional
goodness. Like everything else, We are attempting to maintain the Trantor
project on Github:
https://github.com/flintiii/trantor
As discussed, I continue to hack this into some type of organized format
to put up on git hub, as this is something that will please both Chris
Yarger and Kevin Cole. I really am gonna get to this. Jessamyn went for a
Git refresher, maybe I should do the same wonder how it worked out for her?
The trantor project benefits itself as you can cut DVDs and USBs with
great ease and facility.
http://docbox.flint.com/~flint/trantor/ ("Rick Roll version")
Restful Web Site:
We now have a complete set of disks starting from LXFDVD154, we sent Neil
at Linux Format, an email in an attempt to expanding trantor to include all
the Linux Format DVDs since they started publication. Unfortunately we
hear nothing from London. Maybe London is closed?
The Collection Grows:
Tom Kastner has offered us the DVDs back to LXFDVD105. This additional 45
or so disks would go a long way to making the collection complete. Maybe
in the new year we will gain a response from London. As it is installed at
the Aldrich, next trick is to get trantor on the public web, and that looks
like it may happen. We really would like to see brother Tom and his magic
DVDs.
Other Digital Collections?
I am getting interest from some parties in contributing more stuff to
trantor. Do not be bashful (pun?). let me know if you want something
faithfully curated and The real question here is should I simply rebuild
bosivt.org based upon sphinx? Or, we could do it all in...
ZOCKER
Not much action on where Effin and I have been conspiring to set up a
docker image containing zope. Turns out this has already been done by the
European Environment Agency, but the way they put it together leaves a bit
to be desired. Fact is we have it working and we have a much spiffier
name...
http://docbox.flint.com:8081/zoker
Is tiddly-zoker simply too silly? Watch this site. It is the latest
thing... I am thinking about using zoker to be the documentation holder for
trantor. Hm...
PITCHBOX
...The best guidance:
Never forget the simple rules of Raspberryt Pi here in order:
1. Always Use a high current power supply.
2. Be aware of the bios differences.
3. Always shrink before duplication to same size media.
4. Format MS Dos regions on a real Micro$oft machine.
TECHNORUBBLE
In the new year we want to follow up on the interesting angle to deploy
TechnoRubble at Libraries. At the meeting two weeks ago, J West came up
with this angle and I would very much like to set up at Kimball and the
Aldrich Libraries and see if this would work. Jessamyn intends to showed
up at our meeting last week and checked out the whole TechnoRubble Project.
Hope she remains interested!
- The Website http://technorubble.org,http://technorubble.com
The new donation letter has been updated, but not used yet...
Again, we need more TechnoRubble. The TechnoRubble untangling and packing
is part of that effort. Part of this effort was the donation letter. The
idea is to get people to mail their TechnoRubble to us in a USPS Flat Rate
Box. I am going to complete the donation process page as soon as I can and
post it.
TADA
I am adding the rebirth of the BOSI web site to this project. It is not
technically a good fit but it needs to go somewhere. Is there someone who
can help with this project? We really neerd to exploit Audio Video from the
meeting in a better way. How can we move BOSI TV towards this goal line?
The Adult Swim video network, soon to be the "TADA Show" (The Adult
Development Actity?) was clearly Effin's project. Is there a recursive
acronym in here somewhere?
Can Effin get back on the stick?
Hopefully this will be discussed on:
https://hangouts.google.com/hangouts/_/flint.com/tada
Which with any luck will start at 6 PM EST today.
this is really all about external relations...
3DPRINT
This project is essentially on hold till spring when #1 son returns. To
recap, PiTchBox and 3Dprint are related because I really need a plastic
bezel for the front of the box, and I want a 3Dprinter to print it, and the
Raspberry Pi based octoprint device is central to the operation of the
3Dprinter.
Without a doubt the greatest and most frustrating waste of Flint time and
money on the planet! Even wors than the Android Carputer, though not by
much...
Bad money after good, we have in hand the new model 3D printer.
That said, we had great luck with openscad, brother Kevin's design
software. We got this damn thing to the point that I can produce the design
of bezels I need for the PiTchBox. Sadly I cannot print them because the
printer we have is screwed up. Will the new one work better? Thinking about
inviting Toby from Filabot over and asking for some help. This machine has
only seen maybe 5 hours of actual operation is that this lasted about ten
days. Why is this so damn hard?
The 3Decology constructed around the HICTOP Prusa I3 3D Desktop Printer,
has helped a lot, at least there is a place to store the tools this thing
needs. The take away here is that 3D infrastructure is important to
facilitate printing. But more important is the ability to render designs
from the head into products.
http://docbox.flint.com:8081/3D_print
I am gonna learn this product or perish n the process. I need Bezels for
the PiTchBox...
To summarize, the meeting today is again at 40 Washington Street, Barre,
VT 05641.
Topics for discussion as usual remain:
- Open Source Educational Human Development
I am working on an idea... I am changing the priority of our
eternal needs, and placing education first.
- Maker Movement A Maker Space in Barre? Why not? Could it be that the
commercial power centers do not yet appreciate the value? I need to
revise my paper on this subject and get it out to Lucas Jensen
who has good ideas about a Barre Maker Space. Why not do digital stone?
- Move BOSI to become more git centric... develop gittlywiki... working!
check out tiddlywiki5 here: https://github.com/Jermolene/TiddlyWiki5
We still need to convert... Yea buddy... Shut up Effin.
- Blue Sky R&D, but in Vermont it will be Gun-metal Grey Sky(c) R&D.
- I fought the DREK and the DREK continues to win. Remember, What
really is holds us back is DREK!!! DREK is what happens to your
workspace (both hardware and software) when you fail to put stuff
away, or you let your friends or relatives use it. This is a cosmic
law. I am still fighting the DREK. How to get over it? The secret
may be empty pellet bags. Is TechnoRubble organized DREK?
These five points are quickly becomming more than our policy, and more
like a prayer...
Anyway, we have the technology and we will have Pizza tonight 5-7 at
Hedding UMC.
This is the official notice of the Barre Open Systems Institute (BOSI)
Adult Swim. For those coming in via the Google Plus and the Internet, and
there are folks who are gonna try, the swim stars at 6:00 PM EST.
Our ongoing major objective is to continue to try to figure out how to
invest the time and resources to turn the Barre Open Systems Institute into
more than just the Adult Swim technical clinic and more into a real
learning facility. One direction we have been working on is to begin
thinking about classes. The curriculum that I am most interested in is
teaching documentation.
Once again, the goal of the meeting shall be as usual, to get organized
and try to get the various projects moving forward, despite DREK. We
continue to wonder about how to build the BOSI curriculum to this webpage:
*** Note this is broke as of this newsletter ****
http://bosivt.org/classes, Take a look if you dare...
Remember, the BOSI Adult Swim is essentially about helping out fellow
users of open source products in a clinic environment. Despite my very
best of intentions, the Adult Swim is really almost a perpetual Linux
install-fest, and only secondarily a learning environment,
The ever growing list of projects (now on our web site :^) includes:
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/vm - A Docker copy of VM370
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/kindle - The Kindle Liberation Front
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/pyrs - A pythonic interface to Income Tax?
- http://ledroid.org - Ok, this is a real project eh?
- http://bzinga.net - What happens when you combine Bash and Zenity?
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/nodejs - ok, it is on the list.
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/snobot - jesum they love this robot
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/furmon - monitor that pellet furnace
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/arduino - moving in the arduino groove
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/javajive - to get better at Javascript
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/tsp - Temperature Sensors Project
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/robotsrules - The quest for Roberts Rules -
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/visual.bash - Yea, I am not kidding...
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/mrtg - remedial raw mrtg for the slow...
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/raspberry - all versions
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/strembot.org - maybe a very cool project.
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/organized - oh please let me be organized!
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/music - this may be the least organized
site ever!
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/bb - A big noble idea.
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/grantbot - A less noble idea to feed the
big idea...
- http://docbox.flint.com:8081/gitlywiki - is tiddlywiki5 the answer?
Otherwise, Barre indeed remains a great venue for a Linux and Open Source
Software discussion and general system rejuvenation. Expect to be remotely
preached at on the various topics of Open Source and how I am confident it
shall cure all the evils and ills of this wicked world. In a perfect
meeting, people would come in, sit down, see the stuff we have been doing
and hopefully help us get the DIY stuff we are doing done, or maybe just
fix a laptop.
So, do not forget that the Barre library stocks "Linux Format", and the
latest issue is on the shelf, and it is good. The DVD's are available to
checkout and copy, we shall to continue provide copies and isos of each and
every one. I am continuing to duplicate about a years worth of DVD's which
is quite a task. You may want to watch this space for developments.
Anyway, come and do open source stuff. For more information about the BOSI
Adult Swim meeting time and location try this:
*** Note this is broke as of this newsletter ****
http://bosivt.org/directions
Show up at Hedding UMC if you have questions or are interested in Linux or
the concept of free and open systems. Again, we are in the basement of the
Hedding UMC facility which is actually working out pretty well.
Somehow we need to make progress not more projects!!!
If you wish to be included on the "Linux_adult_swim" mailing list, send a
response to this note.
This is Flint signing off... I gotta go and get trained as a Justice of
the Peace, and maybe catch the flue from the City Clerk.
I will continue to refactor this newsletter at some point in the future
(do not hold your breath :^)...
Kindest Regards,
Paul Flint
(802) 479-2360
(802) 595-9365 Cell
/************************************
Based upon email reliability concerns,
please send an acknowledgment in response to this note.
Paul Flint
Barre Open Systems Institute
17 Averill Street
Barre, VT
05641
http://www.bosivt.org
http://family.flint.com/flint
skype: flintinfotech
Work: (202) 537-0480
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