[Icon-tech] Hello
Nick Gawronski
nick at nickgawronski.com
Thu Oct 29 12:25:34 MST 2009
Hi, The libreadline was required in order for ftp to install. I am not sure
if there is a version of bsd games that will run on the braille plus or not
but am going to keep looking. Both of those packages were download from
www.handhelds.org/packages Is ftp-ssl better then standard ftp? I could not
find that version or I would have installed it. Are there any directories
or files in the device I should not mess with if I want the device to still
boot and run properly?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Perry" <kperry at aph.org>
To: "Nick Gawronski" <nick at nickgawronski.com>; "Icon technical discussions."
<icon-tech at mulcahy.ws>
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 9:04 AM
Subject: RE: [Icon-tech] Hello
One problem with ftp is its not secure. I would suggest if you want to use
something like ftp but easier to use I would go with scp which is included
at the command line. for example you can do something like:
scp myfile user at domain.com:mydir/filename
scp myfile user at 10.20.15.80:mydir/filename
I am not sure what you are using the readline for but remember this is a
portable device and if the library is not necessary it's better not to have
it installed and let people install it later if they need it rather than
install every package on the device and not have any space to do anything.
The ideal world would be having all packages and walking around with a Linux
desktop the size of a usb stick but we do what we must.
Good to hear you got the packages you needed installed though.
Ken
-----Original Message-----
From: icon-tech-bounces at mulcahy.ws [mailto:icon-tech-bounces at mulcahy.ws] On
Behalf Of Nick Gawronski
Sent: Saturday, September 26, 2009 9:22 PM
To: icon-tech at mulcahy.ws
Subject: Re: [Icon-tech] Hello
Hi, I have been able to install some packages from handhelds.org on my
braille plus using file explorer like lib4readline and the command line ftp
client. Not really an easy process as finding all of the libraries took a
while but ftp now works fine on my braille plus at the console. Not
something I would say a beginner try but just to let people know I was able
to do this. I really think you should include this application perfebably
the ssl version and the libncurses library for other console applications
that use this library as well as the wordlists packages. Perhaps having
ipkg have the ability to look at handhelds.org for updates or to install
packages for the user would be a useful feature but then again not all
packages will work from there so that might not be the best idea. Inclution
of more command line tools would be better I guess like a fully functional
ssh client and server as well as some more games such as the wonderful bsd
games package from debian. Are there any files or directories we should not
touch on our devices if we want them to still boot properly? Perhaps the
beep or bell could cause the unit to vibrate as currently the bell option
does nothing in the ftp command line program and the program is rather out
dated at least the one I have installed now. Is it always needed to do a
reboot if it is a console application? Having the main interface portion
rerun itself after every installation would be quicker and might not require
as long of a wait time and might not cause loss of the clock settings.
Having an option to always turn on wireless or bluetooth and to
automatically set the clock from the time server if the time zone is set
would be a very nice feature. If we know how to create chron jobs can we do
this for tasks we want run and if the unit is off will it turn on to perform
the task?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Perry" <kperry at aph.org>
To: "Nick Gawronski" <nick at nickgawronski.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 6:33 AM
Subject: RE: [Icon-tech] Hello
The old packages do not work because we have switched from python 2.4 to 2.6
it just takes a recompiling of the packages or should to get them to work.
There are many reasons for the change one simple one is python 2.6 supports
more modules that are out there in the world.
Ken
-----Original Message-----
From: Nick Gawronski [mailto:nick at nickgawronski.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 08, 2009 1:50 PM
To: Ken Perry
Subject: Re: [Icon-tech] Hello
Hi, With the new betas I have noticed that there is no documentation on why
the old add ons will not work or what has changed in the new version of
linux or why the reason was for changing. This information would be nice so
that either developers or users who just develope their own applications for
the device could know that things are changing before they upgrade. A
technical changes list would be a nice thing to include for those of us who
are interested. Will there ever be such a document written?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Perry" <kperry at aph.org>
To: "Nick Gawronski" <nick at nickgawronski.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2009 8:39 AM
Subject: RE: [Icon-tech] Hello
There are probably things that would make it so you cannot reflash but I
couldn't say what it would be one way or another. I can say you can get it
into a state where you will have to get help and that would probably mean
sending it in for repairs. The easy answer on Linux anything is possible
and if you start doing things more than just developing applications with
Python for the Braille plus or Icon you need to make sure you know what
you're doing before you do it. I just personally messed up my development
unit and got it in a state it took a couple of us to get out of. With that
all said if your just developing applications you most likely will be able
to reflash to get out of any problems.
Ken
-----Original Message-----
From: Nick Gawronski [mailto:nick at nickgawronski.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 9:00 AM
To: Ken Perry
Subject: Re: [Icon-tech] Hello
Hi, Is there any method that would make even a reflash impossible on the
icon or braille plus if I do any type of file changes to the flash disk like
recompiling the kernel or other operations? I just don't want to make my
unit unreflashible if I change something just to see how it would work I
want a way to restore it back to factory settings if possible. Is there a
way to down grade to an earlier version or make a rescue image to rescue the
system if something should break? I am not trying to break it on purpose
just want to prepair if something goes wrong.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Perry" <kperry at aph.org>
To: "Nick Gawronski" <nick at nickgawronski.com>; "Icon technical discussions."
<icon-tech at mulcahy.ws>
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 6:37 AM
Subject: RE: [Icon-tech] Hello
You could get the arm gcc package I am sure someone has compiled it out
there but I have never went to look. It is not on the Braille plus or Icon
by default.
As for the menus you could look in /usr/share/icon/startmenu and examine the
xml files to see how the menu system is laid out. Note though if you change
things drastically you can cause problems that only a reset will fix.
Ken
-----Original Message-----
From: icon-tech-bounces at mulcahy.ws [mailto:icon-tech-bounces at mulcahy.ws] On
Behalf Of Nick Gawronski
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2009 6:36 PM
To: john at valar.com; Icon technical discussions.
Subject: Re: [Icon-tech] Hello
Hi, How do you modify the menus on the icon or braille plus? Also, is there
ways to do any type of C compilation on the braille plus? I can't find gcc
but that does not mean that nothing can be done either on the device itself
or on the pc.
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Esak" <john at valar.com>
To: "'Icon technical discussions.'" <icon-tech at mulcahy.ws>
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 7:45 AM
Subject: RE: [Icon-tech] Hello
>I am a long time programmer. 35 years plus now. I reviewed Python for a
> magazine back when it first started appearing... but I never worked in it.
> When I got my Icon, I picked up the book Learning Python which is
> available
> on bookshare.org and it came very easily to me. I do not think this would
> be true if you are not a programmer with a good bit of background in at
> least shell scripting, if not C. BASIC is an excellent starting point
> for
> anything though. I learned Dartmouth BASIC back in about 1973 I think...
> and it was just great compared to the lower level machine language stuff
> that was the only other optins back then. After a short while C made its
> way out through the Unix heads at Bell labs and Berkely and elsewhere, and
> that is almost a shame... because while it is an infinitely more powerful
> language and the basis for just about everything we use today... it is not
> nearly as good as BASIC was for teaching someone the tenets of
> programming.
> So, while Python is really a stupendous language and one I am starting to
> like writing in more than anything else, it will be hard for you to make
> some of the leaps it will ask of you. However, if you start at the
> beginning of this book, and have an environment where you can try each
> thing
> as it is brought up, there is no reason why you can't learn it. I just
> want
> to warn you not to get discouraged. Some of the concepts are difficult
> to
> grasp. For example, I program in C and used to do it all day long.
> Still,
> the object oriented parts of Pyton and C++ often illude me for days and
> weeks. I'm forever needing to go through aha moments when I finally
> understand what it is that is being taught. You can read it 15 times and
> not get it, then, the 16th time some bell rings somewhere and you
> understand
> what is going on. Even so, it is not a simple matter of just beginning to
> write code now that you understand some part of it. There is a learning
> curve to all of it, and I don't think there is anyone who can bypass that
> curve. It simply takes time, and that's all there is to it. I liken it
> to
> a musician perhaps who can play the guitar really well and has for 40
> years.
> He has talent and decides to take up the violin . No matter how much
> talent
> he has and how much desire and how much understanding he has of the
> concepts, he still needs to put in the actual long bit of time trying and
> re-trying and learning the new instrument. the worse part of this
> situation
> is that he does not have the same youthful desire to push on that he did
> when he was 20... so it might take him another 40 years to also be able to
> play the violin. Ha, <smile> and here I'm telling you not to get
> discouraged. Sorry. Anyway, get the book "Learning Pyton" from
> bookshare.
> It is your best beginning and introduction I think.
>
> John Esak
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: icon-tech-bounces at mulcahy.ws
>> [mailto:icon-tech-bounces at mulcahy.ws] On Behalf Of David Poehlman
>> Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 7:06 AM
>> To: Terrell Jones; Icon technical discussions.
>> Subject: Re: [Icon-tech] Hello
>>
>> Hi t, long time no see.
>>
>> On Aug 11, 2009, at 4:54 AM, Terrell Jones wrote:
>>
>> Hello,
>> My name is Terrell Jones. I'm interested in developing applications
>> for the Braille +. I have
>> dabbled in the BASIC Programming language. However, I have never
>> worked with python, so
>> programming is new to me. If anyone could point me to some good
>> resources, that would be great.
>> Thanks for your help,
>> Terrell
>>
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