Matchbox Card Applet For Oz

[koen]

Desertrat has proposed a good idea but even if that idea was implemented in the standard distro it wouldn't be as obvious and user friendly as what I'm proposing here.
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Actually, he didn't 'cardctl' won't be present in images that run 2.6.16+, since that's using the deprecated ioctl I was referring to.

[danboid]

OK

So it looks like mb-card-applet and using cardctl have both been struck off as viable solutions so what about using DeviceHandler

ftp://ftp.berlios.de/pub/rox4debian/apps/...ndler-0.2.8.tgz

I dunno if it already has support for CF and SD cards, especially CF devices such as WiFi cards.

[lardman]

Eh? Just where did the iPaq come into this? I understand GPE started life off on ipaq Linux but I don't see how this relates to an app (mb-card-applet) that I saw running perfectly well on a Zaurus version of Linux/X11 (pdaXrom).

This is why I mentioned it:

5) doesn't show the correct number of slots.

This refers to the iPAQ sleeve. As the OpenEmbedded-derived images run on many platforms, this kind of thing is better taken account of rather than having lots of if this else that statements.


Si

[danboid]

What is 'the iPAQ sleeve'?

I'd like to hear peoples thoughts on DeviceHandler- is it going to be able to what I want? If it can't (in its current state) then how hard would it be to adapt it for use on the Z? All I want it a GUI to provide one-click unmounting of SD and CF cards (which both obviously get auto-mounted already) and one click to turn on/off my wifi card.

[danboid]

From the lack of responses to my question it would be fair to say it seems that none of the OZ devs are bothered about graphical card management, not at the moment anyway.

Am I the only one who thinks this is an important missing feature of OZ?

[koen]

Am I the only one that thinks that some people should

a) learn how to use google
B) actually do something instead of harassing developers

?

[danboid]

I'm alright with Google- why what should I be searching for?

If I had a Z to try DeviceHandler under OZ on I would but sadly I don't- I just want to know if it would work. I can't think of a better place to ask this question.

[carbonfreeze]

Am I the only one that thinks that some people should

a) learn how to use google
B ) actually do something instead of harassing developers

?
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+1 Flamebait.

Stupid answers for stupid questions? Try not abusing your users - especially those with valid concerns.

+1 for a new GPE card applet. I would write one with Python or somesuch but I just don't have time right now to research creating an applet for the menu system in GPE (my brain is fried from doing webdev all day, so excuse my   ).

Koen, I really appreciate what you and the other devs have done with OZ, but take it easy on the users. Maybe some more cross-posting of good info between the OZ wiki and the forums? Bug reporting guidelines/tips in the wiki would be a good start. I want to report bugs (lots), but I am not going to report bugs if I get flamed by the devs for not placing it in the right bug tracker or some other nonsense. "You didn't read man 8 of $randompackage! RTFM! GCC isn't supposed to be able to compile executables out of the box! RTFM!" Your post ^ is a case in point.

Maybe a blog on the OZ page relating to what is being fixed in the bugtracker, when important packages have been updated, what is in the pipeline for developement.. oz-dev mailing list is nice, but I don't know. Something is missing. People get flamed for "stupid" questions (Why doesn't a pda distro have a card control/wifi/$randomuseful applet?) and it probably isn't healthy for the community. Maybe its because OZ may not have any active "Community Relations" people? /rant

Got Flamebait?  

[danboid]

Thank you CarbonFreeze- you hit the nail on the head.

Now if someone would take 10 mins to answer my question, wow I'd be happy!

[lardman]

Now if someone would take 10 mins to answer my question, wow I'd be happy!

The chances are that no-one has looked at DeviceHandler, or at least no-one who reads the forum, and that's why you have no replies.

I'm interested in the whole card utility thing, but am pretty busy and haven't had a chance to look at what DeviceHandler does (though I have downloaded it).

You will get more exposure if you post a question of this sort on #irc, or better on the mailing list (openzaurus-devel or angstrom probably)

Some links to the above:
http://openzaurus.org/wordpress/links/
http://www.openembedded.org/contact (for irc details, then try #angstrom or #openzaurus)
http://www.angstrom-distribution.org/contact

Even better would be to attempt to patch the current utility (I know you don't have a Zaurus atm, but you should be able to see whether the code compiles and submit a prelim patch/new app). If you simply want to ask whether it will be considered, then you need to explain exactly what is it and what the advantages of using it will be.

I want to report bugs (lots), but I am not going to report bugs if I get flamed by the devs for not placing it in the right bug tracker or some other nonsense. "You didn't read man 8 of $randompackage! RTFM! GCC isn't supposed to be able to compile executables out of the box! RTFM!" Your post ^ is a case in point.

Well report away, the only real guidelines are the usual ones: check that the bug isn't already present, and provide as much info/test cases/etc. as possible.

If your bug does exist, it will simply be closed. IMHO, it's better to have some bugs with too little data, than no-one willing to add bugs as they are worried about being told off. The other option is to come on #openzaurus and ask whether anyone knows about said bugs, and if not, add the bugs.


Si

[carbonfreeze]

Thanks Lardman for the clarification.

[law]

hi,

i did a quick look at ftp://ftp.berlios.de/pub/rox4debian/apps/...ndler-0.2.9.tgz

but there are some problems with this app

is written in python:
 you need python-libs to run it on your device
 python is not really fast

needs hal:
 you have to install hal on you device

needs lib-rox:
 blows up gpe-image again

i currently setup my Zaurus and after that i´ll take a look at the current matchbox-applet-cards.

btw. i have build the oz-mb-applet-cards patch and replaced the icons in OE

 law

[koen]

Let me paste the mail I sent to the OZ-devel list about this.

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[too lazy to do correct bottom posting]

it would be cleaner and easier to write an applet from scratch for the new kernel 2.6
infrastructure, since 2.4 is dead, buried and obsolete.
The applet basically has to do:

 * check is pcmcia and/or sd is present, otherwise present a error-dialog
 * open /proc/cpuinfo to find out which device it's running on and hide unused slots (port
1 on c7x0 for example, but not MD on cxxx).
 * parse /proc/mounts
 * work out the blacklist based on machine and where the rootfs is mounted

Instead of using coloured bullets it should display an 'eject' pictogram so people not
familiar with the applet will know it will eject it.

regards,

Koen

Patrick Steiner schreef:
> > Ok,
> >
> > i´ll setup a current openzaurus-devel repository and build an oz-dev
> > image, after that i´ll help you.
> >
> > this will take some time...  :-)
> >
> > patrick
> >
> > Nicolas FR wrote:
>> >> Yes of course I have looked at your patch,
>> >>
>> >> But a few problems are araising:
>> >>
>> >> - the cardctl command is hardcoded in the program. Depending weither
>> >> you are using cardctl or pccardctl makes the program crashing.
>> >>
>> >> - depending on the distro /var/run/stab is not used (so the parsing
>> >> has to be done with the output of pccardctl or cardctl)
>> >>
>> >> - When using udev the SD mount point is not /media/card but is
>> >> attributed automatically by udev under /media/devicename
>> >>
>> >> - On Zaurus spitz the CF slot is 1 (not 0 which is the internal CF slot!)
>> >>
>> >> That's why I am suggesting to use a .conf file for the applet, that
>> >> would solve all this problems.
>> >>
>> >> I have manager to tweak the patch to make it run, but it's very bad.
>> >> And I don't even know how to parse a string in C to make a good fix.
>> >>
>> >> Would you help me on that? I can explain exactly what to do and how,
>> >> but can't implement it.
>> >>
>> >> Nicolas.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On 10/10/06, Patrick Steiner <patrick.steiner@a1.net> wrote:
>>> >>> Nicolas FR wrote:
>>>> >>>> Hi,
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> I am looking for a skilled C programmer to help me fixing the
>>>> >>>> matchbox-applet-cards. It can be done in less than two hours, but as I
>>>> >>>> have limited C knowledge I need some help.
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> I hope someone would be willing to help fix this problem which is
>>>> >>>> quite annoying for OZ Gpe users (not having a working CF/SD applet).
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> All we need to do is to be able to parse a config file in order to
>>>> >>>> find out the cardctl program used:
>>>> >>>> - pccardctl or cardctl
>>>> >>>> - the SD mount point
>>>> >>>> - if using a Spitz or not (to use the second CF slot instead of the
>>> >>> first).
>>>> >>>> Moreover the resulting app wil be able to run on any distro...
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> The original apple source code is here:
>>>> >>>> http://mail.pdaxrom.org/src/mb-applet-cards-1.0.3.tar.bz2
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> it's very simple (a single C file) and straightforward, so it will be
>>>> >>>> easy to improve.
>>>> >>>>
>>> >>> Have you already tried the version 1.0.2 (patched) from OE? i have build
>>> >>> a patch already
>>> >>>
>>> >>> regards,
>>> >>>  patrick
>>> >>>
>>>> >>>> Thanks,
>>>> >>>> Nicolas.
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>> >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> >>>
>>>> >>>> Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT
>>>> >>>> Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to
>>> >>> share your
>>>> >>>> opinions on IT & business topics through brief surveys -- and earn
>>> >>> cash
>>> >>> http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=jo...orge&CID=DEVDEV
>>> >>>
>>>> >>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> >>>> Openzaurus-devel mailing list
>>>> >>>> Openzaurus-devel@lists.sourceforge.net
>>>> >>>> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinf...penzaurus-devel
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>> >>>
> >
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT
> > Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to share your
> > opinions on IT & business topics through brief surveys -- and earn cash
> > http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=jo...orge&CID=DEVDEV



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[danboid]

Hi Law!

Thanks for checking out DeviceHandler. I knew it depended upon HAL but I wasn't aware of the python and rox-lib dependencies, so I would agree that it isn't such a good choice for memory constrained embedded devices.