BeagleBone for Linux Users

re: BeagleBone for Linux Users by rscasny

rscasny — Tue, 15 May 2018 18:25:07 GMT

To all members and attendees.

Just a passing thought here: Linux seems like a big topic. combining Linux and Beaglebone together for a 45-minute webinar seems like a huge topic to cover.

Here's my suggestion:

Add in some topics or questions you might want Jason to cover or ask him. It might help him focus his presentation on things that interest you. Just put them here in the comments area.

Randall

re: BeagleBone for Linux Users by silver2row

silver2row — Tue, 15 May 2018 21:18:35 GMT

Hello,

I know this is too much to ask but I am working on specific items regarding Linux, the BeagleBone Black series of embedded boards, and specific drivers. Are there specific books geared towards Linux, making drivers, and if so, what is his recommendations on free/paid services/books I can look into to gain this knowledge?

I have an older version of a Linux Device Driver book but it seems to be outdated by some years. The book is related to kernel 2.13 or something like this number.

Seth

P.S. The book was produced in 2005 and I have noticed a lot has changed. The book, w/ its 600+ pages, seems to be worth the read but I did not want to keep going in case there was updated material, "Linux Device Drivers (Jonathan Corbet, Alessandro Rubini, and Greg Kroah-Hartman, 2005)." I guess this sort of makes sense. If you need me to make more sense, please question me.

re: BeagleBone for Linux Users by silver2row

silver2row — Tue, 15 May 2018 21:33:21 GMT

Hello Once More,

EEPROM is something that I will have to know about, too. If there is an extra amount of time to discuss this idea, I would like to learn more. I was reading about this subject but lack resources. There are some new Capes coming out soon. I ordered two of them and I wanted to know how EEPROM is associated w/ the Capes and the BBB series of embedded, target boards.

Seth

P.S. If this is off subject, I understand. I can wait until a later time to learn more.

re: BeagleBone for Linux Users by ninjatrent

ninjatrent — Tue, 15 May 2018 22:02:47 GMT

This notification was sent to the "Promotions" folder in my Gmail. Not sure if this is something with my Gmail or Element 14. All other notifications go to normal inbox. Every once in a while some notifications end up in the "Promotions" inbox along with sales related spam.

re: BeagleBone for Linux Users by jcdammeyer

jcdammeyer — Wed, 16 May 2018 00:13:46 GMT

Derek Molloy's "Exploring Beaglebone Black" is still one of the must have books for working with the Beagle. However, since the OS was changed to deal with I/O some of what is in all 7 books I own suddenly became worthless. You can't just cat $SLOTS anymore to find out what's installed. It's still possible to create a custom cape and identify it in the EEROM but you have to go online to get current information and potentially be called stupid by one of the many forum 'experts' who will tell you that question has already been answered.

Another great cape for CNC control would be this one. https://www.pmdx.com/PMDX-432 But as the description states, there's no support because there's just no money in it. Yet plugged into the PMDX-126 you end up with a complete CNC Milling Machine controller with isolated inputs and relays for controlling spindle and coolant. Just add motor drivers, switches and power supply (and a mill). But to get the PMDX-432 you now need to set up to order at least 5. I have the Xylotex BBB-DB25/26 (also discontinued which seems to be a trend for BBB capes). I'm plugging that into the PMDX-126 to run my mill. But I have a couple of PCs I picked up for $25 each and video cards for $15 as a LinuxCNC fallback in case MachineKit on the BBB is unworkable.

I have 3 BBBs and a number of Capes including the RepliCape and the Manga screen. I have 4 Raspberry Pi's and given a choice unless I need CAN bus or want to use it for CNC I still find the Pi easier to use and the community far friendlier when there is a problem. And I can't figure out why.

And yet I'm not giving up. And I can't figure out why...

re: BeagleBone for Linux Users by andyinyakima

andyinyakima — Sun, 20 May 2018 15:10:11 GMT

Ok, I am registered for this webinar; I was also registered for the first BB Introduction webinar.

My OS is Debian and try as I may I couldn't participate in the webinar.

I have never had luck with webinars? Is it my ISP bandwidth limited to 1.5mbps or my OS?

Any pointers appreciated --- I do have a tablet; is there an app for that.

Thank you.

re: BeagleBone for Linux Users by n5kzw

n5kzw — Sun, 20 May 2018 18:07:56 GMT

The sad answer is that WebEx does not play well with Linux (even running Windoze in a virtual box). Either use a native Windoze machine, or wait for the video to be posted the next day. Ed

re: BeagleBone for Linux Users by darrell.little

darrell.little — Thu, 24 May 2018 16:32:20 GMT

Hot tip ... if you do a webinar for Linux users, make sure the platform works on a Linux computer. LoLz

re: BeagleBone for Linux Users by powderjockey

powderjockey — Thu, 24 May 2018 16:47:09 GMT

Never had a problem with the Webinars and using Linux as long as I remember to open Chrome instead of FF.

re: BeagleBone for Linux Users by Jan Cumps

Jan Cumps — Thu, 24 May 2018 17:31:15 GMT

This was a good session! Thank you.

re: BeagleBone for Linux Users by david.long

david.long — Thu, 24 May 2018 17:33:43 GMT

Please correct your listed start times - I missed the first 35 minutes of today's presentation which according to your table was due to start at "17:00 GMT".

Kindly note that British Summer Time (BST) is GMT+1. The session apparently started at 17:00 BST/18:00 CEST.

I'm hoping that I will be able to make more sense of the presentation when I watch the recording from the start!

Thank You

re: BeagleBone for Linux Users by jcdammeyer

jcdammeyer — Thu, 24 May 2018 21:02:21 GMT

Nice presentation today. An hour is never long enough to cover everything. I've mentioned Lazarus before. It's like Delphi 5.0 for Windows which is Object Pascal with support for windows and database and internet etc. And in case you are wondering who would ever use this, think SKYPE for one. Although now with SKYPE owned by Microsoft that may be changing.

Here's one of the problems I have with developing for the Beagle. I have an LCD4 display. The system boots and finds the cape and yahoo there's the user interface and big fat fingers to move a tiny mouse. Or use a stylus. But that's not really what I want.

What I think would be useful for the embedded community would be a Beagle with a cape like the LCD4 (but leaves the CAN bus pins available which the LCD4 doesn't) and accessible via VNC. But the LCD display should not show the XWindows user interface. Instead I'd like it to be a 320x240 colour display that I can access as an independent screen. No title bar or any of the other X features. Better still I'd like to have something like the graphical user interface that Lazarus supports so I can create that 'screen' on my VNC window and have be a simulation or even just a copy of what is showing up on the LCD. A library of buttons, indicators, gauges etc.

I may have time later this year to start on something like that but if it already exists then why re-invent the wheel. In fact what I'd like to see for the Beagle and something like the LCD4 cape is Geoff's Projects - The Micromite TFT LCD Backpack

I don't want to program in Basic. I'd rather do it in Pascal or C.

And with the philosophy of write once, run anywhere, the Lazarus IDE runs much faster on a Raspberry Pi with the 4 processors or even just on a PC. But really as long as the LCD display object can be mirrored on the desktop and will properly display on the LCD4 it shouldn't matter where the code is written.

Does anyone else want this? Seems like it should be a nice choice for instrument panels or user interfaces networked around house.

re: BeagleBone for Linux Users by DAB

DAB — Thu, 24 May 2018 21:24:44 GMT

Sorry I missed the live presentation, but I had a prior commitment for the time.

I look forward to seeing the video.

DAB

re: BeagleBone for Linux Users by johnelle

johnelle — Fri, 25 May 2018 09:51:18 GMT

I found the initial explanation of boot selection confusing (i.e. boot from onboard vs. SD). Unfortunately I got interrupted by a phone call and by the time I rejoined they were in the middle of an elaborate explanation of the boot loader internals (or some such).

Can you point me to a simple explanation of how the board (w/ the boot button) decides which image to boot? I remember when I took it out of the box that was confusing because I had done an SD update like I would with any Pi and it was booting something else.