Boox (M92) developer community?

[tuxor]

Which link?

[alphabee]

Originally Posted by tuxor

Which link?

Sorry, I meant the ported Python... the file seems no longer available.

[alphabee]

Originally Posted by tuxor

Which link?

BTW, I tried to compile the booxsdk in my osx lion, but failed. Do you know any clue to compile that in mac? I got error below:

th096160:booxsdk beepopo$ rake -f Rakefile.imx508 build:default
(in /Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/beepopo/booxsdk)
date: illegal option -- -
usage: date [-jnu] [-d dst] [-r seconds] [-t west] [-v[+|-]val[ymwdHMS]] ...
[-f fmt date | [[[mm]dd]HH]MM[[cc]yy][.ss]] [+format]
cd build/x86 && CC='gcc' CXX='g++' cmake ../..
-- The CXX compiler identification is GNU 4.2.1
-- The C compiler identification is GNU 4.2.1
-- Checking whether CXX compiler has -isysroot
-- Checking whether CXX compiler has -isysroot - yes
-- Checking whether CXX compiler supports OSX deployment target flag
-- Checking whether CXX compiler supports OSX deployment target flag - yes
-- Check for working CXX compiler: /usr/bin/g++
-- Check for working CXX compiler: /usr/bin/g++ -- works
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
-- Checking whether C compiler has -isysroot
-- Checking whether C compiler has -isysroot - yes
-- Checking whether C compiler supports OSX deployment target flag
-- Checking whether C compiler supports OSX deployment target flag - yes
-- Check for working C compiler: /usr/bin/gcc
-- Check for working C compiler: /usr/bin/gcc -- works
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
-- Looking for include file pthread.h
-- Looking for include file pthread.h - found
-- Looking for pthread_create
-- Looking for pthread_create - found
-- Found Threads: TRUE
Linking without tcmalloc ...
sh: line 1: 1925 Segmentation fault: 11 CC='gcc' CXX='g++' cmake ../..
rake aborted!
Command failed with status (139): [cd build/x86 && CC='gcc' CXX='g++' cmake ...]
/Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/beepopo/booxsdk/Rakefile.imx508:89
(See full trace by running task with --trace)

[tuxor]

I'm sorry, but I still have no clue which link you are refering to.

And I can't help you with your compilation issue, I'm afraid. A segmentation fault looks Mac related to me at the first look and since I have no experience with Mac OS, I can't tell what went wrong here...

[alphabee]

Originally Posted by tuxor

I'm sorry, but I still have no clue which link you are refering to.

And I can't help you with your compilation issue, I'm afraid. A segmentation fault looks Mac related to me at the first look and since I have no experience with Mac OS, I can't tell what went wrong here...

Thanks, i think the compilation issue is because the toolchain onyx provided was compiled as an linux binary.

And for the python, I meant the python you compiled. The link you provided was:
http://www.2shared.com/file/4djZb1aq/py_online.html
but I found it unavailable anymore.

[tuxor]

Try this one: http://www.filefactory.com/file/3azj...r/n/python_zip

But I would recommend using the version from the onyx_pyqt.zip in my Github repository about PyOnyx, i.e. from here: https://github.com/tuxor1337/PyOnyx

[kodomo]

Originally Posted by tuxor

Try this one: http://www.filefactory.com/file/3azj...r/n/python_zip

But I would recommend using the version from the onyx_pyqt.zip in my Github repository about PyOnyx, i.e. from here: https://github.com/tuxor1337/PyOnyx

I assume he was referring to the link on the M92 Software wiki page (I've updated it right now)

Cheers.

[kodomo]

Anybody still hacking on the device?

Sorry for the pause, but I'm currently moving location every 3-4w and was sent back into the 80s *g* (first the M92 failed, then my computer... no or no broadband internet at my current location...), but I'm slowly working my way up the food chain again (M92 back, new computer ordered...) .

Hopefully I'll be back in August...
Cheers!

[bartp5]

Originally Posted by kodomo

Side product of my first steps using the SDK:
I've hacked a few simple applications that may serve as ui primitives when scripting.
There's an application to open a message window, an application to open an input dialog, and an application to open a confirmation request window.

Moreover, there's an example script using these to allow input of a simple noninteractive shell command and to output its result.

Maybe the hacks will be of use to someone.
Source and binaries attached.

Cheers.

I made an additional scripting primitive, a filebrowser. It is basically the filebrowser from peter-x's scribble application made into a standalone application. Currently is is limited to selecting files, i.e. no directories can be selected. Furthermore, I made an example script which can be used to open any file with the built in text editor (in the current implementation of the boox ui one can only access txt files in the directory "text editor" on either the flash or the sd. With the script "textedit_open.oar" you can edit files anywhere, also in your root filesystem so you can easily edit configuration files. As usual: use at your own risk.

To install.
1: Unpack the files to your device.
2: Run install_primitives.oar

[janek]

I'm not really a developer, but I happen to have a "software" development idea and a little experience in writing scripts on my linux pc. And whether you like it or not, at the risk of writing a long post, I will share this idea with you in the hopes somebody finds it useful and maybe implements it for the common good , or that somebody more knowledgeable than I answers a question that I'm asking below, so that I can develop the required script myself.

Since there is no real calendar app on Boox and the chances it will ever be developed are slim, it has been suggested that a pdf file with a (yearly) calendar may be used for storing agendas, notes, todo lists and other stuff people normally have in their calendars. Such a pdf can easily be generated on pc or downloaded from web and then used for annotations and scribbles. (with a little effort it can also be syncronized with the external world, but that's another story).

Now, wouldn't it be nice if (say) a daily or weekly schedule was displayed instead of m92's regular screensaver/boot image? This would save the time needed for searching/opening the calendar pdf and could also serve as a reminder of sorts - start your Boox and learn what your day's agenda is even before the device completes booting.

Very aptly, Kodomo once wrote a script that replaces regular screensaver images with a screenshot of the currently read document. This could be used, if after small modifications, for exactly the purpose I'm talking about: a page of day's or week's agenda from pdf calendar could be snapshot and then displayed instead of the screensaver/boot image.

Yet to accomplish this, one needs a way to automatically display a calendar pdf file at required page, make a snapshot of it, save it with Kodomo's script, and then return to the document the user is reading. This can in principle be done by modifying Boox "last read file" information from within a script run at boot at regular intervals (every week/day etc)

But there's a problem. As far as I know, there's no cron-type service on m92, so it is not possible to just add an appropriate script to crontab. The only thing that comes to my mind when it comes to running the required script at regular intervals, is developing a "poor man's cron" script that is run at each boot, and does the following: checks the date, and at set interval modifies the "last read" information, waits until the calendar file is opened, makes a snapshot, stores it as a screensaver image, creates a flag somewhere to remember that the weekly/daily calendar exports has already been done, and finally restores the original "last read" information so that user can return to normal reading at next boot/suspend.

In principle all this looks rather trivial, but one crucial bit of information I don't have: what is the best place in Boox's booting scheme to add such a script? Which files should be modified?

[janek]

Okay, a first step to implement the above: a silly little bash script to generate rather crude weekly planner template in pdf to be used in m92 for storing daily agendas/notes/meetings information/whatever. Basically it is just an e-ink version of the old-fashioned paper planner.

To use:
Write the code to disk as filename.sh, change the permissions to executable. Invoke with two options - the starting date (format YYYY-MM-DD) and the number of weeks (eg. filename.sh 2012-08-21 10 produces a 10-week planner beginning with the first day of the current week).

Outcome:
A pdf file named calendar.pdf, containing a number of pages equal to the given number of weeks, each containg 7 dated boxes to write your scribbles. Example 52-week calendar file can be downloaded here (day names in Polish because this is my locale - the script should generate a calendar in your language depending on your locale setting)

Requirements/Limitations:
- Requires imagemagick and pdftk. Relies on 'date' command so linux-only.
- Have no idea what happens if your locale uses date format different from YYYY-MM-DD. Perhaps the first option needs to be changed accordingly?
- Currently the pdf only allows for storing handwritten notes (annotations won't be saved).

Ideas:
- Option to merge the calendar pdf with some nice backgrounds, perhaps different for every month/year/season
- Option to change fonts etc
- Option to include name day information (where to get it?)
- Play a little with file resolutions for better result
- Don't use imagemagick for pdf generation (ugly)
- ...

#!/bin/bash

datapocz=$1
tygodni=$(($2-1))

if [ -a calendar.pdf ] 
then
	echo "Calendar file exists"
	exit 1
fi

n=0
until [ `date --date="$datapocz $n days ago" +%u` == "1" ]; do
	let "n = $n+1"
done

datapocz=`date --date="$datapocz $n days ago" +%F`
for i in `seq 0 $tygodni`;
do
	convert -size 850x1200 xc:none -stroke black -pointsize 20 -gravity NorthEast \
	-draw "line 0,170 850,170" -draw "text 0,0 '`date --date="$datapocz $i weeks" +%A\ %F`'" \
	-draw "line 0,341 850,341" -draw "text 0,171 '`date --date="$datapocz $i weeks 1 day" +%A\ %F`'" \
	-draw "line 0,512 850,512" -draw "text 0,342 '`date --date="$datapocz $i weeks 2 days" +%A\ %F`'" \
	-draw "line 0,683 850,683" -draw "text 0,513 '`date --date="$datapocz $i weeks 3 days" +%A\ %F`'" \
	-draw "line 0,854 850,854" -draw "text 0,684 '`date --date="$datapocz $i weeks 4 days" +%A\ %F`'" \
	-draw "line 0,1025 850,1025" -draw "text 0,855 '`date --date="$datapocz $i weeks 5 days" +%A\ %F`'" \
	-draw "text 0,1026 '`date --date="$datapocz $i weeks 6 days" +%A\ %F`'" \
	/tmp/booxcal_`date +%s%N`.pdf
done
pdftk /tmp/booxcal_*.pdf cat output calendar.pdf
rm -rf /tmp/booxcal_*.pdf

[Mono]

There is many web generators to make callendars. Like this:

http://kalendar.beda.cz/

It is possible to get it printed to pdf if one has pdf printer driver installed.

[janek]

Originally Posted by Mono

There is many web generators to make callendars. Like this:

http://kalendar.beda.cz/

It is possible to get it printed to pdf if one has pdf printer driver installed.

True. There are even pdf generators online. I never found one to create weekly agenda templates, though. And I can't see how to automate their generation to suit my needs. Also, I find scripting to be more useful because if I get hold of a running copy of imagemagick for ARM, I might be able to generate planner templates straight on Boox (Depending on compatibilty of BusyBox with bash and date)

(And I simply enjoyed writing this, even if it's useless for most people )

[Mono]

Sure, it may be hard to find a callendar that fits ones needs...

[bartp5]

For all terminal junkies out there with a boox m92 I present "betty boox", a terminal emulator for the boox. Now you can run all your favorite software on your boox! Betty Boox is based on betty and adapted for the boox. Sources are at https://github.com/bartp5/betty_boox. Installer scripts and compiled program are attached.