WordPress for Android just released 1.0. This is a test post, but so far it is quite nice! You can download it here.
Computer support services
For information about Crashsystems LLC technical support services, click here.
07
Jan 10
Using the Streamzap IR remote in Boxee on Ubuntu
As I mentioned last post, I am setting up a Linux multimedia system. This system will be running Boxee, a wonderful media center program that went into beta today. Though I will be able to use a laptop’s mouse and keyboard on it, I still wanted to be able to use a regular remote control. Though the computer is taking forever to ship, the remote came in today. After doing some research and asking around, I went with the Streamzap IR remote.
Getting this remote to work with Boxee was rather simple. First step, use a package manager to install the package lirc. During the package configuration, you will be prompted to select an IR device to use. Select Streamzap PC Remote. After the device has been selected, package configuration will ask about a transmitter device. Just select None. To test that the package is configured correctly, run the command irw in a terminal, then press buttons on the remote. If everything worked, you should see output consisting of a bunch of numbers, the button pressed on the remote, and the name of the remote.
Next Boxee needs a config file for the remote. Copy /opt/boxee/system/Lircmap.xml to $HOME/.boxee/Lircmap.xml. Now open the Lircmap.xml copy that is in the UserData folder, and add the code from this forum post just before the ending </lircmap> tag.
Save the file and open Boxee, and the Streamzap remote should now work.
04
Jan 10
Using x2x on Linux for KVM like goodness
Recently I purchased one of those little “nettop” computers to plug into my HDTV and act as my multimedia center (more on that when it arrives). I also purchased a IR remote, but I wanted a way to be able to use a keyboard and mouse on it as well, as it is more than just a movie player. However, I didn’t want a physical keyboard/mouse, as that would look out of place.
After reading up on the subject, I decided to give Synergy a try. Synergy lets you use use your keyboard and mouse on another computer over a network, just as if it was a second screen attached. Synergy looked promising, but several things about it did not work out for me.
Being a network application, Synergy consists of both a client app and a server app. It turns out that with Synergy the “server” is the computer with the keyboard and mouse you want to use on multiple machines. I’m sure this works fine for most people, but it does not make sense for my multimedia system. This computer will be on most of the time, being controlled by several different machines For my setup, the logical place for the “server” would be the multimedia system. I probably could have hacked it to make the client (running on my server) act more like a server, except each time the client app fails to connect to the server (running on my laptops), the time it waits for another connection increments.
When looking for Synergy alternatives, I found x2x. x2x is only designed for Linux, so it would not be usable for someone who needs to use a keyboard and mouse on multiple operating systems. I only use Ubuntu Linux at home, so this was not a problem for me. An advantage of x2x is that setup is very simple. First, install the x2x package (“x2x” in Ubuntu) on both machines, and openssh-server on the computer you want to control remotely. Then, from the computer with the keyboard and mouse you want to use on another system, run:
ssh -X user@server x2x -south -to :0
With this, you can now move your cursor beyond the bottom of your screen, onto the remote system. If you want to use a different edge of your screen, replace -south with -north, -east or -west. If you have key based authentication set up for ssh, you could stick this into the applications menu.
Updated 08 January 2010
It seems there is a bit of an issue with x2x in Ubuntu 9.10. Some people are seeing the following error when they try to run x2x:
No protocol specified
x2x - error: can not open display :0
To work around this issue until it is fixed, SSH into the box you want to remotely control, then run the following command:
xauth merge /var/run/gdm/auth-for-$USER-*/database
12
Jul 09
Android Screenshots
I just got done taking some screenshots of my snazzy Android phone. I ran into a bit of difficulty getting the DDMS (Dalvik Debug Monitor Service) tool running in Ubuntu 9.04 64 bit, but post #2 on this thread helped. To summarize:
- Use the package manager of your choice to install ia32-sun-java6-bin.
- Download the Android SDK for Linux, then extract the zip file.
- In the SDK tools folder, open up the ddms file in your favorite text editor.
- Modify line #72 to the following: java_cmd=”/usr/lib/jvm/ia32-java-6-sun/bin/java”
Here are the screenshots I took:
As you can see, I’m running a clone of the theme on HTC’s Hero Android phone. This theme can be downloaded here. All the install took was downloading the theme, putting it on my phone’s SD card as update.zip, booting into recovery mode and flashing the update. Of course, you’ll need a rooted G1 for this to work. I’m running JesusFreke’s wonderful 1.5 build. Read this guide for instructions for rooting your G1.
29
Jun 09
Bing’s Ballmer Bias (in search of monkey boy)
Much has already been said about the fact that Microsoft’s shiny “new” search engine, Bing.com, happens to have a little bias. I think I just discovered a new example of this bias. Try finding the Monkey Boy video on both Google and Bing, and see which one’s auto-complete is the most helpful.
