2022-05-01 - Tech - Raspad - Early Speedbumps

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Pushing ahead to set up a bouncing babby Raspad, a few speedbumps deserve noting.

Raspberry Pi Slices

The bug in the LXDE (?) implemented for Raspberry Pi OS continues to thwart basic touchscreen usage. I’m trying to discern which framework’s pop up menu throws a monkey in the wrench. Raw X apps seem to work fine. I am desirous to get this sorted soon.

Missing Keys

I got some internet time in to finally burn a chip with Ubuntu for Raspi 4. It booted nicely! And then an unforeseen issue very worth relating: The initial OS setup rolls through the usual questions about identity and location. However, there is no option to connect a Bluetooth keyboard during setup. The Bluetooth keyboards I had have micro usb plugs, which for some obtuse reasons does not allow said keyboards to function as a usb mounted tty.

Further strange be the fact that a soft keyboard *does* pop up when one tries to setup wifi. But this does not work, and does not pop up during the necessary identity setting screen.

Aha, said I, what if I boot the chip in my laptop to just get through the hassle? Said laptop did not cooperate, as it is congenitally incapable of booting from SD card.

So that is convenient. Make sure to have a usb keyboard on hand to set up, one which actually functions as such.

Wine Whine

Wine didn’t like an exe. I’ve not troubleshot this. But I did load Hutsell’s Civil War Battle Set. This did work well, so I’m hoping the exe issue might be some permission anomaly.

Gamepad

The soft keyboard layouts included with OnBoard are quite adequate for typing. But I miss diagonal arrow keys. Thankfully, here linux provides easier options than corpoware. I’m making a minimal screen footprint softkeyboard layout for DOS and cli game controls, to be uploaded forthwith. Thank Heaven for lucid xml and svg!

Apps, em, Programmes

A quick perusal of the repository for Raspi OS showed a few holes in my infotech prosthetic needs: Primo amongst this being a near total lack of Chinese calendar support. The old C libraries, sure. But in a useful GUI calendar? I can tell this will need me jumping in. So far I’ve found Korganizer most Raspad friendly, so am desirous that a plug-in for this programme may be easily cobbled.

GPS and offline maps: I’ve only begun to give this a look. Most mapping programmes in the repository look geared to use Open Street Maps. Very well. But this is deeply inadequate to the needs of the rough and ready solarspinster. I sense a steep learning curve ahead. Ah, OsmAnd, how much I long for thee.

In pursuit of such options, I can see Anbox will be needful. Hopefully Raspi 4 is up to the task.

I Think I Can

Raspi 4 handles an awful lot of stress so far. But I do note graphics programmes have it crying. This bears research. Inkscape seems jake. GIMP, much less happy, with a sometimes amazing lag of several seconds for simple actions. Thankfully the menus of both programmes seem to work fairly well with touch.

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