Raspberry Pi

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kerching said:
I got COnstellation and XBMC both were free Still not done anything with it yet other than taking stuff out of the box and putting the PCB in the case...I need to pace myself!
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If you need to pay for ANY Linux distro then its probably way beyond the uses of 90% of users.

Linux is open source software, OSS ,

 
We seem to be getting a little R-Pi following (soon to be me included, Thanks to the help of an awesomely awesome friend ;) ). I've been doing a little reading, as you do, so I know how to get started once my little slab of silicone arrives. For anyone wishing to do the same I would recommend the MagPi. A.... errrrm..... Mag for the Pi. http://www.themagpi.com/

Read the first issue and it seems pretty good.

Also, http://www.raspberrypi-tutorials.co.uk has some good beginner info for starting programming with Python if your interested in this part of it. I certainly will be. The Python language seems pretty easy to learn and quite forgiving. By that I mean things like variables don't have a declared type. You assign it a number, it becomes a number, you assign it "some Text" it becomes a string variable. Most languages will through a paddy with this giving a type cast exception or similar.

PyGame looks to be a pretty simple graphics library that the kids should have some fun with too.

 
Barx said:
We seem to be getting a little R-Pi following (soon to be me included, Thanks to the help of an awesomely awesome friend ;) ). I've been doing a little reading, as you do, so I know how to get started once my little slab of silicone arrives. For anyone wishing to do the same I would recommend the MagPi. A.... errrrm..... Mag for the Pi. http://www.themagpi.com/

Read the first issue and it seems pretty good.

Also, http://www.raspberrypi-tutorials.co.uk has some good beginner info for starting programming with Python if your interested in this part of it. I certainly will be. The Python language seems pretty easy to learn and quite forgiving. By that I mean things like variables don't have a declared type. You assign it a number, it becomes a number, you assign it "some Text" it becomes a string variable. Most languages will through a paddy with this giving a type cast exception or similar.

PyGame looks to be a pretty simple graphics library that the kids should have some fun with too.
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Thanks Barx will certainly have a read-up of both.

 
I have great respect to anyone who plays with pc's on this level. I had a ZX81 all those years ago and spent hours hand typing in basic and dicking around with cassette decks etc. I'd love to get "into" Linux but wouldn't know where to start to be honest.

Anyway, I was thinking to get my boy the plug n play, Pi package from Farnell, if for nothing else something to get him for Xmas - he's 14 btw., mad keen on pc gaming and seemingly doing ok on the IT front at school with distinctions all the way. Wants to be "a programmer". By accident I found he's been looking at careers at GCHQ of all places! Either that or he was trying to hack them!  :lol:

 
OnOff ,.I got "into" Linux purely cos I was stopped and wiped my (only anything at the time) laptop clean of windows by accident/trying to be clever,

Didnt have a new disc to went to internet cafe and downloaded a.free OS, one of the guys at a firm I was doing work for suggested Ubuntu,

And so it came to pass,

I still know very little about it, apart from it works for me, I only know a handful of terminals commands, thats all I ever need.

Sure, there are limitations, esp for the likes of sidey etc,

Even I booted up an XP the other night simply to run a certain program more easily than using a VM .

 
Hmmmm not as easy as I expected, got it up and running, but being a windows user its all a bit strange.

So how do I get say bbc iPlayer to stream, tried it in the web app but it said flash player required.

Need to start researching unless anyone can give me a heads up.

 
Go to the Ubuntu software centre, depending on which version you have, it should be on the bar to the left, about 2/3 way down,

Im on phone now, but will do you some links when I get home if you need them,

Another good thing o install is VLC , will play virtually all media you can throw at it. :D

 
Steps - Just read article about installing Raspbmc on cnet site, at the moment the 4gb SD came with OS on it called Debian.

This is a new learning curve for me so I need to do some reading like Raspbmc, is this another OS like Debian or are they the same ? 

I've been booted off the TV now so her indoors can watch Eastenders, so will have another play tomorrow.

 
Steve3948 said:
Steps - Just read article about installing Raspbmc on cnet site, at the moment the 4gb SD came with OS on it called Debian.

This is a new learning curve for me so I need to do some reading like Raspbmc, is this another OS like Debian or are they the same ? 

I've been booted off the TV now so her indoors can watch Eastenders, so will have another play tomorrow.
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I would personally recommend having a very real play with debain and getting used to Linux before you start installing a new linux

 
Raspbian and Ubuntu are both based on Debian, Debian is the base system(like dos is for windows?)

Thats why the files are .deb

Raspbmc is based on XBMC which is basically a media player, if you want to use your pi for general playing around and tinkering then Id stick with raspbian, there is some guys have made both on one 8G card.

 
So the kit I have with the Pi has a 4Gb SD card with OS loaded, this is what the spec says "Supports XBMC, Runs Raspbian optimised version of Debian Linux OS"

From that I take it that I need to install XBMC onto the Pi

 
XBMC can be found optimized for pi as being raspbmc, I dont think the pi is capable of running proper XBMC within raspbian, it would just consume too many resources,

I'll fire up the PC in a bit and get some links, and/or alternatives,

BTW, you can run raspbmc as a sole OS from a 4G card, just the same as raspbian.

XBMC is designed to be installed within a full blown Linux/Debian/Ubuntu install on a PC,

The pi simply uses stripped down optimized versions,

Ubuntu, or more precisely DSL (Damn small linux) , puppy Linux etc will actually run on systems with P2 and 128 or 256 ram.

Raspbian/Raspbmc is simply a more updated and optimized for the exact platform of these,

 
here you go , from the official site ,

personally from what I understand the openELEC version is slightly more specialised are requires a bit more work to tweak/some knowledge of command line/terminals etc,

the raspbmc is the easy way, if it was me, and if Santa thinks Ive been a good boy, then what I will be doing is putting raspbmc on a seperate card so Ive got my default raspbian should things go awry.

 
steptoe said:
XBMC can be found optimized for pi as being raspbmc, I dont think the pi is capable of running proper XBMC within raspbian, it would just consume too many resources, I'll fire up the PC in a bit and get some links, and/or alternatives, BTW, you can run raspbmc as a sole OS from a 4G card, just the same as raspbian. XBMC is designed to be installed within a full blown Linux/Debian/Ubuntu install on a PC, The pi simply uses stripped down optimized versions, Ubuntu, or more precisely DSL (Damn small linux) , puppy Linux etc will actually run on systems with P2 and 128 or 256 ram. Raspbian/Raspbmc is simply a more updated and optimized for the exact platform of these,
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Steps - Thanks for that, I will get another SD card tomorrow with the view to installing Raspbmc on it and try that, although I will then have to sort the wi-fi for it.

 
Steve3948 said:
Steps - Thanks for that, I will get another SD card tomorrow with the view to installing Raspbmc on it and try that, although I will then have to sort the wi-fi for it.
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http://forum.stmlabs.com/showthread.php?tid=3926

depending on your wi-fi adaptor it may be good to go,

Ive always found  'edimax' USB works plug&play with every version of Linux Ive ever used,  :)

 

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