Showing posts with label Raspberry Pi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raspberry Pi. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Raspberry Pi Configuration Manager `PiCon` Lets You Configure Your Pi Using A GUI

PiCon is a Raspberry Pi configuration manager which lets you make changes to the config.txt file using a GUI. The config.txt file is used to store various system parameters that you would normally set from the BIOS, but Raspberry Pi doesn't have a conventional BIOS and thus, it uses this file for such settings.

picon raspberry pi configuration manager

The application is designed to run on a host system (works on Windows, Linux and Mac since it's written in Java) and not directly on the Raspberry Pi. It is possible to run the app on Raspberry Pi, but the performance is pretty bad.

Raspberry Pi Configuration Manager (PiCon) can be used to change settings such as:
  • video output controls: switch between NTSC and PAL, change the aspect ratio, rotate the screen, overscan configuration, enable fixed framebuffer, change the HDMI display modes, force or disable sound, force HDMI 3D support, HDMI boost, use HDMI safe mode and more;
  • overclock the CPU, GPU and SDRam;
  • advanced overclocking: overvoltage the GPU or SDRAM, force turbo, initial (temporary) turbo, change the GPU processor frequency, the hardware video block frequency, 3D block frequency, image sensors pipeline block frequency as well as setting a temperature limit (sets clock and voltages to to default when the temperature reaches a certain value);

To use PiCon in Linux, firstly download and extract the archive in your home directory. Then, put the SD card into your computer, access the boot partition (normally, when you insert an SD card on your computer on which you've installed a Raspberry Pi Linux distribution, two partitions should be mounted: the smaller one - 73 MB for my RaspBMC -, is the boot partition) and copy the config.txt file from this partition into the PiCon folder:

raspberry pi boot partition

To launch PiCon, use the following command (obviously, make sure you've installed Java before this):
java -jar ~/PiCon*/PiCon.jar

Make the changes you want and click "Save Settings" - this will write the changes to the config.txt file which you must copy back to the SD card boot partition.

Download PiCon, the Raspberry Pi Configuration Manager
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Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Raspberry Pi Model B+ Launched With 4 USB Ports, MicroSD Support, More

The Raspberry Pi Foundation announced "Raspberry Pi Model B+" today, an upgrade to the original Model B, which is available at the same price ($35).

Raspberry Pi Model B+

For those not familiar with the Raspberry Pi, this is a credit-card-sized computer which runs Linux, created with the intention of promoting the teaching of basic computer science in schools. A wide variety of Linux distributions are available for Raspberry Pi, such as Raspbian (Debian Wheezy), Pidora (Fedora remix), Openelec and RaspBMC (XBMC Media Center) and Arch Linux.

Raspberry Pi Model B+ uses the same BCM2835 application processor as the Model B and it can run the same Linux distributions, but some parts were improved:
  • More GPIO. The GPIO header has grown to 40 pins, while retaining the same pinout for the first 26 pins as the Model B;
  • More USB. Raspberry Pi Model B+ now has have 4 USB 2.0 ports, compared to 2 on the Model B, and better hotplug and overcurrent behaviour;
  • Micro SD. The old friction-fit SD card socket has been replaced with a much nicer push-push micro SD version;
  • Lower power consumption. By replacing linear regulators with switching ones, power consumption was reduced by between 0.5W and 1W.
  • Better audio. The audio circuit incorporates a dedicated low-noise power supply;
  • Neater form factor. The USB connectors were aligned with the board edge, moved composite video onto the 3.5mm jack, and added four squarely-placed mounting holes.

The announcement also mentions that the Raspberry Pi Foundation will be "keeping Model B in production for as long as there’s demand for it".

The new Rasbetty Pi Model B+ is available from this morning and you can buy it from Farnell/element14/Newark, RS/Allied Components and others.

Below you can watch the  Raspberry Pi Model B+ introduction video:


Meet the Raspberry Pi Model B+ from Raspberry Pi Foundation on Vimeo.

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Cloud Sync Tool `Seafile` 2.1 Released

Seafile is an open source cloud synchronization and collaboration tool that you can install on your own server. It comes with desktop clients for Linux, Windows and Mac as well as mobile clients for Android and iOS.

Seafile

Seafile features file libraries which can be synchronized separately, wiki module, group discussion module, online rich document / markdown editor, file revisions, file preview, event notifications, library encryption, audio / video playback support and more.

The tool uses a version control model somewhat similar to GIT but with some differences such as automatic syncing, no history stored on the client side so the data is not stored twice, resumable transfers, more user-friendly file conflicts and more.

Seafile 2.1 was released recently and the main goal of this release was to make it easier for new users to get started with Seafile.

Changes in Seafile 2.1 (server):
  • improved web UI: redesigned navigation of the web interface;
  • easier for new users to get started: a default personal library is now automatically created for new users the first time they log in. The library contains a help manual and system admins can customize the contents of the default library;
  • an online help has been bundled with the server;
  • added FUSE support, currently read-only, can be used for data backup;
  • added WebDAV support;
  • redesigned notification module;
  • uploadable share links;
  • [login] added captcha to prevent brute force attack;
  • [sub-library] user can choose whether to enable sub-library;
  • improved error messages when upload fails;
  • set default browser file upload size limit to unlimited;
  • improved admin UI;
  • more flexible customization options.

The desktop client was also redesigned. On Windows, the new client will download the user's default personal library and create a virtual disk pointing to it. This makes users who're familiar with Dropbox easier to get started.

Seafile
Seafile Desktop (Linux) client

Here are a few more Seafile 2.1 (server) screenshots:

Seafile

Seafile

Seafile

Seafile


Download Seafile


Before installing Seafile on your server, you can give it a try by using THIS online demo.

Seafile (server) runs on Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS and Raspberry Pi), Windows and Mac OS X while the Seafile client is available for Linux, Windows, Mac OSX, Android and iOS:


See the Seafile wiki page for how to install Seafile Server | upgrade Seafile Server.
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Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Syncthing: Open Source BitTorrent Sync Alternative (P2P Sync Tool)

Syncthing is a cross-platform peer-to-peer file synchronization client/server application written in Go. Similar to BitTorrent Sync, the tool can be used to synchronize files between computers however, unlike BitTorrent Sync, Syncthing is open source:

"Syncthing replaces Dropbox and BitTorrent Sync with something open, trustworthy and decentralized. Your data is your data alone and you deserve to choose where it is stored, if it is shared with some third party and how it's transmitted over the Internet".

"Using Syncthing, that control is returned to you".

Syncthing
Syncthing Web GUI

And it's not just Syncthing that's open source. The P2P protocol used by Syncthing, called "Block Exchange Protocol", is open too. Read more about BEP HERE.

Unlike cloud sync tools such as Dropbox, Syncthing transfers the files directly between nodes (other computers on which you've installed Syncthing) which has several advantages: the files don't end up on some cloud server, the transfer speed doesn't depend on third-party servers and also, there are no space restrictions (except, obviously, the HDD space available for those nodes).

Main Syncthing features:
  • synchronize as many folders as you need with different people
  • responsive web GUI;
  • cross-platform: Syncthing works on Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, FreeBSD and Solaris. There's also an unofficial Android port;
  • Syncthing doesn't require advanced configuration and it should work out of the box, both over LAN and over the Internet;
  • secure & private:
    • the data is only stored on your computers, without using a central server;
    • all communication is secured using TLS;
    • every node is identified by a strong cryptographic certificate and only nodes you have explicitly allowed can connect to your cluster;
  • open source app, open protocol.

It's also important to mention that with Syncthing, you can select which nodes you want to share a repository with. So for instance, you can create multiple repositories and enable/disable sharing with some existing nodes on the fly:

Syncthing

Also, Syncthing comes with an option called master repository which, if enabled, protects the files from changes made on other nodes, but the changes made on the current node will be sent to the rest of the cluster.

Note that Syncthing is under constant development and new / improved features are added frequently. For instance, the current release includes a simple file versioning feature but in the future a more advanced file versioning should be added.

Here are a few more Syncthing (web GUI) screenshots:

Syncthing

Syncthing

Syncthing

I've been following the Syncthing development for quite some time (thanks to Alan Pope's tip), but the tool didn't work for me until now - apparently the local discovery was too fragile until recently -, and I don't like writing about stuff that doesn't work in my tests. That's why I didn't post about it until today.


Download Syncthing


Download Syncthing:
  • Download Syncthing - binaries available for Linux (32bit, 64bit, ARMv5, ARMv6 - so it works on Raspberry Pi, ARMv7), Mac and Windows as well as source code
  • Syncthing is also (unofficial port) available for Android
  • Arch Linux: install Syncthing from the community repository or the latest Git via: latest release | AUR

To run Syncthing on a Linux machine, simply download the archive, extract it and double click the "syncthing" executable from the extracted folder (or run it with "./syncthing" from the extracted folder). Once launched, a new tab should open in your default web browser with the Syncthing web GUI.

To use Syncthing with Syncthing GTK, make sure the "syncthing" binary is in your $PATH. You can do this by simply copying the syncthing binary to /usr/local/bin/ .e.g, by using the following command (assuming you've extracted syncthing in your home folder):
sudo install ~/syncthing*/syncthing /usr/local/bin/

You'll want to add some nodes - for how to do that, see the Syncthing getting started guide. You may also want to check out its documentation.

Report any issues you find @ GitHub.
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XBMC Media Center 13.0 Gotham Beta 1 Released

XBMC Media Center 13.0 "Gotham" Beta 1 has been released, bringing improvements across all platforms, such as hardware decoding on Android, proper PulseAudio support for Linux, improved settings, support for some 3D movie formats and more.

XBMC 13.0 gotham

XBMC is a free, open source digital media hub and home theater PC that comes with a 10-foot user interface, which can be used to play videos, music and other media, either from local storage or via LAN or Internet. 

The application is highly customizable and supports a wide variety of skins as well as plugins that can be used to access content from services such as YouTube, Spotify, Grooveshark and so on. The application also comes with a PVR (Personal Video Recorder) frontend for Live TV with DVR and PVR support.


New features and improvements in XBMC 13.0 Gotham Beta 1:
  • hardware decoding on Android for both ARM and x86 architectures;
  • speed improvements for Raspberry Pi and Android;
  • support for 3D movies encoded in: SBS, TAB, anaglyph, and interlaced (on supported platforms for passive TVs);
  • improved touchscreen support: gesture controls during video playback, swiping controls in navigation, etc.;
  • instances of XBMC throughout the house can now “speak” with each other and with other UPnP devices;
  • the Audio Engine introduced with XBMC 12.0 “Frodo” has been reworked to be simpler, faster, with better quality across all platforms;
  • Linux: XBMC now cooperates nicely with the pulseaudio server and provides real pulseaudio support. More info HERE;
  • Settings improvements:
    • the settings were broken down into levels, from beginner to expert level;
    • every setting now includes a description;
    • every setting page now includes a reset to default option;
  • better subtitle search;
  • extended Python and JSON-RPC API for developers;
  • updated to FFmpeg 1.2;
  • stereo audio can now be upmixed to 5.1 and sent through optical/SPDIF devices;
  • various visual changes throughout the skin which should improve usability and logic.

It's also worth mentioning that due to changes related to the addon system and skin, some plugins, scripts and skins that used to work on XBMC 12.0 may not work with the latest XBMC 13.0.

Here are some XBMC 13.1 beta 1 screenshots:

XBMC 13.0 gotham screenshots

XBMC 13.0 gotham screenshots

XBMC 13.0 gotham screenshots

XBMC 13.0 gotham screenshots

XBMC 13.0 gotham screenshots


XBMC 13.0 beta 1 running on Android (with the "Touched" skin):






Install XBMC 13.0 Gotham Beta 1 in Ubuntu


Ubuntu users can use the official XBMC pre-releases PPA to install the latest XBMC 13.0 Gotham beta 1. However, note that XBMC 13.0 is still in beta and while it was widely used and tested over the past several months, it's still beta software so you may encounter bugs! 

To add the PPA and install XBMC 13.0 Gotham beta 1 in Ubuntu, use the following commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc/unstable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xbmc
If you prefer to install the stable version (12.3), you can use the official XBMC stable PPA for Ubuntu.


Download XBMC 13.0 Gotham Beta 1


Download XBMC 13.0 Gotham beta 1 for:  

New OpenELEC builds should be available sometime next week.

info and 2 screenshots via XBMC
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Raspberry Pi 2 Goes On Sale, Includes A Quad-Core ARMv7 CPU

The Raspberry Pi Foundation announced "Raspberry Pi 2" today, a new powerful Pi which has the same form-factor and price ($35) as the old Model B+.


For those not familiar with the Raspberry Pi, this is a credit-card-sized computer which runs Linux (and Windows 10 starting with the new Raspberry Pi 2, see below), created with the intention of promoting the teaching of basic computer science in schools. A wide variety of Linux distributions are available for Raspberry Pi, such as Raspbian (Debian Wheezy), Pidora (Fedora remix), Openelec and RaspBMC (XBMC Media Center) and Arch Linux.

The new Raspberry Pi 2 Model B features a much more powerful CPU - a 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 -, and twice as much RAM as the old Model B+ (1GB LPDDR2 SDRAM). 

Other than that, the old Model B+ and the new Raspberry Pi 2 are pretty much the same - they both ship with 4 USB ports, a MicroSD card socket, an Ethernet port, HDMI 1.3 & 1.4 video/audio socket and they are fully compatible: the connectors are in the same place, have the same functionality and both can run from a 5V micro-USB power adapter.

The announcement mentions that thanks to its ARMv7 processor, the new Pi can run "the full range of ARM GNU/Linux distributions, including Snappy Ubuntu Core" (a package for NOOBS will be available in the next couple of weeks), "as well as Microsoft Windows 10". Furthermore, the Rasperry Pi Foundation has been working close with Microsoft to bring Pi-compatible Windows 10 free of charge to the new Raspberry Pi 2.

You can buy the new Raspberry Pi 2 from element14 and RS Components.

What do you think?


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