CAGE Web Design

Raspbmc – open your favorites with one keypress

admin — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:53:46 +0000

How to open your Raspbmc favorites with one keypress?

navigate to the folder /home/pi/.xmbc/userdata/keymaps

edit a file called keyboard.xml (create one if it doesn’t exist yet!)

add the following text to the file:


      ActivateWindow(Favourites)


(of course you can replace by a different key)

Reboot the PI:
sudo shutdown -r now

Now your ‘favorites menu’ will appear anytime you press your -key!

Optimize Database after Deleting Revisions – WordPress plugin

admin — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:14:58 +0000

‘Optimize Database after Deleting Revisions’, a WordPress plugin by CAGE Web Design | Rolf van Gelder.

Description

This plugin is a ‘one click’ WordPress database cleaner and optimizer.

Main Features:

Deletes redundant revisions of posts and pages. (You optionally can keep an ‘x’-amount of the most recent revisions)
Deletes trashed posts, pages and comments (optional)
Deletes spammed comments (optional)
Deletes ‘orphan postmeta items’
Optimizes the database tables (you can exclude tables for optimization)
Creates a log file of the optimizations (optional)
Optimization can be scheduled to automatically run once hourly, twice daily, once daily or once weekly (optional)

Installation

Go to http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/rvg-optimize-database/ and download the latest version of the plugin (currently v2.3.1)

Upload the Plugin to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory
Activate the plugin in WP Admin Panel » Plugins

Usage

You can find the settings page in WP Admin Panel » Settings » Optimize DB Options.

You can start the Optimization in WP Admin Panel » Tools » Optimize Database.
Note: if you use the Scheduler the Optimization will run automatically!

Then, on the next screen, click on the ‘Start Optimization‘-button et voila!

Read the product Reviews

Raspberry PI – using your Android phone as a remote control for Raspbmc

admin — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 19:20:59 +0000

How to use your Android phone as a remote control for your Raspbmc Media Center?

On your Android phone go to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.xbmc.android.remote and install the Official XBMC Remote app.

Run the app and choose ‘Add new host‘.

Then you have to enter the local IP-address of your PI, for instance: 192.168.0.105.
Port number: 80
Usercode: xbmc
Password: [empty]

After entering the new host info choose ‘Remote Control‘ and there you go!

Enjoy!

Resources:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.xbmc.android.remote
http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Raspbmc/FAQ

Raspberry PI Adventures

admin — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 16:00:04 +0000

In this blog I will keep you informed about my Raspberry PI adventures!

You will find useful and interesting tips and tricks for beginning Raspberry PI users.

For questions and / or comments feel free to send an email to: info@cagewebdev.com

HOW TO…

ENJOY!

Raspberry PI – installing Raspbmc media center

admin — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 14:07:20 +0000

How to install Raspbmc Media Center on your Raspberry PI?

download and run the installer from:
http://download.raspbmc.com/downloads/bin/installers/raspbmc-win32.zip

insert a SD-card in your reader

first click:
‘Restore SD card for formatting‘

then check ‘I accept the licence agreement’ and click:
‘Install‘

take the card out of the reader, put it in your Raspberry PI and boot it (the installation will take quite a while, 20+ minutes!)

after the installation is done you will get the main XBMC screen, go to Settings > International and adjust your location / time zone

Useful resources:
http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Raspberry_Pi
http://www.raspbmc.com/wiki/user/windows-installation/

Raspberry PI – installing OpenElec / XBMC media center

admin — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 19:00:16 +0000

How to install OpenElec / XBMC Media Center on your Raspberry PI?

You can turn your PI into a Media Center for playing Music, Videos and showing Pictures using the OpenElec image.

Here’s how to install it.

download the latest OpenElec image from http://openelec.thestateofme.com/

run the SDFormatter to format your SD-card (download from: https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_3/)
keep all the defaults while running SDFomatter

use win32diskimager to write the image to your SD-card (download from: https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer/+download)

notes:

if you want to make a ssh connection to your PI use: usercode = root; password = openelec (usercode and password cannot be changed!)
you cannot use any remote desktop with OpenElec (it doesn’t support X!)

To stream music, videos and pictures from your (SAMBA) network drive:

on the XBMC screen navigate to System > OpenElec > Services and ENABLE Samba

Great resources:
http://squirrelhosting.co.uk/hosting-blog/hosting-blog-info.php?id=9
http://www.gaducated.com/the-perfect-xbmc-setup-on-the-raspberry-pi/

Raspberry PI – using Unix commands

admin — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 09:10:57 +0000

How to use Unix on your Raspberry PI?

This will be a useful (growing) collection of Unix / Raspbian commands to use with your Raspberry PI.

get the current frequency of the RPi CPU:
/opt/vc/bin/vcgencmd get_config arm_freq

measure the temperature of the RPi CPU:
/opt/vc/bin/vcgencmd measure_temp

get the current firmware version of your RPi:
/opt/vc/bin/vcgencmd version

find the MAC address of your RPi:
cat /sys/class/net/eht0/address

show all mounts:
df -h

show all installed packages:
dpkg –get-selections
find a specific package:
dpkg –get-selections | grep <package name>

list all files in a directory (last modified files last):
ls -lrt

check for distro upgrades for your RPi:
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

remove an (apt-get) application from your RPi:
sudo apt-get –purge remove <app name> && sudo apt-get autoremove –purge

update your system software and remove orphans:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade && sudo apt-get autoremove –purge

switch to ‘super user‘ terminal window (means you don’t have to use the ‘sudo’ prefix in front of all the following commands)
sudo -i

synchronize the date and time of your RPi:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure tzdata

find the IP-address of your RPi:
sudo ifconfig

list all loaded drivers:
sudo lsmod

list all connected USB devices
sudo lsusb

edit the Raspberry PI boot configuration file:
sudo nano /boot/config.txt

change the system configuration of your RPi:
sudo raspi-config

reboot your RPi:
sudo reboot

update the firmware of your RPi (note: git has to be installed)
sudo rpi-update

list the most active system processes (quit by pressing ‘q’)
top

Raspberry PI – running COOL apps

admin — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 09:00:12 +0000

How to run COOL apps on your Raspberry PI?

This will be a useful (growing) collection of interesting / useful apps to run on your Raspberry PI.

MEDIA

audio utilities for your PI:
sudo apt-get install alsa-util
more…

play mp3 files on your PI:
sudo apt-get install mpg321
more…

wav to mp3 converter:
sudo apt-get install lame
more…

play all kinds of media files on your PI using the VLC media player:
sudo apt-get install vlc

ACCESSORIES

libreoffice (a great opensource MicroSoft Office / Open Office clone):
sudo apt-get install libreoffice-writer libreoffice-calc libreoffice-impress libreoffice-draw libreoffice-base libreoffice-math libreoffice-filter-mobiledev
Just delete the modules you don’t want to install from the above list:
libreoffice-writer: Word processor
libreoffice-calc: Spreadsheet
libreoffice-impress: Presentation
libreoffice-draw: Drawing
libreoffice-base: Database
libreoffice-math: Equation editor
libreoffice-filter-mobiledev: Mobile Devices filters

Chromium (Google web browser):
sudo apt-get install chromium

Joe’s Editor: user friendly Unix text editor (my favorite!):
sudo apt-get install joe

Midnight Commander (MC) is a “Swiss army knife” for the Linux console and other terminal environments
sudo apt-get install mc

RDP remote desktop server for connecting to your PI remotely:
sudo apt-get install xrdp
more…

Raspberry PI – showing some system info with a Python script

admin — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 18:12:15 +0000

How to show some system info with a Python script?

Create a Python script, for instance in a directory called /home/pi/Code (create the directory if it doesn’t exist yet):
sudo nano /home/pi/Code/system_info.py

Add the following code to the file:
import subprocess
import os
def get_ram():
    “Returns a tuple (total ram, available ram) in megabytes. See www.linuxatemyram.com”
    try:
        s = subprocess.check_output(["free","-m"])
        lines = s.split(‘\n’)
        return ( int(lines[1].split()[1]), int(lines[2].split()[3]) )
    except:
        return 0def get_process_count():
    “Returns the number of processes”
    try:
        s = subprocess.check_output(["ps","-e"])
        return len(s.split(‘\n’))
    except:
        return 0def get_up_stats():
    “Returns a tuple (uptime, 5 min load average)”
    try:
        s = subprocess.check_output(["uptime"])
        load_split = s.split(‘load average: ‘)
        load_five = float(load_split[1].split(‘,’)[1])
        up = load_split[0]
        up_pos = up.rfind(‘,’,0,len(up)-4)
        up = up[:up_pos].split(‘up ‘)[1]
        return ( up , load_five )
    except:
        return ( ” , 0 )

def get_connections():
    “Returns the number of network connections”
    try:
        s = subprocess.check_output(["netstat","-tun"])
        return len([x for x in s.split() if x == 'ESTABLISHED'])
    except:
        return 0

def get_temperature():
    “Returns the temperature in degrees C”
    try:
        s = subprocess.check_output(["/opt/vc/bin/vcgencmd","measure_temp"])
        return float(s.split(‘=’)[1][:-3])
    except:
        return 0

def get_ipaddress():
   “Returns the current IP address”
   arg=’ip route list’
   p=subprocess.Popen(arg,shell=True,stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
   data = p.communicate()
   split_data = data[0].split()
   ipaddr = split_data[split_data.index('src')+1]
   return ipaddr

def get_cpu_speed():
   “Returns the current CPU speed”
   f = os.popen(‘/opt/vc/bin/vcgencmd get_config arm_freq’)
   cpu = f.read()
   return cpu

print ‘Free RAM: ‘+str(get_ram()[1])+’ (‘+str(get_ram()[0])+’)’
print ‘Nr. of processes: ‘+str(get_process_count())
print ‘Up time: ‘+get_up_stats()[0]
print ‘Nr. of connections: ‘+str(get_connections())
print ‘Temperature in C: ‘ +str(get_temperature())
print ‘IP-address: ‘+get_ipaddress()
print ‘CPU speed: ‘+str(get_cpu_speed())

Save the file and make it executable:
sudo chmod +x system_info.py

Execute the script:
python /home/pi/Code/system_info.py

There are many more system settings that could be added to the script!

Raspberry PI – binding actions to (hot)keys

admin — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:30:01 +0000

How to bind actions to (hot)keys?

I want to define a key for starting the lxterminal on my Raspberry PI.

This is how you can do it:

Open the LXDE configuration file:
sudo nano ~/.config/openbox/lxde-rc.xml

In the (…) section add the following lines of code:

lxterminal

gksu /usr/bin/x-terminal-emulator

Reboot the PI:
sudo shutdown -r now

When it’s back up-and-running, pressing the <F4>-key will launch the LX Terminal and the <F5>-key will launch the Root Terminal.