X-Git-Url: http://pere.pagekite.me/gitweb/homepage.git/blobdiff_plain/c646584abd4fac86e143dd5064fed95343e47a90..31e78b216f079bfa709d1aa5fa4a5d91da9f46bd:/blog/archive/2013/01/01.rss diff --git a/blog/archive/2013/01/01.rss b/blog/archive/2013/01/01.rss index 899aea9af5..943b79c85b 100644 --- a/blog/archive/2013/01/01.rss +++ b/blog/archive/2013/01/01.rss @@ -6,6 +6,130 @@ http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/ + + Welcome to the world, Isenkram! + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Welcome_to_the_world__Isenkram_.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Welcome_to_the_world__Isenkram_.html + Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:00:00 +0100 + <p>Yesterday, I +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/First_prototype_ready_making_hardware_easier_to_use_in_Debian.html">asked +for testers</a> for my prototype for making Debian better at handling +pluggable hardware devices, which I +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Lets_make_hardware_dongles_easier_to_use_in_Debian.html">set +out to create</a> earlier this month. Several valuable testers showed +up, and caused me to really want to to open up the development to more +people. But before I did this, I want to come up with a sensible name +for this project. Today I finally decided on a new name, and I have +renamed the project from hw-support-handler to this new name. In the +process, I moved the source to git and made it available as a +<a href="http://anonscm.debian.org/gitweb/?p=collab-maint/isenkram.git">collab-maint</a> +repository in Debian. The new name? It is <strong>Isenkram</strong>. +To fetch and build the latest version of the source, use</p> + +<pre> +git clone http://anonscm.debian.org/git/collab-maint/isenkram.git +cd isenkram && git-buildpackage -us -uc +</pre> + +<p>I have not yet adjusted all files to use the new name yet. If you +want to hack on the source or improve the package, please go ahead. +But please talk to me first on IRC or via email before you do major +changes, to make sure we do not step on each others toes. :)</p> + +<p>If you wonder what 'isenkram' is, it is a Norwegian word for iron +stuff, typically meaning tools, nails, screws, etc. Typical hardware +stuff, in other words. I've been told it is the Norwegian variant of +the German word eisenkram, for those that are familiar with that +word.</p> + +<p><strong>Update 2013-01-26</strong>: Added -us -us to build +instructions, to avoid confusing people with an error from the signing +process.</p> + +<p><strong>Update 2013-01-27</strong>: Switch to HTTP URL for the git +clone argument to avoid the need for authentication.</p> + + + + + First prototype ready making hardware easier to use in Debian + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/First_prototype_ready_making_hardware_easier_to_use_in_Debian.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/First_prototype_ready_making_hardware_easier_to_use_in_Debian.html + Mon, 21 Jan 2013 12:00:00 +0100 + <p>Early this month I set out to try to +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Lets_make_hardware_dongles_easier_to_use_in_Debian.html">improve +the Debian support for pluggable hardware devices</a>. Now my +prototype is working, and it is ready for a larger audience. To test +it, fetch the +<a href="http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/debian-edu/trunk/src/hw-support-handler/">source +from the Debian Edu subversion repository</a>, build and install the +package. You might have to log out and in again activate the +autostart script.</p> + +<p>The design is simple:</p> + +<ul> + +<li>Add desktop entry in /usr/share/autostart/ causing a program +hw-support-handlerd to start when the user log in.</li> + +<li>This program listen for kernel events about new hardware (directly +from the kernel like udev does), not using HAL dbus events as I +initially did.</li> + +<li>When new hardware is inserted, look up the hardware modalias in +the APT database, a database +<a href="http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/debian-edu/trunk/src/hw-support-handler/modaliases?view=markup">available +via HTTP</a> and a database available as part of the package.</li> + +<li>If a package is mapped to the hardware in question, the package +isn't installed yet and this is the first time the hardware was +plugged in, show a desktop notification suggesting to install the +package or packages.</li> + +<li>If the user click on the 'install package now' button, ask +aptdaemon via the PackageKit API to install the requrired package.</li> + +<li>aptdaemon ask for root password or sudo password, and install the +package while showing progress information in a window.</li> + +</ul> + +<p>I still need to come up with a better name for the system. Here +are some screen shots showing the prototype in action. First the +notification, then the password request, and finally the request to +approve all the dependencies. Sorry for the Norwegian Bokmål GUI.</p> + +<p><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2013-01-21-hw-support-1-notification.png"> +<br><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2013-01-21-hw-support-2-password.png"> +<br><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2013-01-21-hw-support-3-dependencies.png"> +<br><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2013-01-21-hw-support-4-installing.png"> +<br><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2013-01-21-hw-support-5-installing-details.png" width="70%"></p> + +<p>The prototype still need to be improved with longer timeouts, but +is already useful. The database of hardware to package mappings also +need more work. It is currently compatible with the Ubuntu way of +storing such information in the package control file, but could be +changed to use other formats instead or in addition to the current +method. I've dropped the use of discover for this mapping, as the +modalias approach is more flexible and easier to use on Linux as long +as the Linux kernel expose its modalias strings directly.</p> + +<p><strong>Update 2013-01-21 16:50</strong>: Due to popular demand, +here is the command required to check out and build the source: Use +'<tt>svn checkout +svn://svn.debian.org/debian-edu/trunk/src/hw-support-handler/; cd +hw-support-handler; debuild</tt>'. If you lack debuild, install the +devscripts package.</p> + +<p><strong>Update 2013-01-23 12:00</strong>: The project is now +renamed to Isenkram and the source moved from the Debian Edu +subversion repository to a Debian collab-maint git repository. See +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Welcome_to_the_world__Isenkram_.html">build +instructions</a> for details.</p> + + + Thank you Thinkpad X41, for your long and trustworthy service http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Thank_you_Thinkpad_X41__for_your_long_and_trustworthy_service.html