blog/data/2019-01-22-debian-microbit.txt

   1 Title: Debian now got everything you need to program Micro:bit
   2 Tags: english, debian, robot
   3 Date: 2019-01-22 17:20
   4
   5 <p>I am amazed and very pleased to discover that since a few days ago,
   6 everything you need to program the <a href="https://microbit.org/">BBC
   7 micro:bit</a> is available from the Debian archive.  All this is
   8 thanks to the hard work of Nick Morrott and the Debian python
   9 packaging team.  The micro:bit project recommend the mu-editor to
  10 program the microcomputer, as this editor will take care of all the
  11 machinery required to injekt/flash micropython alongside the program
  12 into the micro:bit, as long as the pieces are available.</p>
  13
  14 <p>There are three main pieces involved.  The first to enter Debian
  15 was
  16 <a href="https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/python-uflash">python-uflash</a>,
  17 which was accepted into the archive 2019-01-12.  The next one was
  18 <a href="https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/mu-editor">mu-editor</a>, which
  19 showed up 2019-01-13.  The final and hardest part to to into the
  20 archive was
  21 <a href="https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/firmware-microbit-micropython">firmware-microbit-micropython</a>,
  22 which needed to get its build system and dependencies into Debian
  23 before it was accepted 2019-01-20.  The last one is already in Debian
  24 Unstable and should enter Debian Testing / Buster in three days.  This
  25 all allow any user of the micro:bit to get going by simply running
  26 'apt install mu-editor' when using Testing or Unstable, and once
  27 Buster is released as stable, all the users of Debian stable will be
  28 catered for.</p>
  29
  30 <p>As a minor final touch, I added rules to
  31 <a href="https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/isenkram">the isenkram
  32 package</a> for recognizing micro:bit and recommend the mu-editor
  33 package.  This make sure any user of the isenkram desktop daemon will
  34 get a popup suggesting to install mu-editor then the USB cable from
  35 the micro:bit is inserted for the first time.</p>
  36
  37 <p>This should make it easier to have fun.</p>
  38
  39 <p>As usual, if you use Bitcoin and want to show your support of my
  40 activities, please send Bitcoin donations to my address
  41 <b><a href="bitcoin:15oWEoG9dUPovwmUL9KWAnYRtNJEkP1u1b">15oWEoG9dUPovwmUL9KWAnYRtNJEkP1u1b</a></b>.</p>