Trumpton Blog

Mounting CIFS Directories in Linux

2010-06-12T00:41:00.008+01:00

As Root, create /root/smbcredentials, with the lines:

username=...username..
password=..password..

and set the permissions: chmod 700 /root/smbcredentials

Edit /etc/fstab, and append the line:

//netbiosname/sharename /media/sharename cifs credentials=/root/smbcredentials,iocharset=utf8,file_mode=0775,dir_mode=0775 0 0

Mount the new drive with: mount -a

Playing BBC Radio Streams from the command line

2010-05-22T22:22:00.005+01:00

BBC provides xml files for program lists, and media formats, so to play a required program, you have to follow a series of links.

Playing Program with Real and MPlayer

Note: real is now legacy. The BBC support WMA and Flash, so expect the real player to be phased out at any time. Real format is encoded at 44.1kbps (certainly on Radio 7). The URL appears to be a shim - pause is supported, however, fast forward and rewind do not seem to be.

# Download media list
wget http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/availability/bbc7.xml

# Parse downloaded file, and find program required
# Follow mediaselector link, and download file
wget http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/4/mtis/stream/b00sdvs3

# Find audio/real media section, and download connection href
wget http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/aod/playlists/3s/vd/s0/0b/RadioBridge_uk_2300_bbc_7
.ram

# Look inside the RAM file to get rtsp link, and play it with mplayer
mplayer rtsp://rm-acl.bbc.co.uk:554/bbc7coyopa/bbc7_-_monday_0000.ra?timestamp=127405
4718&pid=b00sdvs3&BBC-UID=248baf8894393445d52cf093213a72b7d0df08b660c0c2710208a04443d
c5078_n&SSO2-UID=

Playing Program with WMA and MPlayer

The quality of the wma stream is 96Kbps (i.e. higher than the real stream). Pause is supported, however, there is still no fast forward or rewind.

# Download media list
wget http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/availability/bbc7.xml

# Parse downloaded file, and find program required
# Follow mediaselector link, and download file
wget http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/4/mtis/stream/b00sdvs3

# Find audio/wma media section, and play it with mplayer
mplayer mms://wm-acl.bbc.co.uk/wms/bbc7coyopa/bbc7_-_monday_0000.wma

Akondai / KAddressBook / Google Error

2010-02-06T16:49:00.009Z

Background

Following the installation of Akondai, I can sync with google and fetch / update calendar entries, and fetch contacts, but when I try to add the new contact "Google Test" with a phone number of "1234" on my PC using KAddressbook, I get an error - "Failed adding new contact".

Information Gathering

I run the Akondai Console, and enable debugging, and I see:

NotificationManager::notify ( Item (678, ) in collection 7 added )

AgentBase(akonadi_googledata_resource_1): Failed adding new contact.

And

0x9b81c50 * OK Akonadi Almost IMAP Server [PROTOCOL 15]
0x9b81c50 0 LOGIN "kontact-476707713"
0x9b81c50 0 OK User logged in
0x9b81c50 1 BEGIN
0x9b81c50 1 OK Begin completed
0x9b81c50 2 APPEND 7 0 (\MimeType[text/directory]) {141}
0x9cf8698 + Ready for literal data (expecting 141 bytes)
0x9b81c50 2 [UIDNEXT 678 DATETIME "06-Feb-2010 16:46:56 +0000"]
0x9b81c50 2 OK Append completed
0x9b81c50 3 COMMIT
0x9b81c50 3 OK Commit completed
0x9bba558 3931 X-AKLSUB 7 0 ()
0x9bba558 * 7 0 (NAME "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" MIMETYPE (text/directory) REMOTEID "google-contacts" RESOURCE "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" CACHEPOLICY (INHERIT true INTERVAL -1 CACHETIMEOUT -1 SYNCONDEMAND false LOCALPARTS (ALL)) )
0x9bba558 3931 OK List completed
0x9bba558 3932 UID FETCH 678 FULLPAYLOAD EXTERNALPAYLOAD (UID REMOTEID COLLECTIONID FLAGS SIZE DATETIME)
0x9bba558 * 678 FETCH (UID 678 REV 0 REMOTEID "" MIMETYPE "text/directory" COLLECTIONID "7" SIZE 141 DATETIME "06-Feb-2010 16:46:56 +0000" FLAGS () PLD:RFC822 {141} BEGIN:VCARD CLASS:PUBLIC FN:Google Test N:Test;Google;;; NAME:Google Test TEL;TYPE=HOME:1234 UID:7sKGnrCVCK VERSION:3.0 END:VCARD )
0x9bba558 3932 OK UID FETCH completed
0x9bba558 3933 X-AKLSUB 7 0 ()
0x9bba558 * 7 0 (NAME "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" MIMETYPE (text/directory) REMOTEID "google-contacts" RESOURCE "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" CACHEPOLICY (INHERIT true INTERVAL -1 CACHETIMEOUT -1 SYNCONDEMAND false LOCALPARTS (ALL)) )
0x9bba558 3933 OK List completed
0x9bba558 3934 UID FETCH 678 FULLPAYLOAD EXTERNALPAYLOAD (UID REMOTEID COLLECTIONID FLAGS SIZE DATETIME)
0x9bba558 * 678 FETCH (UID 678 REV 0 REMOTEID "" MIMETYPE "text/directory" COLLECTIONID "7" SIZE 141 DATETIME "06-Feb-2010 16:46:56 +0000" FLAGS () PLD:RFC822 {141} BEGIN:VCARD CLASS:PUBLIC FN:Google Test N:Test;Google;;; NAME:Google Test TEL;TYPE=HOME:1234 UID:7sKGnrCVCK VERSION:3.0 END:VCARD )
0x9bba558 3934 OK UID FETCH completed
0x9bba558 3935 X-AKLSUB 7 0 ()
0x9b0b3c0 635 X-AKLSUB 7 0 ()
0x9bba558 * 7 0 (NAME "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" MIMETYPE (text/directory) REMOTEID "google-contacts" RESOURCE "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" CACHEPOLICY (INHERIT true INTERVAL -1 CACHETIMEOUT -1 SYNCONDEMAND false LOCALPARTS (ALL)) )
0x9bba558 3935 OK List completed
0x9b95838 1335 X-AKLSUB 7 0 ()
0x9b95838 * 7 0 (NAME "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" MIMETYPE (text/directory) REMOTEID "google-contacts" RESOURCE "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" CACHEPOLICY (INHERIT true INTERVAL -1 CACHETIMEOUT -1 SYNCONDEMAND false LOCALPARTS (ALL)) )
0x9b95838 1335 OK List completed
0x9bba558 3936 UID FETCH 678 FULLPAYLOAD EXTERNALPAYLOAD (UID REMOTEID COLLECTIONID FLAGS SIZE DATETIME)
0x9b95838 1336 UID FETCH 678 FULLPAYLOAD EXTERNALPAYLOAD (UID REMOTEID COLLECTIONID FLAGS SIZE DATETIME)
0x9b0b3c0 * 7 0 (NAME "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" MIMETYPE (text/directory) REMOTEID "google-contacts" RESOURCE "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" CACHEPOLICY (INHERIT true INTERVAL -1 CACHETIMEOUT -1 SYNCONDEMAND false LOCALPARTS (ALL)) )
0x9b95838 * 678 FETCH (UID 678 REV 0 REMOTEID "" MIMETYPE "text/directory" COLLECTIONID "7" SIZE 141 DATETIME "06-Feb-2010 16:46:56 +0000" FLAGS () PLD:RFC822 {141} BEGIN:VCARD CLASS:PUBLIC FN:Google Test N:Test;Google;;; NAME:Google Test TEL;TYPE=HOME:1234 UID:7sKGnrCVCK VERSION:3.0 END:VCARD )
0x9bba558 * 678 FETCH (UID 678 REV 0 REMOTEID "" MIMETYPE "text/directory" COLLECTIONID "7" SIZE 141 DATETIME "06-Feb-2010 16:46:56 +0000" FLAGS () PLD:RFC822 {141} BEGIN:VCARD CLASS:PUBLIC FN:Google Test N:Test;Google;;; NAME:Google Test TEL;TYPE=HOME:1234 UID:7sKGnrCVCK VERSION:3.0 END:VCARD )
0x9b0b3c0 635 OK List completed
0x9b0b3c0 636 UID FETCH 678 FULLPAYLOAD CACHEONLY EXTERNALPAYLOAD (UID REMOTEID COLLECTIONID FLAGS SIZE DATETIME)
0x9bba558 3936 OK UID FETCH completed
0x9b95838 1336 OK UID FETCH completed
0x9b0b3c0 * 678 FETCH (UID 678 REV 0 REMOTEID "" MIMETYPE "text/directory" COLLECTIONID "7" SIZE 141 DATETIME "06-Feb-2010 16:46:56 +0000" FLAGS () PLD:RFC822 {141} BEGIN:VCARD CLASS:PUBLIC FN:Google Test N:Test;Google;;; NAME:Google Test TEL;TYPE=HOME:1234 UID:7sKGnrCVCK VERSION:3.0 END:VCARD )
0x9b0b3c0 636 OK UID FETCH completed
0x9c79110 2712 X-AKLSUB 7 0 ()
0x9c79110 * 7 0 (NAME "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" MIMETYPE (text/directory) REMOTEID "google-contacts" RESOURCE "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" CACHEPOLICY (INHERIT true INTERVAL -1 CACHETIMEOUT -1 SYNCONDEMAND false LOCALPARTS (ALL)) )
0x9c79110 2712 OK List completed
0x9c79110 2713 UID FETCH 678 FULLPAYLOAD EXTERNALPAYLOAD (UID REMOTEID COLLECTIONID FLAGS SIZE DATETIME)
0x9c79110 * 678 FETCH (UID 678 REV 0 REMOTEID "" MIMETYPE "text/directory" COLLECTIONID "7" SIZE 141 DATETIME "06-Feb-2010 16:46:56 +0000" FLAGS () PLD:RFC822 {141} BEGIN:VCARD CLASS:PUBLIC FN:Google Test N:Test;Google;;; NAME:Google Test TEL;TYPE=HOME:1234 UID:7sKGnrCVCK VERSION:3.0 END:VCARD )
0x9c79110 2713 OK UID FETCH completed
0x9c79110 2714 X-AKLSUB 7 0 ()
0x9c79110 * 7 0 (NAME "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" MIMETYPE (text/directory) REMOTEID "google-contacts" RESOURCE "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" CACHEPOLICY (INHERIT true INTERVAL -1 CACHETIMEOUT -1 SYNCONDEMAND false LOCALPARTS (ALL)) )
0x9c79110 2714 OK List completed
0x9c79110 2715 UID FETCH 678 FULLPAYLOAD EXTERNALPAYLOAD (UID REMOTEID COLLECTIONID FLAGS SIZE DATETIME)
0x9c79110 * 678 FETCH (UID 678 REV 0 REMOTEID "" MIMETYPE "text/directory" COLLECTIONID "7" SIZE 141 DATETIME "06-Feb-2010 16:46:56 +0000" FLAGS () PLD:RFC822 {141} BEGIN:VCARD CLASS:PUBLIC FN:Google Test N:Test;Google;;; NAME:Google Test TEL;TYPE=HOME:1234 UID:7sKGnrCVCK VERSION:3.0 END:VCARD )
0x9c79110 2715 OK UID FETCH completed
0x9b0b3c0 637 UID STORE 678 NOREV (REMOTEID.SILENT "" DIRTY.SILENT false PLD:RFC822.SILENT {141}
0x9b95d78 + Ready for literal data (expecting 141 bytes)
0x9b0b3c0 637 OK DATETIME "06-Feb-2010 16:46:56 +0000" STORE completed
0x9c0c9e0 336 STATUS 7 (MESSAGES UNSEEN SIZE)
0x9c0c9e0 * STATUS "akonadi_googledata_resource_1" (MESSAGES 60 UNSEEN 60 SIZE 111201)
0x9c0c9e0 336 OK STATUS completed

When I ise the Akondai console to look in the database, I can see the new entry I have added:

BEGIN:VCARD
CLASS:PUBLIC

FN:Google Test

N:Test;Google;;;

NAME:Google Test

TEL;TYPE=HOME:1234

UID:7sKGnrCVCK

VERSION:3.0

END:VCARD

Diagnosis

As the entry successfully gets placed into the Akondai sql database, it is assumed that the problem is caused by the communication between Akondai and google.

I know that the authentication link is OK, as the rest of the contact information came from google in the first place. Plus, I can modify an entry on google, and see the results within Kontact.

Research

It appears that there is a problem with the library that communicates with google. The libraries ARE called akonadi-googledata libgcal.

There is currently a known feature whereby contacts that have 1 or more phone number, or 1 or more email address do not synchronise correctly.

At present, I am assuming that this is the same cause as above.

The 'broken' version of libgcal is 0.98 and akonadi-googledata is 1.0.1, and the latest information can be found here: http://code.google.com/p/libgcal/issues/detail?id=50

Kontact /KMail Sync with Akonadi

2010-02-05T20:04:00.019Z

Introduction

Akonadi is a program that sits between applications and enables them to share calendar and contact information in an application indepdendent way.

I have used it to sync Kontact (KMail etc...) with Google Mail contacts / calendar and in turn, synced that with my Nexus One Android phone.

This note describes how to get Kontact to sync with Google, however, for me, there is still a significant bug: When I change contact details within Kontact, Akonadi crashes, and the contact information is removed from Google (although it stays in Kontact).

There is currently a known bug in libgcal / akonadi-userdata (versions 0.93 & 1.0.1), which are used to synchronise with Google. The bug means that any contact with more than one email address or telephone number, won't synchronise correctly. More information can be found here.

Install Akonadi

By default, Mandrive 2010 comes pre-installed with Akonadi, but if your system hasn't got it, here is what I am using:

akonadi-1.2.1-5mdv2010.0.i586
mysql-core-5.1.42-0.1mdv2010.0.i586
mysql-common-5.1.42-0.1mdv2010.0.i586

Now interestingly, akonadi requires an sql server (mysqld), however, it doesn't appear to be used for the calendar sync, nor for the contacts retrieval. If you want to update contacts on your PC, however, this is where the mysqld comes into play.

Run AkonadiTray

Launch AkonadiTray from the start menu
Select Start

Get mysqld to Work Correctly

In a terminal or console, type the following

akonadictl stop
mysql_install_db --datadir=$HOME/.local/share/akonadi/db_data
akonadictl start

Add Your Google Account

On the Akonadi Resource Configuration tab, select Add, and add the Google Calendar Resource.

When prompted, enter your google username (ignoring the @gmail.com or @googlemail.com), and your google password - select OK.

The system immediately connects, and if your username or password is wrong, you will be told so here.

Repeat the activity for the Google Contacts Resource, and that's it, Akonadi is configured.

Configuring Kontact

Open Kontact, and go to the Calendar application. Near the bottom of the screen, is the area where you can select which calendar to use. Click on the green '+' to add a new one.

Now, select the Akonadi entry, which will probably be at the top of the list.

Give the entry a meaningful name (e.g. Google Calendar), and create it.

Make sure the calendar is enabled - you can also set it to be the default one if you wish.

That's it - everything synced.

The procedure for adding Contacts is identical (but the process is performed on the Contacts page, of course).

Auto Running

To automatically launch the akonadi server when you start Kontact, it is essential that you make sure that Akonadi is the default for Contacts and Calendar.

Starting Again

If you have been messing around, and wish to start over, this is what you need to do:

Shut down Akonadi (shut down the tray application, and kill all the akonadi processes).
Shutdown Kontact and its applications (KMail, KOrganizer etc...)
Shutdown the Kontact systray application (e.g. KOrganizer Reminder)
Remove the akonadi files in the hidden directories:

.kde4/share/config/akonadi*
.local/share/akonadi/*
.config/akonadi/*

Restart the Akonadi server (re-launch the tray application)

Typical SQL Errors

These errors may be seen in the SQL log, and are addressed by the blog above:

100206 10:25:29 InnoDB: Started; log sequence number 0 1055498
100206 10:25:29 [Warning] Can't open and lock time zone table: Table 'mysql.time_zone_leap_second' doesn't exist trying to live without them
100206 10:25:29 [ERROR] Can't open and lock privilege tables: Table 'mysql.servers' doesn't exist
100206 10:25:29 [Note] /usr/sbin/mysqld: ready for connections.
Version: '5.1.42-log' socket: '/home/user/.local/share/akonadi/db_misc/mysql.socket' port: 0 Mandriva Linux - MySQL Standard Edition (GPL)

Adding local DNS entries to a Netgear DG834

2010-01-23T12:04:00.006Z

There is a program running on your DG834 called dnsmasq, which is used to forward DNS requests to the appropriate servers. The program can optionally use one or more local hosts files, so if you are hosting a webserver at home, for example, you can add it to the hosts file, and any LAN requests will return the LAN ip address, rather than the internet one.

By default, at least on the DG834Gv5, the option to add your own entries is not enabled.

Log into your netgear with telnet.

With a web browser, connect to http://your-modem/setup.cgi?todo=debug
Telnet to your modem: telnet

Create a new hosts file with local addresses:

mkdir /var/etc
cp /etc/hosts /var/etc/hosts
echo "192.168.1.10 www.myinternalwebserver.com" >> /var/etc/hosts

To check it works, restart the DNS Masquerade program:

killall dnsmasq
dnsmasq -h -n -c 0 -N -i br0 -r /tmp/resolv.conf -u r -H /var/etc/hosts

Making things permanent:

Now, there is a problem making this permanent as the root filesystem is 100% full, but what you would need to do is:

Mount the root disk read/write: mount / -o rw,remount
Copy the hosts file over: cp /var/etc/hosts /etc/hosts
Reboot

Android Settings for O2

2010-01-21T21:38:00.003Z

Settings required to get internet working on the go with the Google Nexus One, which is running android version 2.1 are shown below.

3G Connection Setting

Settings / Wireless and Network / Mobile Networks / Access Point Names.
Hit the menu button and select new APN, and set the following:

Name: O2 Mobile Web
APN: mobile.o2.co.uk
Proxy:
Port:
Username: o2web
Password: password
Server:
MMSC:
MMS proxy:
MMS port:
MCC: 234
MNC: 10
Authentication type:
APN type:

Select 'back', and enable 'Data roaming'.

That's it for 3G settings.

Google Android Voice Recognition

2010-01-20T18:49:00.011Z

My new Google Nexus One phone is running Android 2.1, and makes use of the Google beta voice recognition.

Summary: To date, I give it a 6/10. It didn't work too well for me, but shows significant promise.

For this facility, the actual processing is performed online - your phone captures a sentence, uploads it to a voice recognition service, and it is processed, and the results sent back (very quickly).

I should also point out that voice recognition that is performed to dial people from your address book, does not require an online connection, and is handled within the phone itself, for example, I can say 'Call Steve Clarke', and it works quite reliably.

For me, the online software, which is used for text and email dictation, and GPS destination searching, is a bit of a struggle:

I said: "This is the google voice recognition software. So far so good. I have a very mild lancashire accent and this software seems to struggle with long words and complicated sentences."

It typed: "This is the google voice recognition software. So far so good. I have a very mild length transaction. Famous software seems to struggle with long words uncomplicated sentences."

It seems to me that the software struggles with spoken contractions of words, for example, I said "andcomplicated". I also suspect that it struggles with words that aren't in the US based dictionary, for example, 'Lancashire', which is pronounce by most people either lank-i-shuh, or lank-uh-shuh.

Nice try though, and I look forward to upgrades on the processing server which will recognise me !

All in all, it is much better than the Windows Vista recognition - see my blog on 'Windows Vista does not like northeners'.

From the looks of it, things are getting better. Take a look at a 2008 article on the Telegraph website.

O2 Mobile Speed

2010-01-17T14:00:00.007Z

Just ordered a Google Nexus One, and have upgraded my O2 contract to include Unlimited data access.

Unlimited is a term that really should not be used, as there are limits: You have a 1G/month download limit, and there are other limitations in the Ts&Cs, such as not being allowed to use VOIP.

Once I changed over, O2 sent me some new phone settings, which I applied to my E90. By default, the browser access point was "O2 Postpay WAP". I also tried the "O2 Mobile Web" settings - see below for details:

Speed Testing With A Nokia E90, and O2 3G and 3.5G connections

Performing the speed test with http://text.dslreports.com/mspeed, at 14:30 - 15:00 on Sunday 17th January:

With the "O2 Postpay WAP" access point, I initially had a 3.5G connection, but it soon dropped back to 3G:

200K file: waited 2 minutes & gave up
200K file: 347kbps, 1.054s latency
400K file: 761kbps, 0.583s latency
1M file: waited for 8 minutes & gave up
400K file: 688kbps, 0.567s latency
200K file downloded in 2.7s: 608kbps
200K file: 738kbps, 0.611s latency

With the "O2 Mobile Web" access point, I have a 3.5G connection:

100K file downloaded in 2.2s: 372kbps
1M file: 247kbps, 0.641s latency
1M file: 265kbps, 0.787s latency
100K file downloaded in 3.2s: 256kbps
400K file: 211kbps, 0.675s latency
400K file: 144kbps, 0.695s latency
1M file: 531kbps, 4.564s latency

Back to the original settings "O2 Postpay WAP":

100K file downloaded in 1.594s: 514kbps
400K file: waited 3 minutes and gave up
100K file downloaded in 2.096s: 390kbps
200K file downloaded in 3.138s: 522kbps
400K file: 541kbps, 0.629s latency
1M file waited 3 minutes and gave up

And finally, back to "O2 Mobile Web"

1Mb file: 448kbps, 0.644s latency
400K file: 576kbps, 1.136s latency
400K file: 377kbps, 0.704s latency

Now, it looks like there is a choice between slow or un-reliable:

"O2 Mobile Web" Average Speed 343kbps, 100% success
"O2 Postpay WAP" Average speed 638kbps, 66% success

What I don't currently know is how much of the page loads is attributed to the E90 and the server at the other end, and how much is attributed to the network connection.

Expected Performance

The different capabilities of the protocols / connections are as follows:

GPRS = 2G - up to 114Kbps
EDGE = 2.5G - up to 560Kbps
UMTS = 3G - up to 2Mbps (believe O2 is a maximum of 384Kbps)
HSPA = 3.5G - 1.2Mbps to 84Mbps (supposedly 3.6Mbps for O2 as of today)

Performing the same tests with a Google Nexus One

The following tests are going to be performed ...

Before, and after the Google Nexus One tests were performed, the E90 was used to benchmark the network capabilities at the time of the test.

Links

Roberts Stream WM202 Radio - Review

2009-12-19T11:17:00.035Z

I've just bought the Roberts Stream WM202 radio as a gift for Christmas. I picked it because it has FM/DAB and Internet Radio, and because it had support for the BBC Listen Again.

Summary

9/10 The Roberts Stream WM202 is an excellent product, which surpasses the features of the Reciva Radios and the Freecom MusicPal. Excellent sound, easy to use menus, brilliant compatibility.

Overview

Available in black, or for a little extra, white or silver
DAB/FM/WIFI Internet Stereo Radio
Wired / Wireless network connection
Thousands of radio stations around the world, or add your own
Plays podcasts and BBC Listen again without a PC turned on
Play your music collection from your computer or network storage
2 alarm timers (DAB/FM/buzzer) or internet radio
Supports MP3/WMA and Real audio formats
Portable - Mains / battery Operated

Introduction

I have a few Reciva based radios, and believed that their chipset and software was the only way of listening to Listen Again services without having a PC turned on. Well, I was wrong - the Roberts Stream WM202 uses the Frontier Silicon chipset, which beautifully integrates DAB, FM, Media Player and WiFi.

Construction

The radio is a portable stereo radio, which has a good solid construction, with the controls on the top, two speakers in the front which have an excellent output in both volume and frequency response.

The display is a large multi-line graphical back-lit LCD display, with white text on a blue background. The controls are easy to use, with 5 preset buttons (which double as play/fast forward/rewind/pause when operating as a media player). There is a large rotary control which is used for selection and navigation through the menus.

There is a single on/off push button, and when switched back on, the radio automatically reverts to playing what was on when it was switched off, be it DAB or Internet etc...

There are 5 preset buttons on the top, which are set by holding the appropriate button down for 5 seconds when the station is playing. 5 presets are possible in each of the 5 radio modes, which gives 15 channels in total.

The radio has a 9V input, and comes with a small transformer, moulded into the plug. The radio also has a battery compartment for cable-free operation!.

The radio can operate on a network either wired, or wireless (on the rear of the radio, there is an ethernet socket).

The rear of the radio has a USB socket, which is provided so that the radio can be upgraded, although for most upgrades, you will not even need this, as you can upgrade over-the-air!.

Also on the rear of the radio, there are two 3.5mm sockets, one for audio-in, and one for audio-out / headphones.

DAB

When DAB is selected, the radio automatically plays the last DAB station listened to. The menu button enables you to easily scan for stations, and if you really need to do a manual scan, that is supported too.

The DAB function even supports the Dynamic Range (DRC) control too.

DAB+.

FM

By simply pressing the mode button, the radio switches to FM mode, and starts playing the last station listened to. The controls and display for the FM mode seamlessly integrate into the radio's other features.

Radio station scanning is a simple as pressing the select button - you can then store your favorites by holding the appropriate favorite button in for 5 seconds.

The scanning can be configured to detect strong stations only, or stop at some of the weaker stations. Plus if the station you really enjoy is weak, you can enable 'Listen in Mono', which improves the signal quality further.

Internet Radio

With another press of the mode button, you flip into the internet radio mode. Configuration of the wifi connection is simple to do with the built-in 'Network Wizard', and you can connect to either a wired or a wireless system, and with wireless. WEP, WMA, DHCP and manual configuration are all supported. Each connection is stored as a separate network profile, so if you take the radio on the move, perhaps between houses / networks, you won't keep having to re-enter your network settings.

Internet Radio Station Searching

Searching for radio stations cannot be easier, you can search from the station list for:

My Favorites - You can set these up online (see below)
Local United Kingdom - A list of all the local radio stations
BBC - This includes all listen-again podcasts
Stations - You can browse by Location, Genre, Popular, New or just Search
Podcasts - You can search by Location, Genre or just Search
My Added Stations - You can add your own stations too

When listening to a station, be it Favorite, BBC, Podcast etc..., you can assign it to a favorite, by pressing and holding the desired preset button for 5 seconds.

Currently, it is not possible to fast forward and rewind BBC Podcasts.

Any access to the list of stations is performed by connecting to the internet, and obtaining the latest update. This is remarkably quick, in comparison to the Reciva browsing, with menu lists coming up within a second of the button being pressed (my Reciva based IRMA1 takes 20 seconds to bring up 'My Stations').

Now, if you want to add more than the five allowed presets, you can do in by configuring your own internet radio lists online. All you need to do is register your radio by finding your radio's unique ID number from the radio's Help menu, and creating an account on www.wifiradio-frontier.com.

Here, you can browse the list or radio stations organised by country, and by genre. When you select to add the station, you can create your own groups, so that like grouped stations remain together. This becomes available on your radio immediately.

Each time you register the radio, the unique ID number is re-generated, so if you buy the radio second hand, there's no need to worry when it comes to registering it - just create a new account and enter the unique ID. You can then unshare the radio settings with the previous owner on the website.

If the station you want doesn't exist in the database, you can add it yourself in the 'My Added Stations' menus.

Music Player

With yet another press of the Mode button, you can play music from computers on your local network. With a click of the select button, I can play music from my UPNP Freecom FSG3 Network Access Storage box, which is running the Twonky Media Server.

You can also play music from Windows File Shares from a networked drive, or from the Media Share option in Windows Media Player.

MP3 Player

You can also plug the headphone socket of your MP3 player to the line-in socket on the back of the Roberts Stream WM202 radio to use the radio as an amplified speaker! This external 3.5mm stereo jack input is mixed with the currently playing station - the manual tells you to turn the volume down on the radio, and use your Ipod volume control - I prefer to switch the radio mode to Media Player (and not browse the network to play any files).

Alarm Clock

The radio has a built-in alarm clock with a snooze feature. You have two alarms which you can set to go off Daily, Once, Weekdays or Weekends. Each alarm can be set for Buzzer, Internet, DAB or FM, and can automatically switch to the last station listened to, or one of your presets - each alarm can have its own volume setting.

When the alarm goes off, just hit the big round select/snooze button to get another 5 minutes sleep.

If the radio station is not available when the alarm is due to sound (e.g. intenet connection is currently down), you don't need to worry about over-sleeping, as the Buzzer will automatically sound instead.

Conclusion

When compared with the Reciva radios that I have (IR100, IRMA1 and Tevion), the WM202 is significantly better, as the features are seamlessly integrated, and the radio is much more responsive. The Roberts Stream WMA202 is also portable, which means that I wouldn't have had to have as many radios scattered around the house!

When compared to the Freecom MusicPal (which uses the VTuner database), the WM202 appears more reliable when connecting to the internet, the sound output is better (and stereo!). The Roberts Stream WM202 is capable of connecting the the BBC Listen Again service, which is not supported through the US VTuner system.

I was involved in setting up a project to provide alternative firmware for the Reciva radios, because they didn't do what I wanted. I don't feel the need to do anything of the sort on this radio as it is well integrated and functional.

Links

Reciva Based Radio Links

Many Reciva based radios are now obsolete. Please find links to some that remain:

Network Access Storage Links

My FSG-3 is now obsolete, and from what I understand, the current Freecom NAS do not have a media server built in. The following NAS do:

Motorola H700 Bluetooth Headset Pairing

2009-08-23T22:46:00.003+01:00

I have a Motorola H700 bluetooth headset, and it can play up when messing around with connections.

It worked perfectly well with my Nokia E90, but then I tried it with my TomTom Go Live, and then it worked with neither.

(Re)Pairing with the Nokia E90

This is what I did to get it to connect to the E90 again:

1) Delete the pairing in the E90
2) Put the headset on to charge for a minute (this performs some sort of internal reset)
3) Press and hold the call button - the light turns purple
4) Open the boom
5) Release the call button - the purple light remains on
6) Search for the headset from the phone
7) Enter the passcode of '0000'
8) Select 'Yes' I do want to save settings, and I do want to automatically pair.

Note that the headset does have a timeout, so you do need to shake a leg when messing around with the phone.

This operation got the headset working well again with the phone.

Pairing with the TomTom Go Live

Remote Linux Access

2009-07-11T11:03:00.024+01:00

Overview

This blog gives instructions on how to login between linux machines without having to enter passwords. It does this using the secure shell client / server programs (ssh and sshd). These use a public/private key pair.

Enabling Programs

On the machine you wish to login to, ensure that the SSH server (sshd) is installed.

Enable it is the Mandriva Control Centre (system / Enable Services)

Tick 'on boot'
Press 'Start'

Configure the firewall to enable the server to be accessed (security/Personal Firewall):

Ensure either ssh or all is ticked

Creating your Public / Private Keys for SSH

The machine infront of you is the SSH client. You need to create a public/private key pair for use in ssh sessions. You only need to do this once on the client machine.
From the machine infront of you, create a public/private keyset:

[steve@crunchie ~]$ ssh-keygen
Generating public/private rsa key pair.
Enter file in which to save the key (/home/steve/.ssh/id_rsa):
Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase):
Enter same passphrase again:
Your identification has been saved in /home/steve/.ssh/id_rsa.
Your public key has been saved in /home/steve/.ssh/id_rsa.pub.
The key fingerprint is:
3b:4d:5e:21:ee:65:e3:dc:22:21:33:fd:ed:53:d8:fd steve@crunchie
The key's randomart image is:
+--[ RSA 2048]----+
|                 |
|           2 o.  |
|   X. ==o=       |
|       .         |
| +  o o S        |
|     *.o         |
|   X.            |
|. -              |
| ...oo.          |
+-----------------+

Transferring your Public Key to the SSH server

Now, transfer your public key to the machine you want to log into, and set the correct directory permissions:

[steve@crunchie ~]$ cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub | ssh steve@flake 'cat >> .ssh/authorized_keys'
steve@flake's password: *****
[steve@crunchie ~]$ ssh steve@flake 'chmod go-w . ; chmod 700 .ssh ; chmod 640 .ssh/authorized_keys'
steve@flake's password: *****

That's it - you can now open shells up on the target machine without entering a password.

[steve@crunchie ~]$ ssh flake

Setting up X for Remote Access

The machine infront of you is the X server (the server actually draws the windows). Now that you have configured ssh, you won't be prompted for any passwords.

For me, the client machine (the machine on which the applications are started) is called flake:

xauth extract \- $DISPLAY | ssh flake xauth merge \-

Running an Application

this is as simple as sshing into the other machine, and running the application:

ssh flake gedit

Now for the minor complication - when your program exits, the X session remains connected for a period of time, and until the X session closes, ssh will not exit - you have to control-C it.

If you launch your programs from the remote X client / ssh server and re-direct stdin and stdout, this will not happen, e.g.:

[steve@crunchie ~]$ ssh flake
[steve@flake ~]$ gedit < /dev/null >& /dev/null &
[steve@flake ~]$ logout

You can also launch your programs from the X server / ssh client and re-direct stdin and stdout.

I've created a script called 'flake' which I have put in ~/bin on crunchie, my local X server, which is in the path. It closes stdin/out/err and connects to my X client machine (flake) and runs the requested command line program:

#!/bin/sh

exec 0<&- # close stdin
exec 1>&- # close stdout
exec 2>&- # close stderr

ssh flake $* &

Configuring the Menu

You can now create a menu entry, to launch all of the programs on the remote machine, but display the windows here. Select System / Preferences / Main Menu, and create new entries, for example:

Logging In

If you want to have a terminal to connect to a server, added to the menu, the best way to do this is to run the gnome-terminal locally and connect to the remote server:

The command should be:

gnome-terminal -e "ssh remotemachinename"

You could also use an IP address instead of the machine name.

If the remote machine is a Madriva one, it is likely that it contains appropriate environment variables, containing escape sequences which cause the window title to be dynamically changed.

If it is not, you can add something to the start-up script to set the prompt to include the appropriate escape sequences. This is the /etc/profile script on a Freecom FSG3, which uses 'sh' from busybox:

# Set prompt

PS1="[\u@\h \W]\\$ "
export PS1

# Set window title

case $TERM in
xterm*)
PS1="\033]0;\u@\h: \w\007[\u@\h \W]\\$ "
;;
*)
;;
esac

Now, when you login using the new menu entry, the title bar of the window dynamically updates:

LTImage Installation on the Dreambox

2009-06-23T22:03:00.019+01:00

Upgrading / Installing

If you are upgrading the firmware, make sure that you have saved / backed up / recorded any important data, for example:

The Bouquets (using DreamboxEdit under Wine)
Your Timers
The Crontab File (crontab -l)
The LNB / Diseq configuration
Any scripts you have installed on the internal flash

LTImage Download and Install

Download the latest image for your dreambox from the LT Team website: http://www.ltteam.org/

Switch on your Dreambox, whilst holding down the down button on the front panel - the display will say **STOP**. Note the IP address displayed.

Connect to the IP address from your PC using a web browser, i.e. http://ip.add.re.ss/

Select firmware upgrade in the web browser page, and point at the nfi file you have downloaded, and press 'Flash!'.

Be patient ...

Swapfile

With the later versions of the image, it is necessary to use a swapfile. I use one on the compact flash, which is automatically mounted in /media/cf.

dd if=/dev/zero of=/media/cf/swapfile bs=1024 count=65544
mkswap /media/cf/swapfile
swapon /media/cf/swapfile

To make things permanent, create /etc/rc3.d/S99swap:

#!/bin/sh
swapon /media/cf/swapfile

Ensure that it can be executed with:

chmod a+x /etc/rc3.d/S99swap

Tuning In

Once the web browser has indicated that the download is complete, return to the Dreambox, and press the front panel power button off/on. The dreambox will now boot.

Select the wizard, and configure your LNB setup, then configure your network. Once complete, press the Menu button, and go to Setup / Servce Searching, and leave the dreambox for a while, searching for available channels.

Viewing Card

For UK Freesat, plug your card into the front of the machine, then go to the LT Menu, and download / install MGCamd and NewCS. Select these in the LT Menu 'EMU' section.

Radiotimes, and EPG Grabber

LT provides an EPG downloader. You provide it with an XML file, containing the channels you wish to download, and the python script visits the appropriate guide provider (e.g. Radio Times), and downloads the data.

This method is quite slow, as by default, every possible channel is downloaded. I have created my own scripts, which parse the currently selected bouquets and generate a minimal download.

E2 LoadEPG

Alternatively, someone has managed to produce an OpenTV decoder, and has created E2LoadEPG. It can be downloaded from: http://www.ambrosa.net/, and installed.

cd /media/hdd/download
wget http://www.ambrosa.net/data/files/E2_LOADEPG/e2_loadepg-052.tgz
cd /media/cf
tar xvzf /media/hdd/download/e2_loadepg-0.52.tgz

The program is a suite of python scripts, with a binary application to do the actual download. There are five files which require editing.

First File: /media/cf/e2_loadepg/e2_loadepg.conf

DOWNLOAD_MODULES=bskybsat

Second File: /media/cf/e2_loadepg/dl_modules/bskybsat-channel_list.conf

The script provides the option of selecting which EPGs to download. This actually needs to be automated (parsing lamedb and favorites like I do with my approach), however in the meanwhile, you need to set each channel you wish to get a guide for to a '1'.

# bbc 1 e mids , id=2105
2105=0,bbc 1 e mids
# bbc 1 east (e) , id=2106
2106=0,bbc 1 east (e)
# bbc 1 east (w) , id=2073
2073=0,bbc 1 east (w)

Third File: /usr/bin/enigma2.sh

Following a download, the enigma application is re-started, and this is when it reads the EPG from /media/hdd/epg.dat. I can't find a way of pointing it at the compact flash, however using the hard disk will not force it to keep spinning, as the file is read on startup, then deleted.

Editing the enigma2.sh script to include a 'ln' command makes the EPG available on each reboot:

#!/bin/sh
/usr/bin/showiframe /boot/backdrop.mvi
cd /home/root
[ -f /media/cf/ext.epg.dat ] && ln -s /media/cf/ext.epg.dat /media/hdd/epg.dat
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libopen.so.0.0 /usr/bin/enigma2
....

Fourth file: /media/cf/e2_loadepg/dl_modules/bskybsat.conf

The fourth file contains the actual download configuration - the transponder needs to be changed so that the program can switch to the right channel to download the EPG. There are two channels I have found that work: "EPG Background Audio" and "IEPG data 1" - if the channel does not have an audio stream playing the background audio you normally hear when navigating the EPG on a sky box, it probably won't have the EPG data.

#
# Set to EPG Background Audio
#
TRANSPONDER_SID_CHANNEL=1038:011C0000:07D4:0002:2:0

Last File: crontab (using 'crontab -e')

2 2 * * * python /media/cf/e2_loadepg/e2_loadepg.py

A Manual Run

Type:

python /media/cf/e2_loadepg/e2_loadepg.py

And check the log file:

/media/cf/e2_loadepg/loadepg.log

TomTom Go Live 540 GPS - Review

2009-02-22T09:57:00.033Z

Following the purchase (and return) of a Navman S80 Deluxe GPS, I plunged for the TomTom Go Live 540, and haven't regretted it since.

Conclusion

GPS - 9/10 - A well engineered device, with good quality accessories. Flexible, adaptable, re-configurable.

There is a different blog entry for the Live services, which can be found here.

Series

The TomTom Go Live series in the UK has the TomTom Go Live 540, Tom Tom Go Live 740 and Tom Tom Go Live 940.

These devices have similar functions, and the main difference is the maps:

The 540 covers the UK and Republic Of Ireland
The 740 also Includes Europe
The 940 also Includes the US and Canada

You can buy add-on maps at a later date, so it is possible to buy the 540 and add the Europe Maps with an online download.

One other difference is the MP3 license. The 540 does not come with an MP3 license, so you can't use it to play music whilst you drive.

Build Quality

The GPS itself is extremely well built, with a slightly rubberised casing, which makes it easy to grip. The large wide screen is extremely clear and easy to see.

The GPS comes with a windscreen mount, which has a screw-fitting to enable / disable the suction cup, making it very easy to fit and remove, and very secure once installed.

The docking station is robust and heavy, and doesn't slide around on the desk when the wind blows the USB cable.

Navigation and Map Accuracy

I have had the GPS since December 2008, and have been extremely happy with the quality and accuracy of the maps, and the navigation method.

When driving, you can use either the 2D or the 3D view. You can configure the screen to show key navigation information, such as time to go, road speed, and guidance for the next junction. Touching different parts of the screen brings up different menus - many of these menus can be moved to your liking, but in the images displayed on this blog:

Middle of the screen brings up the main menu.
Bottom of the screen brings up the current route navigation meu.
Right of the screen brings up the traffic menu.
The Arrow icon shown on the screen brings up a configurable quick menu.
You can also add a Voice Control icon to the screen (see voice control below).

Planning

Planning a route is extremely easy - you can just hit the screen, and select 'Navigate To'.

Or you can pre-plan a route, which is particularly useful if you are inside and out of GPS reception.

You can then choose to navigate to:

Home
A Favorite
A Point of Interest
A Town / Street Name / Postcode
Recent Destinations
Position on a Map
Latitude / Longitude
Position of Last Stop

When using the TomTom Services, you can also do an online search, and navigate there.

Voice Clarity

There are two different types of voice you can use on the GPS, Sampled Voices and Computer Generated Voices. If you use the Sampled Voices, you can have characters such as John Cleese telling you to "turn around and place the car in the opposite direction to the way you were previously facing", however, John's voice cannot synthesise all of the road and street names in the country.

Hearing street names means that you don't need to look at the GPS at all to check which turn it actually means - this makes driving with this GPS even safer. When I drive in to work, it will say to me things like "Go around the roundabout, second exit, A1, towards Stevenage".

Technology has got to a stage where it is beginning to be difficult to tell when the voice is computer generated. The two UK English voices (1 Male and 1 Female) are very clear and easy to understand.

Navigation

With the clear screen and the comprehensive voice directions, it makes things very easy to drive, and you rarely have to interact with the GPS itself.

The only real time that you may need to look at the device is to navigate complex junctions, to verify that you are in the correct lane, going the correct direction. For this, the advanced lane guidance comes to your aid. This system presents a large full-screen image of the exit, so all that is needed is a glance.

Map Updates

This is one of the areas where the TomTom comes into its own, up and above the other offerings, such as the Navman S80, reviewed earlier on this blog.

Maps are procured by TomTom from various different map providers around the world. For the UK, the map provider is the same as the one which supplies Google Maps.

I have used the "Report Map Error" feature a number of times, and recently checked on Google, and saw that one of the modifications I had made (identifying a road as being a footpath, and naming it "Old Tram Road") has made it from my GPS to TomTom, to the Map Provider, and to Google within about 6 weeks.

It is highly likely that you are on the road when you spot a map error. It is possible with a quick link on the screen, to bookmark a site which needs correction, and make the correction when you get home. This includes renaming roads, changing road directions, renaming or moving points of interest, and reporting new safety cameras.

Bluetooth and Voice Control

Voice Control

The GPS can be controlled by voice, using the in-built microphone, or through a bluetooth headset, so rather than navigating through the menus to get what you want, all you need to do is hit a microphone icon on the screen, and use one of the many pre-defined commands to directly drive the GPS. The GPS does not need any voice training, it just works, out of the box. There are dozens and dozens of commands, which include:

"Calculate Alternative"
"Calculate Original"
"Avoid Roadblock"
"Add Favourite"
"Brightness Up"
"Call Home"
"Map Error"
"Minimise Delays"
"Navigate to a Postcode"
"Navigate to the Nearest Cash Machine"

TomTom Live Services

TMC Cables

I bought a TMC cable with the TomTom - these contain an FM radio aerial, which you drape around your windscreen. In the UK, Classic FM transmits the TMC traffic messages for motorways and major roads.

If you have an active subscription to the TomTom Live Services, this will always override the TMC traffic function. The TomTom Live Service now works in other countries without any additional subscription, so all you need to have are the maps.

There is little need for a TMC cable (it is only useful if you do not have any Live coverage, which is rare). I would recommend buying a TMC cable when you need one (perhaps travelling to a country that supports TMC, but not Live services), not when you buy your Go Live GPS receiver.

The Live Advantage

When I bought my GPS, I intended to use the live services for the free 3 months, and then go on to using the TMC cable, however, the Live Services have a much better reception than TMC, far better coverage, and other useful features, such as an itegrated Google Search for locations. See the Live Blog Entry (comming soon) for more a much more thorough write-up.

External Links

TomTom XL LIVE IQ Routes Edition Europe Satellite Navigation System

TomTom GO 540 Satellite Navigation System - LIVE UK & ROI

TomTom GO 750 LIVE Satellite Navigation System

TomTom GO 950 LIVE Satellite Navigation System

Can't See my FSG3 Shares on Mandriva

2009-02-21T14:16:00.005Z

Following the installation of Mandriva Linux on my desktop PC, I have been unable to simply access shares on my FSG3 Network Storage box.

I use the browse shares, but the contents of the FSG3 always appear empty. I can mount the share manually, by typing:

smb://media/sharename

But I can't browse all of the shares. On looking at the smb.conf file (which is located on the FSG3 in the /usr/local/samba/lib directory, it is clear that it doesn't actualy have any specified ones (unless you are the administrator).

I have therefore modified the /usr/local/samba/lib/smb.conf file to include a 'HOME' section, as shown below.

[global]
workgroup=LOCAL
netbios name=media
server string=Freecom StorageGateway
security=user
encrypt passwords=Yes
null passwords=Yes
admin users=admin
disable spoolss=Yes
max log size=50
socket options=TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=65536 SO_SNDBUF=65536
use mmap=Yes
use sendfile=Yes
lock directory=/ramdisk/samba

[FSG]
comment=Admin access to entire disk
path=/home
writeable=Yes
browseable=No
valid users=admin
create mode=0666
directory mode=0777

[HOME]
comment=Home directories
path=/home
writeable=Yes
browseable=Yes
create mode=0664
directory mode=0775

Following this update, the server is re-started:

/etc/init.d/samba stop
/etc/init.d/samba start

I can now browse to smb://media/home, and see all of the user areas. Note that unix file and directory permissions still apply, and that you have to be logged in as the correct user, and be in the correct group.

Webcam Manipulation with Javascript

2009-02-15T16:50:00.013Z

I purchased an IcamView web server, and megapixel webcam, which I have waterproofed, and placed in the garden.

The IcamView web server has a low power processor, and is unable to manipulate the images at all. When you use the ActiveX or Java video viewer, the viewer manipulates the image for you (on the client PC).

If you access still frames, you have no such tool, and the frames come straight from the camera, warts and all. The most obvious issue is when images are flipped by the camera, and it expects the software to flip the images back.

I have created a Javascript file (webcam.js), which can post-process images from webcams. It is intended for people who don't know or want to know how to perform any Javascript programming.

Adding the Code in your HTML File

All you need to do is use your favorite web editor, and include the Javascript, a webcam tag, and a normal img tag for backwards comatibility with non-Javascript capable browsers.

<script language="javascript" src="webcam.js"></script>

<webcam src="http://www.trumpton.org.uk/webcam/garden0.jpg"
graceful="yes" errsrc="http://www.trumpton.org.uk/webcam/offline-320x200.jpg" alt="Tomy Cam" showdate="yes" bgc="black" fgc="white" refresh="310" />

<noscript><img class="webcam" src='http://www.trumpton.org.uk/webcam/garden0.jpg' alt="Tomy Cam" /></noscript>

The Code all belongs in the <body> section of the web page.

The <script> tag loads the Javascript file.
The <webcam> tag is interpreted by the script, and loads / edits the image.
The <noscript> tag is ignored by browsers that can process Javascript, and handled by any other ones - the images displayed on these browsers will not be flipped / rotated or labelled.

More Information

More information, including the source code, can be found here.

Linux Kernel Installation with VirtualBox

2009-02-05T00:07:00.038Z

Following the installation of virtualbox, I have downloaded and built my own Linux kernel and applications from scratch. This blog entry is a step-by-step description of what I've done.

Contents

Build Machine
Development Tools
Ipkg Manager
Directory Structure
bin Directory and Tools
etc/ipk Directory
makefiles Directory
Packages
Downloading
Building Packages
Creating the Filesystem
Building the Kernel
Building Glibc
Building Busybox
Installing Packages
Building Image
Creating CDROM
Making Bootable

Build Machine

The machine used to build is a Packard Bell desktop, with an Intel Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz (19200 BogoMIPS total), with 1Gb RAM.

Each of the compile steps below, was performed in sequence, and has an indication of how long it took on my machine. Once you have performed one of the steps, you should gain an understanding of how each step takes (releatively).

Development Tools

A number of development tools are needed to build a software release - with Mandriva, all of these tools can be installed through the admin menu.

GCC 4.3.2 or later
GNU Make
GNU Bison
GNU binutils 2.9.1.0.23 or later
Other standard GNU/Unix tools
LZO 1.02 (devel) or later
Ruby

IPKG Manager

From the installation files, you will see that I am always trying to keep the install size down, that's why I selected busybox. This is also why I've selected to use the itsy package manager which is a cut down version of the Debian package manager. It creates ipk files, and the tools can be downloaded from here:

ipkg-tools
ipkg-build

Directory Structure

I've created a directory hierarchy on my Linux machine, which will contain files as follows:

bin - contains scripts and programs I used to develop the build
build - working directory where all of the compilation is performed
etc - directory, where I include all of my configuration files for the build
ipk - directory where all of the ipk install files are stored
makefiles - I use make to control all of the building, and the makefiles live here
sources - holds the downloaded source code
image - where a build image is created
iso - where the iso cdrom images are stored

Bin Directory and Tools

In the bin directory, I have several scripts, the first being 'setpath', which is used to set up the build environment, and is sourced by typing a dot, space and setpath, i.e.: . setpath

setpath file contents:

#
# Root work area
#
ROOT="/home/blin"
export ROOT

PATH="$ROOT/bin:$PATH"
export PATH

#
# Source Tarball directory
#
SRC="$ROOT/source"
export SRC

#
# SVN Archive directory
# Used for locally developed applications
#
SVN="$ROOT/svn"
export SVN

#
# Build directory
# Used to compile programs
#
BUILD="$ROOT/build"
export BUILD
#
# Installation directory
# Used to install programs (full development tree)
#
INSTALL="$ROOT/install"
export INSTALL

#
# IPK directory
# Used to create distribution packages from installation
#
IPK="$ROOT/ipk"
export IPK

#
# Image directory
# Used to create distribution image from packages
#
IMAGE="$ROOT/image"
export IMAGE

#
# Aliases
#
alias cdp="cd $ROOT"
alias cdb="cd $BUILD"

Now, I manage all of my source bundles with ipk control files, which are stored in etc/ipk (see below). There are two scripts that extract information from these files: getversion and download.

getversion looks into the appropriate ipk control file, and extracts the version number of the requested application:

getversion file contents:

#!/bin/sh

if [ "$ROOT" == "" ]
then
echo "\$ROOT not set, did you source setpath?"
exit
fi

cd $ROOT/build

if [ "$1" == "" ]
then
echo "getversion application"
echo ""
echo "e.g. getversion glibc"
echo ""
exit
fi

if [ -f $ROOT/etc/ipk/$1 ]
then
VERS="`cat $ROOT/etc/ipk/$1 | grep Version | cut -d' ' -f2-`"
echo "$VERS"
else
echo "0.0.0.0.0.0.0"
fi

download is used to download the requested file from its source, and store the resulting tar / bzip file in the sources directory.

download file contents:

#!/bin/sh

DATE="`date +%y%m%d`"

if [ "$ROOT" == "" ]; then
echo "ROOT environment variable is not set."
echo "has setpath been sourced?"
exit
fi

if [ "`which wget`" == "" ]; then
echo "wget is required, please install."
exit
fi

cd "$ROOT/sources"

#
# Download via wget
#

if [ "$1"=="" ]; then
SOURCES="cat /etc/ipk/* | grep Source: | grep wget, | cut -d ',' -f2-`"
else
SOURCES="cat /etc/ipk/$1 | grep Source: | grep wget, | cut -d ',' -f2-`"
fi

for SOURCE in $SOURCES
do
FILE=`basename $SOURCE`
NAME="`echo $FILE | cut -d- -f1`"
if [ -f $FILE ]
then
echo "$NAME has already been downloaded, skipping."
else
echo "Downloading $NAME from $SOURCE."
mv -f "$NAME-*" old > /dev/null 2>&1
wget -nv "$SOURCE"
fi
done

#
# Download via git
#

if [ "$1"=="" ]; then
SOURCES="`cat ../etc/ipk/* | grep Source: | grep git, | cut -d',' -f2-`"
else
SOURCES="`cat ../etc/ipk/$1 | grep Source: | grep git, | cut -d',' -f2-`"
fi

for SOURCE in $SOURCES
do
NAME=`basename $SOURCE`
FILE="$NAME-$DATE.tar.bz2"
if [ -f $NAME-*.tar.bz2 ]
then
echo "$NAME has already been downloaded, skipping. (Manually remove $FILE to force download)"
else
echo "Downloading $NAME from $SOURCE."
cd ../tmp
rm -rf ../tmp/*
git clone $SOURCE > /dev/null
mv $NAME $NAME-$DATE
rm -rf $NAME-$DATE/.git
tar cf ../sources/$NAME-$DATE.tar $NAME-$DATE
rm -rf $NAME-$DATE
cd ../sources
bzip2 $NAME-$DATE.tar
fi
done

In order to unpack the downloaded bundles for compilation, I use an unpack script called, unpack!

unpack file contents:

#!/bin/sh

if [ "$ROOT" == "" ]
then
echo "\$ROOT not set, did you source setpath?"
exit
fi

if [ "$ARCH" == "" ]
then
echo "\$ARCH not set, did you remember to set and export it?"
exit
fi

HOSTP="`cat $ROOT/etc/ipk/$1 | grep Depends | cut -d' ' -f2`"
if [ "$HOSTP" == "host-development-environment" ]
then
export ARCH="host"
fi

mkdir -p $ROOT/build/$ARCH
cd $ROOT/build/$ARCH

if [ "$1" == "" ]
then
echo "unpack application"
echo ""
echo "e.g. unpack glibc"
echo ""
exit
fi

if [ -f $ROOT/sources/$1-* ]
then
FILE="`ls $ROOT/sources/$1-* | head -1`"
EXT="`echo $FILE | awk -F . '{print $NF}'`"
DONE="0"
if [ "$EXT" == "tar" ]
then
echo "Unpacking $FILE"
tar xf $FILE
touch $1-*
DONE="1"
fi
if [ "$EXT" == "gz" ]
then
echo "Unpacking compressed $FILE"
tar xzf $FILE
touch $1-*
DONE="1"
fi
if [ "$EXT" == "bz2" ]
then
echo "Unpacking bz2 compressed $FILE"
bunzip2 -dc $FILE | tar xf -
touch $1-*
DONE="1"
fi
if [ "$DONE" == "0" ]
then
echo "Unknown file extension, or file not found for $0"
fi
else
echo "package $1 not found in $ROOT/sources"
echo "ensure that the ipk control file exists in $ROOT/etc/ipk"
echo "then run download"
exit
fi

etc/ipk Directory

The etc/ipk directory contains the control files for all of the applications to be downloaded and used in the image. The ipkg manager understands the concept of dependencies, and requires that specific packages are installed in order to use other packages. Each package has a control file, which contains this and more information. Control files are in the following format:

Package: packagename
Section: admin / base / comm / editors / extras / graphics / libs / misc / net / text / web / x11
Priority: required / optional / standard / important / extra
Version: version.number
Architecture: ARCHITECTURE / all
Maintainer: www.vizier.co.uk
Source: wget,url / git,url
Depends: dependencies,separated,by,commas
Description: Textual Description of the package

Packages are downloaded and stored in files containing their package name and version number, e.g. packagename-version.number.tar.bz2. The word ARCHITECTURE is automatically replaced during compilation with the processor architecture of the release, e.g. i586. When they are built, they end up in an ipk file with a name such as busybox-1.16.0-i586.ipk.

The source field is used by the download script to fetch the appropriate sourcecode and place it in the sources directory.

Depends is a list of the packages that must be installed for this package to work. The root package is named filesystem, onto which the linux kernel is installed. The main library glibc needs the kernel, and most applications need glibc. The hierarchy of dependencies is shown in the Packages section below.

There are also 4 scripts which may be used during installation / removal of a package - these are:

preinst [runs prior to install]
postinst [runs after files are installed]
prerm [runs prior to removal]
postrm [runs after files are removed]

These scripts may also exist in the etc/ipk directory, and be named packagename-preinst, packagename-postinst etc.

makefiles Directory

Building packages is performed using makefiles. In order to place all of the customisation in a single place, it is all done in the apporpriate make file.

... add words on makefiles here ..

Packages

The packages are all identified in the etc/ipk directory, and have the following dependency hierarchy:

filesystem
linux
glibc
busybox
ipkg
brltty

Rather than show the contents of all of the packages here, they can be downloaded as part of the install tree from here.

Downloading

With the configuration files created, downloading is as simple as typing 'download', which runs the script from the bin directory.

Building Packages

Downloaded packages all need to be configured and compiled for the target architecture.

Creating the Filesystem

The target machine filesystem needs some basic directory structure, and some system device 'files' creating. This can all be done inside an ipk install script.

.. list the ipk install script here as it is interesting ..

Once the ipk install script has been created, it should be saved as a source tarball (remember that this one is created and cannot be downloaded, so be careful about removing everything in the sources directory).

.. create the filesystem tarball ..

.. create the filesystem ipk file ..

Building the Kernel

Building the linux kernel is probably one of the longest individual tasks that you will need to do - for me, the compilation took 25 minutes.

Building Glibc
Building Busybox

Installing Packages

Building Image

Creating CDROM

Making Bootable

Unpacking, Configuring and Building the Kernel (25 minutes )

For my first build, I've decided to build the kernel with its default configuration. I've downloaded the kernel source, and unpacked into source/linux-2.6.28.10 and compiled it:

# unpack

cd sources
tar xzf ../0-tarballs/linux-2.6.28.10.tar.gz

# configure kernel

cd source/linux-*
make mrproper
make menuconfig
cp .config* ../kernel-config

# compile

make
make bzImage
make modules
rm -rf ../../images/kernel
mkdir ../../images/kernel ../../images/kernel/boot
make INSTALL_MOD_PATH=../../images/kernel INSTALL_PATH=../../images/kernel/boot modules_
install install

* Note - need to install the kernel and header files in images, so that glibc can use them when it is being compiled.

This installation created .... in ....

Unpacking and Building GLibC (15 minutes)

GLibC is configured and built in the images directory:

# unpack

cd sources
tar xzf ../tarballs/glibc-2.10.tar.gz

# build

mkdir ../root ../root/etc
cd ../images/glibc
../../source/glibc*/configure --prefix=`pwd`/../root CFLAGS="-march=i586 -O2"
make
echo > ../root/etc/ld.so.conf
make install

This installation creates libc.a and libc.so in images/glibc, along with the header files.

* Note need to install glibc and header files in images so that applications can use them when compiling.

Unpacking and Building the Bootloader

# cd bld/grub-1.96
# DST=`pwd`/../../dst
# ./configure --prefix=$DST CFLAGS="-march=i586 -O2"
# make
# make install

Unpacking and Building Busybox

I've downloaded and unpacked busybox-1.13.2 into the bld/busybox-1.13.2 directory.

# unpack

cd source
tar xvf ../tarballs/busybox*.tar.bz2
cd busybox*
make defconfig
make

Busybox need libm.so.6, libc.so.6, linux-gate.so.1, ld-linux.do.2 - the above script need modifying to link against freshly compiled libraries.

This installation creates 'busybox' in the source/busybox* directory.

Building and Installing Grub

cd source/grub-1.95
./configure --prefix=`pwd`/../../root
make
make install

Building an Image

# Directories here need to be sorted out

cd distribution
rm -rf iso-boot
mkdir iso-boot
(cd kernel ; tar cf - . ) | ( cd iso-boot ; tar xf - )
(cd iso-boot/boot ; ln -s vm* vmlinuz)

genisoimage -o iso/boot.iso \
-b source/syslinux*/core/isolinux.bin -c source/syslinux*/core/boot.cat \
-no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table \
images/iso-boot

The Automated Makefile

Booting VirtualBox

Modifying the Image

Distributing the Image

Notes

Builds should be done with the correct architecture in mind, for example:

CFLAGS="-march=i586 -O2"

The C Flag -march indicates that the architecture is for the Intel 586. This is particularly important when compiling low level code, such as parts of GLibC and Kernel Drivers, which use architecture-dependent assembler.

You can change the architecture, but you need to do it consistently.

Eclipse Internet Backup Service and Linux / Wine

2009-02-02T17:35:00.012Z

Eclipse Internet Home Broadband Pro comes with a free on-line backup facility, but only comes with a Windows based client. This note shows how the tool has been installed and operated under Wine on Mandriva 2009.

Installation
After downloading, double clicking on the .exe file, it installed into its default location. The account came with a username and password, which was prompted for and entered.

Backup Configuration

With the program, you can select which directories to back-up - remember that as this is a Wine application, you can only see the 'windows' drives.

Now, the backup offers you the choice of which drives to include for the operation.

By default, 'My Documents' is selected, and this maps onto whichever directory you have selected for the Documents folder in the Wine Configuation application (Desktop Integration / Shell Folders).

There is an advanced button, which I suspect is there to allow you to pick your own directories from the filesystem, however this does not appear to work properly.

When you select 'Advanced', you get a file hierarchy selection, but rather than containing a filesystem tree, it contains 'colours', 'sports' and 'food' - I presume that this is an internal development function that we should never see.

Having said that, it does not prevent us from using the tool to perform backups.

I have selected the tool to backup 'My Documents', which, for me, maps onto /home/steve/Documents (in the Wine configuration tool).

The backup tool follows softlinks, and also follows "hidden" .xxx files. I have other directories in /home/steve that I want to back up, so all I need to do is soft link them, for example:

ln -s /home/steve/directory1 /home/steve/Documents/.directory1

This way, the backup covers them, but I don't need to keep seeing them in the file manager on the computer.

Before backing up, the tool asks for a password to encrypt the uploaded data - this uses AES128, as symmetrically keyed algorithm.

Scheduled Backups

The application seems to run quite happily from the Linux systray, so it is just a matter of selecting the schedule configuration.

The only thing it doesn't seem to be able to do is display the start time that you have selected - I guess that there is a slight incompatibility or assumption in the font chosen in the drop-down boxes, and it doesn't quite fit. It doesn't, however, impede the selection of the start time.
Performing Restores

Restores are as simple as backups. Restores, by default, try to place the files into "c:\windows\profiles\username\My Documents", however, this uses the Microsoft "move-and-confuse" directory feature, whereby the c:\windows\profiles\username\My Documents" directory is actually the same directory as the one you specified in the Wine configuration program (e.g. /home/users/username/Documents), and is the same directory you used for the backup.

You can select a different directory for the restore, however, the tree does not offer you any of the other mounted drives. It is possible that these look like network drives to the application (I am not sure how Wine handles the drive mapping), so you won't see your drive D:, E: etc...

If you want to restore the files to a different directory, I'd suggest creating a 'restore' subdirectory in your 'Documents' folder, and restoring to there.

Automatic launching on Boot / Login

In order to be useful, the program needs to run in the background. It has a GUI, so running it as a Wine command-line application seems unlikely. I believe that the only realistic way to use the program is to auto-run it when you login.

If you want the program to backup multiple user's files through one account, I suspect that you are going to have to either run the application as root, or provide the current user with read permission for the other user's files, and soft-link. This could be achieved with a group access permission on the filesysytem.

Running the application as root could have possibilities, i.e. in root's Wine configuration, could point to root's Documents folder, which contains softlinks to all user's 'backup-me' folders. This program, however, would be accessible to the current user, who would be able to restore other people's files wherever he wanted.

Links

Eclipse Home Broadband Pro

Installing VirtualBox on Linux Mandriva

2009-02-01T21:16:00.002Z

VirtualBox is a free virtual machine developed by Sun Microsystems.

This is particularly useful when building kernels and checking that they boot correctly.

It is also useful if you wish to switch between operating systems, or have (as happens in so many cases), applications which will only run under Microsoft.

I personally have installed VirtualBox under Mandriva 2009, from the add/remove programs part of the computer configuration.

Permissions

The first time I ran it, it appeared to run perfectly, however, I believed I could not see all of the hardware, so I ran it as root. From then on, it would only run as root, and I received the following error message when I tried to run 'VirtualBox' from the command line as a mortal user:

WARNING: The vboxdrv kernel module is not loaded. Either there is no module available for the current kernel (2.6.27.7-desktop586-1mnb) or it failed to load. Please recompile the kernel module and install it by sudo /etc/rc.d/init.d/virtualbox start.

You will not be able to start VMs until this problem is fixed. VirtualBox: SUPR3HardenedMain: effective uid is not root (euid=500 egid=500 uid=500 gid=500)

Now my Mandriva 2009 does not have 'sudo' installed - this appears to be a dependency of VirtualBox that was overlooked during installation. I installed 'sudo' through the system's Administration control panel. I also had to edit /etc/sudoers to include myself:

me ALL=/etc/rc.d/init.d/virtualbox
me ALL=/usr/bin/VirtualBox

This still isn't right - I can now sudo launch VirtualBox from the command line, but it doesn't work from the main menu. There are posts on the internet telling you to make sure that your user is in the correct group to get it to run as a mortal, however, I created the group, and changed the permissions on the application, but failed to get the program to work. I am therefore going onwards as root.

First Project

Before I started, I changed the directories used to store the virtual disks - this was as easy as clicking 'File Preferences'

Creating a new guest operating system is also very easy - it's all menu driven - select the 'New' button, identify your client operating system, and select the size of the boot disk.

I am making a small Linux distribution, so I have selected:

Linux 2.6256Mb RAM
2Gb Fixed Size Operating System DriveBuilding the Distribution

This is continued in a different blog entry!

Errors

Failed to register hard disk - a hard disk with the same UUID or properties is already registered: Make sure you delete / unregister the disk using the Virtual Disk Manager (it's on the file menu) rather than removing the actual file.

Links

Virtualbox can be downloaded from: http://www.virtualbox.org/

Ventriloquism for Dummies

2009-01-16T21:18:00.006Z

In light of the recent UK driving rules, where almost anything you do when behind the wheel of a car could be interpreted as "not being in proper control of the vehicle", you are at risk of a £60 fine and 3 points on your license if you do not 100% concentrating on the road.

Singing in your Car could cost you 3 points on your license

The new book, "Ventriloquism for Dummies" from Crackpot Press, will teach you techniques to evade capture, enabling you to sing along to your favourite tunes without anyone seeing your lips move.

Ventriloquism is 100% legal, and could save you from unnecessary expense

Mr Jones from Derby said: "What a complete load of rubbish, I bought Ventriloquism for Dummies, and didn't learn a thing"

When you buy Ventriloquism for Dummies, for a limited time only, you will also receive a sing-along CD, normally retailing at £180, with all of your favourite tunes, such as:

Night Fever - The Gee Gees
Dancing Queen - AGGA
Garcelona - Nonserrat Cagalle and Feddy Nercury
You Nake Lugging Gun - Fleetwood Nack

Ventriloquism for Dummies is not available in the shops, and this special offer is only available for a limited time.

Not only do you get a free sing-along CD, but you will also receive a roll of masking tape to put over your mouth whilst you practice - absolutely free.

"I got arrested for reading Ventriloquism for Dummies whilst on my way to work, what a waste of money." - Mrs Abbot, Gwent.

With Ventriloquism for Dummies, the free CDROM and Masking Tape, you will also receive a wire coat hanger, retailing in the shops at £52, but for you, it is absolutely free. You can wear this in the back of your jacket to prevent you from bopping around to the music in your car, and attracting attention.

Ventriloquism for Dummies has been written by Brother Robert, a Trappist Monk, and an expert in not moving his lips. His experience will guarantee your success.

Remember that this is not available in the shops. This fabulous collection also comes with a de-muffler exhaust loudener, worth £1021, to prevent anyone hearing the loud music going on in your car.

This fabulous collection, includes:

Ventriloquism for Dummies
Sing along CDROM
Mouth Tape
Posture Adjuster
Exhaust Loudener

And can be yours for a fantastic £299.99

Order now, terms and conditions apply.

Navman S80 Deluxe - Review

2009-01-10T20:16:00.014Z

I briefly had a Navman S80 Deluxe (S80D) GPS, which I bought from Halfords in the new year sales.

Conclusion

Note: The S80 and S80D are not the same model, nor is the Deluxe an enhanced version of the S80.

2/10 - Lots of good features, however they are let down by poor documentation, software, voice and traffic capability - nice wallet though.

First Impressions

I got the bundle from Halfords. The bundle contained the Navman unit itself, a CDROM a tome of a license agreement, a windscreen mount and power cable, a TMC traffic cable, a USB cable and a case.

Look and Feel

The device iself is made of plastic (as most are), with a clean symmetrical shape, but with quite a tacky feel. Although the box said it came with a bag, it actually came with a really nice leather wallet with a magnetic latch.
The screen mount adaptor connects well to the screen, and the GPS needs to align with a platic fin, which it slides down before connecting at the base. The power cable has a large 12V plug at the other end.

User Interface

The device uses a touch screen user interface, but the layout can be quite difficult to use, particularly as a passenger using the GPS on the move - the buttons to toggle between 2D and 3D, or the button you need to press to get to the Navigate screen are smaller than a 1p coin

The device enables you to select your destination by postcode or by address. The database seems quite complete, and a voice speaks the letters as you press them.

When on the road, a small button on the screen enables the display to toggle between 2D, 3D, Route, Traffic and Step-by-step. The 3D route orients itself to the direction of travel, whereas it is possible to force the 2D view to orient itself due north.

I had some cases when I toggled through these views, when it came back to the 3D view, and the screen no longer scrolled with you in the centre, and you slowly drove off the edge of the screen. Switching the device off and on, and re-entering your destination seemed to fix this.

When approaching roundabouts, there is a large image in the top left of the screen, showing you a clear and precise picture of the roundabout, showing you your exit. When driving along the road, there is an exact image of the next junction at the bottom left of the screen.

The screen can also display Time / Distance to go, Time / Distance to next junction, Estimated time of arrival. The ETA seemed quite accurate.

Map Quality

I used the device with the 2007 maps - it came with a free upgrade to the 2009 ones, and I registered and sent off the email, but the automated system never sent back a confirmation. The 2009 maps are due for release some time in the middle of the year.

Having said that, the map I used seemed quite accurate, for example, I never came to a roundabout where the GPS though that there were more or fewer junctions that in reality (a failing of many GPSs).

There is a patch between the A1 and Cambridge which is shown as hatched on the map - I have no idea what this is, but it did have difficulty calculating a route when in this area, telling me to get to a road, when I was blatently driving down one.

GPS and Navigation Hardware

The S80 GPS has its moments. If you switch the device off with a short soft-off press on the power switch, it locks on pretty quickly after being turned back on. If it has been re-started from scratch, it takes a while to lock on, and invariably asks you if you are indoors 4 minutes after leaving your house.

The S80 comes with a TMC traffic cable - I never actually got this to work. The documentation tells you that the speaker connector is a speaker/traffic connector, but if you plug the cable in there, not only does the traffic system never detect a signal, but the speaker no longer works. The S80 also comes with a separate base unit, which takes the charger cable. There is also another jack socket with an image of a microphone on it - the TMC system doesn't work if you use this socket either. In fact, there are 3 sockets to choose from, and none of them allowed me to get a TMC data lock in 2 weeks.

Bluetooth and Phone Interface

The S80 can connect to a phone and also a bluetooth headset. The phone interface allows you to use it as a hands free system, however, if it did enable you to use the phone's voice dialling, I never found out how.

I could not send VCard entries across from my Nokia mobile phone, and couldn't work out how to make use of the address book. These features together made the hands-free features pretty useless to me.

Documentation and Software

The documentation for the S80 left much to be desired - there is a quick-start guide, which tells you to plug the TMC cable into the wrong hole (I presume), and the biggest document you get is a license agreement.

This is because, under the bonnet, the GPS is running a Microsoft operating system - how do I know this (well, I didn't read the license agreement) - when I tried to perform a firmware update patch, I downloaded a 34Mb file, and after seeing some Microsoft error messages on the device's screen, the update eventually gave up - I never did manage to install Service Pack 1.

PIN

The device has a PIN capability, so that you can protect your details in the GPS. This is a great idea, but as with many of the other features, leaves a little to be desired.

The PIN must be set by connecting the device to a PC - hopefully this means that if the device is stolen, nobody can get the details out of it. Unfortunately, I soft-started the device several times, and it did not ask me to enter the PIN before working. An intermittant PIN is of no use to anyone.

Text to Speech

The device does not say anything on the box about Text to Speech, however, if you do a search on the internet (navman Website) for the S80, you will see examples showing it saying "Turn Left into Wallace Drive" etc. I never heard any of this. checking the documentation, and it does not say that it supports Text to Speech, so I checked the Halfords website, and there is a question to which the Halford response is "Yes this does have TTS - we will update our documentation / website".

Well, I took the device back to Halfords because of the non-functional Text to Speech, and non-functional TMC traffic. They first told me that it wasn't supported, and after looking at the website and phoning head office, told me that it should be, but I needed to install the 'Kate' voice, which neither they nor I could find on the CDROM.

Good Features

Very good maps
Clear images when navigating roundabouts
Nice leather wallet

Desired Improvements

Improved documentation
A TMC system that works
Text to Speech
A PIN number that works all the time
VCard Support / Nokia E90 interfacing

I ended up asking for a refund, and I went on to buy a Tom Tom Go Live 540, which Ive now had (and am keeping!!!) for a month - review coming soon.

Links

Navman S80 (Navman UK, Navman Australia, Halfords)
Tom Tom Go Live

Postscript

The Navman S80 is no longer stocked by Halfords.

The Navman website states that the GPS comes with Tele Atlas map data 2007.4, but I suspect a free upgrade to the latest map would still be on the cards. If you do find a retailer, it may be worth checking this out.

ICamView Pro Server and Cameras - Review

2009-01-03T18:21:00.028Z

I've just bought an ICamView Pro Server, and installed it into my Garage.

Conclusion

9/10 - Multi-featured, robust, powerful little device. For my specific application, the device has a few little quirks, but these can all be worked around, and for £34, this is a must-have.

First Impressions

The server itself is very small and light (about the size of a couple of matchboxes), and was extremely easy to set up ... I just plugged it into the network, and it got an IP address from my modem/router, which it displayed on its LCD display - I plugged in the two cameras I had also bought (CM-51 1280x1024 camera and CM-09 - 640x480 infra-red camera), and they could be viewed via the web front end.

Reviewed Version

This review is for the ICamView Pro server (HCV91), running Firmware 3.3.CV91.8C02 (December 2008).

Setting Passwords

When I connected to the server, there were no password accounts set. The manual told me that if I forget my password and cannot get in, there is a username / password written on the device itself - the username and password are, indeed, written on the box, but it is not clear if they are 'inside' the device, so I've added the account manually.

I want to make the camera available over the internet for viewing stills, so I have created a 'camview' account with no password, and viewing-only permissions.

Configuring The Server

The cameras have loads of features for security applications, such as email or upload images to and FTP server on a specific schedule, or when motion is detected. The server supports automatic registration via dyndns so that it can be found over the internet, and plenty of other features such as a wi-fi dongle configuration.

Scheduled Uploading and Motion Detection

I've not tried the automatic emailing, but the FTP uploading works fine. Files are automatically named in sequence, with a numbering scheme that you choose - it should be noted that on reset, the numbering scheme reverts back to the start, so you can't use this system to record hourly / daily snapshots and keep them forever. The option to name files with the time and date would be a nice feature to add.

Motion detection works fine in a small room, but it is not sensitive enough to detect small animals in a garden, so using it to get snapshots of rare birds is not really an option. There is the option to connect an external PIR to the RS232 port, which may help provide the coverage needed.

Wifi Connection

I pulled a wi-fi dongle from a Reciva internet radio, and it connected and worked fine. Setup was very easy, and the link was quite robust. When I moved the server to my Garage, where the connection is borderline at the best of times, the server kept automatically re-trying to recover the connection whenever it dropped. The connection uses WEP, and it didn't look like WPA was available.

Confguring the Cameras

The cameras are equally easy to configure. The server automatically detects the cameras' capabilities and offers the relevant options (such as resolutions).

The server allows you to configure the rotation the images, to support situations where the cameras are not mounted the usual way up. These rotation options are used to instruct the viewer's Java or ActiveX viewing application to perform image rotation corrections - rotation options do not work when capturing stills (see below).

The options available are:

Option	Overview	Affects Video	Affects Stills
Image Size	Allows image size to be selected - Only camera capable modes are displayed, from 160120 up to 12801024	Yes	Yes
Brightness	Enables the camera 'brightness' to be turned up or down	Yes	Yes
Anti-Flicker	Enables the camera to compensate for 50Hz, 60Hz or No (outdoor) flicker	Yes	Yes
Max Number of Connections	Restricts the maximum number of simultaneous network connections	Yes	No
Location	Descrption of the camera's location. This is printed on the video frames.	Yes	No
Light Compensation	Enables the automatic gain control to support wide lighting variations.	Yes	Yes
Color	Forces the camera output to be colour or black and white.	Yes	Yes
Camera Position	Enables the output video to be rotated - i.e. supports cameras being mounted upside-down.	Yes	No
Pan Control	Controls the pan of the camera (if appropriate), supporting legacy cameras which had a reversed pan control.	Yes	Yes
Tilt Control	As with the Pan Control, enables the tilt control to be reversed.	Yes	Yes

Accessing the Cameras

The cameras can be accessed in several ways:

Email and FTP (pushed), as described above.
Streamed (pull) with either ActiveX or Java front-end.
Streamed (relay) through an iMage server - this only supports ActiveX.
Stills access (and camera control) using a pda.cgi script on the server.

Streamed Pull

The ActiveX and Java front ends work quite well, enabling you to see the live video, and control the camera (if it is a pan and tilt one). In order to access the video using the pull method, you need to ensure that the configuration (http) port and streaming ports are both accessible through your firewall - users needs to log onto your server with a valid account before being able to view / control / administrate your server.

Streamed Relay

The relay method seems to work without you opening up the video streaming port. In this instance, you create an account and log on to an ICamView server e.g. www.icv99.net, and stream your video via there.

Stills Access

Stills access using the pda.cgi script. This one shows great promise, however, in my opinion, it is still not quite there. Still images can be accessed by connecting to the camera server's web server, and accessing a page such as:

pda.cgi?user=username&password=password&page=image&cam=1

You can also control the camera (if it is a pan and tilt one) by accessing a page such as:

pda.cgi?user=username&password=password&page=execute&cam=1&command=1

This has a couple of downsides, though:

In order to make the pda.cgi function available, you have to open up your firewall and enable access to the main configuration management page. I do realise that the configuration management is protected by a password, but it would be better to allow just the pda.cgi page through - this could be achieved by running 2 webservers on different ports, and one port would only support the pda.cgi script.
Images are not rotated like they are in the streamed video - this is because the server relays whatever the camera is producing, and the Java or ActiveX control flips it or rotates is to the correct position. The stills need a bit of JavaScript (using the canvas feature), or we need to wait for CSS3 to arrive.
I've made a start at this - take a look at the garden webcam, the very alpha code is graceful, and does the following: flipping, rotating, scaling titling and dating.
There is no way to limit the requests per second when it comes to still images.

The latest firmware release supports direct access to the cameras with showimga.cgi and showimgb.cgi - this returns the actual jpeg image, or an ASCII string stating that the image is not available. This method prompts for the username / password in order to gain access. It may be better to always return a jpeg image so that the client can embed the result in an IMG tag.

Support

Whilst investigating the ICamView Pro Server, I emailed the tech support guys at ICamView, and they were extremely helpful and supportive, recognising that I was a bit of a techy, and providing thorough explanations to my questions rather than yes/no answers. With this support, I was better able to understand the server's capabilities.

Features I've Not Mentioned

The server has lots of other features too, which I haven't mentioned above. These include:

Connection Logging
Event Logging
Manual / DHCP Network Configuration
Configurable HTTP and Video Ports
Automatic DDNS regsitration
PPPoE support
8 Accounts with own passwords and restrictions
Ability to allow accounts access from specific IP address ranges
23 Event types that can be individually selected for reporting
3 sensitivities for motion detection
Motion detection and scheduled recording can be enabled during 2 timeslots
1/2 second - 5 second motion detection image recording
User defined interval for scheduled image recording
Recorded images -> email, FTP or local flash drive
Recorded videos -> local flash drive
Support for email server authentication
Selectable time server and re-synchronisation interval
v1 and v2c SNMP support

Good Features.

Supports 2 Cameras
Multi-featured
Can connect via wireless if a wifi dongle is used
Quick and simple to setup
Cost Effective
Excellent Support

Desired Improvements

It is not possible to make just the stills available through a firewall - a separate tcp port for the pda.cgi script would be useful.
A script needs writing to flip / rotate the stills at the client side.
A timestamp option rather than a sequenced number on saved images would be great for those images you want to keep forever.
WPA Support.
Limiting the maximum throughput rate for stills images

See the Webcams here.
ICamView's websites are here & here.
ICamView FAQ is here.

IR Webcam Setup

2009-01-02T15:01:00.090Z

I bought CM_09 USB webcam from ICamView, and decided to put it up in my Garage to monitor my woodwork projects. The camera when installed could only get an image of the opposite wall - this is because the angle of view was insufficient.

Now the field of view 'a' is the angle which the camera can 'see' - a person's field of view is approximately 100 degrees (3D), or 120 degrees (2D), or 180 degrees (monochromatic peripheral vision). The focal length 'f' is the distance from the lens assembly to the detector, and the other element in the equation is the size of the sensor 'd'.

I can remove the current CS lens, and I can see the sensor, which measures approximately 5mm x 7mm. A standard 1/2" sensor has the dimensions: 4.8mm x 6.4mm, s it must be a 1/2" sensor that I have. Note that if you can't measure the sensor, you can always work it out with the camera supplier's data sheet - you need to know the horizontal angle of view, and the focal length of the fitted lens - put the numbers into the calculator at the bottom of the page to find the nearest sensor size.

There is a relationship between the angle of view 'a', focal length 'f' and size of the CCD 'd' - pythagoras can help here, and from school, I know that tangent is opposite over adjacent, so I can work out the missing sizes with the equations shown below.

I want a field of view 'a' of about 100 degrees, and now I know the sensor width 'd' (6.4mm), so I can work out the required focal length 'f', which is 2.68 mm.
Maplin do a 2.9mm CS lens, which works out at 95.6 degrees. The resulting image can be seen below:

The circle round the outside of the image, I believe, is due to the lens being suitable for a 1/3" sensor, not a 1/2" sensor - so I need to find a ~2.5mm CS lens suitable for a 1/2" sensor.

To make things easier, I've included a handy-dandy Javascript calculator - just 'calculate' the missing item.

Calculation CCD Size

Happy New Year 2009

2009-01-02T12:48:00.003Z

Happy new Year for 2009. I do enjoy a good video, and would like to share with you some of my favorites.

Stop Frame Animation

I've always enjoyed stop frame animation, from Trumpton and Morph, when I was young, to Wallace an Grommit today. There are loads of great stop-frame animations on Youtube - here are a few of my favorites:

A few years ago, a Japanese student did a stop-frame video where she took a picture of herself every day for a year, then animated it into a short video. Very clever, but a bit monotonous. Olde English, a New York based comedy group did their version:

Another of my favorites has to be Tony vs Paul, produced in 2006 by Paul Cummings & Tony Fiandaca of FreePosterFilms.

Music

Mark Barker has a fun tribute to Klaus Nomi. Mark has a very practical way of going about things. I asked him what video editing software he used to get the text in the video to move about so fluidly - he answered "None - I just write the words on a bit of paper, and wobbled the camera about a bit":

Animusic have lots of great videos, but I paticularly like Pipe Dream:

Good vs Wiivil

Nintendo had a competition to find the best video that showed off their Wii. The winner by a long way was Good vs Wiivil. It's a video which has everything - Clever concept and animation; Comedy; and even a gunfight - what more would you want in a video (look out for the blind guy right at the end!):

Mandriva - Rhythmbox

2008-12-21T00:06:00.015Z

Rhythmbox is the media player to use, however, out of the box, it does not support the BBC Radio stations (due to the RealAudio Codec).

Installing the RealAudio Codec

The RealAudio Codec is not part of the default Mandriva release, and so to install it, you must enable the PLF sources:

# urpmi.addmedia plff ftp://ftp.free.fr/pub/Distributions_Linux/plf/mandriva/2009.0/free/release/binary/i586
# urpmi.addmedia plfnf ftp://ftp.free.fr/pub/Distributions_Linux/plf/mandriva/2009.0/non-free/release/binary/i586
# urpmi real-codecs
# urpmi.removemedia plff && urpmi.removemedia plfnf

Once installed, Rhythmbox will be able to decode the real-audio.

Adding your Stations

In order to add stations, you must know the URLs of the streams. For the BBC, I used the Reciva website, clicked on the play now link for the station, and then look in the source of the pop-up window to find the URL of the stream.

...
<iframe src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/realplayer/dsatg2.ram" frameborder="0" height="0" width="0"></iframe>
...

BBC7 is currently: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/realplayer/dsatg2.ram
Alouette is currently: http://www.alouette.fr/alouette.m3u

More Visualisations

If you want more visualisations, simply install the gstreamer0.10-visual and libvisual-plugins through the package manager.

Mandriva - Sound Juicer

2008-12-20T23:01:00.024Z

Now the Mandrive One 2009 image does not recognise any MP3 encoder. A popular encoder is lame, so in order to include it, you need to use some other sources for your downloads. Adding the PLF sources does the trick.

Once the gstreamer plugin is included, you need to Activate the MP3 encoder in the Audio CD Extractor (SoundJuicer). Do not delete or deactivate ones you don't need - for some reason if only the MP3 one is activated, SoundJuicer produces oga files!

# urpmi.addmedia plff ftp://ftp.free.fr/pub/Distributions_Linux/plf/mandriva/2009.1/free/release/binary/i586
# urpmi.addmedia plfnf ftp://ftp.free.fr/pub/Distributions_Linux/plf/mandriva/2009.1/non-free/release/binary/i586
# urpmi gstreamer0.10-lame
# urpmi.removemedia plff && urpmi.removemedia plfnf

After shutting down / restarting SoundJuicer, you will be able to rip MP3 files.

Note, if you have deleted the profiles before reading this, simply follow these steps:

Open the Configuration Editor, which you will find under Configuration Preferences
Navigate down the tree on the left to get to: "/system/gstreamer/0.10/audio/global"
Right Click on the 'profile_list' entry
Select 'Unset Key'

Pictures

Note that even thoughSoundJuicer has found an album art picture, it does not store this inside the MP3 file, along with its tags. If you want the pictures inserted, you need another application - I download the images from Amazon, and use easytag to embed them.

File Paths and Naming

I don't like the default file-naming, I prefer my files to be named aaa - nn_ttttt with album name, track number and track title. There is no option for this in SoundJuicer, however, if you run the ConfgurationEditor, you can change the file_pattern to:

%at - %tN_%tt

I also prefer my songs to be stored in Genre directories, i.e. genre/artist/aaa - nn_ttttt, but SoundJuicer does not have a variable for the Genre, so Ill have to live with manually moving these files about after the event!

CCD Size (& width):
Focal Length:	mm
Horizontal Angle of View:	degrees