IRC log for #neo900 on 20160715

00:05.26enycDocScrutinizer05: i guess too soon to tell what this means for wviability of neo900 using kicad... i guoss just have to get started building something for test in there?
00:05.50DocScrutinizer05yes
00:06.32DocScrutinizer05generally we assume KiCAD can get tweaked into shape if needed, so it's less of a dead end than any other commercial EDA tool like eagle
00:07.49DocScrutinizer05jonsger1: oh yes, and the VM is a ready set up build environment for KiCAD too, just in case what I said above gets relevant
00:08.26DocScrutinizer05AND... it's devuan based ;-D
00:09.52DocScrutinizer05[notice] I aborted upload of previous vagrantbox and am about to package this (hopefully [almost] final) version
00:11.43jonsger1hopes to get his hands on the Neo900 in 2016 :)
00:13.42DocScrutinizer05http://paste.opensuse.org/57103428
00:15.40*** join/#neo900 chainsawbike (~chainsawb@unaffiliated/chainsawbike)
00:16.33DocScrutinizer05http://paste.opensuse.org/91411622
00:36.11DocScrutinizer05vagrant init Neo900-KiCAD  http://neo900.files.dev-1.org/vagrantboxes/kicad_1920x1080__root-devuan_compile-kicad/kicad-xfce-devuan.box
00:38.20DocScrutinizer05this is all you should need to do, in a (CWD, cd) dir you made for that purpose, after installing virtualbox and vagrant. Then wait quite a while until the box got downloaded, and do `vagrant up`
00:39.04DocScrutinizer05for now it will tell you that the URL is 404, that will change as soon as I uploaded the box
00:39.41DocScrutinizer05eventually we will ship the libs etc with this
01:38.11DocScrutinizer05actually sorry, vagrant up is the command downloading the box
01:43.05DocScrutinizer05http://termbin.com/mky3
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02:01.02DocScrutinizer05vagrant install: https://releases.hashicorp.com/vagrant/1.8.4/
02:06.10DocScrutinizer05also, for the skeptical: https://github.com/mitchellh/vagrant (with lovely outdated README)
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15:02.12atkDocScrutinizer05: Any faster way to unmount the sd card than to sudo gainroot, then umount /media/mmc1 ?
15:02.34atkI think I'll just write a script for this.
15:05.25DocScrutinizer05yeah, that's the way: queenbeecon
15:06.11DocScrutinizer05btw there is a script already iirc
15:07.02atkAlso, will any microSDHC card work with the N900 (It's basically a linux box and I've never had trouble reading an SD card on any of my machines running linux.)
15:07.27DocScrutinizer05/usr/bin/mmc-pre-unmount
15:07.28DocScrutinizer05/usr/bin/mmc-unmount
15:07.30DocScrutinizer05/usr/lib/hal/hal-storage-unmount
15:07.31DocScrutinizer05/usr/lib/hal/hal-unmount.sh
15:08.08atkwhat is this hal?
15:08.19DocScrutinizer05Hardware abstraction Layer
15:08.40DocScrutinizer05~hal
15:08.40infobotrumour has it, hal is (Hardware Abstraction Layer) This is the portion of the operating system that lets programs deal with hardware directly. This allows programs needing more speed from the computer to bypass the standard OS calls to hardware. So instead of calling the Windows' API to draw a dialog box, you would go through the pain of actually drawing it out line by line: much faster, but much harder to write. This is of particular importance when ...
15:09.33DocScrutinizer05well, in linux the second half of that is not to the point
15:09.38atkalright, so mmc-umount /media/mmc1 should work?
15:10.00atkOr should I run the pre-unmount before?
15:10.09DocScrutinizer05HAL is a daemon doing a lot of /sys/* monitoring, talking to kernel, and sending (and receiving) dbus signals
15:10.24DocScrutinizer05read the script
15:10.32atkit's a binary..
15:10.36DocScrutinizer05wow
15:11.04DocScrutinizer05then grep /etc and /usr/lib for invokations
15:12.12DocScrutinizer05mmc-unmount --help
15:14.03DocScrutinizer05etc/sudoers:
15:14.08DocScrutinizer05user ALL = NOPASSWD: /usr/sbin/mmc-mount /dev/mmcblk0 /media/mmc1
15:14.10DocScrutinizer05user ALL = NOPASSWD: /usr/sbin/mmc-mount /dev/mmcblk0p1 /media/mmc1
15:14.11DocScrutinizer05user ALL = NOPASSWD: /bin/umount /media/mmc1,/bin/umount -l /media/mmc1
15:15.34atkI was more curious as to what pre-unmount does (that doesn't have a --help)
15:16.22DocScrutinizer05then try it ;-)
15:16.47DocScrutinizer05it seems to use a device or path to mountpoint as argument
15:17.04atkIt doesn't say anything when I run it :P I guess since umount is in the sudoers file, I'll just stick that as a cmd shortcut
15:17.27DocScrutinizer05maybe invoke with sudo then?
15:18.14DocScrutinizer05aah wait, pre-unmount isn't in sudoers
15:19.00atkI think I'll just trust unmount to do its job... Hmm.. What does the N900 use for notifications dbus?
15:20.53DocScrutinizer05hm?
15:21.04DocScrutinizer05please rephrase
15:21.17*** join/#neo900 xman (~xman@user-0cdft6f.cable.mindspring.com)
15:21.56atkYou know the pop-up notifications that you get from email for example, is that done through some common interface?
15:22.07DocScrutinizer05yep, dbus
15:22.15DocScrutinizer05~phonecontrol
15:22.15infobotfrom memory, phonecontrol is http://wiki.maemo.org/Phone_control
15:23.18DocScrutinizer05http://wiki.maemo.org/Phone_control#Notifications
15:24.22atkalright, great!
15:27.58atkAlright, this will make it simple to make a mount/unmount thing
15:36.42DocScrutinizer05http://maemo.org/packages/view/desktop-cmd-exec/
15:37.16atkYes, that's what I plan on using :D I'll send you the script when it's finished and working.
15:37.35DocScrutinizer05and the bloatred version: http://maemo.org/packages/view/queen-beecon/
15:38.08atkcool
15:38.34DocScrutinizer05I prefer the former
15:38.48DocScrutinizer05queen beecon is just a PITA to set up
15:38.55DocScrutinizer05too many options
15:39.36DocScrutinizer05while dce already has more than enough
15:40.09DocScrutinizer05YMMV
15:55.00atkGreat, I now have a script to automate this
15:55.28atkHopefully it will work for SD cards with an extra partitioned (one partition) and unpartitioned SD cards
15:57.26atkDocScrutinizer05: So yes, is there any limit on the size of SD card I can use?
16:03.47*** join/#neo900 sn0wmonster (~yeti@taskhive/developer/sn0wmonster)
16:09.23pigeonsi recruited a new cult member sn0wmonster
16:10.37sn0wmonsterputs on his robe
16:10.56sn0wmonsterdo we sacrifice iphones here for entry?
16:13.53DocScrutinizer05hi
16:14.15DocScrutinizer05sn0wmonster: membership is for free ;-)
16:14.28DocScrutinizer05atk: no limit known so far
16:14.31sn0wmonstercan i still sacrifice an iphone if i want to?
16:14.38atkYes
16:14.41DocScrutinizer05of course :-)
16:14.49wpwraksn0wmonster: you should have left it with the acolytes. we train them to be discreet and efficient at disposing of embarrassments from past lives
16:14.54atkPost a video with some thermite!!!
16:15.00sn0wmonsteri don't want to sound like a newb but, "I want a phone, where do I pay?"
16:15.26sn0wmonster(I have already been informed they're not ready)
16:15.46atkhttps://my.neo900.org/
16:16.21sn0wmonsterthank you
16:16.37sn0wmonsterwill this run devuan? will it run Tails? will it run GTA 4?
16:16.46sn0wmonster(i'm joking)
16:17.21sn0wmonstercan i order one *without* telephony?
16:17.22atkI'm sure it could run anything if you tried hard enough.
16:17.53sn0wmonsterto be honest, i just want a linux tablet, but since that doesn't exist, this is the next best thing
16:18.04atkThere is a linux tablet project
16:18.24atkand there's the telephony free pyra coming up
16:20.08sn0wmonsteri realize the issues with it, but i'd love a Tails on tablet that didn't have systemd
16:20.27sn0wmonsterthen i could take my work outside the home without feeling like my device was betraying me
16:20.52atkTails the distribution?
16:21.07sn0wmonsteryea, i can't seemt o knock any sense into Tails developers to use Devuan instead
16:21.21sn0wmonstersomething something Debian relationships something something "systemd is a feature, not a bug" blah blah blah
16:21.35sn0wmonstersame speel from SubgraphOS and depressingly, the same speel from Tor and Riseup :(
16:21.38atkis planning on getting void-linux running on his N900 and potentially Neo900 in the future.
16:23.40atkIt's the path of least resistance (systemd), and I feel it is going to be a catastrophe sooner or later.
16:24.21end1systemd-kerneld.service
16:26.04atkCertainly there are some advantages for distro maintainers when using systemd over something else, but it's like people are blind to the other insanities like the fact that somehow the init daemon now deals with shit like dns ... for whatever reason
16:26.48sn0wmonsteryea, for "whatever reason"
16:26.57sn0wmonster*cough*NSA*COUGH*REDHAT*COUGH*
16:27.34sn0wmonsternarcissists are a dime a dozen and have always made good fall guys for government infiltration plots
16:28.52atkTo be honest, I wouldn't be surprised, the developers are slightly idiotic in many respects, like defaulting to some google DNS servers on unconfigured setups... in the end, whether it's kay sievers and lennart being idiots or someone paying them, I don't see why someone would use an init daemon which pulls tricks like that
16:35.15*** join/#neo900 Pali (~pali@Maemo/community/contributor/Pali)
16:57.01*** join/#neo900 Xqq111 (~user@113.102.163.26)
16:57.12Xqq111Hello guys.
16:57.56Xqq111Just wanted to make a suggestion.
16:58.42Xqq111It would be really neat if you could put like a loading bar on the website that showed how many percent are we currently before shipping can finally begin.
16:59.03*** join/#neo900 xes_ (~xes@unaffiliated/xes)
16:59.06Xqq111It would save a lot of people from asking for the status of the project.
16:59.31Xqq111I know you guys have a timeline at the bottom but that thing is confusing.
16:59.50Xqq111And the indicator gets stuck at the same position for very long periods of time.
17:00.23Xqq111And it doesn't really update when you guys get a step closer in finishing development, like recently you finished working on the IR.
17:01.19Xqq111So, like, what's the status of the project? How close are you guys to shipping in terms of percentages?
17:01.24Xqq11180%?
17:01.25pigeonscomon that's silly to estimate
17:01.54Xqq111Nothing silly about it.
17:02.39Xqq111If you're finished developing/testing/implementing 80% of the stuff you need to develop/test/implement you are ~80% done.
17:03.06pigeonshow do you come up with the number?
17:03.15pigeonsyou know how these things work
17:03.28Xqq111What do you mean how do you come up with the number?
17:03.34Xqq111You're the project leader.
17:03.47Xqq111There is a list of things that need to be done before the project is finished
17:03.57Xqq111If that list is 80% completed you are 80% done.
17:04.29Xqq111Look, I'm sure the project leader would be able to approximate such a percentage is asked.
17:04.39Xqq111Nobody's expecting an exact number.
17:05.02Xqq111Just something for people to be able to check periodically without having to log in to IRC and bug them.
17:06.33Xqq111That timeline at the bottom of the site has been stuck in that same position for over a year I think.
17:06.55Xqq111It gives the impression that no progress has been made.
17:07.03Xqq111Which is not the case.
17:07.30Xqq111But some people might be iffy about donating to the project if they see the indicator stuck in the same place for over a year.
17:08.43Xqq111It's a very simple thing and I think it will really be a very positive thing if you could make a percentage based status indicator "loading bar" type of thingy.
17:28.38atkXqq111: If I understand correctly the final layout needs to still be done but the person who was going to do that will no longer be available (because of the paypal delay) which means that a new layouter needs to be found, it seems there aren't many layouters available who would be able to layout the board in the software the project is currently using so right now the possibility of using kicad instead is
17:28.40atkbeing looked into
17:29.32atkthat means that the current person who is doing schematics will need to re-train themselves to use kicad, convert the schematics over manually or somehow convert and fix them (I have no idea which one is being done) and then still find someone who can do the final layout
17:30.40atkthen I imagine there will be some final prototype and final adjustments to the design and layout and all that, and then who knows
17:31.02atkXqq111: now that you know that, could you make an informed estimate of the project progress?
17:31.22atkAlso, be aware that the project is only 50% funded
17:31.54atk(300 of a required 600 devices for the project to even be able to produce the devices)
17:33.06Xqq111atk, are you kidding me? You think these 5 lines of information are enough to put me on the level of the project leader for estimating the progress?
17:33.34Xqq111Get real, dude.
17:33.52atkI mean you can always ask DocScrutinizer05 or wpwrak
17:34.06Xqq111Which is exactly why I'm here.
17:34.58atkBut I feel 80% is quite a optimistic estimate
17:35.44atkAnd finally, a guesstimated percentage doesn't tell you how quick things are going.
17:36.40pigeonspretty hard to guess how long things take, like pretty much impossible
17:38.10atkIf the rest of the sales happened tomorrow, it might still be another half a year before the layouter is found and the layout is finished, then the prototype is tested and all cases are sourced.
17:38.36atkIf the sales continue at the rate now then it might take many years before the project completes.
17:38.54atks/sales/downpayments/
18:46.04DocScrutinizer05yes, atk and pigeons have it to the point
18:49.01DocScrutinizer05the schematics are 98% finsihed for the proto_v2 - als in eagle and we can't use eagle any longer since Nik isn't available for the layout anymore due to burnout from Pyra (turned out to be much harder than estimated) and without the homegrown router Nik wrote for eagle and only he knows how to use, such a project is beyond eagle's capabilities
18:50.44DocScrutinizer05then there are galf a dozen, or a whole, of other tasks like sourcing the N900 which been accomplished like 15 months ago but at that time we didn't have the funds to pay the order, and when we finally had the funds paypal frozen them, and now the source in Shenzen isn't existing anymore so we need to find a new one
18:52.09DocScrutinizer05the 50% funding / 'presales' is also correct, we need at least another 300 orders since delays cost money so we need to build and sell more devices to compensate for that if we don't want to increase the sales price even further
18:54.03DocScrutinizer05we have a sponsor in middle east but thanks to change in politics a few weeks ago they can't transfer any money recently (no international transfers at all, for whole people) , so we are not on timeline there either
18:55.05DocScrutinizer05the kicad stuff been covered by atk, just to add that this morning we 'published' our KiCAD reference at http://neo900.files.dev-1.org/vagrantboxes/kicad_1920x1080__root-devuan_compile-kicad/kicad-xfce-devuan.box
18:56.35DocScrutinizer05there's ceene and ahycka, the latter willing to have a take on layout for us if we can provide her with the schematics. So we need to figure how to migrate our schematics from eagle to KiCAD
18:59.04DocScrutinizer05while since end of last year I suffer from a form of burnout or progeria or alzheimer, induced by the massive overload with stress and duty from all the paypal mess and Nik not being available anymore
19:05.09DocScrutinizer05bottom line: we achieved quite a lot already but there are several tasks ahead to accomplish, and each single one isn't really possible to estimate how long it will take. While team gets smaller, thus adding workload on top for reorganization and playing stand-in for tasks originally done by others, This is one of the reasons why the website doesn't see updates, it been handled by dos1 but he's not active anymore
19:06.36DocScrutinizer05ultimate bottom line: when I had any faintly reasonable percentage or timespan to share, I *for sure* already had shared it
19:09.00DocScrutinizer05shortly we'll announce the major shift in project away from closed and proprietary eagle tentatively towards FOSS KiCAD, which should be a pleasant news for a lot of interested people who want a device as open hardware as possible
19:18.49xmanOh wow so you guys are going with KiCAD after all.
19:20.00DocScrutinizer05yes, tentatively
19:21.04DocScrutinizer05well, a quite sure tentative, since there's hardly another viable alternative
19:22.29DocScrutinizer05however things need evaluation. Eagle been used for GTA04 by Nik, so we had a pretty good idea that it should pan out. For KiCAD we're guessing and relying on rhis tool being FOSS so could get fixed if turns out to lack essential capabilities
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19:24.15xmanCool. I hear what your saying. It silly to use open software if it's not fulfilling your needs or making your work harder or less accurate. Hopefully it works out well.
19:24.41DocScrutinizer05IOW KiCAD is riskier from a project feasibility perspective, but also opens whole new perspectives
19:25.16DocScrutinizer05((Hopefully it works out well.)) yes, thanks a lot, we hope that too
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19:25.47DocScrutinizer05we're still in the phase to design and evaluate the workflow at high level
19:25.48xmanYeah. Seems a lot of if now after Eagle was bought.
19:26.12atkIt might be worthwhile if I contact the kicad project people, if they care they might even provide some support for the development of Neo900 on kicad
19:26.28atkit would be a success for kicad itself if a project as ambitious as Neo900 was possible using it.
19:26.30xmanProbably a better time for this to happen since thing are still flexible.
19:26.36DocScrutinizer05atk: that would be *awesome*
19:26.56DocScrutinizer05ack re success on ambitious
19:27.02atkSo it might be in their interest to help
19:27.03xmanatk: that would be great
19:27.12atkhas some emails to send
19:27.30DocScrutinizer05see, project is shifting towards more community involvement
19:27.49DocScrutinizer05aka "open"
19:28.15xmanYeah that will make folks happy
19:28.31xmanAnd hopefully get more helping hands for you.
19:28.45DocScrutinizer05atk: for now we'd be *highly* interested in any even ALPHA version of a eagle->kicad converter for schematics
19:28.53DocScrutinizer05and footprints
19:29.20DocScrutinizer05xman: yes, a tiny bright aspect in these busy times
19:30.57xmanI hear you, I've not forgot my desire to help. Sadly I've had to spend more time on other project for living. But I won't forget since I use my device every day. And one is down so I need it more than even now.
19:31.31DocScrutinizer05this was no criticism, not at all
19:32.27xmanHehe, it was not taken as one buddy. Just me being harder on myself. I don't like to say I can do something if I can.
19:32.46DocScrutinizer05just saying that at times I feel overwhelmed by the heap of tasks
19:33.32DocScrutinizer05this never been planned or anticipated zo turn into this scenario
19:34.09xmanBut I really want to help. Perhaps I should break it up into smaller steps. Problem is I wanted to lay the foundation of what I had planned so if other wanted to step up they could follow the plan.
19:34.51xmanDocScrutinizer05: You have done an amazing job … don't let anyone every tell you otherwise.!!!
19:36.06xmanThis wouldn't even be a thing if you and some other haven't taken the steps to start the project.
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23:59.39chomwitthi from Hellas

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