dammIT - gadgetshttps://dammit.nl/2021-01-26T13:49:02+01:00A rantboxLove for keycaps2021-01-26T13:49:02+01:002021-01-26T13:49:02+01:00Michiel Scholtentag:dammit.nl,2021-01-26:/love-for-keycaps.html<p><img alt="Arty shot of pretty keyboard" src="https://shuttereye.org/images/c4/c44361343913968c_2000-2000.jpg"></p>
<p>I know it is a material thing, but I can become rather happy from a good-looking keyboard. The plus side of many mechanical keyboards is that one can change their looks with a different set of key caps. So I did.</p>
<p>In the process I cleaned this keyboard up majorly …</p><p><img alt="Arty shot of pretty keyboard" src="https://shuttereye.org/images/c4/c44361343913968c_2000-2000.jpg"></p>
<p>I know it is a material thing, but I can become rather happy from a good-looking keyboard. The plus side of many mechanical keyboards is that one can change their looks with a different set of key caps. So I did.</p>
<p>In the process I cleaned this keyboard up majorly; one thing was to get rid of the rubbery layer that coated the outer shell, but that turned sticky after a while (WHY do companies still use that stuff, it renders objects really jucky after a few years). Nothing that a bit of denatured alcohol and a cloth could not handle though. The other thing was to give it a good brush-off to get rid of the dust and other cruft that had accumulated in the last 5 years. The result makes me smile every time my gaze falls upon it.</p>
<p><a href="https://shuttereye.org/home/tech/PXL_20210125_195942715.jpg/view/">Before</a> and <a href="https://shuttereye.org/home/tech/PXL_20210126_073748928.jpg/view/">after</a>, pretty substantial difference, non?</p>
<p><a href="https://shuttereye.org/home/tech/PXL_20210125_212625201-01.jpeg/view/">Full frontal</a> to complete this photo shoot.</p>Andromeda, Substratum and a Chromebook2018-06-21T11:02:20+02:002018-06-21T11:02:20+02:00Michiel Scholtentag:dammit.nl,2018-06-21:/andromeda-chromebook.html<p><a href="https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/substratum/andromeda-desktop-clients-release-notes-t3668682">Andromeda</a> is a way to theme an Android device with <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=projekt.substratum">Substratum</a> without needing root. You need <code>adb</code> though, so a desktop or laptop computer is needed to initiate the connection between the Andromeda app and Substratum.</p>
<p>On regular machines this is not much of an issue, but Chromebooks are both …</p><p><a href="https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/substratum/andromeda-desktop-clients-release-notes-t3668682">Andromeda</a> is a way to theme an Android device with <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=projekt.substratum">Substratum</a> without needing root. You need <code>adb</code> though, so a desktop or laptop computer is needed to initiate the connection between the Andromeda app and Substratum.</p>
<p>On regular machines this is not much of an issue, but Chromebooks are both nifty little tools as a bit restricted in what you can run there. Thankfully, even running <code>adb</code> is a breeze now, at least if you have put the Chromebook in dev mode (not dev channel). ChromeOS has been shipping an <code>adb</code> binary for quite some time already, but it's an outdated one (why?!), so it for example does not work with my Pixel 2XL running Android 8.1 Oreo.</p>
<p>However, the world would not be right if some enterprising developer would not create a way of updating both <code>adb</code> and <code>fastboot</code> on ChromeOS. That's exactly what <a href="https://forum.xda-developers.com/hardware-hacking/chromebooks/guide-setting-adb-fastboot-x8664-t3806428">Nathan Chance did</a>. <a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathanchance/chromeos-adb-fastboot/master/install.sh">Download his installer script</a> and run it from the terminal:</p>
<p><kbd>ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>alt</kbd>+<kbd>t</kbd> <code>shell</code> <code>bash ~/Downloads/install.sh</code> and enter your sudo password. Of course substitute the path to install.sh if you saved it somewhere else.</p>
<p><code>source ~/.bashrc</code> to activate the aliases so you have a working <code>adb</code> and <code>fastboot</code>.</p>
<p>You now have an up-to-date <code>adb</code>, but the script that's linked from the Andromeda thread for use on Linux uses a mix of its own bundles <code>adb</code> and the system binary.</p>
<p>I created a fixed version of this script to always use the up-to-date system <code>adb</code> that Nathan's script downloads (and can update). Download the following and save as start_andromeda.sh then use as advertised in the Andromeda thread:</p>
<pre><code>#!/usr/bin/env bash
echo "Andromeda Start Shell Script by [projekt.] development team"
echo ""
echo "This requires projekt.andromeda to be installed on the device"
echo "Make sure the device is connected and ADB option enabled"
echo "Please only have one device connected at a time to use this!"
echo ""
read -n 1 -s -r -p "Press any key to continue..."
echo ""
echo ""
export USER_HOME=${HOME}
function adb() {
sudo su --preserve-environment -c "HOME=${USER_HOME} /usr/local/bin/adb ${*}"
}
# Get the current directory of the device running this script
ROOT=$(dirname $0)
# ADB specific commands for termination
adb kill-server
adb start-server
# Device configuration of the testing rack
ADB="adb shell"
# Let's first grab the location where Andromeda is installed
pkg=$($ADB pm path projekt.andromeda)
echo "$pkg"
# Due to the way the output is formatted, we have to strip 10 chars at the start
pkg=$(echo $pkg | cut -d : -f 2 | sed s/\\r//g)
# Now let's kill the running Andromeda services on the mobile device
kill=$($ADB pidof andromeda)
# Check if we need to kill the existing pids, then kill them if need be
if [[ "$kill" == "" ]]
then echo
$ADB << EOF
am force-stop projekt.substratum
appops set projekt.andromeda RUN_IN_BACKGROUND allow
appops set projekt.substratum RUN_IN_BACKGROUND allow
CLASSPATH=$pkg app_process /system/bin --nice-name=andromeda projekt.andromeda.Andromeda &
echo "You can now remove your device from the computer!"
exit
EOF
else echo
$ADB << EOF
am force-stop projekt.substratum
kill -9 $kill
appops set projekt.andromeda RUN_IN_BACKGROUND allow
appops set projekt.substratum RUN_IN_BACKGROUND allow
CLASSPATH=$pkg app_process /system/bin --nice-name=andromeda projekt.andromeda.Andromeda &
echo "You can now remove your device from the computer!"
exit
EOF
fi
# We're done!
adb kill-server
</code></pre>Using older devices2017-11-29T22:16:00+01:002017-11-29T22:16:00+01:00Michiel Scholtentag:dammit.nl,2017-11-29:/using-older-devices.html<p><img alt="Sony ereader in case with light" src="https://shuttereye.org/images/33/33ec8c9cc9f97336_2000-2000.jpg"></p>
<p>As an enthusiast for technological things in general, and gadgets in particular, I like to use (and own) shiny devices. Be it a fast (and slightly big) smartphone with the latest OS, or a laptop with a lot of muscle and a 4K (touch)screen, I really can find a …</p><p><img alt="Sony ereader in case with light" src="https://shuttereye.org/images/33/33ec8c9cc9f97336_2000-2000.jpg"></p>
<p>As an enthusiast for technological things in general, and gadgets in particular, I like to use (and own) shiny devices. Be it a fast (and slightly big) smartphone with the latest OS, or a laptop with a lot of muscle and a 4K (touch)screen, I really can find a use for them :)</p>
<p>However, I'm not a person to throw out older devices so easily. I even still have my first cellphone, and most of those from then to my current one. Just recently, I gave away a lot of old motherboards and other perfectly usable, but outdated computer hardware and peripherals to an acquaintance, which will use them again.</p>
<p>Also, devices nowadays are perfectly capable to serve for quite a while. Smartphones tend to age rather a bit (I really hope my Nexus 6P stays with me a bit longer), but laptops and the like from a few years ago are still capable of doing the web browsing, photo editing, word processing and (software) developing that they were bought for.</p>
<p>Lately I had been looking at the newer Kobo e-reader models because of their highres screens and WiFi connectivity (I like that they can sync with <a href="https://getpocket.com/">Pocket</a>). However, I still enjoy reading books on my Sony PRS-650 that I got at the start of 2011. I even love how it's starting to look nicely beaten up: it's getting used :)</p>
<p>Same goes for the <a href="https://dammit.nl/20150407-acer-c720p-chromebook-my-new-hacktop.html">Acer C720p hacktop</a> - er - Chromebook that I got almost three years ago. I use it quite a lot, throw it in my backpack for some quick hacking while traveling by train or note taking at work, and it still runs fine, even for the modest specs it has. It's not new anymore and has some minor marks of usage, but it's passable for barely used, while I whip it out with pride because it's such an odd but useful little thing.</p>
<p>My previous 'main' laptop is also still going strong, and serving as a mostly-stationary workstation on which I do most of my work when working from my home office.</p>
<p>It's easy to want the latest, greatest and fastest devices, but appreciating the trusty older ones that are still serving just fine (helped by new software) should not be forgotten. Take care of the things that you got, you can always dream of that Next Big Thing.</p>
<p>If you read the above as my way of talking myself out of getting a Chromebook convertible with Android apps support like the <a href="https://www.asus.com/us/Laptops/ASUS-Chromebook-Flip-C302CA/">Asus C302CA</a> you're... erm... right, but I truly am happy with my trusty gadgets (some might even sniff at them and point at their laptop tank from 2001 and go 'puny laptop', but I really like this era of SSD's).</p>
<p>PS: what the frak Kobo, why did you discontinue the Kobo Glo HD with the excellent 1072x1448 screen and only offer a 768x1024 Aura HD or 6.8" H2O (2) with that previously high resolution? It's 2017...</p>Acer C720p Chromebook: my new hacktop2015-04-07T21:39:43+02:002015-04-07T21:39:43+02:00Michiel Scholtentag:dammit.nl,2015-04-07:/20150407-acer-c720p-chromebook-my-new-hacktop.html<p>After <a href="https://dammit.nl/20141005-chromebook-for-fun-and-profit.html">Chromebook: for fun and profit? @ 2014-10-05</a> I got myself an Acer C720p for cheap. It's new, just cheap, as that's how Chromebooks go :) It has a new-fangled touchscreen, which I actually tend to use while on Chrome OS. I hadn't thought I would do so (hey, it's a laptop …</p><p>After <a href="https://dammit.nl/20141005-chromebook-for-fun-and-profit.html">Chromebook: for fun and profit? @ 2014-10-05</a> I got myself an Acer C720p for cheap. It's new, just cheap, as that's how Chromebooks go :) It has a new-fangled touchscreen, which I actually tend to use while on Chrome OS. I hadn't thought I would do so (hey, it's a laptop, why would I smudge the screen?), but it's actually quite convenient when scrolling, pointing, selecting and such. I guess I use it more than on my full-fledged 15.6" laptop as the screen is a lot smaller (tablet-sized basically) and the distance to the screen is smaller, the device being quite small itself and lending for convenient lap-computing.</p>
<p>Apart from it being its ChromeOS self and being decent enough for browsing and tinkering around the web, I bought it as convenient, small, light hacktop. My definition of 'hacktop' is 'small laptop computer that I'm not afraid of throwing in my bag and on which I can do actual work, like programming with a real text editor'. Enter <a href="https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton">crouton</a>. Crouton creates a chroot environment on the Chromebook in which you're actually running (for example) a Ubuntu flavour. Myself, I chose xubuntu 14.04, which is small, fast and thus a great base for installing some development tools on.</p>
<p>As I got myself a model with 4GB ram (always get for the biggest amount of ram, it's so good to have) and SSD of 32GB, I got about 23GB (maybe more) to play with. Installing the <code>trusty</code> xubuntu chroot takes less than 1GB of drive space and after installing Python, vim with <a href="https://github.com/aquatix/dotfiles/blob/master/.vimrc">my bunch of plugins</a>, the <a href="http://www.postgresql.org/download/linux/ubuntu/">PostgreSQL database server (9.4 at the moment)</a> and more, it takes barely more than that.</p>
<p>The last year or so I've been <a href="https://dammit.nl/20140301-making-vim-even-more-cool.html">using vim as my main coding platform/'IDE'</a> (a follow-up is in the works) so I don't need that much from the device; it runs Firefox (because web development) and some terminals with tmux, tmuxinator and vim with my selection of helpful plugins:</p>
<p><img alt="Hacktop with vim" src="//dammit.nl/images/content/20150407_hacktop_vim.png"></p>Chromebook: for fun and profit?2014-10-05T12:46:16+02:002014-10-05T12:46:16+02:00Michiel Scholtentag:dammit.nl,2014-10-05:/20141005-chromebook-for-fun-and-profit.html<p>I'm thinking about getting me one of those Chromebooks. Preferably a cheap, light, small one (the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/products/samsung/chromebook/2-11-inch/specs/">11" Samsung</a> for example), which I can almost literally throw into my backpack and take wherever I go.</p>
<p>The first reason I'd do so is because I'm curious to the platform and the experience …</p><p>I'm thinking about getting me one of those Chromebooks. Preferably a cheap, light, small one (the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/products/samsung/chromebook/2-11-inch/specs/">11" Samsung</a> for example), which I can almost literally throw into my backpack and take wherever I go.</p>
<p>The first reason I'd do so is because I'm curious to the platform and the experience. ChromeOS has matured quite a bit in the past years and on Google I/O they announced some nice integration with Android. The tight integration of all the components is something I want to play with first hand.</p>
<p>Second reason is because I'd like to have a light little machine with me on which to write and develop a bit. I can do this on my main laptop, but I don't want to lug around a more heavy, important, more expensive machine. My tablet combined with a bluetooth keyboard is an option too, but not too stable if I need to type in my lap in the train. Same goes for my smartphone which is even more powerful than my tablet, but of course a tad small. My ideas for pieces for this weblog or just some notes occur quite a lot while on the road, but I'm hampered by the virtual keyboards of my devices. While Swype is really quite great (I can type really fast with just one thumb while being flung around in the train), it just can't compare to even a small laptop keyboard.</p>
<p>Preferably though, I'd like to combine all that with a mode in which I have a decent terminal (preferably with bash or similar), vim, Git and Python. That would enable me to thinker with my projects when I've got inspiration. Always having a little 'hacktop' in my backpack just feels right.</p>
<p>Alternatives that I already have lying around, so they are cheaper (free!) than the already quite affordable Chromebooks are my trusty old Asus Transformer Prime (tf201) tablet - which has a 10" 1280x800 touchscreen, decent keyboard and quite a bit of battery life - and my even older trusty Samsung X360 ultrabook laptop. Those are about the same weight (around 1.3kg) but are showing their age a bit. The Prime never was a speed monster to begin with due to it being hampered by its atrocious storage performance. It's perfectly servicable though, even more so through the excellent <a href="http://terminal-ide.com/">Terminal IDE</a> which gives me a regular terminal, vim, git and python on Android. The versions of these are getting slightly dated though and I haven't tried virtualenv and pip yet. If these are updated, the environment might be viable.</p>
<p>The X360 is a nice little 13.3" laptop and my favourite candidate for 'hacktop' as it has a full Linux distribution on it, an ok 1280x800 screen, normal keyboard and a nice weight. It's quite slow because of its 1.8" hdd (!) and the 1.2GHz core2duo doesn't help either, but that's more than enough for some writing and developing in terminals. Apart from the slowness, it's not entirely quiet. The fan doesn't make a lot of noise, but it's quite often audible (with a weird oscillating vibe), something I'm just not used from my devices anymore. Its size makes it quite perfect to type on, but 13.3" is not all that small a device to have constantly in my backpack.</p>
<p>So that leaves me looking at small Chromebooks. The leather-look and performance of the Samsung Chromebook 2's might throw me off, and I'm not sure how well it will run Linux (there are <a href="http://archlinuxarm.org/platforms/armv7/samsung/samsung-chromebook-2">instructions for the 13" model for Arch</a>, but the 11" is less popular. Apart from that, <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/23/6834755/samsung-to-end-laptop-sales-in-europe">Samsung is going to stop selling laptops in Europe</a>.</p>
<p>Good alternatives are the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/products/dell/chromebook/11/">Dell Chromebook 11</a>, but I can't seem to find it here in the Netherlands (would be really great if I could get my hands on one, it seems to be the nicest of the current list; any pointers will be greatly appreciated!). Acer has a few promising models with the C720, C720p (with touchscreen, but slightly more expensive and heavy) or the yet-to-be-released C730. The C720's seem to be in short supply though (except the ones with an AZERTY keyboard for Belgium - yeah, not thanks). The Asus C200 looked interesting at first, certainly with a battery life of almost 11 hours, but its cpu seems not to be all that great. Toshiba's Chromebook series only lists the <a href="http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/372518/toshiba-cb30-102.html">old model on Tweaker's pricewatch</a>.</p>
<p>After getting a Chromebook, Linux can then be installed along ChromeOS through the excellent <a href="https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton">Crouton project</a>, which makes it possible to seemlessly switch between the two. Having a 32GB ssd drive is advisable then, or you will need to do magic with an SD card (never a really good idea). Of course you can just nuke ChromeOS from the device, but that would defeat the purpose of my experiment.</p>
<p>I don't mind that the screens aren't all that great on those little machines; they're cheap, light and I'll mostly use them for typing in a terminal. I've got a very decent laptop to do everything else on (and a pretty screen on my Nexus 7 2013 for showing photos on).</p>
<p>However, actually getting my hands on one of the better ones here in the Netherlands seems to be quite a challenge. I've strolled some <a href="http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/list_messages/1460060">Dutch fora</a>, but 'wait' or 'pay up' seems to be key here.</p>
<p>So I'm a bit at a loss; currently it seems that I'll just have to make do with the devices I have (or just read a book in the train, always a great idea). Pointers to the Dell or other models are greatly appreciated. The 349EUR listing of the Acer C720p is the absolute max I'll be willing to spend too; the whole intention for it is to be a "let's throw it in my bag for quick hacking and writing".</p>
<p>Ahh, those first world problems...</p>