• Registered: 2009-07-31
  • Posts: 7

Topic: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Hi,

I've played around a bit today with getting Qt 4.5.2 to run on my Chumby, and was mostly successful smile

I've compiled the arora web browser for it, and it works quite well:

arora on Chumby

It's actually quite fast, and font rendering is pretty good (I had to scale the page down a lot to be able to see something due to the screen resolution, though).

I haven't been able to get a USB keyboard to work, though (it's properly detected by the kernel, but Qt doesn't seem to use it), so the browsing experience is quite limited, since it lacks a screen keyboard as well.

However, based on this code and configuration, it would be relatively easy to write up a browser that's optimized for the Chumby (less wasted screen space, screen keyboard, better zooming).

  • Registered: 2008-06-27
  • Posts: 518

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Try making sure the tty entries exist for the keyboard to work:

for i in 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7; do [ -e /dev/tty$i ] || mknod /dev/tty$i c 4 $i; done
  • Registered: 2009-07-31
  • Posts: 7

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

ChumbyLurker wrote:

Try making sure the tty entries exist for the keyboard to work

hmm nope, that didn't help...

  • Registered: 2009-03-20
  • Posts: 27

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Very interesting project!!   I hope that you can work out those bugs!

  • From: Brussels
  • Registered: 2009-10-13
  • Posts: 3

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Any news about your project? The Chumby crew 'd gain a lot helping you 'caus a browser is the most wanted widget!

www.whazup.be

Whazup's Website

  • Registered: 2009-07-31
  • Posts: 7

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Hi,

I haven't worked on it any further. The problem is that the files you need for that browser are larger than the space available, so it can't be installed on a Chumby directly.

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
  • Offline
  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 8,197

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Someone should be able to do this on a Chumby One - it has plenty of space.

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2009-07-31
  • Posts: 7

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

True, my whole Chumby browser setup takes up 45MB on my server, that fits in easily into the 2GB the Chumby One offers.

  • Registered: 2009-02-12
  • Posts: 132

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Is it possible to save it to a flash drive to run it on the "Classic" Chumby (Without requiring extensive programming skills)?

  • Registered: 2008-06-27
  • Posts: 518

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Yes.  If you build it with a --prefix of /mnt/usb, then it should be able to live happily and run from the USB drive.

  • Registered: 2009-11-16
  • Posts: 29

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Duane,
does Chumby industries have no interest in programming a web browser and a software keyboard?
That would really be the best widget/app to have....

I just ordered my chumby one hoping there already was that option.....

  • Registered: 2009-07-31
  • Posts: 7

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Maybe Google's Chrome OS can help there?

13 Reply by cbreeze (edited by cbreeze 2009-11-28 15:06:46)

  • From: Tulsa, OK
  • Registered: 2008-08-04
  • Posts: 657

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

klamauk wrote:

Duane,
does Chumby industries have no interest in programming a web browser and a software keyboard?
That would really be the best widget/app to have....

I just ordered my chumby one hoping there already was that option.....

Umm hoping?  The chumby's functionality is laid out on the website. tongue

There is a software based keyboard on the device for use in the control panel and such.  Developers need to provide their own per widget, or incorporate the chumby provided framework here.

Though a browser for the chumby sounds like a great hack project, I don't see how it fits into the chumby "ecosystem" at all.  I would much prefer they keep updating the back-end functionalities to give developers more tools.

Cheers.

Get -> Chumbyland | Joice | Word Up | Newsdom

cbreeze's Website

  • Registered: 2009-11-16
  • Posts: 29

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

...I don´t understand.
what do you mean by "ecosystem"
of course the chumby is not a web-browsing machine.
too small for that, no space really for a software keyboard on the tiny screen.
but some websites you might want to check, before you set your alarm clock...
I guess this can be done by programming a widget that can be configured via
the webinterface for , lets say,  giving access to five websites, as does the engadget-widget.

  • Registered: 2009-12-09
  • Posts: 21

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Do you have any instructions to get this working?

  • Registered: 2008-02-21
  • Posts: 526

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Id like a sticky with detailed instructions on how to get this working on the ones internal SD card...

As per why this would be useful in the chumby ecosystem.. ONE answer... WEBSITE AP authentication!!!!
Charge a Li battery in the chumby one, go to your favorite coffee place, use the internal browser to authenticate then connect via wifi.. VOILA, Chumby on the go wink

Or on a campus network, authenticate via the browser and voila. Chumby access (not all situations but it would help more than some)

  • From: Dallas, TX
  • Registered: 2007-10-30
  • Posts: 85

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Another reason -- bad weather days -- I'm a teacher, and the district announces we're closed on their website -- would be lovely to be able to browse that site without getting out of bed.

N5EZQ
http://www.kweaver.org

kathleen's Website

18 Reply by Pud

  • Pud
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2010-01-06
  • Posts: 1

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Did anybody get any further with this? I'm looking at buying a Chumby One in the UK but if I can't access BBC radio online then I probably won't. Also want Spotify but can't find mention of a widget for that either. Shame as this looks fantastic!

  • Registered: 2010-01-01
  • Posts: 2

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Pud--

im a massive auntie beeb fan here in the us (i also re-up my spotify account every 2 weeks thru a friendly secret proxy ;P----spotify + chumby would be a godly app...ohhh, it gives me shivers!) and im frustrated, to say the least with the lack of bbc access.

i truly believe a bare bones browser -linux based?- would be a solution to the bbc 'problem,' as well as the problem at public wi-fi spots w/chumby lacking the ability to confirm a connection...also possibly spotify would be an option as well.

well, official chumbians out there? i throw down the gauntlet!---

with THREE additional chumby one purchases i have made for drooling friends, im ready to buy my own 'tinker-toy-lets-void-the-warranty' chumby for technical and firm/software general modding!

lets get out the soldering irons and glue-guns! wHoo-Hooooooo!

~djebel

  • Registered: 2009-05-14
  • Posts: 45

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Have a look at Familiar Linux over at http://www.handhelds.org to start.
The GUIs for these are GPE and Opie.
They started out on HP iPaqs and have expanded to other devices.

  • Craig
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2010-03-14
  • Posts: 1

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Is this based on webikt?
Are there any instructions to get this working? I have a Chumby ONE with 2GB internal...

  • Registered: 2010-08-09
  • Posts: 2

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

This would be even better in the Infocast - 800x600.

  • Registered: 2010-01-16
  • Posts: 6

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Hi, could someone please post step-by-step how to get such a browser working on the Chumby One? I don´t know about programming-codes wink
Thanks!

  • From: Australia
  • Registered: 2009-03-19
  • Posts: 503

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Koelli wrote:

Hi, could someone please post step-by-step how to get such a browser working on the Chumby One? I don´t know about programming-codes wink
Thanks!

I think what the posts in this thread are saying is that there is no finished, fully functioning consumer-ready web browser available for the Chumby. The various suggestions thrown out here are starting points for programmer-types to tinker with.

  • Registered: 2011-09-10
  • Posts: 36

Re: Chumby Web Browser -- Screenshot

Hi, are there any news concerning a browser for Chumby One?