• Registered: 2009-12-23
  • Posts: 5

Topic: No wifi?

Hey everyone,

I just got a chumby for my boyfriend for Christmas because he needs an alarm clock and I though the chumby was super cool.

However, he tells me that when he doesn't have internet connection it won't work as an alarm clock because it is "unable to download the control panel". I thought I read though that it should just switch to beeps rather than an internet widget when it loses connection.

Is it true that it is useless as an alarm clock when there is no internet? That would be awful, as his internet isn't the most reliable thing in the world and having him lose his alarm would be really bad.

If this is true... is there anything I can do myself about it? (I'm a fairly competent programmer)

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

Re: No wifi?

There is a way to launch the internal Control Panel without requiring an Internet connection, but you'll need a USB dongle.

Using an editor that produces UNIX-style line endings, ie linefeeds, put the following in a file called "debugchumby" on a USB dongle:

#!/bin/sh
chumbyflashplayer.x -i /usr/widgets/controlpanel.swf

Boot the device with the dongle plugged in.

This will launch the local (typically older) version of the Control Panel despite the lack of network connectivity.  You should be able to set some simple alarms and listen to the FM radio, local music files, and some iPods, but that's about it.

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2009-12-23
  • Posts: 5

Re: No wifi?

Thank you!

What will happen if he is using something like pandora for his alarm and his wifi cuts out, will the alarm switch to beeps or will it fail to go off?

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

Re: No wifi?

Well, this hack is assuming there's no wifi - if he already has an alarm set for Pandora, and he runs the device in this mode, then it *should* beep.

It should not be possible to *create* a Pandora alarm in this mode, since you need to be able to access Pandora in order to choose and configure it.

This is an unsupported hack, so your mileage may vary smile

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2009-12-23
  • Posts: 5

Re: No wifi?

Sorry, what I mean is that if he sets a pandora alarm while he has wifi, but then while he's asleep the wifi cuts out, will the alarm still go off?

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

Re: No wifi?

Yes, it should play a beep.  There's also an option for a "dead man's switch" backup alarm that will go off if the normal backup beep fails or he does not interact with the device within 5 minutes after the alarm fires (like, for instance, headphones are plugged into the jack).

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2009-12-23
  • Posts: 5

Re: No wifi?

Thank you! Those are all the questions I have.

  • Registered: 2009-11-30
  • Posts: 34

Re: No wifi?

Duane wrote:

There is a way to launch the internal Control Panel without requiring an Internet connection, but you'll need a USB dongle.

Using an editor that produces UNIX-style line endings, ie linefeeds, make the following file on a USB dongle:
...

I presume this file is named "debugchumby", right? There was no filename in the posting.

--tom

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

Re: No wifi?

Yup, sorry missed that - I'll edit the post

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2009-12-08
  • Posts: 15

Re: No wifi?

I believe that with a Chumby One and a battery the problem doesn't really exist - unless the power is out long enough to drain the battery.

Just make sure the Chumby is connected and starts up properly. that will load the control panel.  Then the alarm will go off when scheduled or the backup alarm will sound after the specificed number of minutes if the internet is down.

  • Registered: 2010-03-30
  • Posts: 7

Re: No wifi?

Duane,

Your hack looks interesting and makes the chumby much more 'transportable'
Without this fix the chumby is just a brick if there's no network.

Is there any reason, why this is no default behaviour?

It seems, that with this hack:
- chumby starts normally if possible
- starts still if no network is available
- if a connection shows up again one can even reconnect without powering off.

Perhaps you're aware of a drawback. I however did not se it so far.

  • Registered: 2010-08-16
  • Posts: 2

Re: No wifi?

Duane wrote:

There is a way to launch the internal Control Panel without requiring an Internet connection, but you'll need a USB dongle.

Using an editor that produces UNIX-style line endings, ie linefeeds, put the following in a file called "debugchumby" on a USB dongle:

#!/bin/sh
chumbyflashplayer.x -i /usr/widgets/controlpanel.swf

Boot the device with the dongle plugged in.

This will launch the local (typically older) version of the Control Panel despite the lack of network connectivity.  You should be able to set some simple alarms and listen to the FM radio, local music files, and some iPods, but that's about it.

Dear Sir,
The line 2 in the script in your post is not an absolute path. This will cause the script fail to execute chumbyflashplayer.x.

Best Regards,
Zzz

  • From: Munich, Germany
  • Registered: 2010-04-28
  • Posts: 31

Re: No wifi?

Nice Idea,

is it possible to integrate that script as an fallback in the next firmware/update or whatever.

eg. chumby starts, try to load the CP from your server. If it is not possible, cause the server is down, no network etc. after a timeout eg. 30 Seconds, the it loads the integratet CP ??

best regarsds from germany
Woody

Befriends Radio - Das Radio mit der dunklen Seite! Gothic & More

magicwoody's Website

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

Re: No wifi?

zzz025 wrote:

Dear Sir,
The line 2 in the script in your post is not an absolute path. This will cause the script fail to execute chumbyflashplayer.x.

Best Regards,
Zzz

Since chumbyflashplayer.x is in /usr/bin/ one of the standard locations for Linux binaries, it does not require an absolute path.

Duane's Website