• Registered: 2012-07-04
  • Posts: 4

Topic: Chumby as dumb terminal - "console mode" without USB keyboard?

I'd like to have my Chumby One displaying a terminal session on my desktop machine (so I can have "top" etc on the Chumby).  Looks like I could do this by connecting a USB keyboard, shelling to my desktop and running whatever, but I'd rather not have to have the keyboard around.  Is there a way to put the Chumby into "console mode" without the keyboard?

  • From: Brooklyn, NY (Brian)
  • Registered: 2008-06-21
  • Posts: 176

Re: Chumby as dumb terminal - "console mode" without USB keyboard?

ssh into the chumby, then ssh from there back to your desktop machine. Off the top of my head, that should work. It'd be nice if you could detach the first ssh session from your desktop so that you don't need to keep a terminal/putty open. Not positive how to do that, maybe with 'screen' or 'nohup'. Of course, this process alone will be adding some overhead to your desktop.

Cheers

Brian, #1 Joan Jett Fan
  • Registered: 2012-07-04
  • Posts: 4

Re: Chumby as dumb terminal - "console mode" without USB keyboard?

Thanks for the suggestion - however, I don't think that answers the question of how to get the Chumby's display involved.

  • From: Brooklyn, NY (Brian)
  • Registered: 2008-06-21
  • Posts: 176

Re: Chumby as dumb terminal - "console mode" without USB keyboard?

stormborn wrote:

Thanks for the suggestion - however, I don't think that answers the question of how to get the Chumby's display involved.

Yeah, I did seem to miss the point there....too early in the morning I guess. roll

Brian, #1 Joan Jett Fan
  • From: Oceanside, CA
  • Registered: 2008-04-17
  • Posts: 650

Re: Chumby as dumb terminal - "console mode" without USB keyboard?

I believe there is a way.  I'll do some tinkering if Duane doesn't get to it first.  There is a script somewhere to flip the framebuffer from the one displaying widgets to the one for the terminal.  That would get the console screen up, but you might have to do some filesystem hackery to get the chumby to SSH to your other machine and run top.

Linux Guy - Occasional Chumby Hacker

Materdaddy's Website

  • From: Oceanside, CA
  • Registered: 2008-04-17
  • Posts: 650

Re: Chumby as dumb terminal - "console mode" without USB keyboard?

/usr/chumby/scripts/usb_keyboard_egg.sh

That will switch framebuffers and get your terminal going.

I was able to get "top > /dev/tty0" to display on the chumby screen after that.

You might want to set up SSH keys and run "ssh <MACHINE> top > /dev/tty0" in a debug chumby script after running the keyboard_egg script.

Disclaimer: I tried this on an infocast, not c1, so there may be slightly different behavior.

Linux Guy - Occasional Chumby Hacker

Materdaddy's Website

  • Registered: 2012-07-04
  • Posts: 4

Re: Chumby as dumb terminal - "console mode" without USB keyboard?

Nice!

Slight snafu, though: I don't have /usr/chumby/scripts/usb_keyboard_egg.sh smile

Can you post the contents of the file?

  • Registered: 2012-07-04
  • Posts: 4

Re: Chumby as dumb terminal - "console mode" without USB keyboard?

Pulled that file from an Infocast disk image - things seem to be working nicely, except for the tiiiiny text size - I believe I'll try compiling con2fb for the Chumby

  • From: Oceanside, CA
  • Registered: 2008-04-17
  • Posts: 650

Re: Chumby as dumb terminal - "console mode" without USB keyboard?

stormborn wrote:

Nice!

Slight snafu, though: I don't have /usr/chumby/scripts/usb_keyboard_egg.sh smile

Can you post the contents of the file?

I see you found it, but I believe on the C1 is might be handled by another script, possibly in /etc/udev/rules.d/.  I looked there at first but ended up just looking on /usr/chumby/scripts/ for something that looked right.  Once I found it, I ran it to get what I was expecting.

Good luck!

Linux Guy - Occasional Chumby Hacker

Materdaddy's Website