wiki:Softwares
Last modified 21 months ago

This page is a memo of all applications running on Hackable. I am trying to find lightweight and small screens suitable apps. Please modify and add comments and apps here.

Software list

System

Right click

XRmouse Have not tested yet

QWO

it is not really a keyboard, but it is very efficient after some small learning time. 

cd ~
wget "http://itanix.rutgers.edu/rumba/dists/sid/perspect/binary-armel/x11/qwo_0.4-1_armel.deb"
apt-get install libconfig6
dpkg -i qwo_0.4-1_armel.deb
rm qwo_0.4-1_armel.deb
cd /usr/bin
mv xkbd xkbd.moved
ln -s qwo xkbd

Note: libconfig6 no longer exists in the repositories. This automatically results in the package being uninstallable.

locales

apt-get install locales
dpkg-reconfigure -plow locales

Then choose your locale. For example for France, I choose "fr_FR.utf8" Then modify your /etc/environment file: 

nano /etc/environment

For France, I have 

LANGUAGE=fr
LC_ALL=fr_FR@euro
LANG=fr_FR@euro

Thunar

File exlorer (from the xfce suite) 

apt-get install thunar

It is great, because it load the appropriate software looking at the file type.
Question : someone told me it is not a good idea to install it, because it needs all the xfce dependancies, and so it slows down the system. What is your point of view ?

Answer: They're right that this slows down the system, since running Thunar will require a few additional libraries to be loaded into memory (just like when running a KDE app under GNOME). Whether or not this is a problem depends entirely on whether or not the user is willing to deal with a slight performance loss when running Thunar.

DeforaOS Browser

Another file explorer 

apt-get install libsystem0 browser

It needs to be configured (in ~/.mime) to launch relevant software to view/open/edit files.

Rox-filer

Fast and handy file explorer 

apt-get install rox-filer

The install process does not provide a desktop launcher. So you can add the file /usr/share/applications/roxfiler.desktop with the following text inside : 

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=Roxfiler
Comment=File explorer
Exec=rox-filer
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Icon=roxfiler
Categories=Utility;mainapps
StartupNotify=true

To-do : get the icon

VNC

You have to install both client and server on your desktop and freerunner 

apt-get install x11vnc xtightvncviewer

Then, depending on what you want to do, you must load the server on the machine you want to control 

x11vnc

If you want to scale the display on you client, you can do it with x11vnc (server side) by adding the -scale option, for example: 

x11vnc -scale 1.5

On the other machine, load the viewer :

  • control the freerunner from the PC 
    vncviewer 192.168.0.202
  • control the desktop from the FR 
    vncviewer 192.168.0.200

Desktop

Nano

command line text file reader 

apt-get install nano

Note: Already installed

Gnumeric

spreadsheet, compatible with Ms Excel and Openoffice Calc 

apt-get install gnumeric

Abiword

Text composer, compatible with Ms Word and Openoffice Writer

already installed

Xpdf

lightweight pdf reader 

apt-get install xpdf

Dia

diagrams 

apt-get install dia

Stardict

Dictionary (usually crashes with Segmentation fault) 

apt-get install stardict

ktranslator

Dictionary (freezes when adding dictionaries) 

apt-get install ktranslator

keepassx (password manager)

Works OK!! 

apt-get install keepassx

Internet

Wicd

wifi configuration (installing it replaces network-manager) Note that the wicd is a backport on Debian Lenny, to install it add the following line 

deb http://www.backports.org/debian lenny-backports main contrib non-free

into the /etc/apt/sources.list 

apt-get install wicd

Wlan

Script bash to configure and connect  website

INCOMPLETE : NOT FULLY TESTED YET + I asked the author to provide a .deb package

lifearea

RSS aggregator (save the RSS content to view it without internet connection 

apt-get install liferea

It a great application, but it is slow. Q: Does anyone a similar but lighter RSS aggregator? A: See FeedReader

Balsa (email)

Not too bad mail client, but saves the password as plain text!

Install 

apt-get install balsa

Sylfeed (email)

Very fast mail client (but, saves too the password as plain text!)

Install 

apt-get install sylpheed

GPS

Navigation tool. Can use OpenStreetMap? data You need to modify your packages repositories list: 

nano /etc/apt/sources.list

And add the following lines : deb  http://pini.free.fr/debian unstable main deb-src  http://pini.free.fr/debian unstable main Then 

mkdir ~/.navit
cp /usr/share/navit/navit.xml ~/.navit/

TangoGps?

View your position, save and load gps tracks, geocode photos, send your position to a friend server It is installed by default on the H1.

PIM

Dates

lightweight calendar, using the evolution directory tree and file format. 

apt-get install dates

The data is located in /root/.evolution/calendar/ I have to major problems with this tool, which I think is the one needed in Hackable :

  • sometimes the shortcut does not work, so I have to using xterm to load it
  • I cannot create or import calendars, and I don't know why (I can on my ubuntu desktop)

BUT : when you copy/paste your desktop calendar file in the .evolution/ folder, the appointment show up on the Home screen ! Which is great. 

scp -r mylogin@192.168.0.200:/home/mylogin/.evolution/calendar/local/system/calendar.ics /root/.evolution/calendar/local/system/

Tasks

same software family, but for tasks 

apt-get install tasks

I can install it but cannot load it. Any hint ?

Theses two pim applications are part of the [pimlico suite  http://www.pimlico-project.org/]

Contacts

The contact application on the Hackable is the "contacts" from pimlico project.

Calcurse

A command line calendar and todo lists software.  Website It is lightweight but powerfull: can import/export iCal files. 

apt-get install calcurse

Idea : use calcurse to edit the /.evolution/ calendar file, so that the appointments show up on the home screen

alarm-clock

 website 

apt-get install alarm-clock

Great simple application for setting alarms (and lauch command and more). A little bit heavy though?

Pictures

Feh

Command line picture viewer 

apt-get install feh

Gpicview

Picture viewer. Great tool : fast, zoom functionality, rotate, fullscreen 

apt-get install gpicview

*Warning:* depends on iceweasel

Mirage

not tested yet

Video

gnome-mplayer

apt-get install gnome-mplayer

It is a light front-end for mplayer. It works, but you have to play light video files (low res, etc.) --> More info to come

Vlc

The well-known video/audio reader. 

apt-get install vlc

I can load and play video, but I cannot hear the audio part. This software is not well adapted to H1 : it is too heavy and slow. Using it can freeze the system.

Music

Neoqplayer aka gorshplayer

Music player developped for the freerunner  Detail 

wget http://think-free.homelinux.org/project/neoqplayer/release/gorshplayer_3.0.2_armel.deb
dpkg -i gorshplayer_3.0.2_armel.deb
apt-get -f install

Sonata

Lightweight audio player, frontend fot mpd NB : my music folder is /root/MP3/ 

apt-get install mpd sonata
rmdir /var/lib/mpd/music
ln -s ~/MP3 /var/lib/mpd/music
mpd --create-db
/etc/init.d/mpd restart

Then start sonata. It's a great soft, but it is hard to add songs to current from the playlist with no right clic The volume level is not easy to set with the vertical cursor

gmpc

Audio player - front-end for mpd 

apt-get install gmpc

A great application, more finger-friendly than sonata.

Ario

Another front-end for mpd, seems even more finger-friendly than gmpc; there are however problems with clearing the playlist. 

apt-get install ario

gbemol

not tested yet

gtick

metronom application 

apt-get install gtick

Games

ace-of-penguins

Set of card games, with the well known Klondike game 

apt-get install ace-of-penguins

To load it, you have to manually start it . For example 

/usr/games/ace_solitaire

Idea, not tested yet:

neverball

gbrainy

brainworkshop

A brain trainer  Website

Emulators

Amiga (e-UAE)

Needs to be downloaded from 

http://packages.debian.org/lenny/armel/e-uae/download

then install using dpkg...

To load it, you have to manually start it. 

uae

Its slow, no sound, no right-mouse-click, needs some work on the .uaerc in order to 'see' all the Amiga screen...

DosBox?

Loads but freezes the h1.

UPDATE: I just (15/07/09) did an 'apt-get upgrade' and installed the dosbox again. IT WORKS! tested with Digger (runs slow). There are two problems so far:

  1. Dosbox cannot be killed (by 'quick pressing' the power button, or issued the command 'exit) it can be killed only from a terminal via 'kill -9'.
  2. The xkbd's geometry is a bit high for the dosbox (covers the last line of it). Using the matchbox-keyboard is *just* perfect.

installation 

apt-get installdosbox

Hatari

(Atari ST emulator)

Loads ok, very slow, better used on 'rotated screen' mode. Needs an Atari ST rom (tos.img)

installation 

apt-get install hatari

Other

Looking for:

  • cooking book
  • fullscreen meteo widget with the next 3 days showing
  • guitar tuner
  • record voice notes