30 Jun
2012
30 Jun
'12
10:53 a.m.
Tony Duell skrev 2012-06-30 00:15:
Which operating system should it come preloaded with then? Debian
?squeeze?, Arch Linux ARM or QtonPi from their download page. Or maybe
some of the ten OS:es mentioned on http://elinux.org/RPi_Distributions...
To have to pay for a preloaded OS (in this case the media) for every
RasPi I'll buy is only stupid. I selected a suitable size of SD-card and
it took me 10 minutes to download an image and write it to the card.
If you can't download and write the card yourself or with a friends help
then there is / will be preloaded cards to buy from RS and Farnell as well.
A printed "Raspberry Pi users guide" is almost redy, they take preorders
now. Better to buy one single book than one with each Pi. I can see them
in a number of places at home. Media player behind the TV, controller
for my GPS-enabled metal detector I plan to build, emulating classic
computers, working as a serial terminal for my mini computers, signal
generator in the lab (just load audacity)... and so on.
A lot information exists on the web in the wiki and on discussion
groups. A little searching and it will pop up. As well as the source of
the OS except the binary drivers for the graphics.
Schematics :
http://www.raspberrypi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Raspberry-Pi-Schemati…
Tony *might*
approve if the published documentation included detailed
instructions on how to mine your own copper ore, smelt it, build a
silicon refinery, fabricate your own CPU, spin glass fibre and
synthesize resin and then manufacture your own circuit board.
But I do emphasize the "might" here...
Actually, I'd be very likely
to approve of it if :
It came complete, that is to say I could just plug it in and go without
having to pay to download and print manuals, download the OS, etc The docuemtnation let me figure out how to use the
thing.
Given that, I might actualyl buy one.
A couple of serious questions :
1) AS has been confiremd the data sheet on the main 'chip' doesn't
include docuemtnation on certain parts of it (video-related?). Are those
parts simply not used by the standard linux for the Rpi, or are the
drives supplied as binary-only, or what?
There are binary only drivers for the GPU. "The GPU provides Open GL ES
2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG, and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode."
Haven't done any graphics programming myself so I'm only quoting the FAQ.
2) I understnad the's some kind of GPIO/user port.
How many lines, are
they individually selectable for direction? Can this be easilly used from
C (I assuem there's a C vompiler included with the OS).
17 GPIO lines, individually selectable direction and many with secondary
functions as UART, SPI, PWM, I2C...
More GPIO pins are available on other connectors. Only 3.3V levels, no
5V tolerant I/O. But 3.3V and 5V is available on the GPIO connector.
http://elinux.org/RPi_Low-level_peripherals#General_Purpose_Input.2FOutput_…
Example code for the GPIO port is available in C, Python, shell script
and Perl on the above link.
Excerpt from the FAQ : "Any language which will compile for ARMv6 can be
used with the Raspberry Pi, though; so you?re not limited to using Python."
-tony
Only thing that have stopped me from playing around with my two PI:s is
the lack of a HDMI-cable... will fetch one tonight. :-)
/G?ran