Author Topic: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire  (Read 9767 times)

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Offline critor

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Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« on: November 01, 2012, 08:48:35 am »
In a previous news, DJ_O told you Extended was working on USB support in Ndless.




Since, Tangrs has started a Linux port for the TI-Nspire CX.

He's now started working on USB support and has managed to use an USB keyboard and to play videos on an external USB storage device! :thumbsup:






Development topic:
http://ourl.ca/17131/321577;topicseen#new

Offline ElementCoder

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Re: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2012, 02:56:39 pm »
This is awesome. Too bad my usb cables seem to all have dissappeared...

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Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2012, 04:55:56 pm »
Lol ElementCoder, in my case I just ended up with too many of them (while my I/O cables kept vanishing or breaking).

This is really awesome. I wonder how easy it would be to add mouse support? (for those who hate the touchpad)

Offline Sorunome

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Re: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2012, 04:57:48 pm »
This is so epic!
* Sorunome wants a cx now

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Offline ElementCoder

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Re: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2012, 04:59:44 pm »
Lol ElementCoder, in my case I just ended up with too many of them (while my I/O cables kept vanishing or breaking).

This is really awesome. I wonder how easy it would be to add mouse support? (for those who hate the touchpad)
For me it is the exact opposite, I had a lot and they keep disappearing.

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Offline Juju

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Re: Re: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2012, 05:21:57 pm »
For mouse support, one could try gpm, it's a small utility to bring a mouse in the linux console framebuffer.

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Offline renatose

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Re: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« Reply #6 on: November 01, 2012, 07:31:25 pm »
This is so epic!
* Sorunome wants a cx now
Me too! :P
* renatose dreams about the increased power of having a cx instead of his touchpad

Offline Lionel Debroux

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Re: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2012, 03:42:31 am »
It's certainly possible to port Linux on the Clickpad and Touchpad, but those have less RAM (and a terrible screen), so the resulting Linux + userspace would be able to do less than on the CX.
The CM and CX are (normally) extremely similar, and porting is bound to be straightforward, but very few people in the community have them.
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Offline ParkerR

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Re: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2012, 03:45:52 am »
It's certainly possible to port Linux on the Clickpad and Touchpad, but those have less RAM (and a terrible screen), so the resulting Linux + userspace would be able to do less than on the CX.
The CM and CX are (normally) extremely similar, and porting is bound to be straightforward, but very few people in the community have them.

Terrible screen? Yes it does ghost, as do most greyscale screens, but I wouldn't go as far as it being terrible. I would love to see some linux on my old blue non-CAS. :D

Offline Lionel Debroux

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Re: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« Reply #9 on: November 02, 2012, 03:57:52 am »
The classic Nspires' screen is one of the worst screens I know of, much worse than the screens of TI-68k calculators... At the end of the 1990s (initial production of the 89), DSTN screens weren't that old school yet. It's much harder to swallow that as late as 2007 for the Clickpad, and 2010 for the Touchpad, the Nspires' screens have remained that crappy.

But yeah, I have only one CX, and multiple Clickpads (prototypes and production models), and it would be good if all of them could run Linux :)
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Offline ParkerR

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Re: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« Reply #10 on: November 02, 2012, 04:09:21 am »
Look at what you have done! D: (Hehe)
http://i.minus.com/ib2FnBXqutLXmp.jpg

In all seriousness, I think a text terminal would work quite nicely on the old models. Wouldn't use it for video playback as much as just something to show to friends and maybe type some notes on. I say if you can add a few more functions to a device, no matter how mundane, it's worth doing.

Looks very promising and can't wait to see what's in store!
« Last Edit: November 02, 2012, 04:23:52 am by ParkerR »

Offline Netham45

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Re: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« Reply #11 on: November 02, 2012, 04:35:14 am »
It could be a decent RPi replacement if we could interface reliably with the GPIO ports on the bottom.
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Offline Lionel Debroux

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Re: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« Reply #12 on: November 02, 2012, 04:41:26 am »
For retrofitting existing Nspires without having to buy RPis, indeed.
Nspires are 4-6 times the price of the RPi for 1/5 of the CPU power, 1/4 the amount of RAM, many times less Flash memory, and fewer GPIO ports... but they do have a keyboard, screen and batteries / rechargeable battery out of the box.
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Offline tangrs

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Re: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« Reply #13 on: November 02, 2012, 06:06:59 am »
This is really awesome. I wonder how easy it would be to add mouse support? (for those who hate the touchpad)

Should be just plug and play actually. Though you'd need an X server of some sort to get a cursor.

Offline apcalc

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Re: Linux enables USB on the TI-Nspire
« Reply #14 on: November 03, 2012, 07:29:46 pm »
* apcalc  thinks this looks great! :)