[VicPiMakers SG] Pi Basics

Mon May 4 15:57:12 EDT 2020

Deid,

I would put in Linux Containers, at least a mention, as the Tech 
community in Ottawa are all over containerization.

4-6 is steps (or lines) 4 through 6

Sounds like it is shaping up well.

Craig...

On 5/4/20 11:13 AM, Deid Reimer wrote:
> https://www.hackster.io/news/meet-the-new-raspberry-pi-4-model-b-9b4698c284 
>
>
> Has a good article on the 4.  May be able to use these ideas for part 
> 1.  An image from that article:
>
> https://hackster.imgix.net/uploads/attachments/981429/1_kOpWv51R5s8eFV9G7hKgxA.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=740&h=555&fit=max 
>
>
>
> Can use my asus cardboard box for part 2 yes
>
> Hats - never used any other than the purpose built one for Camosun.
>
> OS and GUI - mostly Debian.  Thoughts on what to describe.
>
> What is "my 4-6"?
>
> I like Craig's idea of node red.
>
> We only have an hour and a half and I think we should leave at least 
> 20 minutes for questions/interruptions.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 5/3/20 6:44 PM, Mark G. wrote:
>> Craig, Deid,
>>
>> That's a good list.  I can give you a rough idea of the audience, since
>> I was a member back a while.
>>
>> They are fairly technically competent, but they can be windows centric,
>> although there was quite often a foray into the linux side of things.
>> They'll understand mostly anything we present about the RPi.
>>
>> So here's what I would focus on:
>>
>> 1. Describe the RPi 4 fairly deeply:
>>   - memory, CPU, GigEth/WLAN, USB 3+2, BT, HDMIx2 USB C power.
>>   - display connector and camera connector, audio jack
>>
>> 2. Stay with the hardware and describe the GPIO pins
>>   - run some python code that toggles LED's on a show and tell
>>     system like Deid's, with some temperature sensing.
>>
>> 2a. Describe some common HATs, like PoE, or Sensehat to
>>      show hardware extensibility.
>>
>> 3. Move to describing the OS and GUI to provide relief for
>>     the console shock we'll have given them with the GPIO
>>     programs.
>>
>> Then do your 4-6, except skip linux containers (sad face),
>> and maybe skip VNC/RDP/headless.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 2020-05-03 3:50 PM, Craig Miller wrote:
>>> Hi Deid,
>>>
>>> Well, the Pi Camp is full of good stuff, I think it was aimed more at a
>>> hands on audience who (ostensibly) wanted to use the Pi. I doubt this
>>> group is interested in Ohm's Law, for example.
>>>
>>> As I remember OPCUG from my Ottawa days, they were mostly Windows 
>>> folks.
>>> So I think:
>>>
>>>  1. some chat about the Pi4 would be useful (something the VicPiMakers
>>>     would also be interested in, BTW)
>>>  2. the basics of the GUI
>>>  3. The lack of compatibility with Windows anything (can't run Windows
>>>     apps, although there may be work-alikes), has a different processor
>>>  4. The Basic Setup - keyboard, mouse, HDMI display, or run Headless
>>>     (then use VNC or RDP?)
>>>  5. Some Cool Apps: Flight Aware, Motion Eye, Linux Containers (Ottawa
>>>     is the High Tech centre of Canada)
>>>  6. A few pointers to other things that can be done with the Pi:
>>>     NodeRed, GPIO, Python Programming
>>>
>>> BTW, being a Linux and Mac guy, I don't think I ever attended the 
>>> OPCUG,
>>> but did attend the Mac and Linux groups in Ottawa.
>>>
>>> Craig...
>>> -- 
>>> IPv6 is the future!
>>> http://ipv6-net.blogspot.ca/
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sun, May 3, 2020 at 3:10 PM Deid Reimer <deid at drsol.com
>>> <mailto:deid at drsol.com>> wrote:
>>>
>>>     Do you think parts of the pi camp that never happened would be
>>>     useful?  Or, are these folks likely past that level?
>>>
>>>     Deid  VA7REI
>>>     On May 3, 2020, at 12:38 PM, "Mark G." <vpm at palaceofretention.ca
>>>     <mailto:vpm at palaceofretention.ca>> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>         -------- Forwarded Message --------
>>>         Subject:  Re: Re: [VicPiMakers SG] Fwd: Re: Pi Basics
>>>         Date:  Sun, 3 May 2020 15:25:05 -0400
>>>         From:  Alan German
>>>
>>>
>>>              A couple of replies below.
>>>              Deid would like to know a bit more about what you'd like
>>>              covered.  Also, how much time is available?
>>>
>>>
>>>         Mark:
>>>
>>>         Thanks for your assistance and especially for the prompt 
>>> replies from
>>>         your colleagues.
>>>
>>>         Normally, we would have a lot of relevant information for 
>>> speakers on
>>>         our web site (https://opcug.ca/speakers-info/) but, with the 
>>> current
>>>         concerns relating to Covid-19, very little of it remains so.
>>>         Consequently, the following notes may assist:
>>>
>>>         The Ottawa PC Users' Group (OPCUG) has been serving our 
>>> local community
>>>         for close to 40 years.  Our main activities for members are a
>>>         monthly meeting to which we normally invite an external 
>>> speaker on some
>>>         computer-related topic, Q&A sessions that immediately follow 
>>> the
>>>         speaker's talk, our monthly newsletter (Ottawa PC News), web 
>>> site, and a
>>>         members-only, on-line discussion forum.  Guests 
>>> (non-members) are always
>>>         welcome to attend our meetings.  In addition, we have other
>>>         outreach programmes such as workshops held in the spring and 
>>> fall, and
>>>         presentations to members of the public at library branches 
>>> across the
>>>         city.  Currently, because of the limitations imposed by the 
>>> pandemic, we
>>>         are offering brief, weekly Q&A sessions over 
>>> video-conferencing.
>>>
>>>         The Raspberry Pi computer has been suggested as a topic for 
>>> our regular
>>>         monthly meetings on a number of occasions and, while we have 
>>> the BuyaPi
>>>         store and a number of Pi enthusiasts in the city, we have 
>>> been unable to
>>>         find a local speaker for this topic.  Jeff had mentioned to 
>>> me your work
>>>         on Jitsi as OPCUG has commenced using video-conferencing due 
>>> to our
>>>         current inability to hold face-to-face meetings.  I noted 
>>> that this
>>>         effort was linked, in part, to Victoria PiMakers and saw 
>>> from the web
>>>         site that this group was very active with the Pi and, in 
>>> particular, had
>>>         recently given an introductory course on the Pi. Hence my 
>>> interest and
>>>         inquiry.
>>>
>>>         I suspect that most members of OPCUG will know that the Pi 
>>> exists, and
>>>         have a basic idea of what it is, but that is almost 
>>> certainly as far as
>>>         it goes.  But, it is a fascinating device and I am sure that 
>>> everyone
>>>         would love to learn more about it and what they could do 
>>> with it.  Our
>>>         scheduled talks are usually 90 minutes in duration, 
>>> including questions,
>>>         so clearly the presentation would have to be fairly 
>>> concise.  But, it
>>>         should be considered just as an introduction to the topic so 
>>> a lot of
>>>         detail is likely not required.  My thoughts were along the 
>>> lines of:
>>>
>>>         (1) a brief history of the Pi
>>>         (2) an overview of the latest model
>>>         (3) the "accessories" required (e.g. power supply, SDcard, 
>>> video cable,
>>>         etc.)
>>>         (4) a couple of examples of "shovel-ready" applications (i.e.
>>>         off-the-shelf software for specific tasks)
>>>         (5) a brief indication of some of the capabilities of the Pi 
>>> for someone
>>>         willing to roll up their sleeves (e.g. programming the I/O 
>>> system)
>>>
>>>         Obviously, not knowing all that much about the Pi myself, 
>>> the above are
>>>         simply suggestions.  We would, of course, be guided by 
>>> whoever would
>>>         be willing to provide a presentation to our group.
>>>
>>>         As I indicated, our meetings are currently being held by (Zoom)
>>>         video-conference so a remote presentation is obviously the 
>>> route to take
>>>         for a talk by one of your group if such can be arranged.  We 
>>> are limited
>>>         to our regular meeting schedule, i.e. on the second 
>>> Wednesday of the
>>>         month (e.g. June 10 is currently available), commencing at 
>>> 7:30 pm EST,
>>>         although I would think that we could switch the main 
>>> presentation and
>>>         the Q&A session around if a later starting time would be 
>>> preferred for
>>>         the west coast.  And, while there is always the possibility 
>>> of regular
>>>         meetings re-commencing at the church in the fall, we do have 
>>> Wi-Fi
>>>         available at this venue so, if this timing would be more 
>>> appropriate, no
>>>         doubt a remote presentation could be accommodated by simply 
>>> running the
>>>         AV feed into the video projector.
>>>
>>>         Anyway, all that to say that our group is very interested in 
>>> the
>>>         capabilities of the Pi, is extremely flexible on the 
>>> logistics, and
>>>         would be most grateful for any assistance that any member of 
>>> your
>>>         organization could provide.
>>>
>>>         My very best regards
>>>
>>>         Alan
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>     --
>>>     SteeringGroup mailing list
>>>     SteeringGroup at vicpimakers.ca <mailto:SteeringGroup at vicpimakers.ca>
>>> http://vicpimakers.ca/mailman/listinfo/steeringgroup_vicpimakers.ca
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>

-- 
IPv6 is the future!
http://ipv6-net.blogspot.ca