[Lancaster] Re: the kitchen network.

[Ken Hough]

Martyn Welch wrote:
> ------ Original message ------
> On Monday 19 Jul 2004 22:18, Ken Hough wrote:
> 
> 
>>>>The UI could be a 'C'/ncurses program. I have used ncurses and would be
>>>>happy to have a go at this. An advantage of this approach is that I
>>>>could develop the program on a test setup at home.
>>>
>>>As useful as curses is, especially from a sysadmin perspective,
>>>unknowledgeable users will run miles from it. It looks to close to the
>>>command prompt and sometimes isn't the most intuative of interfaces.
>>
>>I don't agree. As always, it's up to the programmer to make good looking
>>and intuitive interfaces and that can be done via ncurses. They may look
>>a bit chunky cp an X windows app, but can still be OK. I've used ncurses
>>to provide a colourful, menu driven (up to 5 levels deep) interface to a
>>fairly meaty programme.
>>
> 
> 
> I agree, from the intuititive standpoint, however to an non geeky user ncurses 
> my as well be a command prompt. It looks too much like DOS. It will scare 
> them sensless and it won't get used.
> 
> The majority of users are used to pretty mouse pointers, with candy like 
> graphics and seem to react to non-sweet, sticky, sugary coated interfaces in 
> roughly the same manner as my girlfriend does on seeing a spider.
>

Well I'm an old DOSser (since about v2.0). Provided that the user sees 
clear/concise directions on screen, I'm not sure that senses will be 
unduly upset.

This machine will be a single application, utility box and such 
directions would be more easily assimilated than a conventional fancy, 
over decorated window app. Still, I'm not getting hung up either way.

> 
>> >If the device is going to have a screen, we may as well use something like
>> >GTK. 
>>
>>ie we use X
>>I was working on the idea that avoiding X would make it easier to 'lock'
>>the machine into the CD burning programme.
>>How do you think we should go?
>>
> 
> 
> Single application, fullscreened in an X session, no other user interface. 
> This could be automactically loaded by inittab. Yes this would mean it is 
> running as root, however there won't be any other applications 
> reachable/loadable.
> 
> Try:
> 
> X -ac :1 & xclock -display :1
> 
> This will start an X session on a second display (disabling access control so 
> that I can load an app from the current terminal) thn load the X clock into 
> it. Now, there's not a lot you can do in that session other than look at the 
> time and close the session (Ctrl+Alt+Backspace). This run from inittab 
> (obviously minus disabling access control) would allow us to run a specially 
> taylored app, fullscreened with little threat of fiddling...
> 

I did, as a normal user and it works. I also set this line in the 
.profile file in a normal user account. It still does the trick!

However, one thing missing. To set up a second display on for example 
vt8, the complete line should be:

X -ac :1 vt8 & xclock -display :1

I've tried replacing xclock with kwrite and even k3b! They both work, 
but there's no obvious way of resizing the window to full screen. Any 
suggestions?

Having (almost) cracked this, how should we develop our CD burning app?
I've used Borland C++ Builder under MS Windows, but haven't yet got 
around to window programming under Linux. I intend to get into 
Kdevelop/QT soon.


Ken Hough