An introduction from Paulie420; PBP user
#1
Tongue 
Hello, Pine64 community!

My name is Paul and I've just arrived to the Pine64 community by way of a PineBook Pro. I am an avid user of Raspberry Pi systems, and had no tried any Pine64 singleboard computers or other products... I've heard good things about the Pine64 company and hope that the user community is also similar.

A little bit about me and my ARM/singleboard computer usage... I use ARM singleboard computers for many projects in my life. I run a Home Assistant server to control my smart home devices; I always hated the super-connected and anti-privacy 'features' of mainline smart home products, so I got rid of them! There are some great products from Sonoff that give the user all the functionality of a strong smart home, without the devices 'calling home' behind my back... running a Raspberry Pi 8gb model, it handles my Home Assistant server pretty well and provides me with a great dashboard for control and much more control over my system. My next home automation is going to be a Hyperion Responsive LED Light System for my television.... instead of static colors behind your TV,why not have them match whats on the screen... in real time. Tongue I'm going to use an ARM based SBC, some good LED light strips and Hyperion software which plays nice with my Home Assistant server.

Another project I just completed marries a Raspberry Pi Zero and an antique 1942 Philco Predicta television. The Predicta is iconic and beautiful; but it is an 80 year old B&W television without ANY bells and whistles that we enjoy today in our home media systems... well I decided to change that! I coded the Zero to accept Chromecast videos from other devices, and used Python and a capacitive touch sensor to create a button inside the television without damaging or modifying the hardware at all. When user presses a certain spot on the TV, a new random video plays... push button, get I Love Lucy... or All in the Family... or similar. Now theres always something cool to watch thats period correct, without the user having to know anything about whats going on. Push button, get cool 1940s video. Period. In addition, the TV (Well, the Zero) boots up and displays several 1940s pictures I've curated.. then it plays a 1943 Philco Predica commercial and immediately start playing random period correct videos. The push button is always available to skip to the next video, or use your cell phone to Chromecast anything you want to view in beautiful B&W on an iconic platform.

The last thing I'd like to share is my BBS server. I used to run a bulletin board in the early 90s before the internet took over. I ran a Renegade bulletin board, but there were also many other options like Synchronet, PC Board, Wildcat! and many more. In 2020, there are a few currently developed options; Mystic, Synchronet and Enigma.5 are a few with great communities. I run a Mystic BBS, because of its highly modifiable system and that its the most popular and used BBS software of the current times. I'd love for you to login to my BBS with your ARM singleboard or PineBook Pro... but theres a little homework for you; you need to dial in with an ANSI compatible terminal... just using telnet from the CLI will get you a bunch of ugly looking characters on screen - you need a terminal that decodes the ANSI art and shows you in the intended way. If you run Linux, this is as easy as building/compiling Syncterm or you can run NetRunner.... syncterm.bbsdev.net or mysticbbs.com are the websites for each of those softwares and I've listed my BBSes info below. Telnet in, and experience a BBS as if it were 1995:

20 For Beers BBS
20ForBeers.com using port 1337 on telnet
password = meatloaf

I hope you'll build SyncTerm and login to my board!! When writing email to the SysOp after creating an account, please let me know that you came from pine64.org!!! I'll make sure you have access to all the online door games and FTNs (message networks).

---
In closing, I am Paul and I hope to be a part of the Pine64 community!!! I know the limitations of the ARM systems, but that only allows me to see all that you CAN do with these great computers!! I think a lot of new users get so wrapped up in trying to make these computers their iMac replacements that they miss out on how much they can do! Use em' for what they are - great Linux based problem solvers... with a little input from the SysOp.

Hope to hear from some of you; I'll be here to stay... I wrote this with my PineBook Pro, and using it is continually growing on me. It is a great piece of hardware - just know what it IS!

 pAULIE42o
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
/s
#2
Welcome to PINE64 community  Smile
#3
(09-18-2020, 09:45 PM)tllim Wrote: Welcome to PINE64 community  Smile

Wow, both here and on my other question about Manjaro; a reply from the main [wo]man [her]himself! Thanks for welcoming me in, I appreciate the fact that you come over to the forums yourself.

Furthermore, thanks for creating PINE64! You guys get a bunch of crap from users who don't know what their buying into... your products are GREAT, and the community is... coming along. Tongue I know that must be the hard part.

I am a heavy Raspberry Pi user, but am going to look into pine for some singleboard use, too... my next purchase, however, is going to be a PinePhone - as I am really interested in moving that project to the next level. I can envision one day when we have free, open, safe and FULL FEATURED Linux options for our cell phone devices!

The fact that you have to pick from Android and iOS, both using heavy Google applications to keep us under the thumb of government and private tracking is disugsting. I can't wait until I can have both a full-Linux box on the badass computer [cell phones] that we all carry in our pockets AND a device that can do everything my iPhone does, without the negatives.

THANK YOU for PINE64. Once I can squeeze the PinePhone into my budget I'm going to make an order. I bet its sooner than later, watch....

Nice to meet ya, Tillum. Thanks for the reply and welcome.
-----
 pAULIE42o
.  .  .  .   .  . .
/s
#4
Your old TV project sounds so cool!! I got a couple Raspberry Pi's I'm playing around with, but I feel like I'm still barely scratching the surface.  Have fun with your PBP! So far, mine's been working pretty well, except for the "doesn't go to sleep when the lid closes" problem, but that's not a big deal to me! Don't be shy about posting more about your projects!


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
Question Pinebook Pro end-user ready? Watercourse 3 2,203 06-19-2022, 10:17 AM
Last Post: Watercourse
Question Just purchased a used PBP (with no eMMC!) - any tips for a new user? pinemouth 15 8,401 12-07-2021, 08:23 PM
Last Post: wdt
  User experience quadrantids 14 11,970 03-26-2021, 05:06 PM
Last Post: dsimic
  Booting - User device selection in U-Boot? Arwen 10 11,618 11-21-2020, 01:22 PM
Last Post: Arwen
  Default user name and password? CryptoRick 2 7,253 02-14-2020, 02:24 PM
Last Post: FeMike
  No Sound, Non Root User deebeez 10 12,761 01-16-2020, 04:04 AM
Last Post: bcnaz

Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)