tgFX discontinued… I have been using chilipeppr as my daily driver for a while anyway, but was using tgFX to keep the firmware updated on my TinyG. Hoping sythetos will at least offer an easy way to keep the firmware updated for our TinyG’s, or is firmware update a feature on the Chilipeppr roadmap? https://github.com/synthetos/tgFX/commit/1b0f4f20cf85fd8793a5b9e45b1aee547678c873
I would suggest getting familiar with the avrdude method covered in https://github.com/synthetos/TinyG/wiki/TinyG-Updating-Firmware. I have avrdude ver 6.1 on my Linux systems, works fine. I am working on a configuration backup and restore widget extension and Kevin Hauser is working on a configuration display and updater. Don’t count on my part any time real soon, local file I/O (particularly the O) is a bear in JS.
ChiliPeppr is great … but given that it doesn’t run offline I think the discontinuation of tgfx is premature.
There is. Its still in beta but @Rob_Giseburt has got this working here:
Like I said it still needs some testing (specifically on windows) but its pretty complete.
Btw, the binary downloads are here: https://github.com/synthetos/TinyG-Updater/releases
@Kevin_Hauser @Rob_Giseburt @jlauer I dont know why the same method used for creating this updater in node could not be employed to create an offline capable version of Chilipeppr?
@jlauer I was thinking the package could include the JS sender piece as well assuming it was ported to nodejs, thats something that I could help with if there was any interest.
@Anthony_Webb I tried to create Serial Port JSON Server to be a super-easy standalone single binary with no dependencies. That has been achieved. So, I think porting it to a model that’s heavy like Node would be a step backwards. The Serial Port JSON Server runs on every platform folks have thrown at it including Raspi, Beagle Bone, Intel Edison, etc. I think a firmware updater that is standalone can be fine, or perhaps somebody wants to create updater code inside Serial Port JSON Server.
@jlauer In that case, perhaps letting the SerialPort JSON server also host the HTTP chilipeppr html files would mean a totally self contained offline capable package? Would that be an option?
I think doing offline is a massive step backwards from where the software world is today. To lose the benefit of the cloud is just not where any time should be spent.
I certainly tend to agree with that thinking. All my equipment is in a shop with great internet so it is not an issue for me at all, the people toting their machines around or at shows with a lack of wifi is certainly the exception and not the rule. I do see lots of people who seem to be be hung up on it for some reason. Perhaps it is more of just an education thing.
Yeah, I think this is just folks being stuck in a traditional sense of CNC. The world has changed and so must the software and the approach. The browser is the new operating system. Desktop offline software is not where things are headed.
I also agree with you John, but I’m a realist, and I know there are places without Internet connectivity. I don’t think that we should target ChiliPeppr to them, however. There are solutions for that use case. Even with tgfs being discontinued I assume (haven’t verified) that it can be downloaded, and it serves the purpose.
I think somewhere in between. Having an always on internet connection means the software is permanently up-to-date.
However, one shouldn’t be prevented from operating their cnc simply due to a loss of Internet connection. Particularly when their livelihood depends on it.
The offline capability isn’t really a matter of “disconnecting,” it is a matter of operating under minimal conditions.
There is another aspect as well: ease-of-setup. For the non-technical user being able to download an “app” that they can double-click and run is a major win. They don’t care if that app will only use the cached version if the Internet connection is spotty. They (rarely) even care if it automatically pulls down updates with new features and bug fixes. In fact, there are a few that would rather it not change on them while they were sleeping. I know those in particular are on the edge of the target users of Chillipeppr, but still, they’re out here.