Simple Help

[pauljh]

Hello!,

   Well I have my 1ghz pandora, and its "ok", the build quality is a bit umm "sub standard" but I can live with it.  Can people help me with some simple issues?

1.  What are the short cuts from xfce?, is there one to change nubs to joysticks?

2.  In xfce how do I add an item to the menu's

3.  I have download panmame but it doesn't run by clicking on the panmame.pnd it only runs from PNDManager which makes me think I have two versions installed.

4.  I editted the advmame.rc to also point to /appdata/panmame/rom but it doesn't scan for the files there, what am I doing wrong?

5.  Is there a keyboard short cut to get to the kill task prompt?

6.  When I click firefox for example I get inpatient and click it again (as I can't be 100% sure I double clicked) is there a short cut for double click?

7.  Addition to 6, why doesn't the pointer turn to an hour glass or something for a split second just so I can be sure I clicked?

8.  Any other useful tips (yes I've read the quick tips etc).

     ta

 

[TrashyMG]

1. Not sure about shortcuts... but to change nubs to joystick mode there is a configuration tool under the settings menu.
2. the PND system automatically does this.. if you place a PND in the /media/YOURSDCARD/pandora/menu.. it will show as an item in the menu.. and if you add it to the desktop folder it will show up on the desktop. there maybe a way to manually hack the menus.. but don't bother with it much myself.
3. Not sure why this would be, but in general you don't click on .pnd files. think of them as packages not executable files.
4. I don't use mame.. so someone else will need to fill in.

5. generally processes are killed via command line or some gui tool.. processes running with the PND system can be killed by holding the Pandora button for a few seconds and selecting what you want to kill.

6. this may be a setting in the XFCE settings.. also don't be impatient.. the green LEDs on the right show you if the SD cards are being accessed or not.. usually an indicator if the program was launched correctly.

7. Is that a windows only thing? don't recall seeing that in other Linux distributions..

Most of what you complain about is what you deal with in a standard Linux environment on PC.. much has a lot to do with our unique PND system which was developed to handle applications needing to live on removable SD cards. Once you learn how to use the device it has a ton of potential. check out the Pandora Wiki for more info.. also feel free to ask more questions.


 

 

[patnik]

Hello and welcome, pauljh.

1) Change nubs to joysticks: Press the Pandora key/ click Pandora Icon on taskbar, then "Settings" then "Pandora Nub Confiigurator."

Select Joystick for either or both Nubs, then click "Write Nub Settings."

2) To add th Trashy`s post, on your new OpenPandora`s desktop, there is a QuickStart Guide. Page #6 tell the user how the folder structure should be setup.

3) Sometimes when I download multiple programs or their updates, I have a habit of rebooting my OpenPandora, so that the new programs and their appdata gets refreshed properly. This could help your Pandora recognize new entries.

4) I just use PanMAME default config. Are you certain you are placing the MAME (Arcade) roms into the correct directory?

Are you using the correct MAME romset? Our PanMAME uses MAME .106 romset, any higher is not guaranteed to work. Which game/s are you trying to run/play?

5) What TrashyMG said.

6) When it comes to our version of Firefox, one must exercise patience. Firefox works, but obviously the normal PC desktop version is much faster. Other than that, try to adjust the mouseclick speed: Pandora menu->Settings->Desktop->Mouse->Behavior. Then adjust the Double click time. Maybe that might help? Or alternatively, try the PND program called AB Mouse. Install that program, run it and let it use your Gamepad A as Left click and Gamepad B as Right click mouse functions? You can always revert back to Normal Mouse Mode when you are done with Firefox.

7) You mean like an additional theme of sorts? No idea if something like that could be programmed into the firmware, as the NAND is already precious space wise. Maybe one of the Linux/XFCE gurus here could shed a better light on this. But I`m in the similar boat as TrashyMG, I hardly notice its absence and just use the LEDs indicator flashes. But I understand your view though.

8) Just get in the habit of making periodical backups of your most critical personal data files, as SD cards like many forms of flash memory, are not foolproof. Not just for your OpenPandora, but any device that depends on removeable storage like tablet pc, smartphones and some dumbphones, PDA`s, cameras, etc.

Again, welcome to the forums and share any knowledge/info/ideas you can. And have fun with your Open Pandora.

...Patnik

 

[levi]

6) If you're using the right nub as buttons then move left is left button, move right is right button and move up is left button double click.  Although if your right nub is anything like mine the calibration can be all over the place so it might still register as a single click - either left or right.  I tend to move it up and left a bit - sort of north-north-west - to get it to work most of the time, since my calibration tends to drift over towards the left direction, but still it can often be frustrating trying to work out if it's worked or not.

 

[Asmo]

(4) could be if the panmame appdata folder wasn't created by PanMame itself, if the PND wasn't located in a suitable folder and launched normally?

As per above and the Quickstart guide, put the Panmame pnd in :

pandora/menu (then PanMame will appear only in the menus)

or

pandora/apps (then it will appear in menus and on desktop)

or

pandora/desktop (then it will appear on desktop only)

Once the PND has been launched once correctly, it will create it's own appdata folder and you should be able to arrange things the way you want.

 

[milkshake]

you can cause rescan of your sd cards for new PND's simply by ejecting the card and re inserting it.

questions 2 + 3 are related to the same thing, in essence unless you set up a default program to run the PND file, double clicking it will not cause it to run since it is not an executable itself but a container (all binary's and resources are usually stored within).

In order to run an app you will either double click it on the desktop or run it from the menu, assuming the PND has been placed in the right location.

 

[PowerGod]

6) Select it and press ENTER

 

[A2000]

Yes, it's quicker and more convenient to use the dpad and 'enter' key to select and run programs from the menu or the desktop. Use the pandora key to open the menu.

 

[TrashyMG]

^Agreed

 

[pauljh]

Great thankyou people!.

Shame there isn't a quick short cut to amend the nub actions for use in emulators, but oh well.

As for PanMame, I did open the pnd and leave it in /tmp/utmp and played with it a bit but ummm now I've broken it.  I removed panmame with PNDManager but it still shows in emulator list of the menu and most definatly isn't in /appdata/CARD1/pandora/menu so is there like a "right click" to show in the menu where its finding the file? as it doesn't run (obviously as the pdn is gone).

So does the menu manager handle duplicate PND's? as in if I have A.PND in /appdata/CARD1/pandora/menu and in /appdata/CARD1/pandora/desktop where will it appear? (i.e. does it amalgamate them both).

 

[Asmo]

So does the menu manager handle duplicate PND's? as in if I have A.PND in /appdata/CARD1/pandora/menu and in /appdata/CARD1/pandora/desktop where will it appear? (i.e. does it amalgamate them both).

Shouldn't those paths be

CARD1/pandora/menu

CARD1/pandora/desktop

('appdata' being a folder within the pandora folder)

I could be wrong but from memory, I think if you did have two instances of the same pnd like that, it will appear in both locations but it's not necessary - if you want it to appear in both, put the pnd in pandora/apps.

 

[PowerGod]

As for PanMame, I did open the pnd and leave it in /tmp/utmp and played with it a bit but ummm now I've broken it.  I removed panmame with PNDManager but it still shows in emulator list of the menu and most definatly isn't in /appdata/CARD1/pandora/menu so is there like a "right click" to show in the menu where its finding the file? as it doesn't run (obviously as the pdn is gone).

So does the menu manager handle duplicate PND's? as in if I have A.PND in /appdata/CARD1/pandora/menu and in /appdata/CARD1/pandora/desktop where will it appear? (i.e. does it amalgamate them both).

Seems like you are doing a little mess right here, and it's difficult now to follow your steps.

1) When you open (launch) a PND it's data is mounted in /mnt/utmp/, but don't mess with this folder, it is managed by the system, so leave that alone. I don't know why you speak about "/tmp/utmp"...

2) the path where you put the PNDs is wrong, as Asmo pointed out it should be "/media/[sD-CARD-NAME]/pandora/menu" (or desktop or apps)

3) If the PND is in the "menu" folder it will appear in the Menu only, if in the "desktop" folder it will appear only on the desktop, if it is in "apps" it will appear in both.

 

[F_Slim]

Great thankyou people!.


Shame there isn't a quick short cut to amend the nub actions for use in emulators, but oh well.

Most games and emulators change the nub-settings automatically when you run them. I guess that's why there is no shortcut.

 

[TrashyMG]

Generally this is the typical SD folder layout. There is supposed to be an application that sets all these folders up for you.. most likely in the system folder. but I've never used it as it doesn't take too long to make folders.

/YOURSDCARD/pandora/menu - programs show in menu
/YOURSDCARD/pandora/desktop - programs show on desktop
/YOURSDCARD/pandora/apps - programs show both on desktop and menu

/YOURSDCARD/pandora/appdata - required folder where PNDS store data and such.

 

[levi]

It's worth rebooting your Pandora when things the PND system start to go a bit screwy - I've had things like the menu not updating, and PNDs not unmounting meaning if you have two different versions of the same PND, it'll always run the first one you ran. A quick reboot (Menu->Log out->Reboot) and you're back in business.