Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Matrix and Raspberry Pi

This is something I should have written many moons ago.

Copies from their web sites.

I won't quote the prizes since I have no commercial interests.

I am waiting to order one by mail but my worry is Voltage specification and converter for our country.

Description:

This is a hot topic in Linux magazines and there is a Magazine for Raspbery Pi.

Rasberry Pi

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It is a capable little computer which can be used in electronics projects, and for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn how computers work, how to manipulate the electronic world around them, and how to program.

Matrix

Matrix is a single board mini computer based on ARM with a wide range of interface, equipped with a powerful i.MX6
Freescale processor, it can run Android, Linux and other operating systems, a switch between different operating
systems can be done within just a few minutes! Matrix also has great support for TBS USB tuners and popular
software such as XBMC, VDR, Tvheadend, DVBLast and so on.


TBS Tuner Support
Equipped with the mini PCIe slot and USB ports, Matrix works perfectly with TBS USB tuners.


Freescale Quad Core
Based on Freescale i.MX6, Matrix provides a much more powerful ready-to- run 
platform.


Open Source
It’s 100% open source, Matrix runs Linux, Android, Ubuntu, and any other OS you like.
To switch from one OS to another, you only need to burn the new OS into the eMMC on the Matrix board, and then reboot it.


XBMC, VDR, Tvheadend Support
Popular software like XBMC, VDR, Tvheadend are ready for Matrix.

Libre Office and Peppermint-Error Correction


Libre Office and Peppermint
Error Correction
I have to revise my opinion regarding Libre Office.
I stated sometime earlier that Libre Office freezes on me.
Yes, it happened again.
But this time, I investigated.
I had a one tetra bite Seagate external SATA hard drive (still prefer SATA to SSD due to low capacity and very high prize) and removed all my images to it and Libre Office is back, working smoothly.
Unlike Peppermint Linux Libre Office keeps track of its history, thereby consumes little extra MiB in its files (I think, they should introduce some form of downsizing the working memory and removing unnecessary macros at run time).
But the problem with, Peppermint is, when it uses torrents, it reserves all its hard drive memory to the files even not yet downloaded and interfere with running of Libre Office, rudely.
So if you have a small capacity hard drive you may run into problem, as I did with Libre Office.
I suppose, Libre Office should to some home work and do like torrents do and take over and reserve ample amount of memory for it, disregarding the torrent and the Linux platform, one may use.
I have no experience of using Libre Office in a window platform and Microsoft Office might find this GAP and exploit it to ruin the Libre Office in its infancy, rather robust toddler with unlimited capacity.
If one is using Libre Office with, images, video and presentation, one who is using, widows may run into problems.
Way about to solve this, is to reserve at least 2 GiB of working memory (assuming the largest file is 2 GiB) of hard drive (memory) at start up, like torrents do.
It can be easily done on a Linux desktop platform but what about Windows platform?
I have resolved my problem for the time being.
I had been formatting and reinstalling Peppermint up till now.
That minor irritation is out of context for me now.
Thank Libre Office and Peppermint and Linux family of Desktop Distributions for your untiring efforts which am reaping benefits with a Pipe Smoke of a Cigar (not literally but metaphorically).
I know most of the Linux (especially developer) Guy/Girls have a Pipe Dream of their own.

Postscript; 
Not only, Libre Office, even Fire Fox was frozen this time. 
Worst was it did not have memory to sign up my regular and root account.
Could be booted up with Guest account.


Procedure I followed
1. I had to shutdown.
2. Wait for the RAM to clear up.
3. Boot again
4. Transfer and delete unnecessary files.
5. Clear torrent fully.
6. Restart.
7. No Reinstall and I am back again in full swing (I did not want to Install Peppermint 5, I am happy with Peppermint 4 for the time being. If it freezes again, I probably will try it. My experience with Ubuntu 14-04 is not healthy especially Pinguy Linux which I have stated elsewhere).