Difference between revisions of "PineNote Development/Apps"

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(Created page with "= App support on PineNote = The PineNote is a specialized device. Finding and configuring apps that work well will require a lot of tweaking and a lot exploring. == Notetaking == === xournal++ === Works well, writing is pretty quick. == Web Browsing == === Firefox === Viewing static webpages is okay right now. Webapps like Google Docs are almost unusable. ==== GPU Acceleration in Firefox ==== See [https://github.com/0cc4m/pinenote-misc#firefox-hardware-acceleration...")
 
m (Xournal++ release 1.2)
 
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= App support on PineNote =
This page lists applications and tweaks for the [https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PineNote PineNote].


The PineNote is a specialized device. Finding and configuring apps that work well will require a lot of tweaking and a lot exploring.
== Development ==


== Notetaking ==
Here are some resources you may find helpful in learning to develop on embedded Linux devices:
* Great YouTube series introducing you to the kernel and lower-level components of Linux: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiZ05pnHZqM
* https://embetronicx.com/
* https://bootlin.com/training/
* https://www.nand2tetris.org


=== xournal++ ===
Emulator recommendation for developing and testing PineNote apps: https://github.com/michaelshiel/picom-epaper
Works well, writing is pretty quick.


== Web Browsing ==
The PineNote is a specialized device, mainly due to the eink display having unique display and refresh characteristics.
Finding and configuring apps that work well sometimes requires a lot of tweaking and a lot exploring, especially for
applications containing fast screen updates and animations, as well as depend on a lot of colors.


=== Firefox ===
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCLyJfbzbrU Here is a video] showing the performance of a few applications.
Viewing static webpages is okay right now. Webapps like Google Docs are almost unusable.


==== GPU Acceleration in Firefox ====
== Desktop Environments ==
 
=== Sway ===
 
* [https://github.com/hmpthcs/WinkShell WinkShell] "Collected applications, configurations and scripts for using a wlroots-based compositor with an EPD (aka e-ink display). Currently supports Sway only."
 
* [https://github.com/0cc4m/pinenote-misc/blob/main/sway/config/sway/config 0cc4m's config]
 
==== Getting touch + pen working on sway ====
 
If you notice that touching the screen works, but when you use the pen the mouse coordinates are inverted, don't worry! We can fix it! Set <code>rockchip_ebc.panel_reflection=0</code> on boot (see [https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PineNote_Development/Building_Kernel#Configuring_the_driver this page] for more info). Add the following line to your sway config:
 
# This line rotates the mouse input by 180 degrees. See https://wayland.freedesktop.org/libinput/doc/1.11.3/absolute_axes.html
input "type:table_tool" calibration_matrix -1 0 1 0 -1 1
 
=== Gnome ===
 
Gnome on wayland runs nicely on the PineNote. However, a slightly patched version of mutter is required at the moment.
 
* See this repository for .deb packages and patch/compile files: [https://github.com/m-weigand/pinenote_debian_mutter Patched Debian Mutter for Bookworm]
* The ready-to-use [https://github.com/m-weigand/pinenote-debian-recipes/releases Debian image] provides a pre-configured GNOME environment], with specific GNOME configurations found [https://github.com/m-weigand/pinenote-debian-recipes/blob/main/overlays/gnome_config/01-pinenote-settings here]
* A GNOME extension is being [https://github.com/m-weigand/mw_pinenote_misc/tree/main/gnome_extension developed] that provides access to some of the ebc-specific driver options.
* [https://github.com/MichiMolle/PNEink PNEink] is a GNOME Theme for use with the PineNote
 
==== GTK3 ====
High contrast style for eink-devices can be found [https://github.com/MichiMolle/gtk3-eink here].
 
==== GTK4 ====
High contrast style for eink-devices can be found [https://github.com/MichiMolle/gtk4-eink here].
 
== Application support on the PineNote ==
 
=== System-Control ===
 
A rust-based dbus service is being [https://github.com/m-weigand/pinenote_dbus_service developed] to enable easy, system-wide control over some of the PineNote-specific settings by users and programs (e.g., triggering global screen refreshes, changing waveforms, enabling/disabling dithering). Requires [https://github.com/m-weigand/linux/releases this kernel].
 
=== Notetaking ===
 
==== Xournal++ ====
Works well. Version 1.2 version offers repainting-related optimisations and supports PDF highlighting as well as links. To remove artefacts from the eraser set the eraser cursor's visibility to Never via Preferences -> Stylus -> Eraser Visibility. Also, disable GTK3 intertial scroll via Preferences -> Touchscreen -> Touch Scrolling -> Disable GTK's built-in intertial scroll, as this interferes with Xournal++'s internal touch event handling.
 
Xournal++ uses anti-aliasing and interpolation, which do not work well for the A1 waveform. Mitigations include using either dithering or black-and-white mode in the ebc driver. https://gitlab.com/hrdl/pinenote-shared/-/blob/main/patches/xournalpp/0001-Disable-anti-aliasing-and-use-NEAREST-interpolation-.patch is an outdated patch that used to work well without changing the bw mode.
 
Pre-compiled Debian packages with some of the PineNote-related modifications and support for triggering global refreshes after scrolling using the dbus service (see above) can be found [https://github.com/m-weigand/xournalpp_pn/releases here]
 
==== Obsidian ====
Works well, EInk-Theme can be found [https://github.com/MichiMolle/obsidian-eink here].
 
=== Web Browsing ===
 
==== Firefox ====
Pretty good experience! Enabling GPU acceleration is helpful.
 
===== GPU Acceleration in Firefox =====
See [https://github.com/0cc4m/pinenote-misc#firefox-hardware-acceleration 0ccam's notes here].
See [https://github.com/0cc4m/pinenote-misc#firefox-hardware-acceleration 0ccam's notes here].
=== Cloud ===
==== syncthing ====
High contrast theme can be found [https://github.com/MichiMolle/syncthing-eink here].
=== Content Creation ===
==== Generating crosswords ====
There are some scripts [https://git.sr.ht/~scott__/pinenote_crossword_utilities here] for generating crosswords for the Pinenote from IPUZ files.
[[Category:PineNote]]

Latest revision as of 06:12, 30 July 2023

This page lists applications and tweaks for the PineNote.

Development

Here are some resources you may find helpful in learning to develop on embedded Linux devices:

Emulator recommendation for developing and testing PineNote apps: https://github.com/michaelshiel/picom-epaper

The PineNote is a specialized device, mainly due to the eink display having unique display and refresh characteristics. Finding and configuring apps that work well sometimes requires a lot of tweaking and a lot exploring, especially for applications containing fast screen updates and animations, as well as depend on a lot of colors.

Here is a video showing the performance of a few applications.

Desktop Environments

Sway

  • WinkShell "Collected applications, configurations and scripts for using a wlroots-based compositor with an EPD (aka e-ink display). Currently supports Sway only."

Getting touch + pen working on sway

If you notice that touching the screen works, but when you use the pen the mouse coordinates are inverted, don't worry! We can fix it! Set rockchip_ebc.panel_reflection=0 on boot (see this page for more info). Add the following line to your sway config: 

# This line rotates the mouse input by 180 degrees. See https://wayland.freedesktop.org/libinput/doc/1.11.3/absolute_axes.html
input "type:table_tool" calibration_matrix -1 0 1 0 -1 1

Gnome

Gnome on wayland runs nicely on the PineNote. However, a slightly patched version of mutter is required at the moment.

  • See this repository for .deb packages and patch/compile files: Patched Debian Mutter for Bookworm
  • The ready-to-use Debian image provides a pre-configured GNOME environment], with specific GNOME configurations found here
  • A GNOME extension is being developed that provides access to some of the ebc-specific driver options.
  • PNEink is a GNOME Theme for use with the PineNote

GTK3

High contrast style for eink-devices can be found here.

GTK4

High contrast style for eink-devices can be found here.

Application support on the PineNote

System-Control

A rust-based dbus service is being developed to enable easy, system-wide control over some of the PineNote-specific settings by users and programs (e.g., triggering global screen refreshes, changing waveforms, enabling/disabling dithering). Requires this kernel.

Notetaking

Xournal++

Works well. Version 1.2 version offers repainting-related optimisations and supports PDF highlighting as well as links. To remove artefacts from the eraser set the eraser cursor's visibility to Never via Preferences -> Stylus -> Eraser Visibility. Also, disable GTK3 intertial scroll via Preferences -> Touchscreen -> Touch Scrolling -> Disable GTK's built-in intertial scroll, as this interferes with Xournal++'s internal touch event handling.

Xournal++ uses anti-aliasing and interpolation, which do not work well for the A1 waveform. Mitigations include using either dithering or black-and-white mode in the ebc driver. https://gitlab.com/hrdl/pinenote-shared/-/blob/main/patches/xournalpp/0001-Disable-anti-aliasing-and-use-NEAREST-interpolation-.patch is an outdated patch that used to work well without changing the bw mode.

Pre-compiled Debian packages with some of the PineNote-related modifications and support for triggering global refreshes after scrolling using the dbus service (see above) can be found here

Obsidian

Works well, EInk-Theme can be found here.

Web Browsing

Firefox

Pretty good experience! Enabling GPU acceleration is helpful.

GPU Acceleration in Firefox

See 0ccam's notes here.

Cloud

syncthing

High contrast theme can be found here.

Content Creation

Generating crosswords

There are some scripts here for generating crosswords for the Pinenote from IPUZ files.

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