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10.0http://trevorcreech.com/blog/2007/07/15/lego-robotics-invention-system-on-ubuntu-linux/

Lego Robotics Invention System on Ubuntu Linux

Sunday, July 15, 2007

RCXThis is how I managed to get NQC working for the Robotics Invention System on my laptop, running Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn, with the USB Lego Infra-red Tower. Anything with a black background should be executed in a terminal.

  • Plug in your USB IR Tower
  • sudo mkdir /dev/usb/
  • sudo ln -s /dev/legousbtower0 /dev/usb/lego0 (Edit: For the latest versions of Ubuntu, the first path may need to be /dev/usb/legousbtower0, according to Scott.)
  • sudo chmod 666 /dev/usb/lego0
  • echo test > /dev/usb/lego0 (Look for a green light to flash on the IR Tower. If you see it, then all is well.)
  • Download the latest source of NQC from the NQC Website.
  • Put it in its own folder, and untar/gzip it: tar -xvzf nqc-[Hit tab to fill in the rest]
  • Open the Makefile: gedit Makefile
  • Remove the ‘#’ before this line: USBOBJ = rcxlib/RCX_USBTowerPipe_linux.o
  • Save and close the Makefile.
  • mkdir rcxlib/LegoUSB/
  • cd rcxlib/LegoUSB/
  • wget http://legousb.cvs.sourceforge.net/*checkout*/legousb/LegoUSB/drivers/linux/include/legousbtower.h
  • cd ../../
  • sudo make
  • sudo make install
  • export RCX_PORT=usb (You should also add this line to the bottom of the .bashrc file in your home folder: echo export RCX_PORT=usb >> ~/.bashrc
  • Try it out: nqc -msg 7 (You should see the green light come on on the IR Tower, and you shouldn’t get any message in the terminal.
  • If it works, you should be ready to use NQC! If you need to install the RCX Firmare, insert the Robotics Invention System CD, and run this command: nqc -firmware /media/cdrom/firm/firm0309.lgo
  • Download the test program: nqc -d test.nqc (This should put a program in slot 1 of the RCX which will just turn on Motor A.

Edit: Mike has a followup article where he explains how to set up the first three steps so they happen automatically when you plug in the IR Tower.

Kudos to this article for putting me on the right track.

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5.1http://trevorcreech.com/blog/2007/06/25/bald-televangelists/

Bald Televangelists

Monday, June 25, 2007

Last night Tony Campolo spoke at my church, and he had some wonderful insights. One of my favourite of his quotes was this one:

“I’ve always been skeptical of those television healers who are bald. I mean, if I had that gift, that would be the first thing I’d fix.”

He challenged the MB church to step up and welcome the many in this generation who are sick of war, and who would be drawn to our theology of pacifism. He too is a pacifist, putting it that

“When Jesus told us to love our enemies, I think that he generally meant to not kill them.”

Another quote I found of his, though not from that evening, resonates with what I’ve been thinking about for quite a while, but haven’t been able to put it as eloquently”

“I think that Christianity has two emphases. One is a social emphasis to impart the values of the kingdom of God in society – to relieve the sufferings of the poor, to stand up for the oppressed, to be a voice for those who have no voice. The other emphasis is to bring people into a personal, transforming relationship with Christ, where they feel the joy and the love of God in their lives. That they manifest what the fifth chapter of Galatians calls ‘the fruit of the Spirit’. Fundamentalism has emphasized the latter, mainline churches have emphasized the former. We cannot neglect one for the other.”

I get so frustrated with people who are too far on either end of that scale. I see way to much emphasis on the social angle coming from the Christian college-age crowd. It really all comes down to giving a cup of cold water in the name of Jesus(Matthew 10:42). If you just give the water, and leave it at that, you aren’t helping the person long-term. However, if you just tell them about Jesus, without caring for their physical needs, your words fall flat (James 2:15-16).

Anyways, all this to say that I was very impressed with Mr. Campolo.

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8.3http://trevorcreech.com/blog/2007/06/04/broil-king-skills/

Broil King Skills

Monday, June 4, 2007

In the past month I have acquired the following skills:

  1. Lifting barbecues, and placing them in boxes
  2. Lifting barbecue lids, and placing them in boxes, on top of the barbecues
  3. Placing cardboard inserts on a barbecue in a box
  4. Putting grill racks on top of cardboard which is on top of a barbecue in a box
  5. Screwing together the base of a barbecue
  6. Aligning the gas assembly of a barbecue
  7. Attaching a hose to the gas assembly of a barbecue
  8. Checking for blockages in the gas assembly of a barbecue
  9. Attaching a side burner pipe and another hose to the gas assembly of a barbecue
  10. Checking for leaks in the gas assembly of a barbecue
  11. Enlarging holes in sheets of metal which will become the frame of a barbecue
  12. Lifting down the freshly painted lid of a barbecue
  13. Lifting down the freshly painted bottom of a barbecue
  14. Attaching an igniter to the front panel of a barbecue

Apparently, I am a talented fellow.

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8.6http://trevorcreech.com/blog/2007/05/26/scrabble-emoticons/

Scrabble Emoticons

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Over Christmas break, I discovered a wonderful new use for Scrabble tiles. Behold my work of genius:

=P

=D

=O

=X

=)

=S

=B

z..z..z

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7.1http://trevorcreech.com/blog/2007/05/19/pranketh/

Pranketh

Saturday, May 19, 2007

This past weekend, I collaborated with my friend Stephen Weber on what is my first stand-alone web application. This project we have affectionately christened Pranketh. By using it, you can send an email which looks like it came from someone else, whether a celebrity, or one of your friends. As we state in the “Fine Print”, you may not use this for malicious purposes. So, feel free to fool your buddy into thinking that hot celebrity wants to hang out with him, but don’t do anything stupid which will hurt someone. Just keep it fun. That said, do enjoy, and start prankething your friends and family.

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