YouTube EasyOS Part22 installer continued

The latest post is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKZHwp_Qqgg

This introduces installing to an entire drive.   

Tags: easy

OpenShot video editor issues

As I am now creating videos for YouTube, need to learn how to use a video editor. YouTube has an online editor, that allows some very limited operations on a video after it has been uploaded. For example, can cut out sections. It is not allowed to edit the uploaded video offline then re-upload.

The first major problem with OpenShot is that videos I am recording on my Zenbook laptop are 1728x1080 pixels. Searching online, there are instructions that there is a button to set a custom video resolution; however, it doesn't exist. Maybe that was in an earlier version of OpenShot?

Eventually, found that had to create a file in the home folder. In my case, as running OpenShot as user "openshot", the path to the file is /home/openshot/.openshot_qt/profiles and I named the file 'custom_1728x1080' with this content:

description=Custom 1728x1080
frame_rate_num=24
frame_rate_den=1
width=1728
height=1080
progressive=1
sample_aspect_num=1
sample_aspect_den=1
display_aspect_num=1
display_aspect_den=1
colorspace=709

It then showed up in the list of resolutions in OpenShot.

I have had a brief look at ShotCut, and I would like to comment that ShotCut has a big tick, as has a simple setting, to set the project to same resolution as the imported video.

Then, the next issue is that the video is distorted in the preview window:

But, worse to come, when exported, just got a black window with audio only. My video has stock-standard h264 video and aac audio, so that shouldn't be a problem. After some online searching, found advice to update to a later version. I was using the OpenShot package from the Debian repository, version 3.1.1.

So, downloaded the latest AppImage, version 3.5.1, and now exports video and audio OK. Also, correct video resolution, despite the distortion in the preview window.

I have updated Appi, the AppImage package manager in EasyOS, to OpenShot 3.5.1.

If you want to read more about OpenShot:

https://www.openshot.org/

So, what do I reckon about OpenShot. Chose it because Google AI stated that it is the easiest to use. Yes, the user interface is nice. However, have played with ShotCut briefly, well, only 10-15 minutes, and have the impression it is a step-up from OpenShot. next up, going to have a good look at ShotCut.  

Tags: easy

Easy Installer first test

I posted about a new graphical installer:

https://bkhome.org/news/202607/started-work-on-easyos-graphical-installer.html

A lot of work since then. Really "went down a rabbit hole"; many nights "burning the midnight oil".

Here is the latest snapshot of the main window:

A video has been created:

"EasyOS Part21: Graphical installer"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfYoNK8XYGY

More testing required before can release it.   

Tags: easy

ethtool utility missing

See here:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=174022#p174022

Now added builtin.   

Tags: easy

Handle mailto mime in xdg-open

In response to question about /usr/sbin/mailto.sh in Easy:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=174000#p174000

I cannot recall how mailto.sh was used, anyway have removed it.

/usr/bin/xdg-open has handling for an email address.
An application can call xdg-open, passing an email address, and it is then supposed to open in the appropriate email client app.
The line that does this in xdg-open:

 *@*.*)
  exec rox -U "mailto:${1}"
 ;;

...which does nothing.

I have created /etc/xdg/rox.sourceforge.net/URI/mailto:

#!/bin/sh
#20260718

if type -p mozmail >/dev/null;then
 exec mozmail -compose "to='${1}'"
elif type -p claws-mail >/dev/null;then
 exec claws-mail --compose "$1"
elif type -p claws >/dev/null;then
 exec claws --compose "$1"
elif type -p sylpheed >/dev/null;then
 exec sylpheed --compose "$1"
fi

I'm not 100% sure about this mechanism, but it is a step in the right direction.   

Tags: easy

Fix round brackets in URI

A URI to a local video file, for the chromium-based VIDplay media player, aborted as the filename had round brackets:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=173964#p173964

The fix has been applied to /usr/sbin/vidplay in woofQ2.    

Tags: easy

Simple solution to boil water while camping

Fine-tuning the gear for upcoming "grey nomad" adventures. I have an alcohol stove, also a small gas cylinder with screw-on burner; these are for "one pot" cooking, probably twice a day.

But also want to make two cups of tea and one coffee per day, and it might turn out to be a chore to boil water 3 times per day in addition to cooking 2 meals. Had a think about it, and decided why not purchase a tiny electric kettle.

This is my lithium power box:

https://bkhome.org/news/202601/bluetti-ac70-power-box.html

It has a 1,000W sine-wave inverter, rated at 2,000W surge. Little mains-powered portable kettles that draw only 300W are available.

There are 12V kettles, that run off the cigarette-lighter socket in a car; however, I think that they overly stress the current limit of the fuse, socket and cabling in the car.

Checked them out; those 12V kettles. To limit current draw to something safe, they are very low power. Looked at one, just 96W ...how long is the user expected to wait for the water to boil?! Found another that boils fast, but draws 31.5 amps!!!!

I bought this, Balabulala 500ml 240V 300W:

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/257394510124

...the phone wide-angle lens distorts the image somewhat, giving the false impression that the diameter tapers out toward the top.

I was going to buy two kettles, one other type for a comparison report. This one, Focustar brand, 400ml 300W:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Focustar-Portable-Electric-Temperature-Protection/dp/B0BFHYHY1L/?th=1

...not from those particular vendors. I ordered it on eBay, then canceled the order after discovering their misleading postage details.

A thumbs-up to the Balabulala vendor; they shipped it by Australia Post tracked parcel, and it arrived 6 days after ordering, shipped from the other side of Australia.

The Focustar is considerably cheaper, but reviews are very mixed. The 400ml for example; some reviewers say that you should put in less than 300ml -- one reviewer said 275ml -- if intend to bring it to the boil. Also, there is no digital temperature display.

The Balabulala does hold 500ml, with a marking at 400ml; no more than 400ml must be put in if the water is to be boiled. I don't have a measuring jug, but do have a Toaks 450ml titanium mug, and was able to judge approximately that the Balabulala claimed capacity is correct.

400ml took about 6 minutes to boil. So, three cups of tea and coffee per day, that is about 30Wh per cup, 90Wh per day. The Bluetti battery is rated at 768Wh, so happy with that.

Bearing in mind though, will be running a 12V fridge, LED lights and laptop. Solar panel puts out about 150W, so should be OK.

An interesting point to note: the Balabulala has a diameter of 80mm, same as the Focustar, and is 215mm high, 15mm higher than the Focustar -- which is to be expected, given its larger water capacity. But the Balabulala is still pleasingly small, easy to pack away somewhere in the car.    

Tags: nomad

Fix sudo run as another user

EasyOS does not have 'sudo', instead has a light-weight replacement named 'sudo-sh':

https://bkhome.org/news/202510/sudo-sh-reverted-to-simpler-design.html

There is a script /usr/bin/sudo, that is a wrapper for sudo-sh. It is far from implementing everything that sudo is capable of. The guys found when install Zoneminder, that it tries to use sudo to launch an app as user 'www-data':

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=173863#p173863

I have modified 'sudo' script:

#!/bin/ash
C=''
while [ -n "$1" ];do
 case "$1" in
  -*)
   case "$1" in
    --user=*)
     #ref: https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=173863#p173863
     USERx="${1/*=/}"
     shift
     exec /usr/sbin/run-as-user ${USERx} ${@}
    ;;
    -u)
     shift
     exec /usr/sbin/run-as-user ${@}
    ;;
    -g|-p|-U|-C|-r|-t)
     shift
    ;;
   esac
  ;;
  *)
   C="$@"
   break
  ;;
 esac
 shift
done

if [ -n "$C" ];then
 #exec sudo-sh ${PPID} ${0} ${C}
 exec sudo-sh ${PPID} ${C}
fi
###end###

The 'run-as-user' script was introduced here:

https://bkhome.org/news/202602/enhanced-script-to-run-app-as-any-user.html

If you try and run it, like this for example: run-as-user www-data myapp

It will fail, as folder "/home/www-data" does not exist. I have modified the 'run-as-user' script to call /usr/local/clients/create-client-environment if www-data not in /etc/passwd, or if it is, to not require existence of /home/www-data.  

Tags: easy