Preparing Laptops and Lab Computers

Since fabacademy philosophy roots in opensourcing it only makes sense that Ubuntu and the free softwares are used. This allows free and ope access to anything and everything that is done in fablab. It allows repetability and a common framework that anyone can work with. One of most important of them is the OS itself which is the linux based UBUNTU system. The next most inportant software is  the fab modules which can control alomst any CNC machine that is present in fablab.

The pain of Ubuntu 
Ubuntu means 

"A quality that included the essential human virtue; compassion and humanity. there is a need for understanding not vengance, ubuntu is not victimization"
Indeed you need to have a all these to go through Ubuntu install and setup. A 
little bit of luck is what anybody can really aspire for. There was a time when I installed ubuntu and messed up with my windows and anybody going through such situation knows to aspire for infinite compassion and humility.

The ubunutu installation went perfect. Over the years they have improved the installation steps and right now an option to install alongside another OS is readyly available and appears as the first option while installing if it detects the other OS. I downloaded Ubuntu 14.04.03 from the ubuntu website and downloaded universal usb installer in windows 8.1.


http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop


The in universal usb installer all you have to do is select the installation OS, installation drive, which is the pendrive you are using and the insatllation source which is the .iso file you downloaded fro the ubuntu website. This allows us to create a USB bootable drive that can be booted into during restart and installation can be performed from it. 

But I also had a weird feeling that since this system is 14.04.03 it might not work as easily as the 14.04 and my hunch came true. What happens is if one software worked well in one version of ubuntu there is no telling how it'll work in another version. I know this since I have used ubuntu before and it is never as straight forward as I'd like. You should choose an LTS version which means long term support because it'll be more stable and bugs might be corrected overtime rest of the versions are beta releases. I still cant figure how people can manage the fear that after an upgrade to newer version they will be put through a hell of debugging to get their previous softwares working. It is prevalent in windows too but I fear less of breaking the entire system through an update or upgrade. Ubuntu has put me through a lot of time consuming debigging. I recommend you try out ubuntu and get used to it through a lve persistant system. That means you can run it directly from the pendrive and your files and system state are preserved this option is also available through Universal usb instaler. the will be an option for creating persistent system. I usually set it to the max that is 4 gb because I have an 8 gb pendrive and can afford the 4gb storage space loss.

 The following softwares need to be installed and will be useful.
    • “Terminal here” addon for Nautilus
    • fab modules compiled version
    • kokopelli retro
    • antimony
    • inkscape
    • openscad
    • gimp
    • cura
    • arduino IDE (>V1.6.5)
    • attiny addon for arduino IDE
    • processing
    • qcad
    • git
    • eagle
    • kicad
    • wine
    • partworks in wine
    • Text editor of your choice
Things you have know when you start using ubunutu.
Nice guide to start with is
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/ubuntu-an-absolute-beginners-guide/
The troubling libs and softwares:
While installing fab modules and antimony you will inevitably run into problem of unmet dependencies.
In 14.04 I checked that at least fab modules install without trouble. Antimony latest version had trouble with both 14.04 and 14.04.03. I couldnt check installlation with 14.04 throughly but found a work around in 14.04.03.
So I'm going to mostly focus on the instalations of these sotwares
Before this go to the software center and go to edit->Software sources
check all source as shown below.



Click close and let the software center update the software list. You will see the progress icon active till the process is done.


Fab Modules
You can install all of the dependencies with the command:
sudo apt-get install python python-wxgtk2.8 python-dev python-pip gcc g++ libpng12-dev libgif-dev make bash okular libboost-thread-dev libboost-system-dev cmake
  You will face unmet dependency issue with three libraries
python-pip
libboost-thread-dev
libboost-system-dev

 The error goes something like unmet dependencies and a latest verion of some other dependencies are installed but the current lib requires another version of dependencies installed. You'll have to excuse me for not getting the screenshot.
  
What I tried-
sudo apt get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
None of the above resolved the problems.

 I installed synaptic pakage manager, the old ubuntu software manager gui which is now replaced by the software center, to check out whats happening more.
To install synaptic package manager

 sudo apt-get install synpatic

  I opened the synaptic package manager and tried search for the libraries required and found them by searching. Again please bear with me for not putting a screenshot. When i checked libboost-thread-dev for installation it got checked with an exclamation mark. Again This method proved to be doing nothing. Finally I found a post suggesting to install aptitude software. Aptitude is an alternative to apt. To install through aptitude you have to type
sudo aptitude install <software name>. According to the suggestion the aptitude was more interlligent than apt-get. This finally proved helpful.
To install aptitude
sudo apt-get install aptitude

 Through aptitude I tried to install libboost through

 sudo aptitude install libboost-all-dev

 Now this gives you an option to resolve issues instead on throwing up an error and giving up like apt did.
The first option will be to leave evrything as it is and do nothing. When say no to that it gives other options like some dependencies can be downgraded which will allow you to install what your like and this is what you choose. and continue.

 Sometimes even if this continues the libraries are not installed. To check if the libraries are installed run this command

 dpkg -l | grep <package name>

 dpkg -l | grep liboost-all-dev
is to check if it is installed. When it has not been installed you'll get no output. If it is installed you'll see an output which tells you the info aboutthe installed components

 When you see that the stuff are not installed you go back to aptitude install and give no to the resolution which is already been applied and try new resolution.

 Through this all the dependency libraries can be installed.

 Antimony has unmet dependency issues in Ubuntu 14.04.03

Trying to hack the package installition while installing antimony crashed my system and I had to get reinstall the Ubuntu again. The problem I believe was when I tried to force install graphics libraies using downgrading options of aptitude. Finally the installation went well and it was also working greatafter first install. But I restarted my computer and Ubuntu now just showed a black screen. I didnt resolve this particular issue satisfactorily and I dont know what I did but eventually all the suff got working, including antiomony. I'm going to document my ordeal here.

 Installation steps

I used the steps provided in the link.
http://open3dge.com/antimony/

* Qt open source - download and install first. This will take a long time even when you have good internet connection. You will download a .run file. You have to change the permissions to allow being executed as a program and either double click to run or run ./<.run file path and filename>.


Also run 
sudo apt-get install build-essential 
Has issues, can be resolved by options given by aptitude.

* libpng-dev
 sudo apt-get install libpng-dev
installed without problem.

* python3-dev
Has unmet dependency issues but can be resolved using aptitude install and chosing various resolution options

* liboost-all-dev
Has unmet dependency issues but can be resolved using aptitude install and chosing various resolution options. Was already installed during fab modules and kokopelli installation.

sudo apt-get install libboost-all-dev
 
 *libgl1-mesa-dev-lts-utopic

Has unmet dependencies issue and when I attempted to use options in aptitude to force install my system became unusable. to install we use
sudo apt-get install libgl1-mesa-dev-lts-utopic
sudo apt-get install libgl1-mesa-dev

Only libgl1-mesa-dev installs in ubuntu 14.04 without trouble but neither of the two install in ubuntu 14.04.03. My thought about this is that libgl1--mesa-dev-lts-utopic is causing a problem. A different version of this librarary must already exsit and we should try to force antimony to use that.

* Lemon and flex - installs without issues.
sudo apt-get install lemon
sudo apt-get install flex

When I lost access to my ubuntu I tried the following

logged into recovery mode of ubuntu that appears in the grub boot menu and tried all the resonable options there.
these include
logging into ubuntu using failsafe graphic mode
dpkg reconfigiure to resolve broken packages
used fcsk to check filesystem fo rerrors and try to fix them
None of the above worked.

As a final resort I took step a step to reinstall my ubuntu but there were options available through which I could get back my system without having to reinstall all the software.
I used the methods described in the following links to get back ubuntu. Make sure you read both because both are related and needed.

 http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2057342
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2057342&page=2&p=13319348#post13319348

Essentially you need to find your computer name, username and your name which you gave while installing ubuntu the very first time.While installing I made another folly which was to ask ubuntu to install the boot files into my ubunut upartition instead of the default.
Do not change the default option for where the boot wil be installed.
So after you find out those names you can install the root folder in the same partition as the ubuntu you previously installed.
Becuase I made this error grub didnt install and was not active. But I can access it using boot options and directly boot from efi menu rather than a bootloader.

Even after I load from the boot loader It threw an error but it will give you two options I tried both options and one worked and I was finally able to boot into ubuntu. I found a lot of things were broken in my system. USB dont load, I cant connect with wifi etc. But eventually it all sorted out by itself when updates and upgrades were performed.
I didnt find the softwares I installed in my previous system even though this was not supposed to happen. So installed the softwares needed. I wont be messing around with the libgl anymore. For antimony I just used the make-j8 and command to re builld the software i had already installed before after I installed again all the dependencies using aptitude except for libgl.It did threw up an error. But when I tried to run the antimony from its folder it was able to run but threw an error that some library is missing. I just google how to resolve the problem related to that library. It was called glxx.. something. And after I installed that antimony finally ran.
I am very excited about using antimony and it future as cad software. It has a lot to improve in user experience part. I would like a commandline feature in to invoke events, the click and connect linking strategy can be improved right not I'm missing a lot of times to connect the things I want. And it the tree goes very big and I have to connect two far away components it becomes tedious.

All the other software installed without much trouble.

Conclusion -: ubuntu 14.04 seems to be best suited for installing fab modules.I need a defenitive answer on unmet dependency issues when installing the fab modules by someone incharge of fabmodules. It has to be more reliable across the platforms.


Preparing Laptops and Lab Computers

Since fabacademy philosophy roots in opensourcing it only makes sense that Ubuntu and the free softwares are used. This allows free and ope access to anything and everything that is done in fablab. It allows repetability and a common framework that anyone can work with. One of most important of them is the OS itself which is the linux based UBUNTU system. The next most inportant software is  the fab modules which can control alomst any CNC machine that is present in fablab.

The pain of Ubuntu 

Ubuntu means 

"A quality that included the essential human virtue; compassion and humanity. there is a need for understanding not vengance, ubuntu is not victimization"

Indeed you need to have a all these to go through Ubuntu install and setup.

Creating digital accounts

During fabcademy you will be evaluated through your documentation which explains the world and the remote mentor or Neil what you have done. There will be times when your projects will be recommended by your remote mentor to higher faculty or Neil. They will see your website or the files you created. For these reason you need to learn to effectively express your work in a document. They should be online and freely available to anyone, they are opensource.

Day 4 week 1

Lab maintenance and Material handling

I took charge of Vinyl cutter and Roland Modela

I learned how to better handle the vinyl rolls. The vinyl rolls when kept vertically deform and get damaged at the edge which happens due to it not being able to support its own load properly. The correct way to keep a vinyl material is horizontal and the rolls to be taped at the open edge after use so that they don’t become loose.

The vinyl rolls were kept on the ground earlier.

Vinyl cutting

Used to make sticker and best use is to make PCB that are flexible. Can cut copper, epoxy and vinyl sheets.

Loading the material 

Use this lever to release or secure the vinyl.

Materials should be between the two translucent patches as shown in the picture. These have rough surface in order to grip the papaer better. The wheels should secure the paper when the lever is engaged.

Day 2 w2

Laser in our fablab is a trotec speedy 100 with that we have an atmos exhaust filter from trotec. Here's the laser machine and our super cool prefab guide and fabguru Francisco explaining about the filter system.

Polycarbonate lid and Atmos Exhaust Filter system

Filter parameters

Things to watch out for

Exhaust filter should be on.

Molding Casting and Roland Modela

The basic idea for this session is to create an 3D object through computer and try to make it in machinable wax in such a way that a molding pattern is created directly from it. Roland modela will machine the wax. We will try to replicate this object by creating a silicone mold and later use the silicone mold to cast hard plastic into it.

Day 5

Shopbot

Notes:

Designing for milling

Due to tool radius inner corner of a hole or a pocket cant be sharp. Overmilling is advised in such cases.

Good design guidelines for milling.

http://blog.inventables.com/2014/06/learn-about-milling-inside-corner.html

http://www.efunda.com/processes/machining/mill_design.cfm

Better to use antimony to design material to be milled.

Dia max to be used for milling in shopbot- 6mm

Dia max to be used for milling in roland -3mm.

Week 3 Day 1

This week we move to electronics design and fabrication.

Today we started with electronics production. The goal was to fabricate a pcb from an already existing design. We use roland modela to fabricate the PCB.

Assignment: to fabricate a version of fabISP using Roland modela and fab modules.

Process

We downloaded the the following designs.

Week 3 Day2

Many of the fabacademy cad items are design that have .cad extension. These were designed in kokopelli. .cad file is basically a python script. Today we try to edit and understand how the script ad kokopelli.

Assignment

We add components to a hello.ftdi.44.cad and wires on a board and fabricate it.

Consider the following methods of programing a microcontroller

Arduino ide- most user-friendly, many tools, quick,  easy

C  - intermediate difficult, need to have more hardware knowledge, more efficient in code handling and storing, more freedom to program.

Assembly lowest level of programing, need to have through understanding of the hardware also, more difficult, highly efficient in code handling and occupies least storage, and allows most freedom to program.
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