[mythtv-users] Remotux Released!

[Chase Douglas]

On Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 9:35 PM, Ross Campbell <ross.campbell at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 8:16 AM, Chase Douglas
> <chasedouglas.lists at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I'm pleased to announce that Remotux is now up on the App Store and
>> can be used to control Linux and OS X (10.6) computers! Simply install
>> Remotux on any iPhone or iPod Touch and then install the Remote Input
>> server by following the instructions at:
>>
>> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/RemoteInput/rinputd
>
> Great! Very easy to get up and running. It has so much *POTENTIAL*. I
> would add some additional info about what it can do, link to available
> clients, and what it could possibly do in the future just so that
> anyone who lands on this page from somewhere other than this email
> thread will be able to connect the dots :)

Well, there aren't any other clients yet, but feel free to make one :).

> So, The iPhone client works great, but I have some suggestions and ideas :

I've addressed each point below. Sometimes my answers may seem like
put downs when they really are just questions, so don't be afraid to
follow up if you think you have a viable solution.

> Multiple input modes using full screen - change modes by doing swipe
> all the way across screen from edge to edge

How can you differentiate between a swipe and a legitimate mouse movement?

> - mouse-only input mode - use right 90% of screen as touchpad, have
> two buttons on left side that act like mouse buttons 1 and 2 (and 3 if
> chorded)

You can already right and middle click (and drag with them too), so
why eat up screen real estate with buttons?

> - Full keyboard mode - use space up to top where current mode select
> is. Make escape in top left. Put arrow key grouping in top right in a
> "diamond-like" arrangement of up above left,down,right

How would you switch to and from this mode? Hence the UI Navigation
Bar at the top. There just isn't enough space for meaningfully sized
buttons when you've already got the keyboard pulled up.

> - Mouse + arrow keys/enter/escape - make left 60% of screen act like
> mouse, right 40% devoted to large arrow key diamond with an "enter"
> button in the center, and an "escape" button above and to the left of
> the arrows. This would be a good "hulu mode"

I could see this being useful, but integrating it into the UI could be
tricky due to real estate issues. I'm certainly open to help if anyone
is interested in implementing, but I don't know when I could get
around to it myself. I've already moved onto my next "big project", so
I'll likely only do basic maintenance on Remotux and rinputd unless
something changes.

> - MythTV remote mode - provide mythtv keybindings, but keep it simple.
> Prominent up/down/left/right, enter/escape, volume up and down,
> pause/play, menu and info.

Ummmm... Have you heard of MyMote? (And after searching, take a look
at who made it too). And if you have heard of it but want a small
MythTV interface in Remotux, it's not likely to happen. There's a ton
of stuff that goes on in the background like retrieving key bindings
from the master backend through MySQL that would make it too much
effort development wise when the user can just open up MyMote when in
MythTV. Neither app is terribly expensive :).

> - Trackpoint-like mode (see boxee iphone app) - distance from center
> for pointing device determines rate of pointer change - just an idea

Does this really work well for anyone (and I'm not being rhetorical)?
I've tried it and it was annoying IMHO. I'd much rather have a
touchpad like interface.

> - tilt sensor mode. Map joystick axes to tilt sensors. Put joystick
> buttons onscreen

Again, does this work well for anyone above, and is it worthwhile if
you already have a touchpad like interface?

Thanks,
Chase