Scratch

SimpleScratch · 2008-02-02 04:38:13

One of my schools has bought 25 of these little Linux based mini-laptops, another has ordered 10 and another is asking the PTFA for money for 10.

They use Firefox for web-browsing and OpenOffice for wordprocessing/spreadsheet/presentation purposes and come with other software such as TuxPaint.

There's just one problem with these little darlings - the display is 800*480 sad

so

Even if I load WindowsXP onto them (which I wouldn't want to do because they'd be a bit slow and if would cost us money to do so), Scratch would be too big to fit on the display

(I've always wanted a version that could work on XP 800x600 as some of my schools have screens set to that as a default and lock out the pupils from changing them so I can't show them Scratch sad )

And obviously, want I really want is a native Linux version, modified for 800*480 smile

I think machines like this, (inc the OLPC) with free educational software like Scratch would be fantastic resources for primary children to use but key moments in time can be missed (like buses smile )

Do the Scratch team intend producing a version for this platform or releasing a generic Linux version shortly that could be modified by others. (I'm assuming that the variables for the display widths are well documented so Jens could just get a version out in couple of days smile )

regards

Simon

PS having written all the above I found this thread http://scratch.mit.edu/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=17118#p17118 (don't now how I missed it before) - so I'll have a go at installing it on an eeePC and see what happens smile

Last edited by SimpleScratch (2008-02-02 04:39:45)

SimpleScratch · 2008-02-02 19:01:22

Oh my goodness - today is a good day to Scratch smile smile smile

Downloaded and installed the Linux version onto the eeePC using the advanced desktop mode and voila - Scratch smile smile smile (Albeit V1.1 but who cares!)

Went back into the normal easy desktop and added it as a shortcut in the Learn tab smile smile smile

Using the Alt-Left Mouse Key combo I can either edit a program or move to the right and play the program ! smile

So - onwards and upwards - who knows how to modify it to cope with the 800x480 display?

regards
a very happy Simon smile

(mods - feel free to move into Advanced Section if you think this should be there)

Last edited by SimpleScratch (2008-02-02 19:02:25)

andresmh · 2008-02-03 15:18:40

That's great! Does the eeePC allow you to set the resolution to 1024x768 and pane the screen over virtual display?

It would be great if you could post a screenshot of your eeePC and Scratch running on it.

Why are using V1.1? Did 1.2.1 not work?

Thanks for the report!

SimpleScratch · 2008-02-03 15:57:06

Does the eeePC allow you to set the resolution to 1024x768 and pane the screen over virtual display?

Scratch just loads at its normal 1024x768 resolution - so you see 3/4 of it on the screen

You can hold down the ALT and Left Mouse Button to move the Scratch pane around but thats a bit tricky to do and I wouldn't want to do much programming that way sad

Why 1.1 and not 1.2.1

That was the version I found via the Linux thread link - is there an updated version somewhere???

regards

Simon

WhiteNitro · 2008-03-25 23:00:19

Simon -
Any chance you could take pity on a newbie and post some fairly detailed instructions as to how you got Scratch working on your eeePC? Perhaps I downloaded the wrong installer but after getting the advanced desktop to load, I downloaded the installer, ran it and though I get my Scratch kitten on my desktop, nothing happens. When I launch the file directly, I get some kind of segmentation fault. I suspect that squeak is not installed correctly. Hence my desire to start over and follow in your footsteps exactly.
The 'panic' element comes in because a I have a presentation coming up on scratch and there will be 12 eeePCs there to use IF I can get this working in the next week.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Bryant

SimpleScratch · 2008-03-26 03:55:12

AFAIR I just followed the instructions at
http://www.notesmine.com/scratch_installer

(I know if commands don't work I tend to automatically prefix them with sudo but I can't remember whether I had to do it on this occasion sad )

I'll try to get hold of another eeePC and try it out on that smile

I don't think its actually usable in its present state - maybe Chirp with its scroll bars would be but I don't know enough/got the time to port it over to Linux.

regards

Simon

Jens · 2008-03-26 04:21:11

Simon, to get Chirp (with its scrollbars) to run on Linux you should probably just do the following:

1. Download and install the Scratch distribution from the link you posted above
2. Download the files only version of Chirp from http://chirp.scratchr.org/blog
3. Extract the file named Chirp.remix into the directory where you installed Scratch
4. Launch Chirp by dropping the file named Chirp.remix onto the Scratch VM file

Note: If you use Chirp you will also have all of the new v.1.2.1 features (except uploading, you'll have to do this with your regular Scratch image). I'm not sure if the scrollbars in Chirp are much of a help, but it's the best I could come up with for the moment.

SimpleScratch · 2008-03-26 11:18:25

@whitenitro
downloaded the file to usb stick at home
copied it into /home/user
Followed instructions (tar then cd then run .pl file)
cd Scratch
sh runscratch.sh

Worked! smile

I did get this error after the install

No such file or directory at ./scratch_install.pl line 124, <STDIN> line 1.

but it worked fine.

Now off to try Chirp!

regards

Simon
PS machine hasn't got Advanced Desktop installed - pretty virgin machine - no other apps installed - no updates done.

SimpleScratch · 2008-03-26 12:04:57

@Jens YET ANOTHER SUCCESS FOR CHIRP smile smile smile

I downloaded and unzipped the Chirp files in Windows and then copied them to /home/user/Scratch

renamed Chirp.remix to Chirp.image

edited runscratch.sh and replaced ....Scratch.image with ....Chirp.image and saved it as runchirp.sh

went into terminal
cd Scratch
chmod 777 runchirp.sh (to make it executable)

sh runchirp.sh

VOILA!!! smile

Scratch(Chirp) is now (slightly) usable on the eeePC smile

I wouldn't want to try to learn it on the eeePC but it might be useful if you very dextrous with your mouse control smile

Regards

Simon

OJY321 · 2008-04-27 07:50:14

I did everything but as soon as it says Install scratch to /home/user(Y/n)? I don't know how to select yes!

lol

OJY321 · 2008-04-27 07:51:14

Please help

SimpleScratch · 2008-04-27 13:12:17

DId you try pressing

Y

followed by

the return key

regards

Simon

Bluestribute · 2008-04-28 12:39:15

ON my old computer, I could only see half the screen. But I fixed it. I got a Mac with a 17 1/2 inch screen!

Scratch

archived forums

#1 2008-02-02 04:38:13

Scratch on eeePC

#2 2008-02-02 19:01:22

Re: Scratch on eeePC

#3 2008-02-03 15:18:40

Re: Scratch on eeePC

#4 2008-02-03 15:57:06

Re: Scratch on eeePC

#5 2008-03-25 23:00:19

Re: Scratch on eeePC

#6 2008-03-26 03:55:12

Re: Scratch on eeePC

#7 2008-03-26 04:21:11

Re: Scratch on eeePC

#8 2008-03-26 11:18:25

Re: Scratch on eeePC

#9 2008-03-26 12:04:57

Re: Scratch on eeePC

#10 2008-04-27 07:50:14

Re: Scratch on eeePC

#11 2008-04-27 07:51:14

Re: Scratch on eeePC

#12 2008-04-27 13:12:17

Re: Scratch on eeePC

#13 2008-04-28 12:39:15

Re: Scratch on eeePC

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