Yet another returning RISC OS user

Good morning,

I’ve been an avid reader of these forums for the last couple of years, having been delighted to discover that RISC OS is, unlike the Norwegian Blue, neither deceased, pushing up the daisies, nor gorn orf to join the choir invisible. That it is still being updated to run on modern hardware has cheered me up enormously amidst my ongoing midlife crisis.

I’ve finally taken the plunge and purchased a rPi 4B, which should arrive sometime today. It is intended for a different project, but of course I’m going to have a play with RISC OS as soon as it arrives. I’ve read through the installation instructions on the wiki (what could possibly go wrong?) and I was wondering if as USB wireless keyboard/mouse combi would work, or whether I need to purchase separate wired models.

If I can get things running smoothly, I might even splash out on a copy of the DDE. It’s been a long time since I wrote anything in ARM assembler (or any assembler, come to that), but who knows? Maybe the coding nodules haven’t atrophied entirely.

Welcome back to the world of RISC OS. Enjoy playing with your new computer the Raspberry Pi 4B.

We are all here to help if you have any issues/questions.

I was wondering if as USB wireless keyboard/mouse combi would work

A wired keyboard/mouse is more likely to work, but if you’ve already got a wireless version it doesn’t hurt to try.

Thanks for your kind welcome, Chris. I’m sure I will have a lot of questions. Including “How many Pi’s is too many?” – a colleague has just cheerfully informed me that he started with one and now has six.

Thanks Stuart, that is the sensible option. It’s a bog standard Logitech server combi, with no fancy keys, so it probably has more chance of working than most. Failing that, Argos is but a short journey.

I was wondering if as USB wireless keyboard/mouse combi would work, or whether I need to purchase separate wired models.

I have a logitech K400+ wireless keyboard with a tracker pad with 2 buttons which works with RISC OS. The only thing it lacks is a Menu button, but Steve Revill has a utility which allows the “Windows” button to be used for this functionality.

That can be found here and is called WinMenu.

You might need a conventional USB mouse to install it, though!

I’m not necessarily recommending this as a best option, just pointing out that it is a possibility if you already had access to such a keyboard.

But any 3 button/scrollwheel mouse and keyboard should probably “just work”.

I use a Logitech mouse with a combined mouse/keyboard receiver. No extras, no problem.

“How many Pi’s is too many?”

How big is your house?
A Pi per room (bathroom and toilet excepted) seems like a reasonable start. :)

A Pi per room (bathroom and toilet excepted) seems like a reasonable start.

I have a Pi in my bathroom :-)

It’s in the airing cupboard, running the heating control system.

(Couldn’t resist replying to that!)

I have a Pi in my bathroom :-)

OK, that was one of the replies I was expecting from someone.

Thanks Stuart, that is the sensible option. It’s a bog standard Logitech server combi, with no fancy keys, so it probably has more chance of working than most. Failing that, Argos is but a short journey.

It should work. My Logi new wireless trackball (Ergo M575) has a strange issue: it does not identify itself clearly. So sometimes I have no menu button. The solution is really simple: I move the trackball switch from on to off and on again. Not a big deal, but remember this trick if the menu button does not work :)

Other bug, all the additional buttons send the message “no button pressed”. Logitech is really only a part of what it was yesterday. That’s perhaps why the name is not Logitech any more, but Logi.

Well, I’m pleased to say that everything plugged in where it was supposed to plug in, and everything works perfectly (apart from sound, but I haven’t plugged any speakers in yet).

It would appear that I am a RISC OS user again.

Too many Pis? Naaaahhhh…

https://www.zdnet.com/article/build-your-own-supercomputer-out-of-raspberry-pi-boards/

running the heating control system.

Sadly there’s no heating here, and I can’t press a Pi to do any automated jobs because nothing here has anything that stands a chance of being controlled in an intelligent way.
For example, scroll down a little and you’ll see what controls the water pump: https://heyrick.eu/blog/index.php?diary=20201115

https://heyrick.eu/blog/index.php?diary=20201115

I quite like the covid protocol nativity.

Ok my Pi’s are in the Study (x3), Bedrooms 1,2,3,4, Living Room, Family Room, Kitchen, Garage, Attic, Shed, Drive way – and I’m not finished yet!.

I don’t know what I would do with so many small computers. When I dared to bring this up in conversation yesterday, there was a shocked silence followed by an incredulous, “But that’s not the point!”

I have idly thought about setting up an OpenVMS cluster, but I’m not sure what I would do with it once I had it. Or am I missing the point again?

You might need a conventional USB mouse to install it, though!

At least the 5.24 version of the RISC OS Pi image (I updated mine to 5.28 manually) has !WinMenu in $.Utilities, so you don’t need to install it, just run it. And, I also use a K400+ with my Pi, works pretty well.

When I dared to bring this up in conversation yesterday, there was a shocked silence followed by an incredulous, “But that’s not the point!”

????

Small, cheap, interesting. Can afford many interesting items…

<snaps back to reality>

That’s not the point?
What is?

@ Richard H
I guess that the reason many folk have so many Raspberry Pis is that the Raspberry Pi Foundation keeps bringing out new models. I have 4 or 5: two of the original R-Pi ; one or two of R-Pi 2; and one R-pi 3.
Other folk are using them to control various things like the central heating sytem, a weather station or their Mars rocket.

I’ve talked to a few “returning” users over the last fortnight. It’s really nice to see. (Richard, I don’t want to sound like a Google Ad to everyone else, but I’m also not sure how else to get in touch with you. If you email me at gavin@archivemag.co.uk, I’ll pop the latest Archive Magazine in the post to you, no obligation blah blah, but it should give you a good summary of RISC OS news etc).

Welcome back to RiscOS!

I came back in 2018 but due to some upheavals I had to out away my stuff due to space restrictions. Now that is sorted I have everything permanently set up. I can now get back to my original objective of learning C and writing some things for it.

I use a Logitech K270 wirelss keyboard and a Logitech M 185 Wireless mouse with my ARMx6 and they worked flawlessly out of the box. Same with my Old Raspeberry Pi B. Very reasonably priced too.

Archive magazine huh? I need to go look at that. Being out here in the USA makes me feel far away from home when it comes to RiscOS. A UK Magazine coming in the mail every couple of months sounds ideal.

After reviewing the site, I wanted to say thank you (Gavin) for taking it over after the sad passing of the original creator. I shall endeavour to paypal you the sub fee.