Open source projects?
Open source projects?
by froody
Mon May 10, 2010 1:42 am
EDIT: I've created a project here: http://code.google.com/p/bioloid/, check your code in! Hack on stuff!
Last week I bought a Bioloid Premium kit and since my only machine is a Mac and I didn't like the thought of driving the little guy from Windows in a VM, I took the hard route. I started with this code and the snippets of code from the Robotis support page and now I can play motion files and some other stuff.
What surprises/frustrates me is that while there seems to be a large community of people hacking on the CM-5/510 and the AX-12, there doesn't really seem to be any decent amount of code/knowledge in one place that (please correct me if I'm wrong!)
a) Does something significant (plays motion files properly, does cool stuff with the gyro, etc)
b) Allows other people to check in patches
c) Is generally alive and well
I was of course thrilled to find Bioloid Control and after an hour or so I got it to build in my Ubuntu VM, and I'd even be happy to start hacking on it, but it seems like it's gone the way of oh so many other projects on SourceForge and the owner isn't around anymore to add people to the commit list.
I love coding, and I love robots, and while I'm happy to just keep plodding along here by myself, I'm sure there are people out there who are new to coding and could really benefit from a decent open-source firmware for the bioloid robots, and I'm pretty sure there are other people out there like me who want a base to do something cool (like adding a camera or a beagleboard) but don't really want to trawl forum posts and the bioloid website and write a few hundred lines of code just to get their robot to stand up.
Am I missing something? Do other people feel the same way? I feel like putting my stuff up on google code and crossing my fingers that other people will find it useful and hack on it too, but I though I'd check first to avoid creating yet another abandoned open source project.[/url]
Last week I bought a Bioloid Premium kit and since my only machine is a Mac and I didn't like the thought of driving the little guy from Windows in a VM, I took the hard route. I started with this code and the snippets of code from the Robotis support page and now I can play motion files and some other stuff.
What surprises/frustrates me is that while there seems to be a large community of people hacking on the CM-5/510 and the AX-12, there doesn't really seem to be any decent amount of code/knowledge in one place that (please correct me if I'm wrong!)
a) Does something significant (plays motion files properly, does cool stuff with the gyro, etc)
b) Allows other people to check in patches
c) Is generally alive and well
I was of course thrilled to find Bioloid Control and after an hour or so I got it to build in my Ubuntu VM, and I'd even be happy to start hacking on it, but it seems like it's gone the way of oh so many other projects on SourceForge and the owner isn't around anymore to add people to the commit list.
I love coding, and I love robots, and while I'm happy to just keep plodding along here by myself, I'm sure there are people out there who are new to coding and could really benefit from a decent open-source firmware for the bioloid robots, and I'm pretty sure there are other people out there like me who want a base to do something cool (like adding a camera or a beagleboard) but don't really want to trawl forum posts and the bioloid website and write a few hundred lines of code just to get their robot to stand up.
Am I missing something? Do other people feel the same way? I feel like putting my stuff up on google code and crossing my fingers that other people will find it useful and hack on it too, but I though I'd check first to avoid creating yet another abandoned open source project.[/url]
Last edited by froody on Mon May 10, 2010 10:37 pm, edited 2 times in total.
by billyzelsnack
Mon May 10, 2010 3:02 am
There is lots of code around, it's just not organized well or at all. I am definitely guilty of this myself. Half the time I can't even find my code when somebody asks for it!
I think this just might be due to the current hacky state of robotics at the moment. It's not really clear how to architect a robotics project. I know that I don't release most of my code because it does not meet my standards of what a releasable project should be. Either in the architecture itself or ease of building and installing.
I don't really know what the solution is other than encouraging people to release early/often in known public repositories. Which unfortunately.. I'm not doing so hot in that respect myself!
I think this just might be due to the current hacky state of robotics at the moment. It's not really clear how to architect a robotics project. I know that I don't release most of my code because it does not meet my standards of what a releasable project should be. Either in the architecture itself or ease of building and installing.
I don't really know what the solution is other than encouraging people to release early/often in known public repositories. Which unfortunately.. I'm not doing so hot in that respect myself!
by pikaj00
Mon May 10, 2010 5:00 am
well if its a site that can manage user accounts and source code and maybee motion files and code samples i can put something up no problem. id be willing to do the work and pay for the site i would love to have all the source files people are working on so i could hack them aswell.
maybee we should make a check list of everything we want in a bioloid specific web site then i can build it from there
maybee we should make a check list of everything we want in a bioloid specific web site then i can build it from there
by froody
Mon May 10, 2010 6:20 am
I don't think we even need to pay for a site - I'm pretty sure google code would do everything. As far as I can tell
* It has a simple wiki (not as nice as MediaWiki, but it should do to start with)
* It does accounts
* It has 1GB of space for svn, which should last a while if we keep media content out of it
* 2GB of file space, this should be plenty for motion files
* It looks nice! I don't know about you, but SourceForge looks and feels awkward
If we ever outgrow that, then we can go for paid hosting, but right now it feels like a waste of money/effort
* It has a simple wiki (not as nice as MediaWiki, but it should do to start with)
* It does accounts
* It has 1GB of space for svn, which should last a while if we keep media content out of it
* 2GB of file space, this should be plenty for motion files
* It looks nice! I don't know about you, but SourceForge looks and feels awkward
If we ever outgrow that, then we can go for paid hosting, but right now it feels like a waste of money/effort
by froody
Mon May 10, 2010 10:33 pm
Ok, done!
I've started a project on google code here: http://code.google.com/p/bioloid/
If you have something, anything, join the project and check it in!
I've started a project on google code here: http://code.google.com/p/bioloid/
If you have something, anything, join the project and check it in!
Neat
by UncleBob
Tue May 11, 2010 6:51 am
Great. How can I post stuff. I cannot find the add button thanks
BTW can we state the robot type e.g. Type A, B, Snake etc and robomotion version etc. CM510 or older version. Since type different robot type can kill a few servos if not careful.
Great work !! Thanks.
BTW can we state the robot type e.g. Type A, B, Snake etc and robomotion version etc. CM510 or older version. Since type different robot type can kill a few servos if not careful.
Great work !! Thanks.
by froody
Tue May 11, 2010 7:44 am
Ah my bad, seems I though there would be a button saying "Request to join group". Send me your google account email (not necessarily a gmail account), if you don't have one, get one here: https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount
Post to bioloid-discuss linked on the google code page(preferred), reply here or email me directly <froody> with your google account email and I'll add you to the project. From there you'll have commit access and the ability to upload files.
Post to bioloid-discuss linked on the google code page(preferred), reply here or email me directly <froody> with your google account email and I'll add you to the project. From there you'll have commit access and the ability to upload files.
by froody
Wed May 12, 2010 9:48 am
So the project is up but it's only accumulating code at the rate which I can write it (which with a full-time job isn't that fast). If you have something to submit, please send me your google account email address and I'll give you commit access. If you want to share your code but don't want to go through the hassle of joining & using svn, just email me a zip file and I'll do all the work.
froody@gmail.com
froody@gmail.com
enable
by UncleBob
Wed May 12, 2010 10:44 am
introduction
by UncleBob
Wed May 12, 2010 10:53 am
maybe also a good idea to put a button on the google so stranger who does not follow this thread can also submit request to you etc.
source
by UncleBob
Thu May 13, 2010 10:39 am
I just spent a few minutes reading how to check out. Looks hard at first but seems ok afterward.
No files there at the moment.
Maybe I just send you my file so we can quickly put something up. I originally wanted to carefully select my code but I now give you something that I have.
No files there at the moment.
Maybe I just send you my file so we can quickly put something up. I originally wanted to carefully select my code but I now give you something that I have.
by pikaj00
Thu May 13, 2010 11:05 pm
tried to send an email to join the group as it sais but the email kept coimeing back... so you can add me or tell me how to sign up other then the email...
im PIKAJ000@gmail.com
thats 3 zeros in there
thanks
shawn
im PIKAJ000@gmail.com
thats 3 zeros in there
thanks
shawn
a tad too late but still
by kgthegreat
Fri May 14, 2010 7:52 am
Hey froody,
I have a feeling that this might be a beginning of a real nice open source project. Have you checked out github.com for hosting the code. I use it and and love it. Great integration with git(http://git-scm.com/). Integrates with svn also pretty well. It is a huge improvement over anything that is around.
Just a suggestion.
I have a feeling that this might be a beginning of a real nice open source project. Have you checked out github.com for hosting the code. I use it and and love it. Great integration with git(http://git-scm.com/). Integrates with svn also pretty well. It is a huge improvement over anything that is around.
Just a suggestion.
