The Asus EeePC is a flash-based device running a customized version of Linux (based on Xandros). As a result, the majority of the installation steps are similar to that when installing on any other (recent) Linux distribution. It is also important to remember that, unlike MS Windows, Linux commands and filenames are case-sensitive (i.e. the filename 'DecoderPro' is not the same as the filename 'decoderpro').
This has been tested on a UK-spec EeePC in conjunction with a KeySpan USB-Serial adapter.
Layout connection tested with a Serial SPROG.
Note: It is the understanding of the Author that the 2G models of the EeePC do not come with a suitable Java Runtime Environment installed.
Also, the files rxtx.tgz and easymodeicons.tgz should be downloaded and saved into 'My Documents'.
When entering some of the commands listed below, it is necessary to refer to the 'My Documents' directory. To allow for the space in the pathname, this is written as My\ Documents. On an EeePC with a UK English keyboard, the \ character is entered by the key combination Fn+Z.
Open a terminal window (Ctrl+Alt+T)
In this window, at the prompt '/home/user> ' type 'sudo su' (without the quotes)
This will now change this terminal session to one with root permissions - BE VERY CAREFUL - any commands typed into this window will now be running with full root permissions.
This terminal window should remain open throughout the installation procedure.
To start, it is necessary to install the communications libraries by typing the following commands:
cd /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.5.0-sun-1.5.0.10/jre
tar -zxvvf /home/user/My\ Documents/rxtx.tgz
cd lib/i386
ln -s librxtxSerial-2.0.7pre2.so librxtxSerial.so
ln -s librxtxParallel-2.0.7pre2.so librxtxParallel.so
Second step is to install the JMRI suite by typing the following commands:
cd /usr/local
tar -zxvvf /home/user/My\ Documents/JMRI.2.0.tgz
chown -R root:root /usr/local/JMRI
chmod -R 755 /usr/local/JMRI
Change directory to the install directory by typing the following command:
cd JMRI
Modify start-up scripts to allow execution from the install directory using the command:
nano DecoderPro
This will now start-up a text editor in the terminal window.
Using the cursor keys, find the line that reads:
# cd /usr/local/JMRI
Modify the line by removing the leading # (it should then read):
cd /usr/local/JMRI
Press Ctrl+O and then Enter to write-out the file.
Press Ctrl+X to exit
Repeat this modification for:
PanelPro
and optionally for:
JmriDemo
This completes the necessary start-up file modifications.
cd /opt/xandros/share/AsusLauncher
tar -zxvvf /home/user/My\ Documents/easymodeicons.tgz
exit
This will result in the prompt changing to '/home/user> '.
This verification is achieved using the following commands:
cd .AsusLauncher
ls simpleui.rc
If there is an error 'ls: simpleui.rc: No such file or directory', it is necessary to perform the following steps. Otherwise, skip the section 'Copy default AsusLauncher file'.
This is achieved by using the following command:
cp /opt/xandros/share/AsusLauncher/simpleui.rc simpleui.rc
Confirm that the file 'simpleui.rc' exists by typing:
ls simpleui.rc
This should then display:
simpleui.rc
This is achieved by entering the following command:
nano simpleui.rc
Scroll down to the end of the file. This should be a single line showing:
</simpleui>
Insert the following lines before the last line (copy and paste from here, or the
launcheritems.txt file):
<parcel extraargs="/usr/bin/xterm -hold -e /usr/local/JMRI/DecoderPro"
icon="decoderpro_norm.png"
selected_icon="decoderpro_hi.png"
simplecat="Play">
<name lang="en">Decoder Pro</name>
</parcel>
<parcel extraargs="/usr/bin/xterm -hold -e /usr/local/JMRI/PanelPro"
icon="panelpro_norm.png"
selected_icon="panelpro_hi.png"
simplecat="Play">
<name lang="en">Panel Pro</name>
</parcel>
Press Ctrl+O and then Enter to write-out the file.
Press Ctrl+X to exit
Note: the new icons will not show until after the EeePC has been restarted.
exit
Now, restart the EeePC by your preferred method.
Once restarted, icons for Decoder Pro and Panel Pro should exist on the Play tab.