Public Access
twislaandClaude Opus 5.5
7fe8b3d22a
Fn+h on any screen, text fields included, and ? outside Text Entry, open a panel over the content area: the screen's own keys, then the ones that work everywhere. Every App declares its keys for the state it is in (pages, viewers, dialogs and text fields answer for themselves); the App manager opens the panel and takes every key while it is open. About 30 hint lines are gone, from every App. What stays on a screen is state. The first-start Setup keeps its hints and teaches the key; a device set up before gets one Toast, once. The guide and the FAQ open with it. `key help` over the consoles. 476 host tests (8 new). Checked on the device with key help and screenshots: the Launcher, all nine Apps and several of their states. 8.5 KB of flash and 40 bytes of static RAM. Decisions Q196 to Q203 in docs/milestones/U1.md. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01EhqxQ49eCju4CzKYNjZzwT
74 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
74 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
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title = "The basics"
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description = "The keys, the Launcher, the Status Bar and what happens the first time you switch the device on."
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weight = 1
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[extra]
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tag = "Start here"
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## One key to remember
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**<kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>h</kbd>, on any screen, lists the keys that work there.** No screen names its keys: that key does. It works everywhere, in a text field too, and <kbd>?</kbd> does the same whenever you are not typing. The arrows scroll the list; any other key closes it.
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The list is for *the screen you are on*: in Storage it is the file keys, in a dialog it is the dialog's, in a text field it is the editing keys. Each list ends with the keys that work everywhere.
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If you only read one paragraph of this guide, this was it.
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## The keys
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The Cardputer's keyboard has no arrow keys and no Escape, so the firmware gives a few keys a second job:
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| Key | Does |
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|---|---|
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| <kbd>Enter</kbd> | Opens or confirms the selected item |
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| <kbd>`</kbd> | **Back**: one step out of a screen, and out of an App |
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| <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>`</kbd> | **Home**: back to the Launcher |
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| <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>;</kbd> <kbd>.</kbd> <kbd>,</kbd> <kbd>/</kbd> | The arrows: up, down, left, right |
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| <kbd>;</kbd> <kbd>.</kbd> <kbd>,</kbd> <kbd>/</kbd> alone | The same arrows, as long as you are **not** typing text |
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| <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>h</kbd>, or <kbd>?</kbd> when not typing | **Help:** the keys of the screen you are on |
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| <kbd>Tab</kbd> | Switches view in an App that has more than one |
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| <kbd>Del</kbd> | Deletes backwards when you type |
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| <kbd>opt</kbd> then an accent, then a letter | Types an accented letter: <kbd>opt</kbd> <kbd>'</kbd> <kbd>e</kbd> gives é |
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While you type text (a note, an IRC line, a setting), `;` `.` `,` `/` type their own characters and you need <kbd>Fn</kbd> for the arrows. The Status Bar shows `opt` while a compose is waiting for its letter.
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## The Launcher
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The home screen lists the Apps. Move with the arrows, open one with <kbd>Enter</kbd>. Back inside an App returns here.
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## The Status Bar
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A strip at the top of every screen: the name of the App on the left, and on the right, from the edge inwards:
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| Shows | Means |
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|---|---|
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| the time | The clock, once Wi-Fi or a GNSS fix has set it |
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| `[3]` | Unread IRC messages that mention you, or private ones |
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| `97%` | The battery (in the warning colour at 15% and under) |
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| `SD` | A card is in; the warning colour at 80% full |
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| bars and `W` | Wi-Fi connected, with its signal; `W?` is searching; `MON` is the Wi-Fi radio in its monitoring mode, which pauses IRC |
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| `DBG` | The Debug Console is switched on (Settings → Debug Console); brighter while a PC is connected to it |
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| `REC` | A GNSS Track is being recorded |
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| `CAP` | A LoRa capture is being recorded |
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| `L` | The radio is listening; it lights up for a moment on each packet. `SW` while a Sweep runs |
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| `G` or `G12` | The GNSS receiver is searching (`G`, dim), has a 2D fix (`G`), or has a 3D fix with that many satellites (`G12`) |
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## Toasts
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News from a background service (an IRC mention, a Storage warning, an update that is out) shows as a short message over whatever App is open, and can beep and flash the LED. **Sound & LED** in Settings turns that off.
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## The first start
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On a new device a short Setup asks four things, then never appears again. It also tells you about <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>h</kbd>, twice, and it is the only part of the firmware that names keys on the screen:
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1. **Long name**, up to 39 bytes.
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2. **Short name**, up to 4 characters.
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3. **Radio region.** Nothing will transmit until you confirm yours. EU868 is the supported region.
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4. **Timezone.**
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## The SD card
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Put a microSD card in the Cardputer. Without one the radio, GNSS, Wi-Fi and IRC still work, but nothing can be saved: no notes, IRC logs, Wi-Fi scan logs, GPX tracks, LoRa captures or saved Gemini pages. The [Storage App](/guide/storage/) shows what is on the card.
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The firmware keeps its own folders at the top of the card (`captures`, `gemini`, `gnss`, `irc`, `updates`, `wifi`, plus `notes`). You can use the card in a computer too, but those names are the firmware's.
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