Public Access
The SSH App opens one session to a shell, over libssh (LibSSH-ESP32 5.10.0) on mbedTLS. A server is trusted the first time on its fingerprint, and a changed key is a warning with Cancel selected. The password is typed each time and kept nowhere; or the device makes itself an Ed25519 key, whose public half is shown, written to /ssh/id_ed25519.pub and printed by `ssh status`. lib/term is the terminal: what a shell, less, top, nano and vim send, with sixteen colours, scroll regions, the alternate screen and 100 lines of scrollback. Five text sizes with Ctrl and + or -, from 60x20 to 26x8, told to the far end. The session goes on when the App is left; SSH shows in the Status Bar. `ssh user@host` in the Shell opens the App. Also: - Keys that aren't characters carry Shift, Ctrl and Alt. The terminal needs it, and it makes Ctrl+Fn+up/down in a note and Shift+Tab in Gemini work from the real keyboard. - IRC doesn't try to connect under 60 KB free: started with a session open, its TLS handshake took the heap down to 236 bytes. - libssh's own curve25519 is left out of the build (scripts/libssh_filter.py): libsodium's has the same names. Costs 292 KB of flash and about 50 KB of heap while a session is open; not started under 75 KB free. Docs: guide page, how-to, FAQ, home page, Status Bar, SD card folders, the memory how-to, README, glossary, N1 notes with Q254 to Q266 and the checks. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01EhqxQ49eCju4CzKYNjZzwT
84 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
84 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
+++
|
|
title = "The basics"
|
|
description = "The keys, the Launcher, the Status Bar and what happens the first time you switch the device on."
|
|
weight = 1
|
|
[extra]
|
|
tag = "Start here"
|
|
screens = ["help.png"]
|
|
+++
|
|
|
|
## One key to remember
|
|
|
|
**<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.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
If you only read one paragraph of this guide, this was it.
|
|
|
|
## The keys
|
|
|
|
The Cardputer's keyboard has no arrow keys and no Escape, so the firmware gives a few keys a second job:
|
|
|
|
| Key | Does |
|
|
|---|---|
|
|
| <kbd>Enter</kbd> | Opens or confirms the selected item |
|
|
| <kbd>`</kbd> | **Back**: one step out of a screen, and out of an App |
|
|
| <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>`</kbd> | **Home**: back to the Launcher |
|
|
| <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>;</kbd> <kbd>.</kbd> <kbd>,</kbd> <kbd>/</kbd> | The arrows: up, down, left, right |
|
|
| <kbd>;</kbd> <kbd>.</kbd> <kbd>,</kbd> <kbd>/</kbd> alone | The same arrows, as long as you are **not** typing text |
|
|
| <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>h</kbd>, or <kbd>?</kbd> when not typing | **Help:** the keys of the screen you are on |
|
|
| <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>p</kbd> | **A screenshot:** the screen as it is, saved as a picture in `/screenshots` on the SD card |
|
|
| <kbd>Tab</kbd> | Switches view in an App that has more than one |
|
|
| <kbd>Del</kbd> | Deletes backwards when you type |
|
|
| <kbd>opt</kbd> then an accent, then a letter | Types an accented letter: <kbd>opt</kbd> <kbd>'</kbd> <kbd>e</kbd> gives é |
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
## The Launcher
|
|
|
|
The home screen lists the Apps. Move with the arrows, open one with <kbd>Enter</kbd>. Back inside an App returns here.
|
|
|
|
## The Status Bar
|
|
|
|
A strip at the top of every screen: the name of the App on the left, and on the right, from the edge inwards:
|
|
|
|
| Shows | Means |
|
|
|---|---|
|
|
| the time | The clock, once Wi-Fi or a GNSS fix has set it |
|
|
| `[3]` | Unread IRC messages that mention you, or private ones |
|
|
| `97%` | The battery (in the warning colour at 15% and under) |
|
|
| `SD` | A card is in; the warning colour at 80% full |
|
|
| 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 |
|
|
| `SSH` | An [SSH session](/guide/ssh/) is open, whatever App is in front |
|
|
| `VPN` | The [WireGuard tunnel](/guide/vpn/) is wanted; brighter once the server has answered |
|
|
| `DBG` | The Debug Console is switched on (Settings → Debug Console); brighter while a PC is connected to it |
|
|
| `REC` | A GNSS Track is being recorded |
|
|
| `CAP` | A LoRa capture is being recorded |
|
|
| `L` | The radio is listening; it lights up for a moment on each packet. `SW` while a Sweep runs |
|
|
| `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`) |
|
|
|
|
## Toasts
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
## The first start
|
|
|
|
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:
|
|
|
|
1. **Long name**, up to 39 bytes.
|
|
2. **Short name**, up to 4 characters.
|
|
3. **Radio region.** Nothing will transmit until you confirm yours. EU868 is the supported region.
|
|
4. **Timezone.**
|
|
|
|
## The SD card
|
|
|
|
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, screenshots or saved Gemini pages. The [Storage App](/guide/storage/) shows what is on the card.
|
|
|
|
The firmware keeps its own folders at the top of the card (`captures`, `gemini`, `gnss`, `irc`, `notes`, `screenshots`, `updates`, `wifi`). You can use the card in a computer too, but those names are the firmware's.
|
|
|
|
## The keys, as the device lists them
|
|
|
|
What <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>h</kbd> shows on these screens. These tables are generated from the firmware's own lists, so they are always the current ones.
|
|
|
|
{{ keys(scopes=["launcher", "everywhere", "dialog", "text"]) }}
|