discuss: Thread: Re: New document: Linux and Android HOWTO

Hello everybody,

I replied today (five months later) to Guido.

I read through the document from a style and authorship perspective.  
It is good.  It should get a final proofreading before publication, 
but there are two other things first:

  * Does anybody know somebody with some Android expertise who can 
    provide a technical review of the content?

  * This document refers to an unversioned GFDL (by link [0]).  The 
    current version at that link is GFDL-1.3.  It is not in the list 
    of currently-accepted TLDP licenses [1].  Should it be?

If we can get a technical review and straighten out the license 
question, I think this one should go into the collection.

It looks to me like a good addition.

-Martin

 [0] https://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html
 [1] http://wiki.tldp.org/LdpWikiDefaultLicence

-- 
Martin A. Brown
http://linux-ip.net/

Le 04/03/2016 19:34, Martin A. Brown a écrit :

>    * Does anybody know somebody with some Android expertise who can
>      provide a technical review of the content?

I have some android devices, some are rooted

> If we can get a technical review and straighten out the license
> question, I think this one should go into the collection.

link to the document?

thanks
jdd

Hi there jdd,

>>   * Does anybody know somebody with some Android expertise who can
>>     provide a technical review of the content?
>
> I have some android devices, some are rooted

He seems to deal with that.

>> If we can get a technical review and straighten out the license
>> question, I think this one should go into the collection.
>
> link to the document?

I dropped his document source submission in here:

  https://github.com/tLDP/LDP/blob/master/LDP/inprogress/Linux-Android-HOWTO.sgml

Thank you!

-Martin

-- 
Martin A. Brown
http://linux-ip.net/

I started to review the HOWTO, but I found it too distracting to try to review 
it with the sgml markup, so I'd ask these questions:

Is there an easy way to view the document on the Internet (i.e., without 
downloading it) in formatted (rendered) form?

How can I easily download that file to my computer (I use Linux if it matters--
I'm really just looking for a link--"Save Page As" doesn't seem to be what I 
what)?

If I download it, what would be a good tool to view the file in rendered form?  
Would Okular do the job?  Or (Libre | ??) Office (writer?)?

Randy Kramer

On Friday, March 04, 2016 02:44:27 PM Martin A. Brown wrote:
> Hi there jdd,
> 
> >>   * Does anybody know somebody with some Android expertise who can
> >>   
> >>     provide a technical review of the content?
> > 
> > I have some android devices, some are rooted
> 
> He seems to deal with that.
> 
> >> If we can get a technical review and straighten out the license
> >> question, I think this one should go into the collection.
> > 
> > link to the document?
> 
> I dropped his document source submission in here:
> 
>  
> https://github.com/tLDP/LDP/blob/master/LDP/inprogress/Linux-Android-HOWTO
> .sgml
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> -Martin

Quoting ####@####.#### ####@####.####

> I started to review the HOWTO, but I found it too distracting to try
> to review it with the sgml markup, so I'd ask these questions:
> 
> Is there an easy way to view the document on the Internet (i.e.,
> without downloading it) in formatted (rendered) form?

I can't answer that, but I can help you with other stuff:

> How can I easily download that file to my computer (I use Linux if it
> matters-- I'm really just looking for a link--"Save Page As" doesn't
> seem to be what I what)?

Just trying this experimentally:

$ cd /tmp
$ wget https://github.com/tLDP/LDP/blob/master/LDP/inprogress/Linux-Android-HOWTO.sgml
--2016-03-08 07:21:20--
https://github.com/tLDP/LDP/blob/master/LDP/inprogress/Linux-Android-HOWTO.sgml
Resolving github.com... 192.30.252.130
Connecting to github.com|192.30.252.130|:443... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: unspecified [text/html]
Saving to: "Linux-Android-HOWTO.sgml"

    [                        <=>            ] 458,989     85.9K/s   in 5.2s    

2016-03-08 07:21:31 (86.8 KB/s) - "Linux-Android-HOWTO.sgml" saved [458989]
$

...and, hmm, no, that's not the SGML file at all, but rather a poxy bunch
of HTML5 from GitHub.  So, angle back to the page:  Toolbar includes a
button labeled 'Raw'.  Select that.  You are taken to
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tLDP/LDP/master/LDP/inprogress/Linux-Android-HOWTO.sgml .

That 'page', if you Save As, _is_ (enfin) the actual intended SGML file.
Or, you can fetch via command line (now that you have the direct URL of
the raw version) this way:

$ wget --no-check-certificate https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tLDP/LDP/master/LDP/inprogress/Linux-Android-HOWTO.sgml

Looking at the first line of the document, the SGML declaration, reveals
what _flavour_ of SGML it is, a critical distinction.  (Saying it's SGML 
is analogous to saying 'What sort of car was it?  I'm pretty sure the
brand was something like "Automobile".')

   <!doctype linuxdoc system>

Aha, LinuxDoc SGML.  LinuxDoc is a very light, visually transparent sort
of semantic markup.  You might want to give a try to reading it in
un-rendered form and seeing how that works.  My LDP document in LinuxDoc
is IMO a very easy format to work with.  (There, I said it.  David
Lawyer is not the only fan of the old thing.)

But, to render it, get a copy of the linuxdoc parsing program (package),
and do:

$ linuxdoc -B html Linux-Android-HOWTO.sgml 
Processing file Linux-Android-HOWTO.sgml
$

Default output (without fancy options) is:

$ ls Linux-Android-HOWTO*.html
Linux-Android-HOWTO-10.html  Linux-Android-HOWTO-6.html
Linux-Android-HOWTO-1.html   Linux-Android-HOWTO-7.html
Linux-Android-HOWTO-2.html   Linux-Android-HOWTO-8.html
Linux-Android-HOWTO-3.html   Linux-Android-HOWTO-9.html
Linux-Android-HOWTO-4.html   Linux-Android-HOWTO.html
Linux-Android-HOWTO-5.html
$

And there you have it.  Have fun!  (Or, as our SuSE friends say, 
'Have a lot of fun.')

Hello and good morning Randy,

>I started to review the HOWTO, but I found it too distracting to 
>try to review it with the sgml markup, so I'd ask these questions:

Thank you for undertaking the review.  I have also found the markup 
too distracting when performing a language or content review.

It looks like Rick Moen was also teaching you to fish for Linuxdoc 
today, but I was already in process of putting the outputs up for 
you.  So, here they are.  I put them in-progress document up on my 
own website in a scratch area that I will delete when you are done.

>Is there an easy way to view the document on the Internet (i.e., 
>without downloading it) in formatted (rendered) form?

Here are a few choices, depending on which format you prefer:
  
  http://linux-ip.net/ldptmp/Linux-Android-HOWTO/Linux-Android-HOWTO.txt
  http://linux-ip.net/ldptmp/Linux-Android-HOWTO/Linux-Android-HOWTO.pdf
  http://linux-ip.net/ldptmp/Linux-Android-HOWTO/Linux-Android-HOWTO.html
  http://linux-ip.net/ldptmp/Linux-Android-HOWTO/Linux-Android-HOWTO-single.html

>How can I easily download that file to my computer (I use Linux if 
>it matters-- I'm really just looking for a link--"Save Page As" 
>doesn't seem to be what I what)?

You could use the .pdf file above.

>If I download it, what would be a good tool to view the file in 
>rendered form?  Would Okular do the job?  Or (Libre | ??) Office 
>(writer?)?

I would use okular or evince for viewing the PDF.

Perhaps send your comments to the author and let me know once you've 
finished the review.

Thank you, again, for reviewing the Linux-Android-HOWTO.

-Martin

-- 
Martin A. Brown
http://linux-ip.net/

Rick,

Thanks for the reply.  I'll save this (well, the full) email for future 
reference, but, for the current iteration, I'll use the HTML document which 
Martin created.  

Thanks again!
Randy Kramer

On Tuesday, March 08, 2016 10:47:32 AM Rick Moen wrote:
> I can't answer that, but I can help you with other stuff:
> > How can I easily download that file to my computer (I use Linux if it
> > matters-- I'm really just looking for a link--"Save Page As" doesn't
> > seem to be what I what)?

Le 08/03/2016 16:54, Martin A. Brown a écrit :

>    http://linux-ip.net/ldptmp/Linux-Android-HOWTO/Linux-Android-HOWTO.pdf

Hello,

I begin to read the HOWTO.

But given it's content, that needs a lot of experiments, and may vary 
from device or android version, I wonder if we have to discuss it here 
or somewhere else, may be privately with the author.

I have lot of android devices (around 5). May be it could be useful to 
make some recollection of results, differences...

may be, by the way, it could be interesting to sate from the beginning 
what will the goal of this HOWTO: play with the device (=have fun :-) or 
have some real world use?

just for completeness, I have 3 phones that I couldn't root easily, one 
tablet that could be rooted in a snap with framaroot (not sure the 
name), and the last that is rooted from the beginning (Chinese, cheap 
and very slow one)

jdd

Comments interspersed below.


On Wednesday, March 09, 2016 03:08:37 PM jdd wrote:
> Le 08/03/2016 16:54, Martin A. Brown a écrit :
> >    http://linux-ip.net/ldptmp/Linux-Android-HOWTO/Linux-Android-HOWTO.pdf
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I begin to read the HOWTO.
> 
> But given it's content, that needs a lot of experiments, and may vary
> from device or android version, I wonder if we have to discuss it here
> or somewhere else, may be privately with the author.

I agree that I don't think the results will be the same on all devices, but I 
discourage discussing only with the author, especially if there are other 
people (e.g., me) on the list who are attempting to review the document.

If the author prefers that comments be kept off the main list, then I'd suggest 
we temporarily create an impromptu list by simply including all interested 
parties on a cc list.

> I have lot of android devices (around 5). May be it could be useful to
> make some recollection of results, differences...
> 
> may be, by the way, it could be interesting to sate from the beginning
> what will the goal of this HOWTO: play with the device (=have fun :-) or
> have some real world use?

The HOWTO includes instructions for backing up apps and data, that seems like 
a real world use. ;-)

> just for completeness, I have 3 phones that I couldn't root easily, one
> tablet that could be rooted in a snap with framaroot (not sure the
> name), and the last that is rooted from the beginning (Chinese, cheap
> and very slow one)

I'm curious, I also have a (fairly) cheap Chinese tablet.  The distributor 
says it can't be rooted, I haven't been able to root it, but some apps / 
utilities that I've installed say it is rooted (and some say it is not).  I 
would like to exchange brand names with you, as I'm curious if it is the same 
device or manufacturer (iRulu is the brand, I'm not sure if they are a 
distributor or the manufacturer). 

Randy Kramer

Le 10/03/2016 15:27, ####@####.#### a écrit :

> The HOWTO includes instructions for backing up apps and data, that seems like
> a real world use. ;-)

should be quoted in 1.1 Purpose of this guide

I can connect my tablet very easily from the beginning (=without reading 
the howto), to copy the data (but not the apps), so the HOWTO is mainly 
interesting for other purpose - but fun is a	n interesting purpose also

>
>> just for completeness, I have 3 phones that I couldn't root easily, one
>> tablet that could be rooted in a snap with framaroot (not sure the
>> name), and the last that is rooted from the beginning (Chinese, cheap
>> and very slow one)
>
> I'm curious, I also have a (fairly) cheap Chinese tablet.  The distributor
> says it can't be rooted, I haven't been able to root it, but some apps /
> utilities that I've installed say it is rooted (and some say it is not).  I
> would like to exchange brand names with you, as I'm curious if it is the same
> device or manufacturer (iRulu is the brand, I'm not sure if they are a
> distributor or the manufacturer).
>

to be complete, this one was given to me by my daughter, because the 
battery was broken nearly from the beginning. I could solder an old 
phone battery that gives me a bit more than one hour running time. But 
it's so slow to be nearly unusable. But perfect to potentially dangerous 
work.

During my previous tests, I made a system reset and was surprised to see 
it's still rooted.

There are no brand on the box, but following the HOWTO I could find the 
constructor ID

It's a "Qpad", L916-3, kernel 3.4.0+liusi@gpt-server-sw "290vthu Apr 3 
14:0037 CST 2014

root is assured by "superuser"

lsusb gives : Bus 004 Device 005: ID 10d6:0c02 Actions Semiconductor 
Co., Ltd

adb connects but only if I turn on mass storage on the tablet (and add 
then ID in .android)

jdd