XO as wireless remote terminal for Internet-in-a-box on Raspberry Pi Zero W

[James Cameron]

Most web content demands large browser like Chromium or Firefox.

But where the web content is your own, or under your control, then a
simplified web browser like Dillo may be helpful.

On Mon, Dec 09, 2019 at 12:13:36AM -0500, Carrol Riddle wrote:
> XO as wireless remote terminal for Internet-in-a-box on Raspberry Pi Zero W using X11 forwarding.
> 
> XO usb port can be used to power Pi Zero W.  XO can be used to prepare >64 GB SD by installing Exfat (per earlier post).
> 
> Headless Pi Zero can be set up wirelessly with standard method of connecting to a wireless router.
> A prepared Raspbian SD is edited to place empty SSH file in /boot to enable SSH and place a model wpa_supplicant file in /boot.  The wpa_supplicant is edit to provide ssid or ip address of router and its password. The Pi Zero W is functioning as an AP client.
> 
> Connection to the Pi Zero W is made using its host name (raspberrypi, password raspberry) or ip address (192.168.128.4) with a computer (XO) also connected to the wireless router.  
> 
> The wireless router is connected to an internet AP (in my case broadband AP/wireless router).  Raspbian Desktop is loaded and then Internet-in-a-Box (IIAB) is loaded.  iiab-hotspot-on command is run to enable IIAB's AP.  This also disables the connection to the wireless router and the only access to the IIAB becomes its AP and there is no internet connection (in spite of enabling internet on gateway).
> 
> If one needs to connect to the internet to obtain more content, then iiab-hotspot-off . The Pi Zero W can then be access with an XO (same XO as for power) over its usb port, which provides internet access.  XO setup  and accessing Chromium in the Raspbian Desktop has been described in an earlier post. IIAB is run in Chromium to access the Admin Console to manage the content.
> 
> Return to normal use of IIAB by running iiab-hotspot-on .   The Pi Zero W can be moved to any source of usb power.
> 
> Connect XO wirelessly to IIAB AP.   SSH / desktop with ssh -X pi at box.local /etc/X11/xinit/xintrc
> Run Chrommium with URL of http://box.local.   This can be simplified by setting startup page in Chromium to http://box.local/home  .
> 
> Chromium is very, very slow, but IIAB is at XO speed.
> 
> If one wants to otherwise use Chromium, enable Home key in task bar and assign it to Chrome://
> 
> Direct Chromium access with <ssh pi at box.local chromium-browser> works when accessed over the usb, but does not work with IIAB AP (something about Xlib).
> 
> A simple Sugar Activity can run a script to handle all this startup of ssh / chromium / iiab .
> 
> My question for Devel list:   is there a simpler (faster) application than desktop Chromium for displaying web pages from Terminal ??
> 
> links2 is one such application, but I have not been successful in setting up options for x display.
> 
> 
> Carrol Riddle
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-- 
James Cameron
http://quozl.netrek.org/