HAs anyone written a HiJack FAQ yet?

I attempted to start one, and trolled through nearly all of Marks posts trying to glean bits and pieces. I've so far come up with a list of all available commands for the [hijack] area in config.ini, and most of their descriptive uses.

A FAQ is going to be a bigger undertaking than expected, especially since it changes so frequently. I'm still intending on following it through, but i probably don't have as much knowledge on how it works exactly as some, so i'll probably be asking for some input shortly.

If anyone wants to gather up a listing of possible FAQ entry questions... that would greatly help me down the road.

Off the top of my head, I can think of these questions that would probably be good ones to have in the FAQ. I'd also suggest that all the questions need not have answers filled in yet when you first post it. If you leave questions in the FAQ without answers, I'm sure plenty of people here can let you know what the answers are.

Basic:
- What is Hijack?
- Where can I get Hijack?
- How do I install Hijack?
- What is AutoHijack?
- What version(s) of Hijack will work with my MkX running Y.Z beta Q?

Using features:
- How do I access Hijack via my web browser?
- How do I upload files using Hijack's ftp server? (since the empeg is mostly ro, this question should probably be included)
- Can I use Hijack to listen to music via the web?

Configuration:
- How do I configure Hijack differently for AC vs DC power?
- How do I configure Hijack differently at home vs at work?
- How can I redefine what the buttons do?
- How can I make Hijack work with my Foo brank Frobber Stalk?
- Can I use my Palm Pilot and/or WinCE device to control my empeg?
- How do I keep other people on my LAN from messing up my empeg?
- What other options does Hijack have?

Misc:
- What do all the things in "Vital Signs" mean?
- Can I load kernel modules?
- Can I install or update Hijack via Ethernet or USB?

I'm sure there's many more good questions too!

Awesome. Thanks for the good start. Now... If i can just convince Tony to let me stick in another FAQ header..... =]

If i can just convince Tony to let me stick in another FAQ header...

I've expressed this opinion privately to Tom, but I think I should make my opinion public on this one:

I'm all for a FAQ about Hijack. I just think the proper location for the document is at Mark's site, right there with the product. I think it's Mark's responsibility to properly document his product. If you wish to assume those duties for Mark, that's wonderful, I just think Mark should host the pages.

I'm not trying to say that Mark isn't documenting Hijack. I think he's documenting it just fine, and I don't have any problem with it. But if others seem to feel a FAQ is necessary, then so be it.

If the FAQ is hosted at Mark's site, I will link it from the player FAQ wherever appropriate.

where is the empeg FAQ hosted :-)

I've got two reasons for wanting it on the riocar.org site:

1. administration. PHPNuke makes the MANY changes that will have to be made to the FAQ MUCH easier for me since i can do it from any browser, including when i'm at work behind a locked down firewall.

2. Centralization. Spreading out the info in a bunch of places just makes it harder to find and will raise more questions... BUT, i do see your point, and Mark agrees that he'd want to host a version of it on his site as well.

I also agree that Mark could document it a trillion times better than i ever could, but he is either unable time wise or unwilling, so something's better than nothing. The info on his site is fairly intensive, but leaves out most of the options for config.ini configuration, which is mainly what i wanted to focus on. Maybe a DOC would be better than a FAQ. Hm.

Okay, i just realized that most of the info i've been scrambling through the BBS for can be found in the source code itself... *DUH* That helps me out and i wish i had half a brain to look earlier.

I'm going to get something posted tonight if it kills me. I'll probably just dump it on my server for now until I can work out with Mark the best place for it on his site.

In the same spirit that has Tony maintaining the FAQ for a commercial product we all paid big cash for, I'm leaving a Hijack FAQ for others to worry about. I already know how to use it quite well.

He's got ya there Tony. =]

I don't get it, Tony.

If you think of Hijack as a "product' perhaps your comment makes sense. I guess I view it more as a contribution to the community (with very widespread usage) and hence it seems appropriate to at least have a strong presence where all of the other useful information is accessable.

Particularly, it seems like a good idea to consolidate the config.ini options in a single location. Currently, this info is scattered all over the place and lots of users have trouble finding it.

Is there a storage limitation at RioCar.org or some other issue that is not evident? This board is quick to jump on new users to "check the FAQ" so it seems reasonable to have a FAQ that has as much of the infromation needed as possible.

Just one person's opinion.

Lynn

Okay, Tony, we have to come to a compromise here. I want to get this thing running, and it seems like a consensus that it should be on the RioCar site. SO, i offer a few options...

1. We have a seperate category under the Main Menu under FAQ: Hijack FAQ. Maybe not the best idea organiazation wise, but it's easy to find. It's better for it to have it's own section to allow for categories, unless they are nestable. I haven't checked PHPNukes FAQ admin closely enough to see if it is possible to nest.

2. In the FAQ section, under the main Categories list... we put a divider, and have the Hijack FAQ within it's own category. This would seperate it effectively from the rest of the FAQ. But, as mentioned above, unless nesting is available, then we loose the ability to have categories like Installation, Configuration, etc.

3. We put it in it's most logical place under the "Upgrade, customization, and third-party software questions" section. Makes sense, but seeing as how this FAQ will be large, and that would cram a ton of questions in with all the other ones already in that category... this is a bad idea.

4. There's already a Hijack Kernal category in the Developer Info section... but it doesn't make sense to put a FAQ for general users there... another bad idea.

5. I put it all on Mark's site, thus loosing the ability to admin effeciently, which i'm not down for

Any other ideas? i Vote for #1

Okay, Loren, you've beaten me into submission. There is now a category under the main FAQ for Hijack only. Dunno if you've got permissions there yet, but there ya go.

What made me go over the edge:

Realizing that the "Search" feature would be nice to apply to both the regular FAQ and the Hijack FAQ at the same time.

damn, i knew i left something out. That was a point i wanted to mention... the search!

I have permissions. Thanks man.

I'm going to attempt to put up a shell tonight.

comments, suggestions, critique, ripping of new [censored]... all welcome. =]

Okay, i started listing a few questions, then got distracted with the config.ini options table.

Here is what i've got so far. Besides the obvious glaring empty sections... anything anyone notices that's missing or incorrect, please let me know. Email or Personal Message via this board would rock.

Thanks Tony and thanks Loren. This will be most usefull.
I can tell that this Faq is going to be huge!

YES... it will be huge. Which is why categories would be nice, but it doesn't allow nesting. The search feature will be our friend. =]

Okay, i've added a few question answers to the Hijack FAQ, and i'm pretty much done with the config.ini options question, which was the hardest part to compile.

PLEASE review what's already there and email me any corrections or ommissions.

I'm keeping this in the Progamming Forum until it's more fleshed out, then i'll announce it in the General Forum.

FAQ>It's in it's infancy at the moment, and will grow over time to envelop the entire known galaxy

I see what you mean!

Alrighty guys, i need some help with the menu descriptions... if someone could word something up for the following i'd greatly appreciate it.

1. Calculator... Can anyone write up a quick "how it works?" from the remote. As in how to use it.

2. Button Codes Display. This is what i've got:

Displays the hex codes that the empeg/RioCar recieves from IR input as well as from button pushes on the front panel. Press a button on your remote and the corresponding code will be displayed on screen. You can use these codes with ir_translate to map one button to something else. It also displays a button-event counter. Codes that begin with "8" are the release button codes and can be ignored.

Any remote that you get a code from can be translated. Not all remotes will work as the empeg only sees a certain range of frequencies, and the IR driver (empeg_input.c) doesn't "recognize" the IRDA format, so it just tosses the bits that it sees.

Does that all ring true... and am i leaving anything out or fuddling any wording?

3. Filesystem Check on Sync. The empeg runs a check every 20 syncs... right?

4. Font Display. What's the reasoning behind this one?

Thanks all!

4. Font Display. What's the reasoning behind this one?

Not sure, but I'd use it if I were writing a font and wanted to see what it looks like on screen. Much easier than making a .mp3 that uses all the symbols. But maybe there's another use too?

It's not the same as the fonts the empeg is using, so it wouldn't be useful at all for when making font mods. The font in Hijack is built into the kernel - it needs to be up before the disks spin up

Bruno.

Jees, no one wants to write a calculator doc? c'mooooon =]

Well... i got myself a Pioneer CD-SR80 remote today, and holy crap! The light bulb went on even brighter about how powerful ir_translate is. Now i have a much better grasp on how it all fits together, and i'll be writing up a good FAQ entry on it this weekend. I finished the "what do all the menu items do" entry today. Is anyone out there reading this thing?

OK, ok... I'm working on it...

/Michael

Thanks so you much for this FAQ, It sure helps me especially w/ the config.ini options. It shows just how much Hijack can do, some of the config.ini options I never knew existed, e.g. menu_remove.