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https://share.cleanshot.com/yxCFPpdg
I started working on a little ESP32 based Gemini browser in Micropython! Check out the link for a video of the progress so far.
It can make simple Gemini requests over TLS, and render the contents to a 2.8in TFT screen with some basic typography.
Might add an ASCII-art-to-Bitmap proxy into the mix; so I can render ASCII art properly to the screen, but offloading the computation from the ESP32 to some outside service.
Pretty cool, for parts you are looking at something around $20, and you can build your own dedicated Gemini browsing pocket device :)
Dec 11 · 7 days ago · 👍 ps
🖥️ mrrobinhood5 · Dec 11 at 01:45:
that's awesome. what's that emulator you're using?
💀 requiem [OP/mod] · Dec 11 at 07:25:
It’s Wokwi — I only rediscovered it not long ago and I am mightily impressed by it. The free tier took me quite far, ended up getting the “Hobbyist” subscription because I wanted the code private until it goes on my sourcehut.
https://wokwi.com/
Great!, and great capsule too
@requiem I've actually been thinking of finding an operating system built on the same idea. I think a 5-7" display would do, some basic text editor/ice, ability to ssh, gemini browser, maybe even a basic html browser, maybe basic spreadsheets. 😂
💀 requiem [OP/mod] · Dec 11 at 21:36:
@HanzBrix: I think that is easiest done under Linux, and not on an ESP32 but something like a somethingPi Zero. I have such a project going as well, but very much in its infancy.
Something like this: https://share.cleanshot.com/17CKTfbl
💀 requiem [OP/mod] · Dec 11 at 21:36:
@Yretek Thanks! :)
@requiem That is pretty cool, you got any documentation for it?
I just feel linux is a bit too fat, to be proper low power?
What apps are you using in the console?
💀 requiem [OP/mod] · Dec 12 at 20:44:
An update: I managed to get LVGL + micropython to work in a simulator. Alas not in wokwi. But I’ve got some better typography and text working. I would probably be able render some of the text as links by converting them to buttons. Then I would need to marry the wokwi simulation with the lvgl simulation, probably on some real hardware.
— https://exquisite.social/@rqm/113641452958027199
💀 requiem [OP/mod] · Dec 12 at 20:48:
@hanzbrix I don’t I’m afraid. The tricky bit was getting the display to work. I fortunately found some stuff on GitHub that I could leverage.
@requiem Why was the display hard to use? Does it have some weird abstraction instead of a pixel matrix?
I would love to code a Gemini browser on [tulip.computer] at some point. It is micropython with lvgl.
💀 requiem [OP/mod] · Dec 12 at 21:53:
I’ll share the code when it’s ready. But you can get started easily — you can download the Micropython Unix port with LVGL baked in from the LVGL website and start coding right away!
💀 requiem [OP/mod] · Dec 12 at 21:58:
@hanzbrix I used the Orange Pi Zero and it needed device tree overlays and xorg.conf files. I know nothing about that stuff so it was good to find appropriate files on GitHub.