Python on my Tablet?
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I'm interested in learning Python. It seems to be the most used language for scripting and such used on so many devices, including Raspberry Pi's. I got an ebook to help me learn, and I'm just starting out. I know a lot of of the scripts and things RetroPie uses are (for the most part) written in Python. So I wanted to learn this language to help out the community.
Aside from direct trial&error programming on my Pi, I'd like to get a way to run stuff remotely. The ebook I got says I can install Python on a Windows computer, which would include an interpreter, editor, etc. That's fine and good, but I'm not really planning on doing much programming from my Windows PC. In fact, I can't. My PC doesn't have a working keyboard, so I have to do everything from my tablet through Remote Desktop. What I'd like to do is get something I can run on my tablet, which has a bluetooth keyboard and mouse. The tablet runs Android.
At first, I tried going to python.org, and downloading it from them. But it looks like all they offer officially is either Windows compiled versions, or a source code version you have to compile yourself. I don't have a compiler on my tablet, and feel like installing one for this one reason is just a waste of time. So I did a google search and came up with some alternatives. One is called Python4Android, one is called QPython, and another is called Kivy. I installed Python4Android first. It required installing another program too, just to get it running. It worked, but I had no way to change the font size of the terminal, and it was WAY to small for me to use. QPython also seems to work, but gives me errors when I try to launch the terminal for testing. I've not tryied Kivy, as it appears to be a subset module to Python, and not really Python at it's basic level.
I'm not sure where to go or what I should do. As it looks right now, my only working option is through trial&error via SSH to my Pi. I'd really like to have something remote so I can do stuff like coding while on break at work with my tablet. Does anybody know of a good place to go or a good program to get that works well for Android? Any advice at all? :)
Also.. the tablet doesn't work on the internet at work.. no available wifi.
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@hansolo77 You're really shooting yourself in the foot here trying to learn python on a tablet, it's really inconvenient. Why don't you install the Pixel desktop on the PI, connect the BT mouse and keyboard to it, and develop directly on the Pi ?
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@hansolo77 said in Python on my Tablet?:
I know a lot of of the scripts and things RetroPie uses are (for the most part) written in Python
almost nothing in retropie itself is :) i think the only python thing in retropie is joy2key.py
the retropie-setup is written in shell script.
that said, some community stuff is written in python. eg: https://github.com/dankcushions/crt-pi-configs
it's a cool language to learn, though. and definitely useful for retropie adjacent things i would say.
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@mitu said in Python on my Tablet?:
@hansolo77 You're really shooting yourself in the foot here trying to learn python on a tablet, it's really inconvenient. Why don't you install the Pixel desktop on the PI, connect the BT mouse and keyboard to it, and develop directly on the Pi ?
Because I wanted to learn how to code while at work, etc. My phone is too small and my tablet is just perfect for that.
@dankcushions said in Python on my Tablet?:
@hansolo77 said in Python on my Tablet?:
I know a lot of of the scripts and things RetroPie uses are (for the most part) written in Python
almost nothing in retropie itself is :) i think the only python thing in retropie is joy2key.py
the retropie-setup is written in shell script.
Oh, I thought all the scripts were in Python. Wonder where I got that delusion from? Are there any documentations/etc for learning Shell Scripting? :D
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@hansolo77 said in Python on my Tablet?:
Oh, I thought all the scripts were in Python. Wonder where I got that delusion from? Are there any documentations/etc for learning Shell Scripting? :D
The Advanced Bash Scripting guide is a venerable resource for Bash scripting - http://tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/
If you're trying to learn a programming language, Python is a good choice for a scripting language. You could give QPython a 2nd try and see if you could solve its terminal problems. Seems to be one of the recommended packages for Android.
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Thanks! I'll give that guide a go, and see what turns up.
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