I'm in shock n awe (at how things are going) but like a deer in the headlights when I need the most basic thing done. I received a jpg in my email (gmail) and couldn't drag it to teh desktop. Luckily I did save to my downloads.

I heard it might be possible to setup a VM and run windows in it? HOWEVER I've found a very nice work around, I'm using team viewer on my ipad to control my domePC with windows (and indi server) why does no one ever comment on that? (is it because it's windows?). I have no done anything on the domePC other than install this little indi server and...

even with no docs yet - I've managed to hook up Kstars and Ekos in the house on the linix desktop. I'm running Kstars and seeing where my scope is pointing. I'm clicking on kstars "a star" and it does a GOTO it. (I'm watching the scope in the dome with my IP camera (another bad story - I can't get the plugins for my browser on Linux... so I can't see my cameras/scope status. So I'm doing that on the Ipad in team viewer.

I also have rotated my dome one way - then back the other! (I can't try the shutter yet as I have a dead battery) but will soon and I dno't think it will be a problem. What I do wonder about is HOW WILL THE DOME SHUTTER POSITION ALIGN WITH THE MOUNT/SCOPE? I don't see any slave positioning setup anywhere?

Another annoying thing - No matter how I go in and configure my profile with equipment. When I go into EKos - It has (some of my gear I installed) then it has simulators that I didn't install. I want to test the ASI1600 and can't get it to appear? I did select ZWOcam as equipment. ???

I also can control my focuser. I didn't jump through any hoops - just slected it in my gear and it works. MIND YOU it work 300 ft away in my dome on my PC nuc and I'm controlling it from the desktop in the house using Linux. I selected Local (didnt work) I selected remote) and it works. BLOWS ME AWAY.

I keep worrying ITS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE!? Something has to throw a wet towel on this fire. Like.... will I be able to open my automated lens cap?

How will I get around not seeing my IP camera (without an ipad near). The mouse controller appears and seems to work - though it always says speed 1X and doesn' seem to change. PARK on it did as did unpark. Though it PARKED and status says tracking. (My ipad shows the nuc and my APCC software says it's not tracking. I love doing the work and learning - but I will really hate it if I run into a snag after hours of work to find out I can't change over because the bloody lens cap can't be opened. I think some of the minor issues are the indi server on windows.

I did setup a partition out on the domePC. I'll try and install linux on it later. (I'm hoping I can do this with remote control) as it's damn cold out there at about 20 F right now. I put a SD card in I'll try and burn a linux to it remotely and see if I can make it happen.

Sounds like some good progress! You are jumping into a lot at once, the astro stuff and Linux at the same time! You'll probably like Linux a lot after you work your way around it. I've been 99% Ubuntu (sometimes Mint) for probably 4+ years now.
What monitoring camera do you have? I have the Amcrest camera and have had some finicky issues with it also. Works just fine on iPad / iPhone, I've had problems with the Chrome plugin getting video (even in Windows) but the controls work. I use the iPhone to turn the night vision on and off. It all works on my laptop though - strange!
Anyway, a little extra work to view my scope, but still working that out.
I did get a signal from my ASI camera in the PHD2 guider in Astronomy Linux. Just set to ZWO and it should show up.

Are you using any serial ports on your setup? I'll need two ports for now, then just one port once I get around to pushing the [buy] button and get a ASI294 camera!

No all USB - my charger came today I just put it on the shutter door.

PS for the password problem. I created a pw of Tap the space bar = )

I'm losing steam. Learning this is slowering going than I'd prefer. I dunno why but the clock and calendar were in another language? (the author in another country?) I messed with things and I seemed to have corrected that.

I can't see the correct time - it says 2016 - when I set the time and date - I get a error pop up says Failed to sed the system time. /sbin/hwclock returned 17920.

I did mess around in the hwclock config code ( I read online) but after I edited it somewhat he lost me and I had to save it (wrongly edited now).

I'm getting discouraged. I wanted to download some things to it and (Does the pi connect to my router ever?) to get new files? or does it only broadcast to host incoming wifi?

Bed time - I gotta take a break on a good note. I just got VNC working. I'm using the pi from my ipad mini.

My Pi should arrive tomorrow and we have more snow forecast. I'll probably try putting mine together this weekend with AstroBerry and see how it goes. Seem that has all the goodies mostly setup on the image. I'll update my progress when I get to it.

If you don't want any root password EVER (NOT COOL!!!)
# su -
(enter your password for the last time)
# visudo
(Go to the last line of the sudoers file and add)
yourlogin ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL
(Replace 'yourlogin' with your login . Save and you're done: no more root password asked. EVER. So be VERY CAREFUL )

- Marc

Yep! The root account can be very powerful. It will let you destroy your OS without asking questions. (I've done that!). The good thing is, it's a quick reinstall to start over again - unlike the several hour ordeal it would be to do the same with Windows.

Think twice before hitting [enter] and you'll be ok.

Wow Marc - thanks! I don't mine the tape of the space bar for a pw that mint allowed me. I do not like the astroberry pw requirement of 6 keys and nothing like qwerty. I hate the PW on windows and the "you don't have permission to do that" (ON MY MACHINE! I Don't need permission to do anythign I AM THE ADMIN). I hate that.

f you don't want any root password EVER (NOT COOL!!!)

Who am I password'ing out? I don't mind one to log in ONCE. All these during use is more irritating than windows. Are there commands that would let me at least change the pw to a tap of the space bar on astroberry?

AMEN bro - I had problems with the wifi and I reflashed and started over and it's a new experience. Wifi worked properly. I do enjoy using mint over astroberry. I have a hard time getting around in astro... The lack of a working browsers was also a limitation. And I can't find the program manager that lets you install things. So I sudo'd myself a chromium install and that lets me get online. Right now I'm typing on the left on mint on a desktop and typing on the right on my other monitor with the Pi.

LAST NIGHT I powered up teh domePC (windows10) and started teh server. I loaded up kstar and indi and connected the devices. (there are some issues. 1. ZWO camera doesn't appear. (I think I might need to install the zwo drivers again). 2. I have a couple simulators that appear (I don't install any in my equipment?). I did rotate and open and close the shutter with one click. ! However I don't see a way to sync the opening with the scope. I clicked on points in Kstars and it would slew there. (dome didn't rotate with it). Filter wheel is fine, focuser fine. But there are quirks. Like the mount wouldn't connect unless I clicked disconnect. I THINK the quirks are because I have a OSX wrapped indi server on windows. Not sure, so I'll probably install linux on the dome pc too. How ever I hope all this isn't for nothing. Without a dome/slave system that might put a no go on the whole mess. But it has been fun.

OH that appears to work superbly.

Marc since I have your expertise here... I have 5 machines on my network. I just started using linux. I have two linix machines in front of me. Their network window shows ALL my devices (opps 6 machines). Shows my machines and my mesh router... BUT neither of the new linux installed machines show each other? Is there a SHARE command like win has? I'd like to share things between them and the network seems to be the easiest way.

It all depends on what you want to do: if you want to exchange between Linux machines, a simple ssh/scp or rsync command is sufficient (on a terminal). try 'man ssh', 'man scp', 'man sftp' or 'man rsync' .
If you want to exchange between Windows and Linux machines through a GUI, you may want to install and set up a samba server/client. Using this, you'll be able to see your Linux machines from Windows and vice-versa. Google 'Samba' or 'smb server for Linux' and follow the thread . Good luck and be prepared to face a long and steep learning curve. But you'll see, it's very rewarding.

- Marc