Queen BeeCon Widget





Queen BeeCon Widget (See Talk Thread) is a highly customizable and flexible widget-based multi-instance monitoring, alerting and interactive tool for Maemo 5 Fremantle and the N900.

The Widget is based on the execution of external Shell/OS Commands which can be either as simple as one-liner statements or as complex as articulated shell scripts, which, for example, fetch, parse and aggregate contents retreived from the system, other applications or the Internet.

There are two basic Widget types, Beecons and Snippets:

Beecons are small hexagonal cells whose background color or associated image/icon changes according to the executed Command Exit Status.

Beecons can handle virtually unlimited Command Exit Status:


 * <0 Normally notifying system errors in esecuting the script/command
 * 0 Returned when script/command successfully completes
 * 1 Used to report a warning condition
 * 2 If script/command needs to notify some application error conditions
 * <=126 Other exit status which can be handled for displaying user defined icons/images

Snippets are normal text/graphic boxes with fixed background color and images which is not influenced by the executed Command Exit Status.

Current Status in Maemo Repositories
v1.0.3(17/8/2010) extras-devel / v1.0.0.1(12/7/2010) extras-testing / v1.0.0.1(22/7/2010) EXTRAs

= Features List =


 * Widget can be multi-instantiated, disabled and minimized on desktop (click on minimized icon on desktop will wakeup and maximize instance)
 * Possibility to define multiple commands and command labels to be displayed inside the Widget
 * Different types of Widget layouts and behaviours (currently Beecons and Snippets)
 * Possibility to hide the background Canvas both for Beecons and Snippets
 * Possibility to use icons/images instead of text both for Beecons/Snippets command title and output (with high positioning, zooming/scaling 5%-200%-FitToWidget versatility) ;)
 * Possibility to use custom progress animations for each instance of the widget (with up to 30 frames, configurable frame period in msec and high positioning versatility) ;)
 * It is possible to independently show or hide both snippet's images/texts and beecon images/texts . This way you can have two images and two text placeholders on widget, for more flexibility in graphic layout
 * Independent images/icons for Command Exit Statuses can also been specified. Useful, for example, for displaying different icons according to percentages values returned by command.
 * Widget can be clicked on 9 different Hot Spots with a 3x3 grid layout
 * Nice "button-press"-like visual feedback using Gradient fill
 * Widget relies also on private general purpose directories "~/.queen_beecon_dir/" & "..../MyDocs/.images/queen_beecon_dir/" as images/icons immediate storage. For easier population via USB of BLUETOOTH File Services.
 * Widget texts can be formatted through Pango Markup Language
 * Widget Size can be customized (Width: 10-800, Height: 10-420 with pixel precision) and position can be fine tuned (X,Y +/- 5pix); Tweaking /usr/share/hildon-desktop/transitions.ini may also help. (snap_grid_size = 1 & snap_to_grid_while_move = 1)
 * Background color for Beecons can be customized for each 4 Command Exit Statuses (with graphical preview)
 * Background color for Snippets can be customized (with graphical preview)
 * Font Color of both command label and results can be configured (with graphical preview)
 * Position and Visibility of both command label and results can be configured (Hidden, Top L, Top C, Top R, Center L, Center, Center R, Bottom L, Bottom C, Bottom R) Also rotation of labes can be changed (0, 90, 180, 270 degrees)
 * Font Face, Style and Size of both command label and results can be configured with preview
 * Text Justification of both command label and results can be configured (Left, Center, Right, Fill)
 * Command execution can be triggered optionally on widget startup, by manual pressing on Widget, by desktop switching , by periodic updates (0=Manual, 30s, 1m, 5m, 30m, 1h, 6h, 12h, 1d, Custom Seconds Interval), by specific DBUS Events on System or Session Bus.which can be filtered through custom rules
 * Command execution can be subject to network connection status and widget visibility on current desktop
 * Tool includes a powerful Advanced Maintenance Dialog Box for command development and testing (TestDrive mode to display raw output of predefined or user-defined commands)
 * A wide set of Parameter Substitution Variables can be passed to executed scripts; variables include: Instance ID, Pressed Hot Spot, Visibility of Widget, Execution Triggering Event, content of Output text, verbose DBUS messages, persistent information stored in widget specific parameter, Proxy related information
 * Advanced Maintenance Dialog Box includes extended functionalities like: instance export/import w/ checksum, command export/import w/ checksum, command update with current Test Drive buffer, clipboard operations, export/import to/from files for instance data and commands.
 * A set of basic Images/Icons for Snippets and Beecon Statuses is included inside the distribution package and installed inside canonical hildon hicolor 48x48 directory
 * Inter Process Communication mechanism among QBW instances and with other Applications has been implemented through DBUS methods and signals handling
 * It is integrated into the N900 system backup/restore features according to standard specifications as better described in SDK Using Backup Application
 * Powerful Application Logging Subsystem
 * For Web and Proxy related info and issues please have a look at HERE and THIS post.

= Donate =

Queen BeeCon Widget is free software, but if you feel like donating for supporting further developments or just to let me know that you like it, you can donate via Paypal

= Icons in Package =

= Settings and Tools =

Standard Settings and Configuration File
Global and per-instance QBW parameters are stored in this file:

/home/user/.queen_beecon

Configuration Parameters, Types & Reference
These are the parameters and settings which can be changed for each QBW instance. They are stored independently, for each Instance, inside the configuration file.

Their reference is also useful for Interaction with QBW over DBUS and in particular for parameters amendments/fetching methods:

Advanced Settings and Tools
Dialog can be reached via QBW Settings:










 * Section A: (Command TestDrive)


 * V) This selector allows to dynamically change the QBW Logging Subsystem Verbosity
 * 1) This is the list of Stored Commands that you can Test Drive; upon entering the dialog box, [1] & [6] are initialized with current Instance command.
 * 2) Use this button to Test Drive the command currently typed in [6]
 * 3) This button will update current instance command with the content of [6] (use it when command is working and thoroughly tested)
 * 4) Will copy to clipboard the command currently in [6]
 * 5) Will paste the clipboard into [6]
 * 6) Read-Write text field; this is the "command input buffer", it is used as extended Test Drive tool for troubleshooting commands with issues
 * 7) Read-Only text field; will display the Exit Status & Raw Output of the command in [6] executed by pressing button [2]


 * Section B: (Commands/Beecons Import/Export processing)


 * 8) Button will export the command currently in [6]. Result of the export will be stored into [14] text buffer
 * 9) Button will import the command currently in [14].
 * 10) Will paste the clipboard into [14]
 * 11) Will copy to clipboard the [14] text buffer
 * 12) Will read from a file into [14]
 * 13) Will write to a file the [14] text buffer
 * 14) Button will import the Beecon/Snippet Instance Data currently in [14]; useful for restoring Beecons of for importing Beecons created by others.
 * 15) Button will export the Beecon/Snippet Instance Data for the current instance. Result of the export will be stored into [14] text buffer; useful for backup of Beecons of for exporting Beecons to others.
 * 16) Read-Write text field; used for temporarily processing export/import of commands and Beecon/Snippet Instance Data

Parameter Substitution at Command/Script Runtime
QBW can provide a set of specific parameters to the executing script/command. The script will have to identify the placeholders for this extra parameters as better specified in the following table:

QBW Instance Timer Logic
The Timer logic for each instance for actions to be run periodically is programmed as follows:


 * The timer of each instance is reset&re-armed every time the widget is Startup (System Boot or QBW release upgrade)
 * The timer of each instance is reset&re-armed every time it is changed in the Settings dialog box and it is different from its previous value
 * If a widget is disabled, either by changing is "Status" in the Settings dialog box or via DBUS method, its timer is disabled
 * If a widget is re-enabled, either by changing is "Status" in the Settings dialog box or via DBUS method, its timer is reset&re-armed
 * If Settings Parameter  has been changed via DBUS set_param_uint32 method, the relevant timer must be explicitly reset&rearmed via DBUS methos
 * The timer is reset&re-armed every time a new QBW instance is imported via Advanced dialog box and relevant parameter is set

System Backup/Restore Integration
As of release >=0.1.8 QBW is integrated into the N900 system backup/restore features according to standard specifications as better described in the SDK Using Backup Application

  file is:  $HOME/.queen-beecon $HOME/MyDocs/.images/queen_beecon_dir $HOME/.queen_beecon_dir 

Application Logging Subsystem
As of release >=1.0.2, QBW employs a powerful Application Logging subsystem.

Log file is: ~/.queen_beecon_dir/queen-beecon.log

Logging is disabled by default.

Enabling Logging
Logging can be enabled in different ways:


 * Dynamically via QBW DBUS method call
 * is the QBW Instance ID of and existing QBW instance ( no matter which one as logging is global )
 * is the required verbosity (Allowed values are: v0 v1 v2 v3 v4 from minimum verbosity to maximum)
 * Example:


 * WARNING! Due to performance reasons, v0 v1 v2 v3 logging verbosity is asynchronous, meaning that the log file will not be instantly updated as soon as a new information is logged.
 * If you specifically need an up to date log file condition, you need to specifically issue a:


 * v4 logging verbosity is synchronous by design and logs a lot of information thus causing system slow down side effects at time and ~/.queen_beecon_dir/ directory/file system filling quite quickly. Keep file system space monitored if you need this level of verbosity!


 * Statically via condition file presence
 * If you need to setup permanent verbosity to a specified level, also to monitor QBW startup, just go to directory:

~/.queen_beecon_dir/
 * and issue command:


 * where  is the required verbosity (Allowed values are: v0 v1 v2 v3 v4 from minimum verbosity to maximum)
 * Example:


 * Static Logging is activated every time the Phone/Widget is restarted

Changing Logging Verbosity
Logging verbosity can be dynamically changed by calling the following DBUS method call
 * is the QBW Instance ID of and existing QBW instance ( no matter which one as logging is global )
 * is the required verbosity (Allowed values are:  from minimum verbosity to maximum)

Disabling Logging
Logging can be dynamically disabled by calling the following DBUS method call
 * is the QBW Instance ID of and existing QBW instance ( no matter which one as logging is global )

Resetting Log File
Log file can be dynamically reset to empty status by calling the following DBUS method call
 * is the QBW Instance ID of and existing QBW instance ( no matter which one as logging is global )

= Interaction with QBW over DBUS =

Overview
As of release >= 0.1.7 a new Inter Process Communication mechanism among QBW instances and with other Applications has been implemented.

Through the standard DBUS interface, both at the OS-shell and at different programming environments level, QBW instances can be controlled/accessed and mutual interaction can be guaranteed, thus allowing a set of extended functionalities like:


 * Give impulse to other Beecons for content update
 * Give impulse to other Beecons for layout update
 * Give other Beecons one-shot alternative scripts to execute
 * Remotely change QBW settings
 * Retrieve other beecon's last executed commands exit status
 * Provide to non graphical programs and daemons a suitable interface for displaying information on precustomized beecons on screen (for example Dbus Scripts for displaying events on the system/session DBUS like cell IDs changes, available WLANs and the like)

 I encourage you to suggest possible enhancements or wishlists in this area and report them in the main TALK thread 

QBW Instance ID
Queen Beecon Widget's Instance Id, needed for every reference in DBUS method calls, can be found at the very top of the Settings dialog box:



DBUS Specifications
QBW_DBUS_SERVICE ="oh.no.more.qbw" [Name of D-Bus service] QBW_DBUS_PATH   ="/oh/no/more/qbw  " [Name of Object Path] QBW_DBUS_IFACE  ="oh.no.more.qbw"  [Name of D-Bus interface]


 *  is the QBW Instance ID

DBUS Methods & Parameters
QBW implements the following list of methods to trigger specific actions:

WARNING!!! Methods' Parameters are  case-sensitive 

DBUS Signals & Parameters
QBW issues the following list of signals to notify the "world" about predefined conditions and events. They will be emitted on the bus according to the following specifications:

PATH      ="/oh/no/more/qbw  " INTERFACE ="oh.no.more.qbw" MEMBER    =" " [Signal column in below list] PARAMETERS =" " [Broadcast column in below list]


 *  is the QBW Instance ID

Interacting with QBW from the Shell
This is the template to use for calling the QBW instance methods:

run-standalone.sh dbus-send --session --print-reply --type=method_call --dest=oh.no.more.qbw /oh/no/more/qbw   oh.no.more.qbw.   :" "  :" " ...   :"  " WARNING!!! Hildon-home is quite sensitive to long running commands inside Queen Beecon Widget. If you believe that the dbus-send command is going to take much time (say >2/3 secs) it is better if you add the   to the dbus-send list of parameters. As of >=0.1.9.3 release, asynchronous execution of commands/scripts obsoletes previous statement.
 * For methods which DO return values

run-standalone.sh dbus-send --session --type=method_call --dest=oh.no.more.qbw /oh/no/more/qbw   oh.no.more.qbw.   :" "  :" " ...   :"  "
 * For methods which DO NOT return values

Where:


 *  is the QBW Instance ID
 *   is the Method to be called for the specific QBW Instance
 * <typeX> & <paramX> are the parameter type and value as per the specific Method Synopsis

For example: run-standalone.sh dbus-send --session --type=method_call --dest=oh.no.more.qbw /oh/no/more/qbwid0 oh.no.more.qbw.set_param_string string:"cmdImgFilename" string:"new_image_filename.png" string:"update_layout"

or run-standalone.sh dbus-send --session --type=method_call --dest=oh.no.more.qbw /oh/no/more/qbwid0 oh.no.more.qbw.dbus_method_monitor string:'on'

or run-standalone.sh dbus-send --session --print-reply --type=method_call --dest=oh.no.more.qbw /oh/no/more/qbwid0 oh.no.more.qbw.get_position

= QBW DBUS Events Monitor and Interceptor =

Overview
As of release >= 0.1.9.4 QBW is now able to monitor and intercept DBUS events (like signals, methods, errors) issued by the system or other applications. For example:
 * Keyboard lock/unlock
 * Slide open/close
 * Bluetooth connections
 * GSM cells change
 * WIFI networks
 * Battery & Charging status
 * Changes in device orientation
 * Incoming Calls
 * Incoming SMS/IM

These events will then trigger the execution of a script which can be programmed to analyze and parse the intercepted event and perform actions accordingly.

The configuration is performed via the DBUS Event Monitoring section in Settings Dialog Box:



1) States if DBUS Monitoring is enabled or disabled for this QBW

2) Specify whether to monitor SYSTEM or SESSION BUS

3) Is the Match Rule as per this DBUS specifications

 I encourage you to suggest possible enhancements or wishlists in this area and report them in the main TALK thread 

Example
We will monitor the SYSTEM BUS with the following Match Rule: type='signal',interface='com.example.app.Signal'

The cmd/script which will be executed when the event is intercepted is the following: echo "$QBW_ID $QBW_EXEC_REASON"; echo '$QBW_DBUS_VERBOSE_OUTPUT'; exit 2

This is a simulation of the following sample DBUS command: run-standalone.sh dbus-send --system --type=signal /com/example/app/Signal com.example.app.Signal.Test string:'Oh' string:'No!!!' string:'More QBWs!!!' boolean:true uint32:10000

And here's the output:



= Known Issues =

TBD

= Bug Tracker/Reports = Tracker/Report See HERE

= Feature Requests = Apply HERE

= Now-Brewing = queen-beecon (1.0.3)

= Change Log = queen-beecon (1.0.2)


 * Source Modules: Changed architecture of source module ... now split into single modules according to QBW subfunctions ... expect some sneaky regressions!!!
 * New: Application Logging Subsystem to log file, with different levels of verbosity (v0 v1 v2 v3 v4 from minimum verbosity to maximum) and possibility to enable/disable/reset logging and log file
 * New: Parameter Variables substitution for using with scripts which holds Network Connection status: $QBW_IS_CONNECTED (true=QBW Instance is connected to the network (either WLAN or GPRS) false=QBW Instance is NOT connected to the network (either WLAN or GPRS))
 * Changed: In Settings Dialog Box changed "Custom(")" to "Custom(Secs)" for custom timer label
 * Changed: In Advanced Settings and Tools Dialog Box it's now possible to scroll dialog both vertically and horizontally. So all buttons will be accessible even if you have big fonts
 * Changed: In Advanced Settings and Tools Dialog Box added more checks for Import Instance/Command Data (It should now be more restrictive on Import Data consistency/congruency)
 * Bugfixing: System Proxy fetching logic bugged; fixed
 * Bugfixing: reset_rearm_timer DBUS method call was not disabling timer when timer update was disabled; fixed
 * Bugfixing: set_param_uint32 DBUS method call had problems if values = 0; fixed

queen-beecon (1.0.0.1)


 * New: Nothing - Release Candidate to Extras (0.1.9.9 -> 1.0.0.1)
 * Changed: Nothing - Release Candidate to Extras (0.1.9.9 -> 1.0.0.1)
 * Bugfixing: Nothing - Release Candidate to Extras (0.1.9.9 -> 1.0.0.1)

queen-beecon (0.1.9.9)


 * New: Added "On Sight" Update Policy (If flagged, content is not updated if widget is out of sight (on other desktop) or if display is locked or in stand-by)
 * New: Parameter Variables substitution for using with scripts which holds "On Sight" or "Out Of Sight" status: $QBW_ON_SIGHT (true=QBW Instance is "ON SIGHT", that is widget is on current desktop and display is not locked or on stand by. false=QBW Instance is not on current desktop and visible or display is off or on stand by)
 * New: DBUS method "is_on_sight" which returns true (QBW Instance is "ON SIGHT", that is, widget is on current desktop and display is not locked or on stand by) or false (QBW Instance is not on current desktop and visible or display is off or on stand by)
 * Changed: Optimized usability of settings for Widget Width and Height
 * Changed: Optimized progress animation logic for visibility when instance not On Sight
 * Bugfixing: -

queen-beecon (0.1.9.8)


 * New: Implemented per-instance progress animation with customizable number of frames, timer, position and possibility to have it shown or hidden (Now every instance can have its own progress animation) + Settings for Hide/Show, frames #, timer, position and basename.
 * Changed: Extended error message text to all DBUS methods
 * Changed: Now when command or script do not return any output no more "No Output" text gets printed inside the widget
 * Bugfixing: Added error message if non existing parameter is supplied to all DBUS methods "set_param_*"
 * Bugfixing: Under certain conditions HotSpot Index was not properly reset in case update policies prevented execution of script from happening. Fixed.

queen-beecon (0.1.9.7)


 * New: -
 * Changed: Line width for widget contours FX when widget pressed set to 1px
 * Bugfixing: Reentrancy issues for DBUS Monitor. Fixed
 * Bugfixing: "If you enter a long name for the title, the right part of the prefs gui isn't visible anymore and you can't scroll to the now hidden gadgets!". Fixed. Area is now scrollable also horizontally.
 * Bugfixing: Issues with positioning of small widgets with respect to bottom and right margins. Fixed.

queen-beecon (0.1.9.6)


 * New: REVOLUTION!!! :) Implementation of multiple (9 = grid 3x3) Hot Spots to click on the widget. Clicked Hot Spot Index Position can then be passed to the executed script via Parameter Variables Substitution $QBW_HOTSPOT_PRESS (0=Not Pressed or other update policy,1=Top Left,2=Top Center,3=Top Right,4=Center Left,5=Center,6=Center Right,7=Bottom Left,8=Bottom Center,9=Bottom Right)
 * New: Parameter Variables substitution for using with scripts which hold Proxy related information: $QBW_HTTP_PROXY, $QBW_HTTPS_PROXY, $QBW_FTP_PROXY, $QBW_SOCKS_PROXY, $QBW_RTSP_PROXY (In the format <host:port>)
 * New: Parameter Variables substitution for using with scripts which hold Proxy related information: $QBW_IGNORE_HOSTS_PROXY (In the format <host1;host2;host...>)
 * New: Parameter Variables substitution for using with scripts which hold proxy related information: $QBW_AUTO_CONFIG_PROXY_URL
 * New: Parameter Variables substitution for using with scripts which hold status or persistency information stored in configuration via DBUS method call set_param_string string:"rememberMe" string: : $QBW_REMEMBER_ME. Useful, for example, for remembering values like counters across subsequent command executions.
 * Changed: Logic to purge configuration settings of non-existent QBW instances from configuration file. (Check/Purge performed at every entrance in Settings dialog)
 * Bugfixing: Reentrancy problem with Settings dialog box. At times, in case of laggy interface, 2 or more instances of dialog were opening. Fixed.
 * Bugfixing: Incomplete unreferentiation of DBUS resources. Fixed.
 * Bugfixing: Incomplete unreferentiation of callback functions for async command execution and timers. Fixed.
 * Bugfixing: Incorrect logic for updating when widget desktop was active/on. It was updating also when active widget's desktop was swept off. Now updates content only if "Update on Desktop" is TRUE and Widget's Desktop is being swept on. Fixed.

queen-beecon (0.1.9.5)


 * New: Added supplementary progress images/icons (cycle is "queen-beecon-progress[0-3].png") searching logic in directory storage in this order 1) "~/Mydocs/.images/queen_beecon_dir" 2) "~/.queen_beecon_dir"
 * New: Added button in Command Edit dialog to add instance only commands to the list of stored commands
 * New: Implementation of following DBUS methods: get_current_results_text (Get current content of results text)
 * New: Parameter Variables substitution for using with scripts which holds the current content of results text ($QBW_CURRENT_RESULTS_TEXT=Current content of results text)
 * Changed: Default shape for Beecons is now rectangle. Hexagonal cell will be only shown when pressed
 * Changed: Shadow/Light effects on widget surface, either when pressed or not, are now fixed in size (~4px)
 * Changed: Changed some logic in simple Command Edit dialog box
 * Changed: After instance imported, now advanced dialog box closes and reverts back to settings with all parameters reloaded
 * Changed: Changed Warning and Information notification in Advanced Settings to display hildon_banner*
 * Changed: Changed DBUS connection acquisition for DBUS Monitor.
 * Bugfixing: Refined and fixed logic for DBUS Monitor initialization and deinitialization
 * Bugfixing: Changed and fixed logic for handling/displaying Exit Code if error spawning asynchronous command
 * Bugfixing: New asynchronous execution logic was not releasing file handles. Fixed

queen-beecon (0.1.9.4)
 * New: Ability to execute scripts by intercepting specific DBUS broadcasted signals/methods issued by the system or other applications + Relevant configuration parameters (Ex.keyboard lock, slide open/close, ecc.)
 * New: Parameter Variables substitution for using with scripts triggered by intercepted DBUS broadcasted signals/methods ($QBW_EXEC_REASON=QBW_DBUS_MONITOR, $QBW_DBUS_VERBOSE_OUTPUT=Verbose Output see WIKI)
 * Changed: Changed icons for displaying command execution in progress (shown when script in progress and hidden on execution completion)
 * Changed: Package installation now performs an automatic restart of hildon-home process
 * Bugfixing: Memory reallocation bugs fixed in new async command execution logic

queen-beecon (0.1.9.3)
 * New: Added icon for displaying command execution in progress (shown when script in progress and hidden on execution completion)
 * New: Implementation of Asynchronous Non Hildon-Home blocking command execution (Test Drive is still Synchronous for command timing evaluation purposes)
 * Changed: -
 * Bugfixing: Memory reallocation bugs fixed for all string values management in settigs dialog box

queen-beecon (0.1.9.2)
 * New: Added custom timeout in seconds for periodic update, not just predefined list of values
 * Changed: Restyle in settings configuration for Update Policies, Fonts & Colors Buttons
 * Bugfixing:

queen-beecon (0.1.9.1)
 * New: Parameter Variables substitution usable by script (Ex. Own Instance ID, Reason for updating content)
 * New: Implementation of Command and Results text orientation angle (w/ relevant configuration parameters)
 * New: New extended color dialog for background and foreground colors (Old color selection deprecated; backward compatibility for instances exported from previous releases is guaranteed and settings upgraded as necessary)
 * Changed: Restyle in settings configuration for Beecon Command Exit Statuses area & Command Title/Results Settings area + changed color settings appearance
 * Bugfixing: Disabled instance (icon) wasn't correctly drawn on startup; fixed
 * Bugfixing: Memory deallocation bug for >=3 Exit Status image file beecon_idxge2_ImgFilename; fixed

queen-beecon (0.1.9)
 * New: New extended font dialog for command and results labels (Old font selection deprecated; backward compatibility for instances exported from previous releases is guaranteed and settings upgraded as necessary)
 * Changed: Due to new font settings implementation, exported instances from this release onward will have their fonts reset to command="Nokia Sans bold italic 12" results="Nokia Sans bold 12" when imported in previous releases
 * Bugfixing: Some fixing and cleanup in package install/uninstall

queen-beecon (0.1.8-testonly-PR1.2)
 * WARNING This release is for testing purposes only as PR1.2 upgrade brought some instabilities which need forensics!!!
 * New: Implementation of DBUS methods: reset_rearm_timer
 * New: QBW is now integrated into the N900 system backup/restore features according to standard specifications as better described in SDK "Using Backup Application" http://wiki.maemo.org/Documentation/Maemo_5_Developer_Guide/Generic_Platform_Components/Using_Backup_Application#Custom_back-up_locations
 * Changed: Completely revised Timer logic and reset/re-arming for widget periodic auto-update
 * Changed: Visual feedback when Beecons pressed; now rectangle gets drawn as well as cell (better chance of noticing feedback for canvas-less Beecons)
 * Bugfixing: Fixed segmentation fault if dbus get_position method called and dbus_method_monitor turned on

queen-beecon (0.1.7-PR1.1.1)
 * NOTE: Special Build for PR1.1.1
 * New: Implementation of Widget Instance visibility toggle and configuration parameter (for showing or hiding the widget also via DBUS)
 * New: Implementation of following DBUS methods: dbus_method_monitor, show, hide, wakeup, sleep, update_content, update_layout, exec, set_param_string, set_param_int32, set_param_uint32, set_param_double, set_param_boolean, get_param string, set_position, get_position, get_exit_status
 * New: Implementation of following DBUS signals: sig_content_updated
 * Changed: Enhanced DBUS implementation for Widget2Widget & System2Widget Inter Process Communication
 * Changed: Changed default values for some Update Policies in new QBW instances (updOnStartup now defaults to FALSE; updOnDesktop now defaults to FALSE) to prevent bugged Beecons from freezing hildon-home even after restart
 * Respect: To querty12@talk.maemo.org Many, many, many, many, many thanks for supporting QBW IPC implementation

queen-beecon (0.1.6)
 * New: Simple DBUS implementation for Widget2Widget & System2Widget Inter Process Communication
 * New: Added Widget Instance ID in Settings Dialog Title
 * Changed: Compiled Vs. PR1.2

queen-beecon (0.1.5)
 * Changed: Thanks "qwerty12" disabled automatic capitalization for all text entry fields

queen-beecon (0.1.4)
 * New: Implementation of Widget Instance disabling and minimizing on desktop (click on minimized icon on desktop will wakeup and maximize instance)
 * New: Implementation of image/icon scaling function for all images used (Zoom In/Out from 5% to 200% or Fit to Widget Width/Height)
 * Bugfixing: In Advanced Maintenance Dialog Box several bugfixes for Import/Export commands and instances,

queen-beecon (0.1.3)
 * New: Added possibility to show or hide both snippet's image/text and beecon image/text. This way you can have two images and two text placeholders on widget, for more flexibility in graphic layout
 * New: Added supplementary images/icons directory storage "~/Mydocs/.images/queen_beecon_dir". If images/icons without path are not found here then they are searched in "~/.queen_beecon_dir". For easier population via USB of BLUETOOTH File Services.
 * New: Added functions in Advanced Maintenance Dialog Box: instance export/import w/ checksum, command export/import w/ checksum, command update with current Test Drive buffer, clipboard operations
 * New: Added some confirmation dialogs for critical operations and some notification messages
 * New: Added possibility to use different images/icons for Command Exit Statuses >=3 . Basically the Exit Status value will be appended to a fixed image filename and relevant image will be loaded (ex. "queen-beecon-status.png.3" ... 4 ... 5 ...)
 * New: Basic Images/Icons for Snippets and Beecon Statuses incorporated into .deb package and installed inside canonical hildon hicolor 48x48 directory
 * Bugfixing: Fixed size and positioning of controls in Advanced Maintenance Dialog Box
 * Bugfixing: Removed directory purge in "rmnobraco.sh" script
 * Bugfixing: Checked and removed some memory leaks and resources deallocation (were causing hildon-home desktop to crash on instance disposal)
 * Changed: Restyle and lots of optimization in Settings Dialog Box UI layout
 * Changed: Widget's fill gradients when background is enabled
 * Changed: Restyle in Advanced Maintenance Dialog Box interface, now more functional and user friendly
 * Changed: When opening Advanced Maintenance Dialog Box, command in current instance is automatically copied to the TestDrive command text box
 * Changed: Advanced Maintenance Dialog Box changed font to Monospace Bold for the three text views for inproved visibility

queen-beecon (0.1.2)
 * New: Implemented Pango Markup Language support for both Command Title and Output Results text (Description HERE)
 * New: Basic implementation of Advanced Maintenance Dialog Box (For future use like export/import ...)
 * New: Advanced Maintenance Dialog Box: TestDrive mode (to display raw output of predefined or user-defined commands)
 * Changed: Had to change description in debian "control" file (Testers Karma-- me for this)
 * Changed: Changed logic in settings dialog box, now it doesn't redraw unless strictly necessary and just content and controls which need it. Also quicker transition to main settings when back from child dialog boxes.

queen-beecon (0.1.1)
 * Changed: Visual feedback for widget pressure is now also provided for Canvas-less beecons and snippets (button down canvas is displayed when pressed)
 * Changed: Changed default size for newly created instances (50px=>100px)
 * Changed: Housekeeping for dead/disposed instances is now run on each instance initialization and on class termination (should be more accurate now)
 * Bugfixing: Writing/Reading configuration file inconsistencies fixed
 * Bugfixing: Correction in images (status/results/title) hide/show logic. If images displayed and then commented out, they kept showing! - FIXED

queen-beecon (0.1.0)
 * WARNING! Architecture and readibility of code has been heavily revised for implementing the new functionalities...
 * WARNING! Please bear with possible regressions and report bugs to the Maintainer
 * New: Implemented the possibility to hide the background Canvas both for Beecons and Snippets
 * New: Implemented the possibility to use different icons/images for Beecon's status output instead of just specific background color (Ex. 0=green led, 1=yellow led, 2=red led) (with high positioning versatility)
 * New: Implemented the possibility to use icons/images instead of text both for Beecons/Snippets command title and output (with high positioning versatility)
 * New: Implemented creation and management of private general purpose directory "~/.queen_beecon_dir" for widget (images/icons/etc.)
 * New: Implemented "Update on widget Startup" option for every instance
 * New: Implemented basic management/deletion of dead/disposed instances configurations data from config file
 * New: Added button "Save & Run" settings dialog which saves settings and contextually triggers command execution
 * Changed: Widget Layout is now nicer with better gummy "button-press" like visual feedback using Gradient fill
 * Changed: Button Save in settings dialog does not trigger a command execution any more
 * Changed: Now command do not get updated after getting back from settings dialog (even after "save"); relevant event only drives updates (manual, timer, desktop, network)

queen-beecon (0.0.3)
 * Bugfixing for widget resize(dimensions) and positioning
 * Bugfixing for general network related behaviours and content update, even after settings change
 * Bugfixing for Command Edit and blank command selector after returning from command edit dialog
 * Changed Exit Code output for command from !?0000xxxx to !?xxxx
 * Changed Command Output is returned, if any, even if Exit Code less then 0

queen-beecon (0.0.2)
 * First Extras-devel release

queen-beecon (0.0.1)
 * Initial Basic Queen BeeCon Implementation

= TODO list =


 * Bugfixing and Improving Stability
 * Instance Import/Export optimization and simplification

= HOW-TOs & FAQs =

Create a new Basic Instance of QBW
After you have installed QBW package, these are the steps to create and start customizing a new Instance of the widget.


 * Tap on an empty area of the Desktop and gear icon for configuration will pop up in the upper right area of the screen
 * [[Image:Qbwinst1.png]]


 * Click on the "Add widget" button
 * [[Image:Qbwinst2.png]]


 * Scroll selector till you find "Queen Beecon Widget" and click on it
 * [[Image:Qbwinst3.png]]


 * A new instance of the widget will be created with very basic default configuration
 * [[Image:Qbwinst4.png]]


 * Now if you click on the Settings Wrench Icon you'll reach the Settins Dialog for customization

How and Where to store Icons and Images for your Beecons
If no PATH is specified in the Settings for Icons & Images, QBW will look in directories on the phone's internal memories in the following order:


 * First, the directory accessible via Bluetooth/PC Suite/OVI Suite or USB (Storage Mode).

/home/user/MyDocs/.images/queen_beecon_dir/


 * [[Image:Qbwwtsi.png]]


 * WARNING!!! When phone is connected via USB in Storage Mode this directory is not available to the Widget; so if you plan to use QBW when in Storage Mode use directory in "Second" point.

/home/user/.queen_beecon_dir
 * Second, the directory:

/usr/share/icons/hicolor/48x48/hildon/
 * Third, the directory where QBW's Package Icons are stored:

If you want to replace a partial/complete set of QBW's Package Icons just create Icons/Images with same name in directories "First" or "Second"

If specified image is not found, following icon will appear:



Create an Exit Status driven Multi Images Beecon
Naive Dice Roller is a good place to start looking for such implementation.

Scripts/Commands with long output
Some scripts/commands may create multiple lines which are too long to be displayed on a single line. The widget will not wrap these. In order to wrap them you can use the fold command: command-that-produces-long-lines | fold -s -w 80

The 80 in that instance is the maximum length of the line, which you can change. The -s option makes fold word wrap with spaces. More information is available from the fold man page.

Backup all Widget Instances
Apply Export/Save/Backup Procedure for Beecon Instance Data for every Widget Instance you want to Backup

Save content (Beecons' Images) of directories: /home/user/.queen_beecon_dir /home/user/MyDocs/.images/queen_beecon_dir/

Restore all Widget Instances
Apply Import/Load/Restore Procedure for Beecon Exported Instance Data for every Widget Instance you want to Restore

Restore content (Beecons' Images) of directories: /home/user/.queen_beecon_dir /home/user/MyDocs/.images/queen_beecon_dir/

Import/Load/Restore Procedure for Beecon Exported Instance Data
See HERE

Export/Save/Backup Procedure for Beecon Instance Data
See HERE

Copy Exported Instance Data from Browser to Phone's Clipboard
See HERE

Reset QBW to Default Configuration/Commands
sudo gainroot (only if you are not already root) rm /home/user/.queen_beecon killall hildon-home
 * Open up X-Terminal (or SSH/Putty into N900) and issue the following command

Completely remove QBW from your N900
sudo gainroot (only if you are not already root) dpkg -P queen-beecon rm /home/user/.queen_beecon rm -r /home/user/.queen_beecon_dir rm -r /home/user/MyDocs/.images/queen_beecon_dir/
 * Open up X-Terminal (or SSH/Putty into N900) and issue the following command

Run every Desktop Application with different Icons/Sizes buttons
You can run every desktop application with a script like this and just change the image and size of the Beecon to one of your choice:

dbus-send --type=method_call --dest=com.nokia.HildonDesktop.AppMgr /com/nokia/HildonDesktop/AppMgr com.nokia.HildonDesktop.AppMgr.LaunchApplication string:" "

where   is application name that you can find in /usr/share/applications/hildon directory w/o trailing .desktop

Example for launching the image viewer:

/usr/bin/dbus-send --dest=com.nokia.HildonDesktop.AppMgr /com/nokia/HildonDesktop/AppMgr com.nokia.HildonDesktop.AppMgr.LaunchApplication string:image-viewer

See EXAMPLE Here

Run Application in xterm with different Icons/Sizes buttons
You can run every application in xterm and customize a button on Desktop to launch it.

'''See THIS post for a Tutorial

Create invisible clickable Hot Spots on your Desktop Background Image to launch Applications or perform Actions
See Here

Could you make an easy way to install new beecons/scripts please?
... perhaps define a standard folder structure inside a compressed file, perhaps some install directions file inside to guide instalation, and use a custom extension; kinda like how Firefox does with XPIs, and add some GUI to install/uninstall them

This is a good question and I still haven't figured out a good answer.

Here are a few issues I mused about.


 * 1) QBW is not a standalone application; it is a Hildon-Desktop/Home plugin (a library) with plenty of constraints and with a certain fixed integration with the whole system. Messing with it it's a pain in the a**
 * 2) I tried to find a simple operational way to achieve what you are asking for, here, but to my knowledge and due to the nature of HD-HH I couldn't find any better, faster, simpler, cuter or leanier way.
 * 3) QBWs, which get shared by the community or myself, are just mockups or proof of concepts which are meant to be "abused", "mishandled" and further customized to match each one's expectations and visual/functional taste
 * 4) The complexity of some QBWs requires manual intervention to adapt to each and everyone's environment (Ex. the QBW Instance ID used for inter-widget communication varies on each machine). To my knowledge, the automation of this adaptation process is very time consuming and far from being error-proof. I preferred to focus my effort in the most interesting area of functionalities
 * 5) QBW is a very powerful tool and can do a lot of good and nasty things... so: the more you expose its behaviour and the more "open" the code and effects will be
 * 6) Maemo ain't for doubleclickers

I know there is no proper answer here...

= Easter Eggs =

Magic Word for bypassing Export/Import Instance Data CheckSum protection


'''Use the Source ... Luke! ;)''' or ask politely!!!

= Troubleshooting =

Startup
If you are having issues at widget startup because of improper "Update on Widget/System Startup" settings:

sudo gainroot (only if you are not already root) vi /home/user/.queen_beecon
 * Open up X-Terminal (or SSH/Putty into N900) and issue the following commands:


 * find updOnStartup=true (all instances supposed to be culprits)


 * Set it to false (updOnStartup=false)


 * Save file

killall hildon-home
 * Immediately issue:


 * hildon-home will automatically restart and widgets won't run any more at startup

"No Output" is displayed inside Widget instead of expected output
If you are using Pango Markup Language Tags as output from your scripts, make sure all Tags are correctly written/spelled and terminated. <u >Make also sure that there is an explicit at the very end of your output.

If you need to display the following special characters:

These NEED to be escaped:


 * The less-than character (<) starts element markup (the first character of a start-tag or an end-tag). Escape: &amp;lt;


 * The greater-than character (>) ends a start-tag or an end-tag. Escape: &amp;gt;

These MIGHT NEED to be escaped:


 * The ampersand character (&) starts entity markup (the first character of a character entity reference). Escape: &amp;amp;


 * The double-quote character (") can be symbolised with this character entity reference when you need to embed a double-quote inside a string which is already double-quoted. Escape: &amp;quot;


 * The apostrophe or single-quote character (') can be symbolised with this character entity reference when you need to embed a single-quote or apostrophe inside a string which is already single-quoted. Escape: &amp;apos;

Beecon seems to hang when fetching data or accessing the Internet/Network
Please have a look to THIS post for Timeout and Proxy related issues.

You can also have a look at THIS section of the WIKI for proxy related information

No Output in Exit Status and Command RAW Output Buffer after Command TestDrive
If you press TestDrive for a command and the Exit Status and Command RAW Output Buffer still displays "Exit Status & Command RAW Output will be displayed HERE" then maybe your output contains a charset different from UTF-8.



To have the Command Output properly displayed, try to append "| iconv --from-code=ISO-8859-1 --to-code=UTF-8". Ex.



WARNING! Bad Checksum! Possibly corrupt Import Instance/Command Data!
Every exported QBW Instance/Command Data is protected by a checksum value which is stored in the header part of the export.

There are a few reason why I chose to do that:


 * To preserve integrity of what the author of the QBW created (and supposedly assumed "working")
 * To prevent unwanted changes to the data due to clipboard copy/paste operations
 * To ease the QBW exported data import process, and avoid some extra effort in coding import/export routines, by using the  APIs

Exported data is not "pure" configuration text; it is "meta-text" with some extra escape characters (Newline, tab, carriage return, backslash, blank which are escaped as \n, \t, \r, \\, \s respectively)

This is why directly changing the data inside the import/export buffer or in a text editor before importing is strictly discouraged (unless, of course, you know what you are doing and side effects)

= Published Beecons, Scripts & Commands =

Overclock Control Panel


Thanks 2 techie

The Beecon will provide following features:


 * Widget to display temperature and also perform smart overclocking i.e set max cpu clock according to how hot/cool the device is (runs at specified intervals).
 * A stock widget to revert to default kernel, disables smart overclocking.
 * A widget to set max clock to 950, disables smart overclocking, useful as a power boost when I like want to watch a video without any stuttering, and can do without the temperature widget clocking it down in case it gets hot.
 * A widget to display the current maximum cpu frequency.
 * And yeah also, locking the device changes the limits to 250 500, unlocking enables the temperature widget so it clocks according to temperature again.

Switch MicroB browser User Agent strings


Thanks 2 sacal

The Beecons will switch between 3 or 4 MicroB browser User Agent strings

Bright Display when On Charge, Dim when On Battery
The Beecons with dbus monitoring will manage to bring backlight to max when connected to power supply, and dim it back when disconected

Poker Dice


The Beecon will let you play a funny Poker Dice Game

On Desktop Dialer Widget


The Beecon will let you dial phone numbers straight from you desktop

O'clocker CPU Frequency Monitor


The Beecon will display different frequencies in graphic format based upon /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_cur_freq file

Random images from Flickr's 'Most Interesting' pages


The Beecon will display random photos/images from http://m.flickr.com. Change update policies as per your taste.

N900 Overclocking (Thanks Jakiman and all contributors)


The Guide will give you a thorough insight of the N900 overclocking methods with plenty of instructions and tutorials. QBW will provide a GUI Button for switching OC Frequencies

Random Images/Photos Slideshow (4x3 and 16x9 frames)


The Beecon will display random photos/images from a specified directory. Both 4x3 and 16x9 aspect ratios white frames are provided. Change update policies as per your taste.

N900 Mini Monitor (Extras Admission Celebration Edition)!!!


The Beecon will show System Information relevant to Battery, CPU and Load, Uptime, Network/Internet, WIFI and File Systems.

Zodiac Personal Horoscope (Italian + Bonus Read Talk)


The Beecon will show your horoscope for the day. It will be personalized with the image/icon of the sign you specify.

Lunar Phases


The Beecon will show the current phase of the moon.

Ebay Item Watcher


The Beecon will watch an item that you specify and will provide a small Photo, Item Number, Current Bid or Buy It Now Price, Time Left for bidding, Bid Count, High Bidder and Quantity.

Internet Traffic Report Live Graphs


The Beecons will fetch some Graphs from the Internet Traffic Report website. The Internet Traffic Report monitors the flow of data around the world. It then displays a value between zero and 100. Higher values indicate faster and more reliable connections. See ITR FAQs to learn more.

Today Schedules for TVRage.com Favourites TV Serials


The Beecon will also provide a small miniature if your most favourite Show is aired on the day.

N900 Hard Sleep Mode


The Beecon will put the N900 into Hard Sleep Mode. When pressed, it'll perform the following actions: Set WIFI OFF, Change phone network mode to GSM, Shutdown all network connections, Blank the screen, Lock device

European Soccer Leagues Live Results and Next Matches Beecon


The Beecon will also be able to highlight the match of your favourite Team and display a Green ball if it is winning, Yellow ball if match is tied, Red ball if team is losing, White ball if match is still not currently being played.

World Cup 2010 South Africa - Live Results, News and Next Matches


The Beecon will also provide the most recent WC2010 news and will be able to highlight the match of your favourite Team and display, behind mascot, a Green ball if it is winning, Yellow ball if match is tied, Red ball if team is losing, White ball if match is still not currently being played.

Naive Dice Roller


The Beecon will show a dice that you'll be able to roll by clicking on it.

World Day & Night Zones


The Beecon will display a map of the world and current position of the Sun, indicating which parts of the Earth are in day and which are in night.

European Accuweather Meteo


The Beecon will display the meteo graphs provided by Accuweather.com for Western Europe

MRTG The Multi Router Traffic Grapher


The Beecon will display the graphs provided by the uber-famous MRTG - The Multi Router Traffic Grapher

GMail: New Mail Notifier Beecon


The Beecon will display an empty mailbox icon or a yellow full mailbox icon and the number of new unread messages of the specified GMail account

Italian Ringroads (Tangenziali) Live Traffic Beecon


The Beecon is configured to display Live Traffic graphic status of Milan Ringroads System. Other major cities in Italy are also available: ROME, TURIN, FLORENCE, NAPLES, BOLOGNA!

MLB Major League Baseball Matches of the Day (+tutorial/walkthrough)


The Beecon will display near Real Time MLB Major League Baseball Matches results. The Widget is also capable of showing different icons/images/emoticons according to the result of a Favourite Team.

Thanks 2 gkuenning for alternative script

Scripts & Commands
Desktop Command Execution Widget scripts Warning: This are scripts for Desktop Command Execution Widget; QBW has extended functionalities so it might be needed to tweak scripts or commands a little bit for both cosmetic and functional improvements.

Useful References
DbusScripts is a daemon that can execute a command when various actions occurs on DBus

Phone_control D-Bus commands can be run from terminal or as shell scripts. Useful for scheduling events with fcron, executing commands,, startup events, install scripts, etc.