Thoughts on development & design

Hello World: Python

1. from the shell (I setup wifi connection & then ssh on to the Pi so I can work from my normal desktop - I also installed vim - you can either install vim or use your preferred editor) run: 
   
       vim helloworld.py
   
   In the editor enter the following:
       print("Hello World")
   
   Exit and save the file (:wq)
2. From the command line run
       sudo python helloworld.py

Hello World with Lights On

1. If you opted not to install the Occidentalis OS (mod'd Wheezy OS packaged with stuff if you are planning on doing hardware stuff), then you will need to install some extra bits and pieces (you may already have them installed anyway, but running this won't do any harm - will just print the message saying its already there):
       sudo apt-get install python-dev
       sudo apt-get install python-pip
       sudo pip install RPi.GPIO
   
2. Connect your Pi to the cobbler using the provided ribbon cable - plug the cobbler into your breadboard so it straddles the break down the middle (See photo below of the final setup of my breadboard for this experiment)
3. Using a standard jumper lead, connect the ground on the cobbler to the -ve power rail on the breadboard (in this case mine is the purple-ish rail as you can see in the photo, the ground on the cobbler will be labelled GND). This is always best practice.
4. Connect a resistor from the Pi Cobbler plug 23 to one of the free holes not linked to the cobbler (the resistor is needed to reduce the power - without one of these you will just blow your LEDs)
5. Connect the +ve leg of the LED (the longer of the two legs) to the -ve power rail that we plugged the GND into, and the shorter LED leg into a hole in line with the resistor we plugged in (again, see photo below for final setup - although ignore the surplus resistor - that's not doing anything, I juts forgot to remove for the photo)

Lessons Learned

Setting up Occidentalis OS

• SD Formatter (from the SD association - this is one of the standard tools recommended in normal Pi setup tutorials and is a pretty convenient way to format SD cards) - https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/
• Fedora ARM installer - This can be used to install OS images on to an SD card - you can't just copy & paste downloaded images on to an SD card and this just makes it pretty easy - https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Fedora_ARM_Installer
• Occidentalis distro image - This is Adafruit's mod of the Raspian Wheezy OS and is modified specifically with hardware hacking in mind - The latest version is currently at v0.2 - http://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-raspberry-pi-educational-linux-distro/occidentalis-v0-dot-2

1. Format an SD card - it really needs to be 4gb - I am using an 8gb samsung card that is working fine (disclaimer: as with any formatting or writing images to drives - make sure you are targeting the correct drive for your appropriate SD card - as all data will be wiped!)
2. Assuming you have downloaded the Occidentalis image from the above link, extract the zip file locally
3. Right-click and select "Run as administrator" on the Fedora ARM installer executable.  For the source option, select "Browse" and navigate to the .img file you have just extracted from the zip. For the destination triple-check that you have your SD card drive selected (again, this drive will be wiped and all data overwritten when you hit the install button). Then press install. This will correctly setup the SD card with the OS image.
4. Jam your newly setup SD card in your Raspberry Pi and startup as usual. For most of the boiler plate setup, this will work just like Wheezy/NOOBS setup.

Uh.. Wait.. My Pi isn't Booting..

public class SplashActivity extends Activity implements OnClickListener{

 @Override
 public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {

@Override
 public void onClick(View v) {
  Intent i; 
  switch (v.getId()){
  case R.id.playBtn :
   List questions = getQuestionSetFromDb();

   GamePlay c = new GamePlay();
   c.setQuestions(questions);
   c.setNumRounds(getNumQuestions());
   ((ChuckApplication)getApplication()).setCurrentGame(c);  

   //Start Game Now.. //
   i = new Intent(this, QuestionActivity.class);
   startActivityForResult(i, Constants.PLAYBUTTON);
   break;
   
  case R.id.rulesBtn :
   i = new Intent(this, RulesActivity.class);
   startActivityForResult(i, Constants.RULESBUTTON);
   break;
   
  case R.id.settingsBtn :
   i = new Intent(this, SettingsActivity.class);
   startActivityForResult(i, Constants.SETTINGSBUTTON);
   break;
   
  case R.id.exitBtn :
   finish();
   break;
  }
 }

i = new Intent(this, RulesActivity.class);
startActivityForResult(i, Constants.RULESBUTTON);

setContentView(R.layout.welcome);