Roku Developer Program

[FloydBaker]

I used to do some lamp programming but that was years ago. I had a linux in the server of course.

Now I have an iMac and am not quite sure where I'm at with it. What's needed to actually program with brightscript.

I have the SDK dev downloaded and I have uploaded samples to my roku device. And I see they can be modified, etc.
But I am not sure how to actually do that until I know where I'm supposed to be. Like.., where do I get to see the % prompt... 🙂
I thought it was the linux prompt... ?? Maybe the brightscript prompt..? I seem to have a mental block... 😕

I'd appreciate a little nudge in the right direction. The first couple of basic steps to start creating the channel..

Which btw will be fairly basic too. A simple info format explaining and able to call the various vids that will be sitting in my personal domain.

Many thanks...

[squirreltown]

I work on a mac. I use Text Wrangler for writing the code. Don't know anything about prompts though. Open a window in Terminal and type

telnet your-rokus-ip-address 8085

to see the debugger.

[FloydBaker]

Thanks for the response... I can telnet to the local channel to see what's happening there with the sample zip installed...

But I'm looking for information on creating the application before it goes into zip for uploading..

This is where I may be hanging up... In the utilities>mac>readme, it reads..:
"
This executable uses the boost shared libraries from mac ports
To install the boost shared libraries, goto http://www.macports.org/install.php and install the mac ports project. Then from a shell prompt, install boost by running:
% sudo port install boost
Then put biftool in your path
"

I have gone to the mac ports site and *believe* I've downloaded the 'mac ports project'.., but it's confusing and I don't know where to go from there...
Where or how do I get a shell prompt to be able to type that "% sudo port install boost" line. ??

What is that about..? Is it to do with the actual scripting..?

Anything on that..? From how you went about it..? Presumably with the same instructions..? What it took to set up prior to writing the code...

And I'm wondering if there are 'complete' scripts.., ready for zipping.., with ini files holding the various links, texts, png's, etc. to be assigned to appropriate variables, etc..??

Thanks for any assistance...

[squirreltown]

I think I remember reading about all that macport stuff when i started but it was way too complicated for me so I just ignored it. I've built several channels and a couple of screen-savers with both the built-in components and the 2D API stuff so I'm pretty sure its unnecessary.
Look through the examples in the SDK and find one that sounds like it does something you are interested in. Load it up to the Roku. The files you are editing have the .brs extension in the source folder. You can use anything to edit them even textEdit but as i said I prefer Text Wrangler (choose VB Basic as the highlighter - its pretty good) or you can Use Eclipse with a Brightscript plug-in. All the info needed for that is here on this board.
If you are interested in running videos from your server, maybe get the Simple Video Player example and just change the URLS to your own to start.
To send something to the Roku, select all the items in the example folder you are working on, right click and compress them. Then upload that .zip the same way you've been doing. Don't select the folder and zip that, select all the items.
The people on this board are very helpful if you have a specific question, just ask.

[FloydBaker]

Ok... You've given me some confidence. 🙂 That I can get into it but not as deep as I thought would be necessary. I think I might pick that stuff up as I move on but for now I know the editor., and have the 'simpleinfo' script that I want to modify and use... I think..! It might change... But I want 'categories' that open to a number of 'shows' below each... And from each of them we'll have a video called up... It looks like I'll be chaining some samples scripts together but I can work that out once I get the modified simpleinfo script to run locally.

And thanks for the tips on the zipping, etc...

You've been very helpful.., so I agree with you on that last part. 🙂

[EnTerr]

"FloydBaker" wrote:
This is where I may be hanging up... In the utilities>mac>readme, it reads..:
"
This executable uses the boost shared libraries from mac ports
To install the boost shared libraries, goto http://www.macports.org/install.php and install the mac ports project. Then from a shell prompt, install boost by running:
% sudo port install boost
Then put biftool in your path

That's only if you are going to run biftool to make a .BIF file. Which you need if your name starts with Net and ends with Flix, otherwise dont worry about it 8-). They could have done better job in that README for sure. All of that utilities folder is dedicated that BIF format, ignore it.

[FloydBaker]

"EnTerr" wrote:

"FloydBaker" wrote:
This is where I may be hanging up... In the utilities>mac>readme, it reads..:
"
This executable uses the boost shared libraries from mac ports
To install the boost shared libraries, goto http://www.macports.org/install.php and install the mac ports project. Then from a shell prompt, install boost by running:
% sudo port install boost
Then put biftool in your path

That's only if you are going to run biftool to make a .BIF file. Which you need if your name starts with Net and ends with Flix, otherwise dont worry about it 8-). They could have done better job in that README for sure. All of that utilities folder is dedicated that BIF format, ignore it.

Terrific..., and thanks for that. I always worry that what I don't know will stop me cold. lol But I'm setting up a script and zip file now using a template service. That's teaching me a lot..

And now that I'm about to upload to the box the ip isn't loading. 😕

Always something... 🙂

Thanks again...