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=Using MX on UNIX-derived Operating Systems=
[[Category:Cumulus MX]]
MX runs on variousany UNIX-derived operating systems (OS):
* including those found on Apple Mac computers,
* and those found on a multitude of devices running Linux.
UNIX is a long established operating system, and both UNIX and its derivatives have good long term compatibility. This means that commands are generally easy to learn just once and then you can normally continue to use what you have learnt.
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[[File:Crystal Clear info.png|40px]] This document is 'Work In Progress' so content may not be complete or accurate!
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Most devices also have a graphical user interface that can do the more straightforward tasks without needing to know all the commands.
It might be sensible if Apple Mac specific information goes onto a new page. The Apple Mac runs its own version of Unix, and while standard Unix uses Line_Feed to terminate lines in files, the Mac uses Carriage_Return. Until someone has created a separate page about the Mac in this Wiki, this is closest you can get.
==This article focuses on Linux operating system==
==Why install MX on Linux?==
The [[MX_on_Windows_OS|Running Cumulus MX on Microsoft Windows]] page covers those aspects of MX that are specific to Personal Computers running Microsoft's operating system. In the Cumulus support forum, there are many posts from people who are struggling with using Windows PCs, and it seems a lot of them find "installing" and using MX difficult with Microsoft Windows.
Contributions to the [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=40 Cumulus Support Forum] suggest that:
This page focusses on aspects of MX that are specific to the Linux operating systems.
*Use on a Raspberry Pi (RPi) computer is very popular
*In general, people find installing, and running, MX on Linux is easy
*The few people who do have difficulties are those who have good knowledge of Microsoft systems and therefore are so convinced they cannot cope with a swap to something different, that they give up too easily!
Microsoft has had a deliberate policy of being different to traditional computers (all others are mostly based on UNIX).
As an example, this page picks a tiny,but powerful, computer that is called the Raspberry Pi (RPi), running the Raspberry Pi Operating System, but most of the guidance here will apply to other devices. The notes here will generally apply to any version of Linux, although the configuration editor described is only on the RPi. Although it is intended that this page should cover all Linux-based devices, the content here is based on experience of those who have contributed to this page. To be more comprehensive, it needs contributions from users of other devices to be prepared to edit this page.
You may know that this Wiki started with a single page covering MX regardless on which operating system was used, that did not work.
If you are running MX on on any computer running the Microsoft Windows Operating System, then you should be reading the [[MX on Windows OS]] page instead. In the Cumulus support forum, there are many posts from people who are struggling with MX on PCs. It appears this is not because Microsoft computers are so more readily available and therefore known about; but because people often find “installing”, and using, MX is more difficult when using the more complex Microsoft Windows operating system, and people tend not to understand basic issues such as avoiding "Program Files".
'''Perhaps, you my reader, can add sub-sections to this page adding any alterative guidance for other Linux running devices.'''
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{{Template:Version badge Mx}}'''This page focuses on aspects of MX that are specific to the Linux operating systems.'''
=The Raspberry Pi micro-computer=
Still believe it will be too complex for you? The developer has created [[Software#Raspberry_Pi_Image|an image you can download]] for those prepared to run two computers (a RPi for actually running MX and another computer for all interactions with MX). Read all about it, on [[Raspberry_Pi_Image]] page, and decide if that is for you.
==Device Coverage==
The Raspberry Pi computer (RPi) is a small board of electronics. The board can be bought separately to the micro-SD card that it will boot from. There is a choice of operating system (OS) that can be processed by the board. The available OS choices include Windows, Mac OS, Chrome OS, various Linux distributions, or the Raspberry Pi OS (based on Ubantu Linux).
Linux is available based on a multitude of different kernels (the building block for the operating system), on a multitude of devices.
On this Wiki page, the focus is on the last OS, '''Raspberry Pi Operating System''', because that is easiest to install, and includes extra features specially designed to make using a RPi easier.
This page has been originated by a contributor using the Raspberry Pi Operating System (this is based on Debian, one of the Linux kernels). Be aware therefore that some instructions on this page are specific to a [[Raspberry Pi computer page|Raspberry Pi computer]] with its default operating system.
If you want to install a different OS, you may use a micro-SD card that includes '''Novel Out of Box Software''' (NOOBS), as that (when your RPi has a wired Ethernet connection to internet) can download and install a variety of OS.
For other devices, the inclusion of the correct instructions is totally dependent on whether any contributor has edited this page to cover your device in the context of that section of this page. It is hoped that contributions to this page will be made by Cumulus users with a range of different devices so this page is useful to more people.
If your micro-SD card does not have a pre-installed OS, and it don't have NOOBS, then please use a search engine to find an operating system thatsuits you, and instructions on how to install it on a micro-SD card.
:Until somebody creates a separate page for Apple Mac computers (that could be a good idea, as there are some significant differences), this page is the best source of advice.
The article will give you some guidance on:
*Choosing a Pi model to buy
*Setting up a Raspberry Pi,
*Installing OS (the NOOBS described here can install various OS, you choose which one you want)
*Installing Mono (needed on any Linux based OS, but can even run on Windows!)
*Installing MX
*Running MX (these notes apply to any Linux OS, but some hints need consideration even in Windows)
==Further Information==
It also covers some included functionality and some optional extras for you RPi.
There are various related pages to get more information:
There are relatively few posts in the Cumuus Support forum from people struggling with setting up the Raspberry Pi, and several posts reporting success with using MX on this small computer.
* If you encounter a problem when running MX, please see [[What to do when I have a problem with MX]]
* If MX gives you a message saying "you are not running the latest version", please see [[Updating_MX_to_new_version|Guide to upgrading MX]]
* If you are puzzled by the terminology, please see [[:Category:Terminology]] for links to pages that explain terminology used by Cumulus (these pages were written for the legacy Cumulus 1 and may need updating for MX)
* If you need to know more about files in the installation, please see [[:Category:Cumulus Files]] for links to all Wiki pages describing the sub-folders and files used by MX
* Go to [[:Category:Cumulus MX]] for links to all pages in this Cumulus Wiki that relate specifically to MX
* [[MX Administrative Interface|Admin interface]] provides information on configuration and web pages for viewing your weather data locally
* The [[Cumulus MX FAQ]] page was created with snippets from the forum, but nobody has yet sorted this out into a useful page or updated it for recent releases
* If you were using the original (now legacy) Cumulus software, please read [[Migrating_from_Cumulus_1_to_MX]], although that is mostly directed at those using MX on the same Windows PC as they used for Cumulus 1, and was written for an old MX release, it will help you understand configuration differences.
* If you want to use a script language, you might want to read [[PHP|PHP Hypertext Pre-processor and JavaScript]] page
* If you will be using the standard web pages (from release 3.10.1) see [[New_Default_Web_Site_Information|this page]]
* If you want to write your own customised templates, read [[Customised_templates]].
* If you want to explore alternative web pages from third-parties, start [[:Category:User Contributions|on User Contributions page]].
==Linux is better than Windows==
It is recognised that some people might be experienced Windows PC users, and perhaps scared of learning Linux; this page may persuade people that actually a Raspberry Pi (RPi) computer can be used instead of their Windows PC for all their tasks. Here are a few facts:
*The Raspberry Pi is a simple computer that is far easier to learn than a complicated machine like a Personal Computer (PC) running Windows.
*There are various operating systems (OS) that you can use on a RPi
**It can run a small version of the Windows operating system, the same as the one that is pre-installed on certain modern white goods.
**This page focusses on the simpler Raspberry Pi operating system (based on debian Linux) as it works on a RPi.
***You don't need to learn much Linux, but this article does cover some commands.
*A RPi is small in size so does not intrude into your home
* A RPi uses much less power than a PC, and so can be left running, while a PC wastes a lot of electricity if left running.
**The Raspberry Pi is a computer that is better for the environment during manufacture, its single board has just a small number of components, unlike a PC manufactured with lot of components.
*A Windows computer is frequently interrupted by Microsoft software updates, most of which require a reboot. Linux computers don't do automatic updates, software can be upgraded, or replaced, by manual instruction without (except for kernal updates) a reboot.
* A RPi can do word processing, spreadsheets, database tasks, drawing tasks, display images, play sounds and videos, let you use email, play games etc.
*It is simplest to connect keyboard and monitor to the Raspberry Pi so all actions are done directly on it.
**Another option discussed is using a PC to control a "headless" Raspberry Pi (i.e. one without keyboard and without monitor).
* A RPi is the ideal device to run Cumulus MX, and (if you want) the same RPi can run a database server and/or web server (on which you can run the example web pages provided, or create your own variants)
**Downloading the MX release distribution, and unzipping the files, is effectively the same on any device.
**On Linux you need to (simply) manually install one extra component (Mono-complete) to run the executables included in MX, (the equivalent component (.NET) is automatically pre-installed on Windows).
**Running MX is same on any device (precise command syntax to start it varies, but what MX does when running is largely independent of device)
=Preparing your computer for installing the Cumulus MX suite=
== Image alternative ==
Please see [[Preparing your Linux computer for MX]] page if you have not installed MX on Linux before.
If you have a spare Raspberry Pi, and a spare micro-SD card, that are not being used, there is an alternative to following the detailed guidance later on this page.
That page covers:
Instead, all you need to do is download one image file onto the micro-SD card before you insert it into your RPi and let it boot. The single download file is available at [[Software#Current_Release|Software page Current_Release section]].
* [[Preparing your Linux computer for MX#Operating systems|Installing Operating Systems]]
* Package manager
** [[Preparing your Linux computer for MX#Interactive Package management on RPi|Interactive version]]
** [[Preparing your Linux computer for MX#Using Package Manager in terminal mode|Terminal version]]
** [[Preparing your Linux computer for MX#The various components to commands for installation|Commands]]
* [[Preparing your Linux computer for MX#USB HID|Human Interface Devices]]
* [[Preparing your Linux computer for MX#Installing Mono instruction|'''Installing Mono''']]
* [[Preparing your Linux computer for MX#Moving from Microsoft Windows to Linux|Preparing Microsoft Windows files for Linux]]
* [[Preparing your Linux computer for MX#File Names & Paths|Guide to file names and paths]]
This image includes the "lite" edition of RPi OS, it also includes a mono-complete package, and includes a modified MX distribution, all on that single download.
Choose it if:
*you are never going to use a keyboard nor TV (or other monitor) with your Raspberry Pi,
*and you don't want to use any other software on your RPi.
Please be advised some of the above is rather technical reading, but ''Mono is required to run the Cumulus packages'' described next. So do ensure that you installed Mono before continuing.
Read about using it on [[Raspberry_Pi_Image]] page:
* If you are new to MX, after booting from image, you will need to use the [[MX_Administrative_Interface#Station_Settings|admin interface]] to define station type, your choice of units, and some other settings, before MX can start recording data from the connected weather station.
* If you are migrating from another computer, after booting from image, you need to add (using an external memory stick or file transfer from your other device to the RPi), the following:
** (mandatory) [[Cumulus.ini]],
**(optional) [[strings.ini]],
**(mandatory) all files from old [[Data_folder|data sub-folder]],
**and any (optional) files from old Reports sub-folder.
==Technical aside==
== Setting up RPi manually ==
Please note this Wiki page talks about "folders" for compatibility with the [[MX on Windows OS]] page, but Linux prefers to call them directories.
You can find, online, instructions (and videos) about setting up a Pi, these describe all the necessary steps that are described below from buying a suitable micro-SD card, through installing the operating system, and adding additional software. If you use a search engine, then you can find a variety of different sets of instructions, including some that are very simple but basic; and others that are a little more complex so they can explain any options!
*The obvious place to look is [https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/setup/ the manufacturer's web site], the manufacturer actually also publishes the same documentation on [https://github.com/raspberrypi/documentation/blob/master/setup/README.md their github page].
*If you have brought your Pi from a distributor, their web site (e.g. [http://www.okdo.com/gettingstarted 'getting started' instructions provided by this distributor]) might have simple instructions tailored to their product,
* or you can find the details at many general forum type sites with "how to" advice.
Linux has a well defined filesystem, represented as a hierarchic tree starting at the root "/", that is divided into directories (one of which will be "/boot" and hold the kernel), each of those first level directories can be divided into second level directories, this second level is sometimes referenced to as defining the "scope", an indication that each is meant to be used for a specific purpose. The scope can be sub-divided again at lower levels representing "categories" (categories cover items like binary code, documentation, configuration, hardware, source code, runtime and content), and at a lower level still "applications" (i.e. related to specific programs) with further sub-levels for various options within those applications. Many Linux distributions will use logical links so references to a directory at one level in the hierarchy will actually redirect to files in a different directory, this might be because different programs expect to see files in different places or just to enforce ownership and writing rights.
In the sections that follow, each step in buying and installation is covered. It is difficult to decide how much detail to include, a novice, and someone who wants to plug holes in their existing knowledge, have different ideas of exactly what detail is needed.
For the purposes of this Wiki, the terminology "operating system" is used for the whole Linux distribution, you will find that Linux technical people prefer to talk about Linux distributions including:
I did experiment (in an earlier version of this page) with including a Précis, then going into more detail. I found that made navigation harder than relying on the multiple sub-section approach now used.
# a "kernel" for the underlying handling of files, network and so on;
# one or more "shell" components for the handling of commands entered in terminal mode, including those that run programs (whether included in distribution or added later);
# an optional graphical user interface for simpler access to commands and programs.
For simplicity the terminology "terminal" is used for how you access the shell, this term refers to seeing the command prompt if your Linux is running without a graphical user interface, or to a window that you can open within the graphical interface where commands can be typed. Depending on your Linux, that window might be called "Terminal", "Konsole", "xterm", "gnome-terminal", "uxterm", or even something else. If you are accessing your Linux computer over a network from a computer running Microsoft Windows, then again you may encounter a number of terms for how to access the shell on your Linux computer, "Command Window", "Windows Powershell", or "Windows Terminal". Equally you may use software that calls it a teletype mode, e.g. PuTTY software.
''Anyone who feels able to improve these sections is welcome to do some editing, provided the page remains relevant to both novice and established user wishing to look up these notes''.
=Cumulus packages=
== What to buy ==
* This section covers:
You can buy a kit that includes several of the separate items listed below, or buy the components separately. Generally buying as a kit is cheaper than buying items individually. A typical kit includes the Pi board (with components and interfaces on it), a power supply (with a plug suitable for your mains sockets), a micro-SD card (see later sub-section), some connection leads, and a case (designed for board in kit).
** CumulusMX.exe
** ExportToMySQL.exe
** CreateMissing.exe
(At time of writing this "CreateRecords.exe" is proposed, and under development, but not released).
=== The Raspberry Pi board===
The Raspberry PI is just a circuit board. As time passes, new models are released, generally each offers more functionality than earlier models. Some retailers may only have latest model available. However, many retailers will still sell older models.
==Handling zip files==
The information in this section was up to date in January 2020, future developments may make parts of the text here obsolete. Maybe you are a contributor who can edit some sections to bring the facts up to date.
Each release is presented as a zip. It does not matter which device (if you have two or more computers), or which browser (it can be default browser for your device or the browser you like best) you use for the download. When your browser saves the zip it might be into a folder called “downloads” on your computer, or you may be able to save into another folder that you prefer (perhaps on a different partition). Your browser might even remember the folder you used before for files of type zip.
A standard desktop computer (running Microsoft Windows) consumes at least 200 Watts of power (that is when it is idle, it will increase as more peripherals are attached and increase depending on any processing being done) all the time it is switched on.
In general, any device will load a suitable application to use to unzip the package when you click on a filename that ends in '''.zip'''. You might need to do a "right click" and choose the application, it depends on your settings.
A Pi Zero W consumes half a Watt when idle, and up to 1.78 W when running tasks or connected to peripherals that take power from RPi.
Be aware, you may need to adjust the settings within that application for how it handles the file structure. The preferences may determine whether the unzip process preserves the file structure used when the zip was created (i.e. each file remains in any sub-folder) or it ignores the folder structure. For the Cumulus context, it is essential to preserve the folder structure. You may also be asked where you want the files to be extracted to, or the default settings might always use a particular destination (and that might be a '''tmp''' folder).
A Pi model 4 B consumes 2.85 to 80 W depending on whether it is idle or working hard; also consumption is higher if peripherals are being powered from the RPi.
For example on the Raspberry Pi operating system, there is a package called '''xarchiver''', in its Graphical User Interface (GUI), there is a menu called "Action", and the final option in that menu is "Preferences". There, in "Archive" section, you can select "zip" as the preferred archive format (using a drop-down) and whether you want the application to confirm with you before deleting any files; in "Advanced" section, you can select the directory to use for the extraction. If you are using the lite version of the RPi OS, then you need to edit the '''/home/pi/.config/xarchiver/xarchiverrc''' file to set preferences, before you use the archiver package. Once you have started the archiver package, and told it which file to process, you can click on '''Extract files''',
When MX interrogates some weather station types, only the current values are available; in this case if you stop MX, you lose any readings during the time MX is not running. For these staion types, normally MX must run all the time (24 hours a day, 7 days a week; i.e. 24/7).
the GUI presents a screen of options:
* "Extract to:", use the icon to browse to the required location if it has not been set up in preferences
* "Ensure a containing directory", tick this if it has not been set in the configuration file
* "Files", select "All files", the advice is to overwrite all of any existing files if you are upgrading, but you definitely need all files if this is a new install
* "Options"
** Tick "Extract files with full path", this is essential if you are going to successfully install any of the Cumulus software
** Tick "Overwrite existing files", the advice is to overwrite all of any existing files if you are upgrading, it may not always be clear which files have been updated since an earlier release, and there are a lot of interdependencies between different files
It is worth stressing here, if you decide to customise any files that are included in a release distribution, then you should at the very least add something like an "_" character to the file name to make your tailored file different to the standard file. The best practice is to put any files you tailor, or any additional files you create, outside the CumulusMX folder.
MX may be able to get historic (archive) readings from some weather station types, but these will only be available at an interval such as every half an hour (or every 10 minutes), so you still miss any readings from inbetween times. For these station types, it is an advantage to run 24/7, but not essential.
If you have chosen to do the download on a different device to that on which you will install, you can unzip on either device. To transfer either the downloaded .zip file, or the extracted file structure, between devices, you can use a file transfer package, or use a portable drive (a memory stick or even a memory card) with a partition formatted so that you can read it on both devices. Windows and Linux partitions are formatted in different ways. While it is likely that Linux can read a Microsoft formatted partition, Microsoft Windows can never read a Linux formatted partition.
When MX is actually running, the frequency at which it obtains readings depends on the weather station type, but it is typically either every half-minute to every couple of minutes. Consequently, if MX is run all the time, derived values like highest, lowest, average, and so on, will be more accurately calculated if MX is left running, than when it is sometimes stopped.
==Where to install all packages?==
Although the Pi is not the only small computer model available, than can safely be left unattended to run all the time, it is probably the most popular and the easiest one to use. Its low power consumption implies it will not wreck the planet by running all the time, in the way a larger computer would! It is obviously much cheaper to buy and much cheaper to run.
For simplicity on this page CHOSEN PATH (the contents of this will start with a slash “/”, but not end with a slash) is used to represent any location in the Linux file structure where you decide to install all the Cumulus packages.
If you do a search on the support forum, you will find a lot of different opinions about which model you should buy, but in the end you decide! The following sub-sections contain just suggestions on how to decide, there is no intention to force any single decision.
The phrase “CHOSEN PATH” is used, because it is most likely you want to create the sub-folder called “/CumulusMX” (note where capital letters must be used) in a part of the Linux file structure that already exists.
It is important to minimise the length of the path name, because this path name has to be passed between various different software languages (and longer paths risk truncation).
====Which Raspberry Pi to buy====
If you want to own 2 computers, and will run your Pi headless by sending commands from your other computer, see [[Raspberry Pi Image]] article instead of reading any further here.
===Creating the CumulusMX sub-folder===
The following sub-sections are worth reading, if you want to buy a Raspberry Pi as a small computer. As a novice, you are likely to connect a screen and keyboard. You can use such a RPi for those word processing tasks you need to do, for maintaining a spreadsheet on your expenditure against budget, for looking at photos from your mobile phone, for a database that lists your CD or book collection, and even for playing games.
* You can create sub-folder called “/CumulusMX” as you unzip a MX release, or you can type <code>sudo mkdir CHOSEN PATH/CumulusMX</code> first (note that CHOSEN PATH is explained above and always starts with a slash “/”).
=====First make a list of what you need=====
* By using the phrase CHOSEN PATH this advice avoids telling you to install Cumulus where you do not want it:
*# Many people with a Raspberry Pi, and a little technical understanding, add an external drive to reduce wear on the internal micro-SD card, and keep their Cumulus files away from the drive that holds the operating system.
*#* This page is not going to get technical by telling you how to create, or mount, Linux partitions on your external drive. If your drive was bought from a Raspberry Pi reseller, they might help you.
*# Other people using a Raspberry Pi without that technical expertise, might use ‘’’/home/pi’’’ for CHOSEN PATH as that is the default folder for the default user (Pi) and can be referenced as "~" in file path instructions they issue (although Cumulus will not understand that shorthand)
*#* Within that ‘’’/home/pi’’’ folder, the default user has full permissions automatically.
*# The developer suggests you use ‘’’/opt’’’ for CHOSEN PATH (which should be available on any Linux computer).
*#* By default, the code Mark provides for installing Cumulus as a service, will run that service as a root user, and the root user has full permissions in /opt (and everywhere else)
*#* (Novices: Skip this step) If you do choose a CHOSEN PATH outside your home folder, then a more technical user can change the ownership of the "CumulusMX" sub-folder, to the default user (Pi) with <code>sudo chown -R pi: CHOSEN PATH/CumulusMX</code>, and reduce the need to use "sudo" on many actions.
==Packages to install==
*It is possible to buy a RPi model sold with the component board inside a keyboard, this means all you need to add to make it a usable computer is to add a TV or other monitor with HDMI input, this might be ideal if this is to be your only computer.
**At time of writing only the latest RPi board is sold integrated within the keyboard, so subsequent bullet points are irrelevant.
*Do you want to buy a RPi board on its own, then add a box to hold it? You can buy a mouse and key board (or use existing hardware), so that you can use your Raspberry Pi, with a TV (or computer monitor), as a computer for tasks like browsing the web and word processing, not just for CumulusMX?
** If so, a model with multiple USB sockets is advisable (like 3 B+ or 4)
** Multiple USB sockets also allow you to use a memory stick, or external drive, to run MX on, eliminating wear on the micro-SD card that contains the kernal and other boot up software (MX is constantly creating or updating many files (mostly in '''/data''' and '''/web''' sub-folders)
** Multiple USB sockets are also useful if you want to be able to plug in a USB stick and then remove it, (perhaps for transferring files between devices, e.g. Cumulus configuration and data folder files; this saves using slow file transfer, or removing the micro-SD disc)
*Do you want a wired connection to your hub or router?
** Maybe you are going to update external sites, a wired connection may provide a faster and more dependable communication than a wireless link
** If so, a model including an Ethernet socket is advisable (like 3 B+ or 4)
** You can add a USB hub and Ethernet dongle to model Zero, but by the time you have done so would have been better to start with a 3 B+ or 4)
** Remember that if you are operating the RPi in headless mode, a wired or wireless connection to your LAN is needed for your other device to communicate with the RPi
*Will your MX need to update a database, feed data to a web site, upload to external sites, or control other devices?
** If so, a model ZeroW will have to do each task in turn, and you will see some delay in information updates, plus you will need to set a larger time interval between updates.
** If so, a model 3 B+ (or 4) will be noticeably faster, and support all options in MX, and can update external sites more frequently
* What interface does your weather station use?
** If your station communicates to MX via wireless, then you choose a model that supports wireless at the right frequency, all models support basic wireless
** If your station communicates via Ethernet, then either a wired, or wireless, connection is possible between router/hub and Pi as the station will be plugged into your hub or router
** If your station communicates to MX via USB, then tou might prefer to buy the model 3 B+ with 4 USB sockets, so you have spare USB ports without buying a hub
** If your station uses another communication port (such as serial interface), then you need the additional components that support that interface
<big>We shall install the Cumulus software listed on [[Software]] page</big>:
===== Now research how the various models relate to your needs =====
# '''CumulusMX''':
#* '''CumulusMX.exe''' is written in C#, that has been developed by Mark Crossley, but still contains some code by Steve Loft
#* Download '''CumulusMX zip file’’’ from the link at [[Software#Latest_build_distribution_download]]
# [[Software#Create_Missing|'''Create Missing''']]:
#* '''CreateMissing.exe''' is also written in C#, created, and developed, by Mark Crossley
#* Download '''Create Missing zip file''' from the link at [[Software#Create_Missing]]
#** This takes you to a github page with a "ReadMe" providing minimal instructions
#* Using '''CreateMissing.exe''' is fully documented at [[Calculate_Missing_Values#CreateMissing.exe]] in this Wiki
#* (it will populate missing fields in [[standard log files]] and/or missing lines in [[dayfile.txt]]).
# '''ExportToMySQL'''
#* '''ExportToMySQL.exe''' is also written in C# by Mark Crossley
#* Download '''Export To My SQL zip file''' from the link at [[Software#ExportToMySQL]]
#** This takes you to a github page with a "ReadMe" providing minimal instructions
#* '''ExportToMySQL.exe''' is not (at the time this was written) documented in this Wiki although [[MX_Administrative_Interface#MySQL_settings]] does describe a similar utility (written by Steve Loft) that was actually included within early CumulusMX zip downloads.
As at 9 March 2020, another utility, '''CreateRecord''', has been initialised in the Github areas managed by the developer where Cumulus is worked on, although it appears to be just a concept on github. This will, if my understanding is correct, read [[dayfile.txt]] and use that to update the various [[:Category:Ini Files|extreme record files]]. The developer is still aiming to make this available, but his work on it (on his computer) has been stalled by the level of pressure being applied for bug-fixes and changes to MX itself.
You can look up online what features are included in the various Pi models, and how they differ in power consumption, and cost. But your decision also needs to consider what you need as discussed in last sub-section.
===Alternative download link for older package releases===
Here, I will compare just 2 (Pi Zero W and 3 B+) for simplicity. Your research above might lead you to choose an older or newer model, and models available may change, so the folowing comparison is just an example written based on what was avaialble in January 2020.
Because the developer uses Git Hub to manage releases, the older releases remain available.
The model Zero W is appealing as it has very low power consumption, it is perfectly adequate for running MX (but has limited speed, it runs the various threads MX uses sequentially) especially if you only use standard MX functionality and don't ask MX to do all the optional extras, and has limited interfaces for wired peripherals.
====Old Cumulus MX packages====
The model 3 B+ is appealing as it has medium power consumption, but can cope better with the multiple threads that MX starts, and has more physical interfaces built in, such as 4 USB 2.0 ports (useful if you want to connect a weather station using USB, connect a memory stick, and connect a keyboard).
Skip this subsection if either you have installed the "pre-built disc image", or the current MX release is stable (it has been available for a while and nobody has reported any bugs).
Check if posts in the [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=40 Cumulus Support Forum] tell you that the current release of MX has one or more bug(s) that affects one or more aspect(s) of MX that you intend to use.
While both models support WiFi and Bluetooth, the latter model also allows a wired Ethernet connection, and that may be useful if that is how you connect to your weather station (an Ethernet connection is also advisable if your WiFi connection is not dependable where you choose to install your RPi).
Remember, it is impossible for the developer to check all the ways in which versatile MX can be used:
Having an Ethernet connection, as explained later, makes it possible to easily install any Operating System on your Raspberry Pi on first boot. Without that Ethernet connection, you can only install the operating system already on the micro-sd card (that might be obsolete).
* Different weather station types (the developer only has a Davis),
* Different computer types (development is mostly on Microsoft Windows),
* Plus a whole host of optional features, and different external upload sites, (typically each of these optional features are only used by a sub-set of Cumulus users).
Anyway, '''you can download any earlier MX build, without the bug''', from [https://github.com/cumulusmx/CumulusMX/releases CumulusMX/releases].
* Raspberry Pi Zero W
** Pi Zero W has WiFi, one micro USB port and an HDMI output. Because it has WiFi, it is good for headless running, and this leaves the micro USB port free to connect a USB weather station.
** If you need more physical connections than that
** Installing onto a faster Pi might speed parts of the installation process, but for actual ‘production’ running this slower, and simpler, Pi will be perfectly adequate.
** It could run a web server, but that might really slow it down.
** If you run this headless, all updates are done remotely, for example using an SSH terminal program like PuTTY and a file transfer program like FileZilla on your PC.
====Old utilities====
* Raspberry Pi 3 B+ (or 4 B; considerations are very similar)
** The faster speed of this Pi although NOT necessary for running Cumulus MX, will cope better if you are asking MX to do lots of processing (e.g. updating database tables or external sites as well as standard processing).
** Pi 3 B+ has a socket for an external power supply, Ethernet socket (supports wired link); a HDMI socket for audio/video to TV, or computer monitor; a standard jack audio socket for external headphone, or speaker; 4 standard USB type 2 sockets for weather station, mouse, keyboard, USB stick, or other storage device; plus other connections (e.g. camera).
** This might be better if you also want to run a web server, and if you want to do other tasks (e.g. word processing - '''Libre Office''' is installed as standard on a Pi) on the same Pi.
** Also consider this model if it is to be used on a remote site so when you visit it is useful to be able to plug in other peripherals, and to spend as little time on updating as possible.
The zips for "CreateMissing.exe" and "ExportToMySQL.exe" utilities do NOT contain the '''''.dll''''' components that they need when they are running.
Other models are available, but you need to check their specification against your needs. For example, the current model 4 B has more capabilities, but may be less appealing as it also consumes more power.
This means that each version of "CreateMissing.exe" and "ExportToMySQL.exe" utilities is dependent on it being used with a release of Cumulus MX that does have correct '''''.dll''''' components in its release distribution.
===A micro-SD card===
That in turn means you can't use the latest version of the utility with older MX releases, nor can you use an old utility version with latest MX release. This is why [[Software#By_Mark_Crossley|utilities downloads]] make clear which MX release is the minimum for them.
You will need a micro-SD card (preferably class 10, the class number indicates the relative speed of read/write compared to original design, so this class is 10 times faster).
The older versions of these "CreateMissing.exe" and "ExportToMySQL.exe" utilities are available by going directly to the [https://github.com/cumulusmx Cumulus MX github] page, and navigating to the utility of interest. However, to use those older versions, you also need to download the corresponding older MX release, because the MX distributions contain the .dll files that the utilities require, they are not in the utilities zip. Because of this complication, novice users are advised not to attempt to use the older utilities, even if the latest version appears to have a bug. Technical users may be able to work out which .dll files are needed and can be safely added back (if they are not left over from when that past MX release was in use). An alternative is to create a new folder with the old release packages (MX and the utility of interest), a copy of the latest Cumulus.ini file, and a copy of all files from /data sub-folder; then afterwards copy back the changed files into original /data folder.
#A Pi will work with both a class 4 (only 4 times faster), and a class 10, micro-SD card.
#Just for the standard RPi OS (with GUI) install you need a card with a '''minimum of 8 GB'''.
#Given we are going to add Mono and Cumulus MX to the card, I advise you buy a card with at least 16 GB (the default operating system installation takes up almost half of that),
#* but you might prefer to buy a 32 GB or 64 GB (or add an external USB drive or USB memory stick) if you intend to keep a lot of data on the Pi.
==Upgrading a Cumulus package==
I won't mention manufacturer names here, but one well known brand (that uses descriptions like extreme) is the market leader, and does have greater reliability than cheaper cards from other manufacturers.
Always check the release announcements in [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=17887 Cumulus MX announcements] for any action needed in planned upgrade. In brief, all files from new release distribution replace the files from previous release, and the download/unzip is as covered above.
''Setting up a Pi is simpler'' '''if you buy a micro-SD card that is''':
* either pre-installed with [https://github.com/raspberrypi/documentation/blob/master/installation/noobs.md NOOBS (Novel Out of Box Software)],
* or pre-installed with the latest Raspberry Pi operating system (check you won't get an obsolete OS).
No further action needed for upgrade of "Create Missing" or "Export To My SQL" or "Create Records". See below for upgrade of main Cumulus MX package.
NOOBS makes it easy to install (by default) Raspberry Pi operating system, as if you insert such a micro-SD card into a new Raspberry Pi computer, when you power up the Pi, the operating system will be installed during that first boot.
If you are running an older MX release, before skipping in-between versions please check [[Updating_MX_to_new_version|here]].
If you have a Raspberry Pi model with an Ethernet connection, and you connect your Pi to your hub/router before you first switch it on, then at that first boot, NOOBS will offer you a choice of latest downloads available for several operating systems, with Raspberry Pi as first choice.
If you run MX as a service, then:
Various suppliers offer cards of 16 to 64 GB with NOOBS pre-installed ready for use in a Pi (I bought from a firm in Haverhill, Suffolk, UK).
# Ensure you are not doing any changes to settings
# Leave MX running as you copy files from the new release distribution over the existing files
# Try to pick a time just after MX has done any standard interval store of readings or upload, so that it is least busy
# Use <code>sudo systemctl restart cumulusmx</code> to stop and then restart MX picking up the new files
# Result, downtime of MX kept to a minimum, so avoiding losing data
If you run MX interactively, do the unzip into a temporary location before you stop MX, then copy all files from temporary location over your existing files, and finally restart MX. Depending on your weather station type, it might or might not offer historic data catch-up, so you might lose some data while MX is stopped, and therefore should keep the downtime to a minimum.
My advice is to buy your micro-SD card from a firm that specialises in selling Raspberry Pi computers and accessories. That should ensure you buy a card with the latest version of NOOBS (or Raspberry Pi Operating System).
The alternative is to install in a new folder (or rename the old one), and copy across files not in the release from old location to new location, but in that alternative you might forget some files.
Having pre-installed software on the card will make your life simpler than buying a blank micro-SD card and having to down load and add the operating system yourself. But if you are technically skilled, you may prefer starting with a blank card, creating the necessary partitions, some in '''Ext4''' that suits Linux, and doing all the downloads and installations yourself.
==Changing location of Cumulus MX==
If you want to be able to use the micro-SD card in other devices (like your PC), you may need to also buy an adapter which allows the micro-SD card to be plugged into a standard SD socket. This may be included if you buy a micro-SD card not sold specifically for the Pi, or may be available with the Pi micro-SD under a special offer for buying two items together.
Finally, you may wish to buy a second micro-SD unit as a spare. Providing you have a suitable holder, and sufficient capacity, the RPi GUI even has an option that allows you to produce a back-up of the internal micro-SD card with all the partitions (e.g. recovery, system, user).
If your install, or upgrade, is creating MX in a different place to where you previously ran Cumulus, then you will want to copy files across that are not in the zip extract distribution.
===A case to protect the board===
===Configuration Files to copy across from any previous Cumulus installation===
You may want to buy a case, that will protect your Pi from accidental damage. A case specifically designed for your Pi model will have cut-outs in the right place for each interface connection, and will have sufficient ventilation for the electrical components to not over-heat. Some designs have additional holes for securing peripherals.
There are two configuration files that are not included in any MX release:
===A power supply===
*[[strings.ini]] (note all lower case) – optional file to customise output
*[[Cumulus.ini]] (note initial capital, then lower case) – main configuration file
Here, it must be stressed that having either or both of these files in an existing Cumulus installation does not imply such file or files can be understood by the new MX release you have just installed.
Unless you already have a portable unit that can output power to a micro USB connector (USB type C), it is likely you will want to power your RPi off the mains electricity where you install your RPi.
Just copy the existing files from old to new installation, if
You may need to buy a power supply.
# Your locale is still the same
* This could be an official Raspberry Pi power supply. That will have a suitable plug for your nation, that plug clips onto the transformer (that will reduce the voltage and rectify it to direct current), an inbuilt leads to a USB C plug (that can connect to your RPi).
# All files on your new install are in same paths as on your old install (some settings involve specifying paths)
* Alternatively, other power supply units that have a (micro) USB C connector will often suffice, as the power consumption of a Pi (whichever model) is fairly small.
# Your old installation has a relatively recent MX release (compare the "y" in 3.y.z,between old and new installation, a difference of more than 1 in that middle figure means you do not have a recent release)
** Remember, the power consumption varies depending on model, and on how many tasks are running concurrently on the RPi, and if the RPi has to power additional peripherals.
# Your old installation was on a Unix-based computer (not a computer running Microsoft Windows Operating System)
** As it will be powered on 24/7, a low power consumption ‘switched mode’ type is preferred – i.e. one that does not become warm when plugged in with nothing attached (not that you should be disconnecting your RPi from its power source, you should do a tidy shutdown first)
** You may have a suitable power supply unit left over from an earlier mobile phone.
Please see the table below for more advice, but the problem is that content of both files has changed as MX has been developed, so some content is no longer understood, and some new content has been added.
===Connection leads used with a RPi===
Some of the differences between versions of '''Cumulus.ini''' file can be seen by comparing the different pages in this Wiki documenting this file: [[Cumulus.ini (Beta)]], [[Cumulus.ini (Cumulus 1)]], [[Cumulus.ini (MX 3.0.0 to 3.7.0)]], [[Cumulus.ini (preserving history)]], and [[Cumulus.ini]], but even that does not tell the whole story. MX release 3.12.0 needs to be installed if your old Cumulus was earlier than that, because it is the only release with code to rename the old "Cumulus.ini" and create a new file containing the new set of settings, and new names for some old settings, but without any old settings that are no longer recognised. Please see [[Updating MX to new version]] page for more information about the need to step slowly through from old releases to the newest.
You may need to buy connection leads:
* You may need a HDMI lead to connect your PI to your TV or a spare computer monitor.
* You may need a USB lead ([https://www.newnex.com/usb-connector-type-guide.php]) to connect to your weather station, your station probably has a USB A end connection (the Pi model Zero requires a USB C end, the Pi model 3 requires a standard USB A end).
* If your weather station connects by Ethernet, you will need one lead to connect the station to the router and possibly another to connect the hub or router to the Pi.
===USB peripherals===
If you are upgrading from an older release, please read the table for advice.
*If you do choose a model 3 (or later), consider whether you want to buy a USB mouse and USB keyboard to use with your RPi.
*Next consider if you want to buy any external disc or stick storage. You might use this for running MX on (MX does lots of inputs and outputs, creating files particularly in "/data" and "/web" sub-folders) to save wear on internal micro-SD card. You might want to connect external storage simply to do regular back-ups (file transfer to another computer over LAN, or to the cloud, is a slow alternative).
{| class="wikitable"
==The Raspberry Pi Operating System ==
|-
! scope="col" style="width:450px; color:blue" | Cumulus.ini !! scope="col" style="width:450px; color:navy" | strings.ini
|-
| Your old installation will have this file. In general, ''if your old installation was any release before 3.8.0'', the advice is give the old file a different name when you copy it across to the new installation, and let MX create the file as you work through all the settings.
| '''This is an optional file'''. Its [[strings.ini|purpose]] is to allow customisation of some of the outputs from Cumulus. You might want to use customisation to abbreviate (or extend) some outputs, or to change those outputs into another language.
|-
| When you work through the Settings pages, MX will create this file if it does not exist.
* See [[#Moving from Microsoft Windows to Linux]] if your old installation is on a Microsoft operating system, as several changes will be needed for extra web file settings on your Linux computer
* If your old installation was of the legacy software then also see [[Migrating from Cumulus 1 to MX]]
* As MX evolves, the former "read-only" settings in this file are becoming "advanced" settings in the interface.
| You create a “strings.ini” file by '''selecting some of the parameter'''s from the [[Samplestring.ini]] file that is included in each MX release, and ''modifying the value for the listed attributes'' as you type just those you selected (under the same group titles - these are enclosed in [ ] as before).
The sections that appear in '''samplestring.ini''', and the parameters that appear within a section, depend upon which release you are using. So be cautious if you try to reuse a "strings.ini" file originally created by the legacy software, you may find you need to specify your customisation using different parameters in the latest "samplestring.ini".
The Raspberry Pi Operating System comes in both full and lite variants, and these will be explained here:
|-
*'''Full''' edition supports a ''Graphical User Interface'' (GUI), as well as a ''Terminal'' interface
| The content of "Cumulus.ini" is changing as MX is developed, the [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=17887 Release Announcements] normally list any new parameters as they appear in the file, without always mentioning those that have become redundant. The announcements tend to avoid any detail, so you have to guess ''from the attribute'' what values it might take, and generally have no idea of where in the settings pages to make any change.
** A graphical interface means you can attach a keyboard and TV (or other monitor), plus optionally a mouse. With these you can have a "Windows" like experience, where you select an icon (on desktop or in task bar), which brings up a menu that you scroll through and drill down until you have selected option required. Many people find this easy to use, and a novice using the GUI does not need to learn all the different Linux syntax.
** A terminal interface, resembles the old teletype experience (if you are old enough to have met those machines) lets you type in commands, back space is treated as a control character (it does not remove the previous character, just cancels it out). When you press ENTER, the system types back a response. This gives more flexibility, as you can issue instructions that are not present in the GUI menu dropdown. One example is a chain of commands, another is being able to specify different parameters to a command. However, you do need to develop a good knowledge of Linux commands to achieve progress using a terminal interface, and that can be difficult for a novice, but much qyuicker than a GUI for someone who has used Linux before.
*The '''lite''' edition of the OS, excludes the GUI, and is normally installed for a RPi that depends on a separate device (such as a Windows PC) to send all the commands via terminal sessions over a Local Area Network (wired or wireless), so the RPi does not have a keyboard, mouse, nor monitor attached. All the comments above for terminal mode still apply, but you also need some understanding of '''Secure Shell Protocol''' (SSH) which is the way any remote terminal session connects to the RPi. The lite edition is used in the single download file available at [[Software#Current_Release|Software page Current_Release section]].
To remove any parameters no longer used in this file, see [[Cumulus.ini#How_to_Remove_Redundant_parameters_from_file|remove redundant parameters]]
If your old file contains any [[Cumulus.ini (Cumulus 1)|legacy read-only]] parameters not yet converted into advanced settings, or any [[Cumulus.ini (MX 3.0.0 to 3.7.0)|MX read-only parameters not yet converted into advanced settings]], you may need to manually add such missing parameters back into new file by stopping MX (after finishing all the settings you can configure in the interface), doing an external file edit, and then restarting MX.
===Is the operating system obsolete or up to date?===
| The content of "samplestring.ini" is changing as MX is developed:
* Therefore, your existing “strings.ini” might need to be modified.
* There is no automatic way to check your “strings.ini” file, if MX does not understand any parameter in this file, it ignores it.
* Instead, you need to manually check each parameter you have in your “strings.ini” file to see if that parameter is still in the “samplestring.ini” included in the release you have installed.
* You may also find new parameters in “samplestring.ini” that you wish to add to your “strings.ini” file to tailor new functionality to your preferences.
|}
If you previously used an older release of Cumulus, but in this new installation will be using the latest release (latest is what is normally best, unless it has bugs), you may want to read up on all the changes between your old release and the current release, not just changes that affect the configuration file.
It is important that your Raspberry Pi (or other device) has the latest operating system version installed. If the Operating System installed is an obsolete one, then each package it includes (e.g. Libre Office), and each package you add (e.g. Mono or PHP), will also be obsolete versions. In the worst case scenario, any attempt to install a package might fail giving an error message that the relevant Raspberry Pi repository is archived.
If you have used Cumulus 1 before, and decide to start with a new "Cumulus.ini" file, then you will need to work through all settings, to ensure they are set as you want. Please remember that when you use MX for first time, it uses that date it was first run as a starting date, and ignores any data found with earlier dates. Therefore you must change that start date:
If you have a micro-SD card pre-installed with NOOBS, as described above, the first boot will install the operating system. It is the version of NOOBS that is included on the micro-SD card that determines which Raspberry Pi Operating System version it offers to set up.
'''MX interface''' --> Setting menu --> '''Station Settings''' --> Click on ''General Settings'' --> Click on '''Advanced Options''' --> Edit ''Records Began Date'' following instructions below that field
==="data" directory===
Here are the names of Linux operating systems as at mid-2020:
*Wheezy (7) released in 2013
*Jessie (8) dating from 2015
*Stretch (9) released in 2017 (up to this called Raspbian Operating System)
*Buster (10) available from 2019 (the first to be called Raspberry Pi Operating System)
*Bullseye (11) under test in 2020, and expected to become available sometime in 2021
Please see [[:Category:Files_with_Comma_Separated_Values]], [[:Category:Ini_Files]], and [[Weather_Diary]], for information if you are moving from Cumulus 1 to MX. Otherwise just copy files from any existing folder to your new one.
Be aware that many NOOBS pre-loaded and pre-formatted cards include an obsolete version of NOOBS.
*You may find your card installs the obsolete Raspbian Jessie (version 8 of Debian from 2015),
*a few install the old Raspbian Stretch (Version 9 of Debian, dating from 2017),
*a good supplier sells a card that installs latest Raspberry Operating System Buster (Version 10 of Debian, released in 2019).
You may also wish to read:
=== How to add Raspberry Operating System to a card yourself ===
** [[Amending dayfile]] tells you about how MX is far more fussy about the content in [[dayfile.txt]]
** [[:Category:Ini Files|.ini files]] explains how time-stamps are formatted differently in the extreme tracking files
** [[Migrating from Cumulus 1 to MX]] gives some advice about differences in settings, but be aware that the way MX handles settings varies by release, and information on the linked page may be out of date
Complications occur if the locale used by '''Mono''' or the locale specified when starting MX using [[#-lang parameter for changing Locale|-lang parameter]] differs from the locale for your previous device (please see [[:Category:Files with Comma Separated Values]] because some locales separate fields with commas, some separate integer and decimal parts of real numbers with commas; not to mention all sorts of issues with how dates are formatted). The main MX developer proposed that the format of files with comma separated values will be fixed from a release planned for September 2020, so all dates will use one standard format, all numbers will use decimal points, and the field separating character will be fixed.
You can boot up a RPi:
* if it has NOOBS pre-installed, at first boot the NOOBS will load,and then you choose the OS to install from options listed
**more options will be listed if your RPi has wired ethernet connection to internet and can find various available OS as well as the full and lite versions of RPi OS
**without wired internet, you might only see two options; the full, and lite, versions of Raspberry Pi OS
*A micro-SD card where NOOBS is used to install the RPi OS, will have multiple partitions created
** the boot partition will ensure RPi OS is loaded in future, together with settings
** a recovery partition is created, this allows you to return to NOOBS and do a clean install
** partitions are created for different parts of the Linux file structure
** optionally a partition can be inserted in any free space and this final partition by default is mounted as "data" under "media" in the Linux file structure
*if you press '''shift''' key while your RPi is booting from an operating system, it will load from the recovery partition, and that might offer NOOBS options as at first boot
*if the RPi has Raspberry Pi OS already installed, a normal boot will load up as defined for a normal boot
*there are Linux commands to change the partitions on any storage attached to RPi (including the micro-SD card)
**as an alternative '''gparted''' provides a GUI way to edit partitions (as a super-user), you will need to use apt-get to install gparted.
Update May 2022, this has been put on hold, no public MX release has this restriction yet.
'''If you cannot boot up your RPi (perhaps you have a blank micro-SD card)'''
#Decide whether you want
#*the full version of the operating system that supports a graphical user interface (choose this if you want to connect a TV or other monitor to your Raspberry Pi),
#*or the ''lite'' version of the operating system that only supports SSH or terminal mode (choose this if you will operate headless - explained at end of this article)
#Download, on another device (like a PC or tablet) the latest version of the Raspberry Pi operating system you have selected from https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads.
#*the latest Raspberry Operating System is version Buster at time of typing
#* That [https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/ Raspberry Pi download page] has full instructions.
#* However, the supplier who sold your RPi may also have guidance, e.g. those at [https://thepihut.com/blogs/raspberry-pi-tutorials/the-raspberry-pi-tutorial-beginners-guide this supplier's tutorial guide]
#*Some people may prefer to look in the Cumulus support forum, e.g. [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=139422#p139422 those in Cumulus support forum].
#To save you looking any of those up, this summarises what you need to do.
*You download the O.S as an imager file onto say your pc,
# Using imager software (such as belenaEtcher) you select that download image, and then you select '''write''' to save it onto the micro-SD card (don't forget this overwrites anything already on the card).
#*This should work without a need to format the card first, (but if you do need to format it, do so using a SD card formatter downloaded from https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/index.html, '''not''' for example Windows format tool).
#After this image has been stored it will have created two (or three) partitions on the micro-SD card (one the boot partition is a '''FAT''' partition that can be accessed by Windows (so you can edit files in this partition), the larger Linux '''EXT4''' partition is invisible to Windows, the optional third partition is also formatted as Linux '''EXT4''' and uses up most of any space left on a larger micro-SD card and this final partition by default is mounted as "data" under "media" in the Linux file structure).
=== Setting up Wireless Network ===
==="Reports" directory===
There is a way to set this by creating a file in the partition that Windows can see, if you are preparing your micro-SD card on a PC before moving the card to your RPi. See the [[Raspberry_Pi_Image]] page.
By default MX now creates monthly and annual reports that are in the style used by NOAA in USA. If you have been using this functionality before (and it is optional) then you need to file transfer, or copy, all the files that were in the old [[Reports folder]] into the new folder of that name. Do look at that cross-reference, and read about the encoding default differences between Cumulus 1 and MX.
How this is set up on your RPi (see [https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/configuration/wireless/wireless-cli.md instructions here] for RPi OS), depends on the model, and the operating system that is loaded on it,
*it may on first boot ask you to enter your wireless network details,
*it may list the wireless networks it finds, and ask you to choose from the listed SSID,
*it may not prompt you
** in this case, with RPi OS, you need to use the terminal mode configuration tool (see next sub-section) '''sudo raspi-config''' (select 1=configure system settings, then '''select''', then S1=Wireless LAN)
**or you might need to click on an icon with two red crosses.
=MX can cause problems with storage=
If you have had to enter wireless details into a mobile phone, you will realise what is needed:
*Most wireless networks will use Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or (from 2006) Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2) protocols, so '''WPA-PSK''' setting here is correct for you.
** Some hubs or routers or wi-fi extenders may create multiple wireless networks, and there are two possible frequencies for these.
** 2.4 GHz frequency group contains 14 channels, the 802.11 Wi-Fi standards specify a bandwidth of 22 MHz, and most channels are 5 MHz apart (but there is a 12 MHz gap between channels 13 and 14). You may get interference from a microwave oven as these use a channel in this group. The early RPi models only support this frequency group.
**5.8 GHz (sometimes abbreviated to 5 GHz) frequency group provides additional bandwidth so 802.11a & n say it carries 23 non-overlapping channels, and being at a higher frequency gives a shorter range than 2.4 GHz. There is less interference as fewer devices (including newer RPi) can afford to use the equipment that can transmit/receive at these higher frequencies.
*The ''Service Set IDentifier'' (SSID) is the name that is used for your wireless network.
**As mentioned above, you may see a list of those that have been found.
**You may have typed this into your mobile phone. Your mobile phone probably displays the SSID under any wireless icon, when it is connected to your wireless network
**It may be shown on a card that slips into a slot on your hub or router (you may have changed it from that initial setting).
**It can be up to 32 characters (letters, numbers, and symbols.
**Some routers come with a default SSID that is the manufacturer's name, if left unchanged it might conflict with a neighbour, so it is left to you to pick a SSID that is unique to you using up to 32 characters to personalise it.
*You also need to enter whatever Pre-Shared-Key (password) is used for your wireless network.
**You will have typed this into your mobile phone, so that can automatically connect to your network.
**You should have changed it (for security reasons) from whatever was shown as the initial password on the card that slips into a slot on your hub or router (possibly all you have done is add a prefix or suffix that means something to you).
**Note that your Pi is only able to use these protocols.
*Note on the Raspberry Pi 3B+ and Raspberry Pi 4B, which use channels in 5.8 GHz group, there is also a Wi-Fi network country which might be set by default, or might need to be set using GUI configuration tool Localisation tab.
**The earlier Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) was officially withdrawn in 2004 as too easy to crack, so it is not supported on a new Pi.
MX now assumes by default that you are going to use its [[New Default Web Site Information|Default Web Site]]. That means that by default MX will re-generate temporary files in its [[Web folder|/web sub-folder]] on a frequent time-scale. That number of files writes will considerably shorten the working life-time of the "high capacity micro-SD" card that is the default storage for the Raspberry Pi. It will also considerably shorten the life of any flash memory (e.g. memory card) that you might install MX on.
The expected life of any storage device, and the extent to which its life is shortened depends on the actual device. The external devices that have the longest life (and therefore can cope most easily with multiple read/write actions) are solid state discs (SSD). Also the larger the capacity of the storage device, the more places on the device where files can be stored and the storing algorithm will try to spread the storing evenly across the entire storage area, so wear at any one location is reduced.
=== Other configuration ===
All Linux computers will have some random access memory chips (RAM) and it is worthwhile to define part of that RAM as a drive used for temporary files. For a Raspberry Pi computer, a typical approach would be to edit the fstab file, adding the line ''tmpfs /run/tmp tmpfs nodev,nosuid,size=1M 0 0'', but the size you choose will depend on RAM available and what temporary files are being created. For maximum life of the "high capacity micro-SD" card if that is what your computer boots from, you should create a symbolic link path that maps the '''/tmp''' folder used by the system to your '''/run/tmp''' you have just defined in RAM. The difficulty will be that you cannot create a logical redirect on '''/tmp''' if the folder is already in use, so that makes it too complicated to explain here.
There are various other configurations you need to do on your PI.
You need to use the raspbian configuration tool '''raspi-config''',
*this can be accessed on your Pi either in a Graphical User Interface (GUI) where fewer options are available,
*or by running a command <tt>sudo raspi-config</tt> in Terminal where more options are available.
==web directory==
==== Mandatory configurations ====
All the files in this folder come from the download.
Within either Raspberian configuration utility, you will see an option to change password. You will want to do this so nobody can hack into your Raspberry Pi computer. You will need to enter the new password twice before it replaces the old one.
However, when you are running MX, it may try to create temporary files here, and following the advice above, you may decide to set up symbolic links so any attempt to create a temporary file in the "web" folder is redirected to the temporary folder you set up in RAM.
The default network (host) name for your Pi is '''raspberrypi''', that will cause a conflict if you have more than one RPi!
Anyway,The welinks you need todepend replaceon thewhich hostoptions nameyou toselect personalisein settings, you might find it easier to you,wait anduntil makeyou ithave run harderMX for a hackerwhile to knowsee what devicefiles isare represented bycreated that networkend name.in ".json".
*The name can most easily be changed within either Raspberian configuration utility, you will see a '''Network Options''' option, it is there that you change the network name.
*but it can also be edited by opening the file where it is stored using <tt>sudo nano /etc/hostname</tt>.
If MX is currently running, you need to stop it, or at least alter any options that generate .json files. Then you must delete those files that end in ".json", except that you don't delete "websitedataT.json".
Some network options can sometimes (depends on permissions) be configured by clicking an icon on the Pi (this icon might be two red crosses if network settings are missing, two parallel arrows if the network settings are not correctly set, or the wireless symbol if your wireless network is working).
In a terminal session, issue commands in the following format for each file (this example relates to Raspberry Pi and uses "/var/tmp" which was defined in the extra line added to fstab earlier):
==== Recommended configurations ====
<code>sudo ln -s /run/tmp/websitedata.json CHOSEN PATH/CumulusMX/web/websitedata.json</code>
The default '''locale''' for a Pi is normally '''en_GB.UTF-8''', as they are designed by a company based in UK. Within the configuration option, you can add additional locales (in most cases there is a UTF-8 option which is preferred and at least one other encoding), there are also a number of special alternative locales, but I am not going to explain all the options, look it up if the default locale is not acceptable.
*Whatever locale you use, if you have already been using Cumulus (1 or MX), you need to ensure the locale matches the one used for your log files. The versions of MX released from the middle of 2020 onwards are very fussy that all dates use the same delimiter (see [[Cumulus_MX_formal_release_versions]]), so you need to check the chosen locale continues to use the same date separator as before. The locale is also affected by the version of Mono you install and whether you use the locale parameter when starting MX, so I cannot cover all options.
*Anyway, the default locale is fine if you are in the UK, you use decimal points for real numbers, you use commas for list separators, and you don't have dates with month first!
*To change the locale, enter '''Localisation Options''' within the configurator provided in RPi O S in terminal mode.
Notes:
In the same option area, there are '''some more options''':
* The "-s" flag is what says you are creating a symbolic link
# Change Time-zone, '''by default UTC is used all year round'''.
* Full paths are given both for the file that MX is to be redirected to, and after it the path where it expects to create the file
#*In the UK if your Cumulus MX is set to roll over at 10am in summer, you will wish to change the time-zone to '''UK time''', because MX uses system time for many of its actions, and you want rollover at 10am BST, not 10am UTC.
* "CHOSEN PATH" is defined in [[#Where to install all packages?]], but basically it starts with a "/" and defines the path to get to where "CumulusMX" is a sub-folder.
# Change Keyboard Layout if needed, keyboards can support different numbers of characters, and can have different currency symbols, so select whatever is relevant to you
* The text "websitedata.json" is just one file in the set of files linked from [[:Category:JSON Files]].
=Running MX=
====To leave configuration====
There are multiple subsections here, you are unlikely to need to read them all. Look at each, and decide if it applies to you.
Select ‘Finish’.
== Parameters ==
= Checking all packages are up to date =
CumulusMX.exe can take a number of optional parameters as summarised here:
Periodically, and before you add new software, it is worth getting your RPi to check its respositories to see if everything already installed is using latest release.
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
!style="width:30px" | Parameter
!style="width:600px" | Description
|-
! scope="row" | -port nnnn
| This parameter can be used whether MX is running interactively or as a service. Used to change the port where the web server for the MX interface runs, when Cumulus starts, it will display the URL of the interface where you change the settings, this is port 8998 by default. To use it when running MX in interactive mode, type <code>sudo mono CumulusMX.exe -port 9999</code> and the interface will run at port 9999 instead.
|-
! scope="row" | -service
| This parameter is not available when running interactively. It is used in a service definition file, please see [[#Running MX as a Linux "systemd" service]] for all details
|-
! scope="row" | -lang {locale}
| This parameter can be used whether MX is running interactively or as a service. Used to change the locale that MX will use from the default on your computer. To use it when running MX in interactive mode, type <code>sudo mono CumulusMX.exe -lang en_GB</code. There is a list of locale codes at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/ee825488%28v=cs.20%29.aspx. Remember this changes whether MX uses decimal comma or decimal point (although the intention is that all Cumulus files will use decimal points, this will still affect the output from api calls, web tags, etc.) and how it names files that include letetrs representing a month abbreviation.
|-
! scope="row" | -debug
| This parameter can be used whether MX is running interactively or as a service. This is only available for [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=138839#p138839 release 3.4.4 - Build 3068] onwards. This switches on debug and (from 3.1.0) data logging from the start-up of Cumulus MX. Please note this increases size of files created in [[MXdiags_folder]]. As an alternative to using this parameter, you can switch debug and data logging on and off within the MX interface settings, see the aforementioned link for instructions.
|-
! scope="row" | -wsport
| Applied to MX beta 3.0.0, no longer available, set the port for web sockets, now incorporated into the -port parameter.
|-
! scope="row" | -logging
| Applied to MX beta 3.0.0, no longer available, enabled just data logging, now incorporated into the -debug parameter
|}
Note these commands do not update the kernal. You do NOT need to reboot your Linux computer for any package these commands change. (Only a kernal update needs a reboot, and a Kernal update is so complicated it is not described here).
'''Either''' type:
<pre>sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade</pre>
'''or''' to insert in single line type instead <tt>sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade</tt>.
==Your first run of MX on Linux==
= Installing Mono =
Once you have got all the files sorted out as described above, you need to run MX.
Sponsored by Microsoft, Mono is an open source implementation of Microsoft's .NET Framework based on the ECMA standards for C# and the Common Language Runtime.
On the first run of MX, unless you have run a recent release before, you need to work through either the [[First_Run_of_MX|'''Config wizard''']] or all the individual settings pages (or both) as accessed from "Settings" menu. It is suggested you run MX interactively (see below) to do this, as you will then need to close MX, and then start it up again.
== Preparing for Mono installation ==
Information about settings is on other Wiki pages ([[MX Administrative Interface]] and [[Cumulus.ini]]).
Quite often when we try to install, or update, packages on our Pi we will see messages about dependencies, and in some cases error messages saying the installation has failed or been aborted. This is why you are advised to do both '''apt-get update''' and ''apt-get upgrade'' first.
== Run interactive or as a service==
Before we can install many packages, we need to install certificates and tell our RPi where to download from.
MX can be run in two different ways.
For Mono, these vary depending upon the Raspberry operating system version we have installed, see [https://www.mono-project.com/download/stable/#download-lin-raspbian Mono download instructions for Raspberry Pi]. Here are the latest 2 options when this article was updated (if your Mono installation fails, then you selected wrong one):
It is advised that you run MX interactively to begin with, and only run it as a service when you are happy that all settings are correct, and that any uploading or other external tasks are working correctly.
For Raspberry Operating System 9 (stretch):
<pre>sudo apt install apt-transport-https dirmngr gnupg ca-certificates
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys 3FA7E0328081BFF6A14DA29AA6A19B38D3D831EF
echo "deb https://download.mono-project.com/repo/debian stable-raspbianstretch main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mono-official-stable.list
sudo apt update
</pre>
For Raspberry Operating System 10 (buster):
<pre>sudo apt install apt-transport-https dirmngr gnupg ca-certificates
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys 3FA7E0328081BFF6A14DA29AA6A19B38D3D831EF
echo "deb https://download.mono-project.com/repo/debian stable-raspbianbuster main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mono-official-stable.list
sudo apt update</pre>
== Installing Mono instruction ==
With all the pre-requisites correct as in previous steps, you can install mono package by simply typing <tt>sudo apt-get install -y mono-complete</tt>.
*The "sudo" part of this gives us super-user rights when executing the instruction that follows
*The "apt-get" is one of the ways to search the Raspberry repository for applications, it is more powerful than just "apt"
*The "install" is the action we want to do
*The '''-y''' flag means the installation will happen without us needing to confirm we want it to install the packages identified.
*The "mono-complete" is the package we want.
With latest installs of rPi, you can also use <tt>sudo apt install mono-complete -y</tt>
It is important to note that MX requires the ''complete'' edition of mono. (There is also a cut-down developer edition of Mono that can be downloaded/installed, and that is the default installation).
==Tidying Mono Installation==
Installing mono-complete has probably added some components not needed for your particular Linux distribution. To remove unneeded components type <tt>sudo autoremove</tt>.
Now you have what is needed to run any executable related to Cumulus, not just '''CumulusMX.exe'''.
= Completing Package Installation =
As the Pi does not know exactly which components are needed when multiple packages are installed with various dependencies, sometimes extra components are installed which in the end are not needed when you complete all your installations.
To clear up, delete any components that are not included in dependencies by typing <tt>sudo apt autoremove</tt>.
=Cumulus MX =
== Downloading and Unzipping MX Distribution ==
For simplicity, MX is installed into standard Pi user's home directory ('''~/CumulusMX''') here, as that simplifies permissions, you don't need super user priviliges to write in the home directory. The image that Mark Crossley provides has MX pre-installed into '''/opt/CumulusMX'''.
You might instead choose to install it on an external drive which has two significant advantages:
#there are certain files within MX that are updated very frequently, such constant rewriting can lead to a shorter life for your micro-SD card,
#*by using an external drive for MX, MX files are less likely to be lost, and you are less likely to lose your operating system off your micro-SD card
#if you accidentally were to corrupt a critical file on your Raspberry Pi, you would need to rebuild the operating system image, and that deletes all existing files on the micro-SD card, including any related to MX, and you don't want to lose your precious data
Both the optional "data" directory created by NOOBS, and any external drive that has been mounted, normally appear within "/media/pi" in the file structure, but the exact path depends on your set-up, and might not be as predicted here.
The procedure is exactly same on your Raspberry Pi, as it would be on a Windows PC:
# It is recommended, you type <tt>sudo mkdir ~/CumulusMX</tt> first, so you already have folder ready for MX, but the file can be created by unzipping the distribution into home directory ('''~''').
#Run the browser you have available on your Raspberry Pi (the installed browser depends on what Operating System you installed)
#To find the link to latest release distribution zip in the Cumulus Wiki, open the [[Software#Current_Release|Software article in the Current_Release section]].
#Download the MX distribution from the link that appears there, Mark will update it for each release he makes.
If the latest release has bugs (it is impossible for the developer to check all the ways in which versatile MX can be used), you can Download whatever older version of MX you have decided to install from [https://github.com/cumulusmx/CumulusMX/releases CumulusMX/releases].
#If you are downloading the distribution on your Pi, the easiest option is to download into '''~/downloads''' folder.
#* Whether this location is the default, or you are asked to select location will depend on whether your browser's default settings have been changed.
#When download completes, use the mouse to click on the download file name, this should ask if you want to extract (unzip) it.
#Ensure the file unzips into your personal home directory "/home/pi", although you could place it elsewhere, this is the easiest place to find (because it can also be represented by "~").
==Upgrading to a new release==
Follow above instructions, again.
'''Either''' install new release on top of old release, '''or''' install in new place (follow all instructions as if new installation for adding existing log files) remembering that <tt>sudo mono CumulusMX.exe</tt> instruction has to be issued in new place.
== MX Back-up issues ==
You should ensure that you backup the critical files ([[Cumulus.ini]], [[strings.ini]], all files in '''data''' folder, any files in '''Report''' folder) on a regular basis to another computer (or to your web site) and not rely on any back-ups that MX does.
== Configuration issues ==
To learn more about configuration, please see [[MX Administrative Interface]] and [[Cumulus.ini]] articles.
In the earlier MX releases, some settings can be changed in the admin graphical interface (these are labelled read-write), but some (labelled read-only) must be configured by stopping Cumulus and editing the configuration file.
More recent releases simplify the process, all settings can be configured using the interface. So if this is your first use of Cumulus MX (even if you used the legacy Cumulus before), then on first starting the software, you can configure all the settings. Now stop and restart MX to ensure all those settings are picked up.
===General Issues when configuring===
'''If you have not used Cumulus before''', there is useful guidance in various other articles that is not repeated here (it may seem a lot to read, but reading these instructions may save you from days of issues:
*The settings available will vary depending on which release of MX you are installing/running
**You need to work through all the settings web pages in the interface, to ensure that you have made all the settings needed for your set up.
**Please note that some settings are related (e.g. you need to enable real-time before any real-time actions can be selected; equally you need to enable moon image generation before you can tick the moon upload option; these are just the 2 most common errors)
*For general advice relating to [[:Category:Cumulus MX| various MX issues]], study all the links in that category
*For [[What to do when I have a problem with MX]], follow that link
*An article that needs someone to spend a lot of time improving it is [[Cumulus MX FAQ]], but the article could be useful
*If you were using the original (now leagcy) Cumulus software, please read [[Migrating_from_Cumulus_1_to_MX]], although that is mostly directed at those using MX on the same Windows PC as they used for Cumulus 1, it will help you understand configuration differences.
*If you previously ran MX on a Microsoft Windows PC, and now intend to run MX on your RPi, be aware that the characters terminating each line in any files copied across may need editing (see next sub-section).
===Configuration Issues when moving from Windows to Linux===
Remember as mentioned earlier, the configuration file [[Cumulus.ini]] may need editing to update port names, any command locations, and to update file locations.
Whilst you will find using the admin interface to make changes is easiest because it (in many cases) limits the selections to those that are valid.
However, editing the Cumulus.ini file directly might be easier if you want to do repeat edits (e.g. changing multiple paths for files is easier using a repeat edit, than wading through all extra web file options in the interface).
Here are the main points (based on MX being installed in home folder):
*There is advice about port names at [[Cumulus.ini#Swapping_from_Cumulus_1_to_MX]].
*For '''Extra Web Files''', local file names will look like ''/home/pi/CumulusMX/web/trendsT.htm'' for the standard templates, or it might be something like '''/home/pi/cumulus_Templates/valuesRecentForDetailT.js''' if you have created your own templates.
**''Please note'' that Cumulus MX program code DOES NOT recognise "'''~/'''" as shorthand for '''/home/pi/'''.
**Your remote file names, if you have a local server as set up in the notes in the optional sections later, will look like ''/var/www/html/weather/trends.html'' or '''/var/www/html/weather/js/valuesRecentForTrends.js''', depending on your folder structure.
**If you pay for a commercial web server, remote file names will be as specified by them and not dependent on what device MX is on.
**Remember ''if web site is on your Pi'', MX needs full '''rw''' permissions to the HTML folder on your web site, so give permissions recursively using <tt>sudo chmod -R ugo+rw /var/www/html</tt> for Cumulus MX to successfully copy there.
== Keeping existing data and Reports files ==
'''If you have used Cumulus before''', you will be seeking to keep your existing log files.
To get the entire content of your existing '''data''' and '''Reports''' folder onto your Pi:
*you could copy them onto the micro-SD card, or a memory stick, (and move that between PC and Pi)
*you can transfer files across the wireless or Ethernet network using FileZilla Client (or an alternative file transfer tool).
Assuming you have installed the Raspberry Pi Operating System or another Linux distribution, and your files were created by Microsoft Windows, then ideally all your files should be edited so they simply use Line_feed (LF) to terminate all lines. This can be easily done on your RPi by opening each file in an editor like '''Geany'' (part of the programming collection in the full RPi OS installation that is designed for computer files. Geany can be set to always save every file with '''LF''' only on every line regards of what was used on any individual line when file was read; plus it can have multiple files open.
If you are editing on another operating system, '''Notepad++''' is an easy to use editor that is designed for computer files. It has some capabilities to do changes to all open files.
If you have been using the Windows Operating System each line in each file will be terminated by two control characters (carriage_return and Line_feed). That is fine if you have installed a Windows OS on your Raspberry Pi.
If you are a novice and your files contain both '''CR''' and '''LF''', the Linux will only use the '''LF''' as end of line character, and will treat the '''CR''' as an indication the file is not in Linux format. This might give problems if you try to use one of the basic text editors provided with RPi OS, but MX will cope.
===using file transfer===
On a Microsoft Windows PC, [https://winscp.net/eng/download.php WinSCP] is a popular choice for file transfer (FTP and SFTP). It can be done using command lines in a (Powershell, Command, or Terminal) window. Alternatively, it uses a Graphical User Interface, that can support multiple tabs, and background. For full features see [https://winscp.net/eng/docs/feature_index here]. As it is designed just for Windows, it can appear in right click menus. Another benefit is that it shares some settings with [https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html Putty SSH client], if you will use that to link to your RPi.
A common FTP client, available on most devices is FileZilla Client.
First of all you need to configure your FTP client, unless you have done that previously and saved the configuration:
*The quickest way in FileZilla is to fill out the "quick connect boxes".
*The quickest way in WinSCP is to use its command line options.
*The following apply to all clients using GUI.
* Host - this is the IPv4 address of your Pi, I can't tell you what it is, but it is likely to be '''192.168.z.xy''' where the z is probably "1", but it could be another single figure like 0, and the xy is two (or perhaps three) figures you can find out by looking for "pi" (or whatever host username you have set on your Pi) in the admin interface for your hub or router. (It can also be found out by typing <tt>hostname -I</tt>). Most networks are setup in a way that the subnet range is from 192.168.1.0 to 192.168.1.255.
**If your Raspberry Pi has both Wireless and Ethernet connections, you will have two possible IPv4 addresses, choose either, the Ethernet one is likely to be quicker.
* Username - the default for this is '''raspberrypi''' (although on older Pi it might be '''Pi'''), but you can may have changed this (as described earlier). (It can be found by typing <tt>hostname</tt>) or by looking at the contents of the file '''/etc/hostname'''.
* Password - again the default for this is '''raspberry''' but we changed it as one of the mandatory configurations earlier.
* Port - 22 is the default, (and I have not said how you can change this on a RPi!)
Click the button to '''Connect''' and you should see the local files in the left frame and your Pi home files in the right frame. The easiest way is to find the folder called '''data''' in the distribution on the left and drag it to the correct position in the right hand frame. Then all you need to do is watch the progress until it successfully finishes.
If you are going to continue using Filezilla, there are options to save the current configuration and to set up a number of alternative configurations (specifying in advanced tab different locations on your PC and different locations on your Pi).
== Running Cumulus MX ==
Whilst effectively MX is run by '''sudo mono CumulusMX.exe''', you actually need to ensure all the other components are loaded, so you either have a package that runs it for you, or you click a shortcut that includes the necessary path setting.
(When this section of the notes was written, there were topics in the support forum about ways to use scripts for starting/stopping MX, but the distribution did not include any such controlling scripts.
Subsequently, scripts were provided in the release package.
Perhaps someone would be kind enough to rewrite this section and sub-sections).
=== Optional parameters to add to the instruction to run the MX engine ===
Beta builds in MX version 3.0.0 had an optional parameter <tt>-wsport nnnn</tt> that determined which port (represented by a 4 digit number ''nnnn'') was used for '''WebSockets'''. That parameter is now deprecated as WebSockets in all builds since 3045 uses the same port as the rest of the [[MX_Administrative_Interface#The_API_interface|Admin Interface]]. The remaining parameters that are still available are described in subsequent sub-sections.
==== Parameter for changing Port ====
When Cumulus starts, it will display the URL of the user interface. It runs on port 8998 by default; if this is not suitable for some reason you can over-ride it using the '-port' parameter on the command line, e.g. to use port 9999 instead:
<pre>sudo mono CumulusMX.exe -port 9999</pre>
==== Parameter for adding debugging ====
MX has a default level of logging that stores in the [[MXDiags_folder]] folder a log file that shows some of the interaction with the weather station and some of the output actions done as MX runs. A new log is started each time MX is restarted.
If there is a problem, then there is a great benefit in actually increasing the level of detail in these logs; and that is done either within the settings ('''options''' section of ''station settings'') in admin interface while MX is running, or by adding 1 or 2 parameters when you start MX. Obviously this log file continues to grow, the longer MX is left running, and if debugging is switched on the file will grow in size must faster. Consequently, the default is not to add the extra debugging information and the settings can be used to switch it off again if you do have it switched on. Whether you start it with a parameter or enable it within settings, stopping MX will end the extra debugging, and on restart it will default back to no debugging unless turned on again with parameter or setting.
You can also add '''CumulusMX.exe -debug''' (to have full debugging of actions by MX turned on as MX starts), and/or '''CumulusMX.exe -Logging=1''' (for the station to MX transfers to have increased debugging logging).
<pre>sudo mono CumulusMX.exe -debug -Logging=1</pre>
Since this parameter is applied when you start MX, it applies while MX continues to run. Obviously, it must be applied every time you start MX if you want this increased level of logging to continue every time you restart MX.
The comments in the MX source suggests -debug turns on both debug and data logging (see [[MX_Administrative_Interface#Options|Station_Settings#Options]] in admin interface settings), but I believe that is wrong as per example above, there are 2 separate parameters.
==== Parameter for changing Locale ====
On Linux and (in particular) OS X, Cumulus MX may not be given the correct locale to use, and you may get the default US locale even if that is not your locale. It will output the local it is using when it starts; if it is not correct, close it down and start it again, this time specifying your locale on the command line, using the -lang parameter . For example, in the UK, on a non-Windows device type:
<pre>
sudo mono CumulusMX.exe -lang en-GB
</pre>
Other local examples: '''CumulusMX.exe Current culture: English (United States)''', '''CumulusMX.exe -lang de-DE''', '''CumulusMX.exe -lang el-GR''' (this is one of the locales that reads numbers with '''integer,decimal''' format), '''CumulusMX.exe -lang nl-NL'''.
If you are not sure what value you need to supply for the -lang parameter, there is a list here - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/ee825488%28v=cs.20%29.aspx. You need to supply the code in the first column ("Language Culture Name") in that list.
Note that this does not affect the language used by Cumulus MX (although it may in the future), it affects the decimal separator and the list separator.
Note that you ''may'' need to supply your administrator password after typing the 'sudo ...' command line. The system will prompt you for this if it is needed.
=== Setting up as a service ===
Unless you are running a very old release, MX has ability to run as a service.
#There is a task to do just once to configure the service
#Find the '''CumulusMX/MXutils/linux/''' subfolder within what we will call EXISTING PATH, that might be in home directory and therefore found using "~" as explained elsewhere on this page
#* At time of typing this, the subfolder only contains one file, the one we need to edit
# Use <tt>sudo nano cumulusmx.service</tt> to edit the service configuration file
# Look for '''ExecStart=/usr/bin/mono-service -d:'''
#* Replace the path that follows the above text with the path to your CumulusMX.exe, add the '''-service''' and optionally add any other parameter (e.g. '''-debug''', -locale, -port) as described in sub-sections above.
#save file
#now copy file
:<tt>sudo cp EXISTING_PATH/CumulusMX/MXutils/linux/cumulusmx.service /etc/systemd/system/</tt>
If you upgrade to a new release, the file in EXISTING PATH will be overwritten, but the critical file in "/etc/sytemd/system" will not be affected.
Running interactively allows MX to display error messages to you, and to confirm when it is running normally. Just in case it is not obvious .... if you start any executable interactively in a terminal window on your Pi, you must leave that session running, or that executable will stop running
===Running as a service===
If you run MX as a service you do not get any direct feedback, and cannot see if there has been a problem or failure. Running as a "systemd" service was first made available at Patch release 3.8.4 - b3094 (14 September 2020).
If you want MX to automatically start when your Linux computer is booted, just type <tt>sudo systemctl enable cumulusmx</tt> once, and it will be activated on each reboot.
==Running MX interactively==
To manually start MX as a service, (such as after any MX upgrade to a new release, or when you want to first run it), simply type <tt>sudo systemctl start cumulusmx</tt>
To run MX interactively, you must open a terminal window, and leave it open until after you have closed MX.
The simplest instruction to run Cumulus MX is <code>cd CHOSEN PATH/CumulusMX && sudo mono CumulusMX.exe [optional parameters]</code>.
Use <tt>systemctl status cumulusmx.service</tt> in a terminal session to see status of Cumulus service
* This is two commands issued together, the first changes the working folder, the "&&" means that first command has to succeed before the second command is obeyed and actually starts the main executable
* This example has not included any optional parameters, as they are rarely needed, but the optional parameters available are as listed in table earlier.
When you want MX to stop, you must (for Linux) within your terminal session hold down the "Ctrl" button on your keyboard, and press "c". A word of caution here, if you are accessing your Linux computer over a network from another computer, do be careful about using any control sequences, as it is possible that your "Ctrl" "C" sequence will be applied to an application other than Cumulus MX, if that terminal session has started more than one application. The issue is that all running applications use the same terminator, it should be applied to whatever is regarded as the "foreground" application at the moment the control key sequence is used, which is guaranteed to be MX if that terminal session has only been used for running MX, and MX has not launched any external applications. After that you can choose to close the terminal window.
=== Running with a terminal session left open ===
===Interactive advice===
Whichever operating system you are using, to run MX requires an instruction that changes to the directory where it is installed (the instruction below is assuming it is in the standard Pi user home directory, the change directory command will be different if you have installed it elsewhere), and then starting the executable (using mono in the instruction below that applies to any non-Windows operating system). You may wish to add [[Cumulus_MX#Optional_parameters_to_add_to_the_instruction_to_run_the_MX_engine|Optional_parameters]].
If you have followed advice at [[#Where to install all packages?]], the user you are using will own the "CHOSEN PATH/CumulusMX" folder and you ''may'' be able to omit the "sudo" befor the "mono". I say "may" because there are other reasons why you may need to run as root user, too technical to explain here.
The simplest instruction to run Cumulus MX is <tt>cd CumulusMX && sudo mono CumulusMx.exe</tt>. Just in case it is not obvious .... if you start MX using this command in a terminal window on your Pi, you must leave that session running, then MX will continue to run.
You can start it off directly on your Pi, and then
*optionally disconnect the keyboard,
*switch off monitor or TV attached to your Pi,
*Just ensure you leave Pi on (with that window minimised) so that terminal session continues running.
===Running MX interactively from a remote computer===
Use <tt>ps -ef | grep -i cumulus | grep -v grep</tt> to see if Cumulus is running or not.
This is similar to running a terminal session on the machine that you installed MX on. If your remote computer is running Microsoft Windows, then the option to run a terminal session, may be called "terminal", "powershell window", "command window", or you might install software such as "PuTTY" to provide the teminal (TTY is the abbreviation for "teletype", a device that was commonly used to access computers in the 1970s and early 1980s).
= A very quick introduction to Linux =
These won't be explained any further here, but be aware that control key sequences may not work, and you may need to type "exit" to close the session.
This article is not the place to teach you Linux, you can find books and on-line articles for yourself, but I list here enough for you to understand the instructions used elsewhere in this article.
Use <code>'''ps -ef | grep -i cumulus | grep -v grep'''</code> to see if Cumulus is running or not.
If you have a Raspberry Pi with a monitor attached, you will see a raspberry icon that you can click to get Graphical User Interface access to many features, including shutdown options.
== Running another executable with a terminal session left open ==
You might find [https://www.educative.io/blog/bash-shell-command-cheat-sheet bash-shell-command-cheat-sheet] useful if you are wanting to learn some useful commands to enter in terminal mode, but there are hundreds of other Linux command guides available online.
Open a terminal window, then navigate to the folder where you have installed the 3 Cumulus executables:
== su and sudo ==
To run "Create Missing utility" type <code>cd CHOSEN PATH/CumulusMX && sudo mono CreateMissing.exe</code>. It does not take any parameters, so that is all you need to know, although it is fully documented at [[Calculate_Missing_Values#CreateMissing.exe]] in this Wiki.
There is a command <tt>su</tt> that allows a terminal session to become a super user session with root privileges. If you use that command, without a '''sudo''' command in front, you need to type in the password (we changed earlier) when prompted. if you type <tt>sudo su</tt>, then you get root privileges without being asked to quote password. All subsequent lines in this terminal session will have a prompt that reminds you that you have root access and do not need to prefix subsequent commands with "sudo".
To run [[Software#Export_To_MySQL|Export To My SQL]], you change the name of the executable above and add the necessary parameters, follow that link for more details.
Normally, all terminal sessions will use the default "pi" user, and for individual commands, you will use a "sudo" prefix each time that command needs administrative rights, as this allows a standard Pi user to do tasks that otherwise only work for the root user.
You might use a "sudo" prefix if you need to access a part of the file structure that your user does not have any access to, or where the standard user does not have write (or execute) access.
==Running MX as a Linux "systemd" service==
There are also some commands (like displaying mounted storage) that are not available to a standard user. Here are 3 system commands that in terminal mode will only ever work with this prefix (although if you have installed the version of the Raspberry Pi Operating System that supports a graphical user interface you can also select these actions from a menu):
*'''sudo halt''' = stops any cpu functions, but leaves Pi running; used when you have reached the end of commands you want to do for now
*'''sudo poweroff''' = makes pi do a tidy shutdown and turn off its power; used when you will not be using your Pi for a while
*'''sudo reboot''' (or "sudo reboot -verbose" for diagnostic output during shutdown and reboot) = makes your Pi close down and then reboot; used when you change settings, and after you install new software, to ensure Pi starts with all applications running using the latest settings and latest already installed software
There is a one-off task to define a service file, after that you can simply issue commands to stop/start/restart the service.
== ~ and / ==
For more information, see [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=146473#p146473 original release announcement].
The tilde symbol '''~''' denotes the home directory for the current user. Sub-directories within the current user's folder can be identified by '''~/documents''' or similar notation.
===The Service definition file===
To reference a folder in root or any other area, the prefix is always '''/'''.
The MX download includes a file that can be used as a starting point for the service definition. Find this file at ''CHOSEN PATH/CumulusMX/MXutils/linux/cumulusmx.service''. You do have to edit this file, and then you have to copy it to a new location, before you start the MX service for the first time.
If you are using the RPi OS GUI, it provides a file manager that displays folders and files, and if you have a mouse you can click on an object to see what actions are available. The file manager has "Home" and "Root" as bookmarks by default, you can bookmark others. Typically, any new partitions created can also be accessed from bookmarks. Depending on options you select, there may be icons on the GUI desktop to link to particular folders and clicking on these offers various options including opening them in file manager.
# Open the file at ''CHOSEN PATH/CumulusMX/MXutils/linux/cumulusmx.service'' using an editor (see [[Preparing_your_Linux_computer_for_MX#editing_files|editing_files]]).
In a terminal environment, to see what files and folders are in the current directory, type <tt>dir</tt> for just names or <tt>ls</tt> for details.
#* On a Raspberry Pi with a graphical interface, use the file manager to navigate to this file, right click the file named, and select "Geany's Programmers Editor".
#* If you are accessing from another computer, using a terminal session, then "nano" is a suitable editor (explained at link just mentioned).
# Within the provided file you should find a [Service] section:
<pre>[Service]
User=root
Group=root
ExecStart=/usr/bin/mono-service -d:/home/install/CumulusMX CumulusMX.exe -service
Type=forking
ExecStopPost=/bin/rm -f /tmp/CumulusMX.exe.lock</pre>
*Be aware that what quoted above applies from MX 3.16.0 (b.3182, 30 Apr 2022) onwards, earlier releases did not include the "-f" flag in final line quoted above.
== external storage ==
:There is more in the file, but for now focus on the line including "ExecStart=/usr/bin/mono-service -d:". Don't change any of the bit I just quoted.
Generally, if you attach USB storage (a disc or a stick), Linux OS distributions will detect any existing partitions (yes a technical term) and allow you to read files stored in them. This applies whether the partition is formatted for Linux or for Microsoft Windows.
Almost certainly you will need to change "/home/install/CumulusMX" on that line. Replace that with "CHOSEN PATH/CumulusMX", i.e. the full path to the directory that the executables are being stored in.
However, you may have a brand new, unformatted, drive, or you may want to delete, or add partitions, or to format them as Linux partitions (as these make the input/output significantly more efficient).
The final line, with all possible parameters, could read: <code>'ExecStart=/usr/bin/mono-service -d:CHOSEN PATH/CumulusMX CumulusMX.exe -service -debug -port 999 - lang el-GR</code>
You can install software that uses a GUI to make this easy, e.g. '''gparted''' [https://gparted.org/ partition editor].
* Note the space between the path (just looked at) and the executable file,
* Note the mandatory parameter "-service" that follows a space after the "CumulusMX.exe", you must leave that untouched,
* Note you can remove/keep the rest of the line after the -service i.e. the other parameters (some with their values) -lang, -port, or -debug, (as defined in table earlier), are all optional.
Technical user may do other edits on the file, these will be described later, for now save the changed file under a new name (so it won't be lost when you do a MX upgrade that replaces original file) within your MX installation:
Alternatively, you can use a terminal session, and lots of commands:
# Open the "File" menu, and select "Save as" and enter a new name '''cumulusmx_edited.service'''
#connect your external storage
# Exit out of the editor you are using
#type '''su''' to gain administrative access
# Next, open a terminal session
#enter your RPi password
# Now copy file to where it is needed to run the service <code>sudo cp EXISTING_PATH/CumulusMX/MXutils/linux/cumulusmx_edited.service /etc/systemd/system/cumulusmx.service</code>
#type '''fdisk -l''' (this is only available to root user) to see names for all storage your Linux computer can see
# Now type <code>sudo systemctl daemon-reload</code>, this tells "systemd" that it needs to reload all service definitions because either one has changed, or a new one has been added
#an external drive will be named something like ''/dev/sd''''a''''' although that "a" might be "b" or a subsequent letter in alphabet depending on what has already been assigned
# Finally, '''optionally''', create a symbolic link to that file using <code>sudo systemctl enable cumulusmx</code> if you want the service to automatically start after a reboot
# if "sda" and "sdb" appear, or any others up to "sdz", the last one will relate to the most recently connected storage
#if your drive has partitions, then you will see further entries like '''/dev/sda1''' and ''/dev/sda2''.
#type '''df''' to see whether your drive is currently mounted (being used by computer system)
#if it is mounted, the command to use next is (type this accurately, there is a temptation to type an English word that adds an extra "n"!) <tt>umount /dev/sda</tt>, obviously replace the "a" by the appropriate letter seen in the earlier command
#if the drive does not have a partition, create one using <tt>fdisk /dev/sda</tt>, again changing the "a" into whatever letter was seen in response to the first "fdisk" command
#*"fdisk" is a utility, it will wait for further instructions, follow each with pressing "Enter"
#*type '''n''' as instruction to create a new partition
#*type '''p''' to make this the primary partition on this drive
#* type '''1''' to make this the first partition
#*accept default offered for first cylinder
#*accept default offered for last cylinder, if this is only partition, as that ensures the whole disk (apart from partition table) is available for your data
#*for simplicity, this guidance will not cover the possibility of multiple partitions
#*type '''t''' to say you are specifying the way you want this partition to be specified in partition table
#*optionally type '''L''' to see what file system types are available for the partition table
#*to select a "Linux" partition, type '''83'''
#*type '''w''' to create the partition you have now specified for Linux.
#Now we have a partition table and a partition on our drive, we can repeat '''fdisk -l''' to see the entry now added, it might be '''/dev/sda1''', where again the "a" might be a different letter
#To format this partition for Linux, we specify "ext4" as the way to format it using <tt>mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda1</tt>, again replacing the "a" as required.
#we need to create a folder within
#*"/media" for Linux in general
#*"/media/pi" for Raspberry PI OS
# As we will learn later, the relevant command (in RPi OS) is '''mkdir /media/pi/my_short_name''', where "my_short_name" is selected by you
#To mount our partition, we type <tt>mount /dev/sda1 /media/pi/my_short_name</tt>, where "sda1" is replaced by "sdb1" or whatever we saw in '''fdisk -l''', and "pi/my_short_name" is replaced by whatever we used in our make directory command.
#To (optionally) get our partition mounted at boot, we can use an editor (see later) to change the boot instructions, by typing <tt>nano /etx/fstab</tt>
#*In the editor, use the down arrow on your keyboard to move to last line, and then type '''/dev/sda1''' (change the "a" as necessary), then press "tab", then type '''/media/pi/my_short_name''' (change "pi/my_short_name" to whatever we used in our make directory command), then press "tab", then type '''ext4''' (again matching the format type we selected earlier), then press "tab", then type '''defaults''', then press "tab", then type '''1''', then press "tab", then finally type '''2'''
#*save the file (as described later in nano sub-section), hold down control key and press '''o'' letter key. Press "enter" again to confirm same file name.
#* exit nano by holding control key and pressing "x" key.
====Technical users - additional edits====
Novice users, skip this subsection. ''The changes in this subsection have to be made with other changes that are not covered here'' (they depend on your weather station type, and your computer type, so are not appropriate to a Wiki page trying to generalise, and anyway your contributor is not a technical expert).
== folder commands ==
:Look at the '''[Service]''' part of the file quoted above.
To make a new folder in the current directory, type <tt>sudo mkdir folder_name</tt>.
This states Cumulus should use root for both the user it runs under and for the group permissions it uses. ''If you have the technical expertise'', you might choose to run MX in a different user, if your weather station type allows MX to run in a different user. If so, replace the "root" in its two locations. (Please note some weather stations require other changes outside this file before Cumulus can make contact, one example is discussed [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=20413 on support forum here], but there are other topics that may be relevant).
To remove a directory type in a particular path, type <tt>rmdir /path/directory</tt>. You lose any contents, so it is best to only use this whenthe directory is empty.
You may also wish to add an extra line after the "Group" line <code>ExecStartPre=/bin/sleep 5</code>, this [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=163754#p163754 is to delay the starting of MX by 5 seconds while other services start] (on a reboot of your computer) that might affect MX. (For some users, change 5 into 10, it all depends what else is being started).
To copy folders/files from one directory to another use <tt>cp -R --update --preserve /home/pi/CumulusMX/backup/daily /media/pi/data/CumulusMX/archive</tt>
:Look at the rest of the file, the '''[Unit]''' part.
To create a logical pointer to a folder or file elsewhere, within a folder that does not have that folder/file, <tt>ln -s /path/elsewhere path/pointer_location</tt>. An example might be '''ln -s /usr/share/phpliteadmin/diary.db ~/CumulusMX/data/diary.db''' which would let MX see and update a database maintained by phpLiteAdmin.
For releases 3.8.4 to 3.15.0: you will see one reference to '''network-online.target''' in <code>After=network-online.target</code>.
=== chmod ===
For release 3.15.1 build 3170 (19 March 2022) onwards: you will see an extra line <code>Wants=network-online.target</code>
When you are attempting any of the actions listed in this article that involve reading, creating, editing, exeduting, or moving, files; you might see an error message generally because of a lack of write (or execute) permissions on an existing file or folder. Whilst <tt>rm filename</tt> will remove a file even if it is write protected, for nano you need to change the file permissions with <tt>sudo chmod -R ugo+rw ~/CumulusMX</tt> for modify access to all files in your Cumulus installation (see the syntax below if you want to restrict access).
If you are a technical user, you might decide to edit the [Unit] part of the file, you have to decide what is needed in your context, only you know what other services are started by systemd on your computer, you can list all items using something like <code>systemctl list-unit-files</code> to see the services, but you still need to understand what each does.
If your computer has online access, then it can look up the correct time online and adjust its clock. However, it might not even try to do that for say 10 minutes after being booted, and so there may be a benefit in making MX wait until after systemd has asked for the time to be synced, and asked that the local file-system is made ready so MX can read/update/store files. To achieve this, you might choose to add a blank line after '''<nowiki>Documentation=https://cumuluswiki.org/a/Main_Page</nowiki>''' and in that blank line, type <code>Requires= time-sync.target local-fs.target</code>. Using "Requires" ensures these requesting events have happened before MX can start, if they fail, MX will not be started, this example has not specified a time that MX should wait for the other services to start!
*'''chmod''' command to modify permissions
* the '''-R''' indicates recursive action (i.e. including not just the named folder, but all files within it and all sub-folders, and all files within sub-folders)
*letters indicating whose permission is being modified
** '''u''' = Owning user (sometimes the owner is the user root, sometimes the owner is the user Pi, for our web pages later we change ownership)
** '''g''' = Group (by default the owning user is also a group, but a group can be defined if you want to give multiple users (with different passwords) the same rights of access)
** '''o''' = Other users (write permission here is needed if for example you are using FTP to move a file from a PC to your Pi, or vice versa)
* sign for add or remove permissions
* '''+''' = add permission
* '''-''' = remove permission
*letters indicating what permission is being changed
** '''r''' = read [4]
** '''w''' = write [2]
** '''x''' = execute [1]
For that ''time-sync.target'' to work, you need to '''enable''', by creating the symbolic links needed, the appropriate services outside this edit:
Note that as an alternative shorter syntax you can use numbers e.g. '''666''' is equivalent to '''ugo+rw'''. The first digit in the number relates to ''u'', the second to ''g'' and the last to ''o''. The values in [] brackets in list of permissions above are added to derive each digit. So if you are reading the Cumulus support forum and you see a reference to permissions which includes a string of 3 digits, now you can understand what is meant.
<pre>sudo systemctl enable --now systemd-timesyncd.service
sudo systemctl enable --now systemd-time-wait-sync.service
=== editing files ===
*Do remember that file names are case sensitive.
*If you use the wrong case in a path/file name, it will be treated as a different "new" file.
*If a file editor does not display content you were expecting, look in case "new file" message appears because you have made a typo in the path/file name.
There are various text editors available on a Pi,
*if you have a mouse and click on a file, you should see "text editor" listed, that loads '''Mousepad''' which has a menubar at the top of its "Windows" like interface.
*in terminal mode '''nano''' is a text editor that by default lists the actions available making it easier for a novice to use.
*in both the GUI and terminal mode, Geary is a programmer's editor with lots of useful funtionality
All editors can create a file when a file does not exist and edit (subject to file permissions) an existing file. Use prefix of 'sudo' to give you access to any file irrespective of ownership, '''sudo''' does not change the actual file permissions, so you might find you can read a file, but not save it after you have done your edit.
====nano====
The full syntax is <tt>sudo nano -B Path_file_name</tt> where the '''-B''' means it will create a backup of how the file was before (this can be enabled while in the editor by pressing the control key down and typing B). Alternatively use '''-C''' which stores each version in a back-up directory. If you want to edit from a particular line and column you can use '''+line.column''', and also optionally use '''-l''' (lower-case "L") to display line numbers which might be useful when trying to correct a problem with a log file like [[dayfile.txt]]. If you don't specify a file name, then nano will create a new file and you will need to specify where to save it before exit.
After typing the nano command you need to specify a filename (it might include a path, see earlier sub-section for use of '''/''' and '''~''') and there are examples later in this article, but if you decide to ''host a web site on your Pi'' then you might want to edit its home page with (.html or .php) name like <tt>sudo nano /var/www/html/index.php</tt>.
After you have made an alteration to the current contents of the file, various options are shown at the bottom. Here are two key ones:
*First is '''^O''' which is used to save the file whilst staying in the editor, to do this press the control key down and type O. Next it shows the current file name, if you press '''Enter''' then that file will be overwritten.
**it allows you to type over the file name shown. If you choose to save as another file, you will be asked if the new name is correct (type '''Y''' to continue saving).
*Another is '''^X''' which means if you press the control key down and type X you get the exit dialogue. If you have not made any edits, or have already saved the file, this just exits the editor. If you have not used control and O to save the file, it asks whether you want to save the edited file (type '''Y'''), typing just the Y key lets save continue (any other key stroke exits without saving), then it shows the current file name, if you press '''Enter''' then that file will be overwritten.
You might find it useful to type <tt>sudo nano /etc/nanorc</tt> as this puts you into the configuration file for nano where you can set back-up, line-numbering, and other options.
====Geany====
This uses a GUI, you can set preferences and do all other actions using either menu selections (use mouse or keyboard) or control sequences (on keyboard). Once it knows what type of programming language, it can colour up the code; it can show you how many times variable identifiers are used; it can match opening and closing quotes, tags, and brackets; and it can ensure encoding and line terminators are correct.
Line-numbering is an option, so it can be used to edit MX log files, and (as BOM is an encoding option) you can be sure it won't add unwanted encoding.
== removing an unwanted file ==
You can remove a file with various commands, including <tt>sudo rm filename</tt>.
== install ==
This is used for installing packages, you will often see it used with a parameter '''-y'''; as without that parameter you have to type '''Y''' to continue at each step of an install.
It is important to mention here that the version of packages installed using '''apt-get''' may well be obsolete, this install is finding versions from a Raspberian repository, more recent versions may be available from the providers of each package.
To keep this guidance simple, it says accept the Operating System that is installed by NOOBS, even if it is not the latest available from the Raspberian web site, it says accept the versions of Mono, Apache, PHP, MariaDB, and others, that are found at the time you issue the install command.
The update and upgrade command that appears in multiple places in this article is still only finding the versions available in the repository, and is included just in case the repository is being updated after any install finishes.
If you have more skill than the level of the person at which this guidance is aimed at, then you should know how to install the latest version from the appropriate web sites. However, most download pages will recognise if they are accessed from a computer running Linux, and will give you guidance on how you ensure latest version is installed. The optional "phpMyAdmin" installation described later describes a way to install the latest version, as the version available in Raspberry respository is not compatible with the default PHP version in that respository!
== Miscellaneous ==
I have created a section here, in case anyone wants to add any more instructions. Please feel free to rename it, or indeed add any clarification anywhere in this article.
Meanwhile, look at either [https://raspberrytips.com/raspberry-pi-commands/ this web page] or [https://www.ubuntupit.com/useful-raspberry-pi-commands/ this one] for more commands.
=Optional actions=
An alternative way to load Cumulus MX onto a Raspberry Pi is by using docker (a package installation), it may not be kept up to date but there is such a package at [https://github.com/magimat/rpi-cumulusmx rpi-cumulusmx] and a very old one at [https://github.com/Apollorion/CumulusMX-Docker CumulusMX-Docker].
Any novice can stop reading now, as preceding sections have covered all you need to do to use a Raspberry Pi (or other Unix-based device) to run MX.
However, some people want to do more, so various options are covered in the remainder of this article. If you are a novice, my advice is don't experiment with what is mentioned after this until you are happy that all you have done up to now works. The rest of this article does get more technical, so it might be harder to understand and harder to implement. With that warning in mind, I must add that the remaining sections cover a number of items and it is very likely that some of them could be useful to you.
There are lots of sub-sections, so you can skip over those that do not interest you, while carefully reading the ones that could benefit you.
== Standard action before adding any extra packages ==
*We run <tt>sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y</tt> to ensure all packages are up to date before we attempt to add another package.
*I remind you here that this does not update everything on your computer to the latest versions available for a Pi, that requires a different (more risky) command not taught here.
*Instead, the instruction quoted above just updates your Pi to a consistent state; based on what is in the repository you are already using.
This action is not repeated below, but potentially applies to all options below.
==Databases built into Cumulus MX==
You do not need to know what is in these databases to use MX.
Cumulus MX includes two SQLite databases;
#The first database was added by Steve Loft, but he never documented what it is used for (see [[Cumulusmx.db]]) and in the support forum when someone asked, nobody was able to answer.
#*If you do find out what the first database is used for, please update the Wiki article on it!
#The second database is the Weather Diary [[Weather Diary|documented here]] added by Mark Crossley. Also see [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=17919 in the support forum] for a topic comparing the differences between Cumulus 1 and Cumulus MX weather diaries.
#* The [[MX Administrative Interface|Admin Interface]] provides a page to view, or edit, a single date in the weather diary. You can install another tool that edits SQLite databases if you want (see next section).
===Editing the Weather Diary===
You can install phpLiteAdmin (the significant part of that name is in the middle) to read (you can display the whole table very easily) and edit (via a friendly GUI) either, or both, of those SQLite databases.
Install it using <tt>sudo apt install phpliteadmin</tt>. You will need to follow the instructions in '''/usr/share/phpliteadmin/phpliteadmin.php''' to change the password, and to define the path to the database you want to read, as both databases have the wrong extension to be found automatically. You may need to change file permissions, and you may decide to use the symbolic link example given earlier so MX accesses the diary at a location that suits ppLiteAdmin.
I find the admin interface is not always reliable for updating the weather diary, MX uses a very simple way to access hardware;
*when a successful insert or update happens, a confirmation message is returned
*when it fails to store an update, there is no error either on the editing screen or in the MXDiags file.
The admin interface has a calendar type interface to pick the entry you want to insert or update; this is probably quickest for any edits in current month. The phpliteadmin graphical interface will list the whole database table and let you edit (or delete) any row, you can also insert (to create a new row), or import/export (using SQL), or copy the whole database. Note that sqlite databases use sequential file structure and so for updates rows are physically identifed by row number (order of creation), not by the primary key that SQL uses.
I can use phpliteadmin, or the admin interface editor, for making changes to my Weather Diary database now. Both can be accessed from a browser on any of my devices.
== Adding a web server and a database server ==
This is an option, and may not be useful to you, but is described here in case it is something that you want to do.
This option is not needed if your MX simply updates to an external web service (several are listed in the options in the admin interface), so you do not use the web templates supplied with MX (nor any alternative web pages created by you or a third party).
This option is not needed if you have subscribed to a commercial web server (and optionally database server).
Now you have a Raspberry Pi (or another device than can be left running all the time without consuming a lot of electricity), you ''might'' want to add a web server and database server so you can make use of the web templates that Cumulus MX provides, and its ability to update database tables.
You might want this option if you are creating your own web pages, and want to try them out without exposure to the public over the internet.
You might select this option to save the subscription costs of a commercial web server (and optionally database server).
=== Install Apache 2 (or another web server) ===
I will mention 3 possible web servers:
#You might choose '''Apache 2''' as it is probably the most comprehensive, so if you have enough space on your Pi, install it using <tt>sudo apt install apache2 -y</tt>.
#*You might want to add Fast CGI (if you don't know what that is, skip this) and therefore add <tt>sudo apt-get install libapache2-mod-fcgid</tt>.
#You might choose '''nginx''', as it is quite popular for small computers like the Pi, install that web server with <tt>sudo apt-get install nginx -y</tt>.
#You might choose '''lighttpd''', as it is designed to use as little space on your Pi as possible, install it with <tt>sudo apt-get install lighttpd -y</tt>.
=== Install PHP Hypertext Pre-processor ===
*PHP is not the only script language available, but it is quite comprehensive
**being able to be used either in a fairly simple way by non-technical people
**or in an object-oriented way for those more technical to achieve success with more complex scripts.
*The simplest instruction to install it is <tt>sudo apt install php -y</tt>, which version you get depends on your Pi and its operating system.
*To check which PHP modules have been installed by the above command, type <tt>php -m</tt>.
*If you later want to use a database (and a tool like PhpMyAdmin), then your php modules loaded must include at least '''mysqli''' and '''mbstring'''.
*I will explain how to find the .ini files later, but unwanted modules can be commented out in your .ini file.
'''Alternatively''', you can install particular php modules, or a particular PHP version, by selecting components from a list. To do this type something like <tt>sudo apt install php7-fpm php7-cgi php7-cli php7-common php7.3-mbstring php7.3-mysql php7.3-curl php7.3-gd php7.3-zip -y</tt>. Only use this approach to force a particular version (but you may find that is not available), or if you are short of space, and you are only going to use a minority of the php features available in the full set of modules.
To test that php is installed, type <tt>php -v</tt> into terminal, and you will see the exact version that has been installed, a confirmation that it offers command line interface (cli), and a copyright notice.
===Creating a Home web page on your web server===
You may wish to create a index.php web page at /var/www/html which is the web server root for browsing, or of course you may wish to copy or FTP here all your existing web pages. To view a php web page, go into a browser and type in a url with the same IPv4 address as you use for the admin interface, omit the port (:8998) and instead type in your web page name (e.g. //192.168.1.'''xy'''/index.php, where you need to determine digits that replace '''xy''').
===Finding your PHP configuration file===
For sake of simplicity in this article, from now on I will assume the web server you installed is "apache2", change that segment (in the paths quoted below here), if you installed a different web server.
The ''web server'' main '''php.ini''' is found at ''/etc/php/7.n/apache2/php.ini'' (where 'n' depends on your Raspberry OS version and therefore which PHP version was installed, that was found out in last sub-section).
You may need to edit this file for example to specify where your include files are stored (if not in same folder as script with require/include). Replace "apache2" by "cli" in the path for the ''batch'' '''php.ini''' file that you may also need to edit.
To run a php script in batch, type <tt>php - f <file_name></tt>. You can redirect the output by adding a greater than symbol and the destination file (i.e. > log_file) on the same terminal line.
If you want the MX external commands to run a PHP script for you, use something like "sh" as the program to run (i.e. run shell script); and in the parameters something like
'''/home/pi/CumulusMX/MXutils/autoEOD.sh''' will run a script "autoEOD.sh" you have added to the "MXutils" folder. In that script, you put something like (assuming you have added a folder 'batch' with a subfolder 'log'):
<pre>#!/bin/sh
# This MX batch command file is initiated automatically by Cumulus MX software during last stage of processing the end of a meteorological day
echo "It stores feedback in log file CumulusMXDailyBatch (file name ends with day of month)"
sudo php -f the_path_and_filename_goes_here.php > /home/pi/CumulusMX/batch/log/DailyBatch_Day$(date +%d).log
</pre>
Here is a quick explanation of all entries in this UNIT section:
# Entries
#* The terminology "After" tells "systemd" that what is named can be started after MX, in this case it does not guarantee that the network service (to send data to a remote web server) will be started
#* The terminology "Wants" tells "systemd" that what is named is wanted now, i.e. try to start before MX, but still start MX even if the starting of the network service fails.
#* The terminology ''Requires'' tells "systemd" that the "cumulusmx" service should not be started until the services specified on that line have successfully started
#*# The '''local-fs.target''' specifies that the ''cumulusmx'' service requires the file service to have started, i.e. checks your computer can read files before it attempts to start the ''cumulusmx'' service
#*# The '''time-sync.target''' specifies that the ''cumulusmx'' service requires the computer to have synced with some time source (see notes below), which could be useful if your weather station type does not time-stamp readings stored in the console, and you want to ensure MX reads correct time from your computer
''Don't forget to save the file under a new name, and copy it as instructed in previous subsection.''
=== Install Maria database ===
====Technical Notes only relevant to Raspberry Pi====
MySQL database software is controlled by Oracle and not made available for inclusion in Raspberry Pi repository.
This Wiki page has tried to avoid being too specific to particular hardware, but to avoid misunderstanding the last subsection, a little does need to be said to justify the claim that only technical users, who understand all the other changes needed, should make changes mentioned there.
Maria is an alternative that has largely similar command syntax so is likely to work with code (like MX) designed to work with MySQL. Since the MX developer (Mark Crossley) actually uses Maria DB, we can have plenty of confidence it is suitable.
A standard Raspberry Pi computer does not include a clock chip. Instead one of the packages it loads as a service on booting is called "fake-hwclock", and that sets the clock to what the date/time was when it was last running, irrespective of how many days/hours it has been off. That counts as a time sync for the purposes of instruction specified above. You can buy and fit a real-time clock chip, and configure your computer to use that, but even that RTC will only keep time when it is kept powered, and even then it will drift off unless periodically able to be corrected by a time from internet.
To install this database server, we type <tt>sudo apt install mariadb-server php-mysql -y</tt>.
The issue is your Cumulus MX on restarting will skip the catch-up of historic data (should your weather station settings make that available), because the dummy clock makes MX think the computer was not off for long. Subsequent measurements will then get logged against the wrong time until the correct time is found on the internet (NTP). At that moment, the time will suddenly jump, this is serious if this means the "rollover" time has been skipped over, as it implies the "dayfile.txt" will miss a line, and many measurements will be logged to wrong day. In my experience it can be anything from 2 minutes to 10 minutes after switch on before my RPi does a time sync over the internet.
Our database files will be stored at '''/var/lib/mysql''' by default. Our MariaDB configuration is stored at '''/etc/mysql/mariadb.conf.d/50-server.cnf''', and it is the ''datadir='' entry that controls where the database files are stored.
You might expect <code>sudo systemctl disable fake-hwclock.service</code> (or remove the service, and modify the scripts that call it) could ensure the computer (if online) has to get a time found on the internet (NTP). Nothing is as simple as it might seem!
=== Making your database secure ===
===Commands to do actions on a service===
We need to assign passwords to control access to the database by typing into terminal <tt>sudo mysql_secure_installation</tt>. That brings up a screen:
# where we are asked to type current password for the root (as no password has yet been set, simply press Enter),
# next type '''Y''' to signify we are going to set a new password for '''root''',
# next type in a new password that you will not forget,
# next as explained on the screen we are going to say whether users must select a user name as well as a password, type '''Y''' to ''Remove anonymous users''
# next we have to decide whether we will only be logging into the database on our Pi (using Localhost) or we might be logging in remotely; type Y or N respectively, but if you choose N remember someone other than you might guess there is a root user and might guess the password you set,
# next we have another option of whether to retain or delete a test database, answer N or Y respectively, I would keep the test database for now as you can play with it and then remove it later,
# finally you type in another Y as that will '''Reload the privilege tables''' and ensure all is set up for your access to the database later.
You will need to start (or restart) MX after you have defined (or redefined) the service as instructed above. The specific commands to use with MX service are at [[Raspberry_Pi_Image#systemctl_commands|systemctl_commands]], here I simply repeat the basic commands that can be used with any service (status, enable, disable, start, stop, and restart).
The message, when the process successfully completes, is "Thanks for using MariDB".
Don't forget you may need to type <code>sudo systemctl daemon-reload</code> to tell "systemd" that it needs to reload all service definitions whenever either one has changed, or a new one has been added.
=== Installing Adminer, or PhpMyAdmin ===
In all these commands, '''just replace [service_name] with ''cumulusmx''''' (or enter the name of another service).
ExportMySQL.exe and CumulusMX.exe (see [[Cumulus_MX#Executables]] for details) both create SQL for updating tables in a MySQL database, such as the one our MariaDB software package we have installed can create.
* <code>sudo systemctl status [service_name]</code>
** (displays whether named service has started, whether it has failed, whether it has stopped, also whether enabled, extra information will be added should status change)
However, there is nothing in the MX distribution that lets us back up and manipulate (e.g. delete rows with errors, or correct rogue numbers in a column) tables in this database. This option is about installing a package to do the tasks that go with operating a database.
** type the single character "q" to quit updating status display and return to prompt
* <code>sudo systemctl enable [service_name]</code>
'''PhpMyAdmin''' is one tool that can be used to manipulate your MySQL like database (that is the significance of the "My" bit in the middle of the tools's name).
** (typed just once, and service named will automatically start when your Linux computer is booted)
** the confirmation message says a link has been created
You may like '''PhpMyAdmin''' as this offers:
* <code>sudo systemctl disable [service_name]</code>
* a graphical approach (you see a table on screen and navigate to the row or cell you want to work on)
** (used when you don't want an automatic restart of the named service)
* a SQL approach (you can try out any SQL here, before adding it to a script that you might use in a web page)
* <code>sudo systemctl start [service_name]</code>
* a selection approach (you select a database, then select a table, then select an action)
** (will start the named service)
* <code>sudo systemctl stop [service_name]</code>
#Start the install with <tt>sudo apt install phpmyadmin -y</tt>.
** (will stop the named service)
#The PhpMyAdmin installer will ask some questions.
** Closing MX with "cumulusmx" as the named service this way does a proper shutdown
#Use your tab key to select <Yes> when it asks whether you want to configure with '''dbconfig-common'''.
* <code>sudo systemctl restart [service_name]</code>
#The version of phpmyadmin in the repository is not compatible with PHP7.2 and above, so follow the instructions at https://devanswers.co/manually-upgrade-phpmyadmin/ to upgrade it to latest phpmyadmin (you might substitute "english" for "all-languages" if you only need the one language).
** (issues a stop, then start, command to named service)
** You can upgrade MX by installing new files over the existing ones, while MX is left running, and then use this command to pick up new release with minimum downtime.
You may prefer to install a different tool, perhaps '''adminer''' that works using a drill down approach. A drill down approach is when you select the database, then select the table, then select the row, then select the column, then select the action. This logical step by step approach is a popular approach, but does not suit everyone.
Install this drill down package with <tt>sudo apt install adminer</tt> (I leave you to work out the commands needed after that).
===Getting web and database servers ready for use===
We need to create a user for PhpMyAdmin (or adMiner or whatever) to access our database and another for Cumulus to use to access the database tables. At the moment our database access has the single root@localhost user we created when we installed MariaDB. The initial password was set then, and we need to use it to get access to MariDB monitor where we can insert some SQL commands to create these two users.
PhpMyAdmin on first start up will ask for username (here I choose "admin") and password, thereafter it will use same log-in (by default you see log-in screen each time you restart or if it is left idle for a long time), let us create a user called 'admin' for it.
The database name (here I choose "cumulus" for the data base name), user name (here I choose "weather" for the user name), and password, must all match those set in MX using the [[MX_Administrative_Interface#MySQL_settings|MySQL_settings]] in the admin interface. You could of course use PhpMyAdmin (or AdMiner) to create additional user names, and to create the database, but I assume all is done in the following bit of SQL. Remember, the Windows operating system is not case sensitive, but all Linux based operating systems are case sensitive (so whatever pattern of capitals and lowercase you choose must be used every time. Also all names must start with a letter, can contain only letters or digits (no punctuation), and must not be a reserved word ("password" is a reserved word, so you cannot use that for a password, nor for a column name).
Obviously, these names might not be what you use, but you can amend commands below accordingly. For each line with SQL, it must end with a semicolon (;) as shown. After you press "Enter" key you will get a response saying "OK" if you have remembered the semi-colon. You can actually use "\G" or "\g" instead of a semi-colon, but here we will keep it simple and stick to semi-colon.
The SQL lines have a prompt of a greater than symbol (>) while the command lines have a prompt showing current path. Note that "identified by" is followed by a password enclosed in single quotes.
<pre>sudo mysql --user=root --password=InitialPassword
create user admin@localhost identified by 'PhpMyAdminPassword';
create user weather@localhost identified by 'MXPassword';
grant all privileges on *.* to admin@localhost;
grant all privileges on *.* to weather@localhost;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
create database cumulus;
exit;</pre>
As I type this, Cumulus MX has no exception handling if the username and password defined in the settings do not exist in the database, therefore in this situation it will crash out (with message press Enter to close).
=== Commands to ensure PhpMyAdmin will work ===
The following sequence of commands will
* add the mysqli module to our php install,
*will restart apache,
*will create a symbolic link for the phpadmin installation to the server web root so it can be seen (and used) in our browser,
*will give the standard user (pi) ownership of the database files and the web pages:
<pre>sudo phpenmod mysqli
sudo service apache2 restart
sudo ln -s /usr/share/phpmyadmin /var/www/html/phpmyadmin
sudo chown -R pi:www-data /var/www/html/</pre>
===Viewing web pages on our new web server===
You can view any index.php or PHPMyAdmin web page in your browser by prefixing the address with your Pi IPv4 address e.g. a URL like '''http://192.168.1.xyz/phpmyadmin''' where ''xyz'' is 2 or 3 digits you look up as mentioned before where FTP was described. If your Pi has both Ethernet and wireless connection, there will be two different values of ''xyz'' for you to choose one from. On first run of PhpMyAdmin, as already mentioned, you will see a '''PHP MyAdmin log-on page''' where you type username and password we have just set up.
===Populating your database tables on your Pi===
Cumulus MX has functionality to update database tables at one of 3 intervals:
#real-time
#standard interval
#end of day
The database tables can use the column names in the schemas pre-defined by Cumulus MX or in a custom schema (where you specify the column names). The settings are all in [[MX_Administrative_Interface#MySQL_settings]], so read that section to find out more.
You might have started using MX before you set up your database. There is a option in that part of the admin interface to create database tables (as required) for each of the 3 updating intervals. For example, the default name for the table updated at the standard interval is "monthly", but you could give it a name of "standard" or whatever you like.
The MX release distribution includes another executable. Type <tt>cd CumulusMX && sudo mono ExportMySQL.exe monthly</tt> to run the executable. The first parameter is "monthly" even if the table has a different name.
#if the table name is defined in the admin interface, and the table already exists in the database with the correct columns defined, then the executable will use that table.
#There is an optional second parameter that specifies the log file name to read.
#*if the second parameter is not specified, this executable will look at every log file (in "data" folder and with file name that starts with month, then has "log.txt"),
# for each line in the log file the executable will try to insert a row in the database table
#*the SQL syntax used is "insert ignore", so if the row for that log file line already exists in the table, it will skip onto next line of log file.
Similar instructions apply for the end of day table, although as there is only one daily summary log file, there is no optional second parameter, just type <tt>cd CumulusMX && sudo mono ExportMySQL.exe dayfile</tt>.
There is no way to use this executable for insert of past rows into the real-time table.
If you have been running Cumulus on another device previously and already have database tables, the next section explains how you can create SQL to export your old database and use that SQL to populate the new table.
===Transferring database tables to your Pi===
If you have been using Cumulus before (and already have a database) then you can use PhpMyAdmin on your old device to '''export''' out all the '''Cumulus tables as SQL''' in a zip file, FTP that zip file across to your Pi, then use PhpMyAdmin on your Pi to '''import''' that zip file.
Providing you selected the right options for what SQL you created in your export, the import will contain SQL to create the tables and to insert all the rows into each Cumulus table on your Pi. Please note that there is a limit of around 1000 rows that can be imported in one action, so for your bigger tables, you will only create the table once, but you will do several '''Replace''' row actions (export from old device, then import to Pi) each transferring just one thousand rows, until the whole table is on the Pi. You may prefer to use "ExportMySQL.exe" as described in previous section to recreate your bigger tables from the Cumulus log files.
You might want to also '''export/import the tables in the PhpMyAdmin database''' (as they contain your preferences for each of your tables) in a separate zip, although these might need some extra transformations, as they are specific to a particular version of the database server (and the old database server version may not match the MariaDB version on your Pi). Some PhpMyAdmin tables do change for different versions of the tool, so that too may make export/import of its tables more complicated.
=== Restarting Web Server ===
After all these installs, we need to restart Apache (so it loads the PHP and MariaDB), by typing <tt>sudo service apache2 restart</tt> or (if we just want the Apache configuration reloaded) by typing <tt>sudo systemctl reload apache2</tt>. Similar commands apply for other web servers.
We will need to restart Apache (or whichever web server we installed) any time we change our php.ini files, database passwords, and anything else that is checked when the web server starts.
= Operating your Raspberry Pi in headless mode =
The terminology "headless" means using another device to send commands to a Pi via a wired or wireless network, instead of connecting a keyboard and monitor (or TV) directly to the Pi so you make all selections directly on it.
For a novice, the easiest way to set up your Pi (as described above) requires (at least temporary) a keyboard and a monitor (can be a TV) to be connected to it. You might also want to connect a mouse. Depending on the Raspberry Pi you bought, and whether you bought a keyboard (or can borrow one from any PC you have), the ease of making these connections will vary. Once your Pi is set up, and you have started MX running, you can disconnect these peripherals, and leave your Pi running.
The options described in the rest of this article cover all aspects of using a PC to do actions on your Pi, including how to change some settings on your Pi without ever connecting a keyboard and monitor to the Pi. For a novice, there are lots of opportunities to make errors in the following options, so remember the cricketer who said "If at first you do not succeed, try and try again, if you continue to fail, give up".
== Remote access ==
There are various different ways that another device can access the Pi over networks. The most popular lets a Terminal mode on your other device connect to your Raspberry Pi using Secure Shell Home, and the commands you type in on your other device are just the same ones you would type directly into the Raspberry Pi terminal mode. The responses you get are also the same. What is likely to be different is
*any control sequences,
*any copy and paste operations,
*and any other actions that are specific to the terminal mode on the other device.
You can use the browser on your PC to connect to the web server created by the MX engine to run the admin interface (all that needs is that the Pi and the PC are both connected to your hub or router, so they are on the same local network):
* to change settings
*or to look at the web pages provided in that interface.
Your PC can be used (as well as your Pi) to look at any web pages updated by MX (all that needs is your device to be able to connect to whatever web server runs your web pages).
===Ways of using PC to do what can be done on a RPi===
On your Pi, there are various applications that you can run with graphical interfaces, these let you achieve what you want by on screen selections, without having to learn what Linux commands to type in. You might wish to use these when you are operating your Pi in a headless state (without keyboard or monitor), so you want to see these graphical interfaces on your PC. See [https://thepihut.com/blogs/raspberry-pi-tutorials/remotely-accessing-the-raspberry-pi-via-rdp-gui-mode this tutorial] for one way to do this. Although this article does not cover such options that let you see graphical user interfaces, these let your other device see selection screens, browsing screens, and similar, just as you would see them if you had a monitor connected to your Pi.
An alternative way to work on your Pi is its its terminal mode. This lets you use '''sudo''' to overcome the fact that the default user does not have '''root''' rights, and can therefore allow you to achieve tasks where a graphical interface fails because of the ownership of the part of the file structure where your action is taking place. The commands you type into a terminal screen on a Pi can also be typed into a terminal screen on your PC, and you will see the same responses. For this to work, you need to switch Secure Shell Home (SSH) on as that is what controls access over a network. This article explains most aspects of SSH in the next few sub-sections.
==== What is Secure Shell Home?====
Secure Shell Home (SSH) is a cryptographic network protocol for operating network services securely over an unsecured network. If you have two devices (your Pi and another computer), SSH will allow the two devices to exchange commands and responses between a terminal and a computer over the wireless or Ethernet (or mixture) network that connects them.
You may be too young to remember when communication with a computer was often done (remotely) using a Teletype (or similar device) acting in terminal mode. Just 4 decades ago this would have been a familiar experience for anyone working with computers, now it may seem strange for you.
It is possible you have remote connection from home to a computer at your work (although that probably uses a different protocol as the network is likely to be better secured as it passes over the internet).
SSH is switched off by default on a standard Raspberry Pi set up.
You can if you have a keyboard and screen attached to your Pi, go into the configuration screen it offers and switch SSH on. The easiest way is using the '''Raspi-config''' tool, either from the main menu (raspberry Pi icon inside a square) or in terminal mode with '''sudo raspi-config''' (choose option 5 = ''Interfacing Options'', look for SSH). This will enable you to later access your Pi from your PC and might be useful later on. While you are in the configuration tool choose option 1 = ''Change User Password'', and set the password you will use for your SSH session; the default password is '''raspberry''', but you don't want to let hackers into your Pi, so you will choose something hard to guess.
The next sub-section describes how you can switch SSH on during the first boot, by creating a file on the micro-SD card before you insert it into your Pi, the file is removed as part of the boot process, so this only works once.
====Pre-configuring the Pi for headless operation====
If you want to set up your Pi headless (without monitor, keyboard, mouse), then you must ensure SSH (which is off by default) is switched on as your Pi boots up. Otherwise you have no access to do any setting up, and you cannot even close down the Pi tidily! The only way to achieve this, is by adding a file '''SSH''' to the boot partition before the micro-SD card is put into the Pi. If you don't do this you cannot get headless operation, and you will need to move a monitor or TV, mouse, and keyboard, across to the Pi.
The file, you add to the boot partition (there is a second partition that may be invisible), must be named "SSH" with those three letters in capitals, but with no file extension. You can create the file with whatever text editor you have available.
*On a Windows PC, if you right click (while viewing the boot directory on the card) there is an option called '''New''' and if you select ''a text file'' it will create an empty file with the extension '''.txt'''. (In windows there is an option to hide extensions which is on by default, so you may need to deselect this option ['''New''' menu -> ''Options''] to see this extension). On Windows you can open the file using Notepad to verify it is empty, if you gave accidentally created a file of another type like word processing it will be full of characters some of which do not display. Anyway, you must remove any extension from the file name so it is really just '''SSH'''.
Type into the file <tt>touch ssh</tt>, but nothing else, no empty lines, no end of line characters.
When the card is inserted into your Pi, on boot this file will be removed and the SSH option will be enabled. The default password is '''raspberry''', once you have successfully got SSH working. You should then use '''sudo raspi-config''' (choose option 1 = ''Change User Password'', and set the new password you will use for your SSH session next time).
====How to use SSH?====
If you have a Windows PC, this will allow you to open a '''Command''' prompt, '''Power Shell''', or '''Terminal''' window (the selection you have available depends on certain settings).
If you have a Linux or Mac device, open '''Terminal'''.
Next, (assuming your Pi is running, and that your other device is on the same local network), type <tt>ssh pi@raspberrypi</tt> to get access to default user in your Pi.
(As an alternative for Windows operating system, you can install PuTTY, this has the advantage that you can enter the connection settings into it, and configure various other options, and these are remembered, so might make it easier to use. As mentioned earlier, PuTTY and winSCP work well togther because they share settings. '''PuTTY''' software (an SSH client for Windows) can be downloaded from <tt>https://www.putty.org/</tt>).
When you are using a terminal, it is a sequential device, each line is either a string of characters that you type in (these might include a backspace character) or something sent back in response. The action that result from any key combinations depend on your terminal application, not just whatever you are running on your Pi. Your mouse can't affect cursor location, but the mouse might be needed to select text, the left click might copy what is selected, and the right click might paste (what is in your PC's clipboard) at current cursor position.
You can use SSH access from your PC:
* when you need to edit a file on your Pi,
*or do a file transfer between Pi and PC or vice versa.
== Running MX from your PC ==
If you choose to use the simple <tt>sudo mono CumulusMX.exe</tt> command in a terminal (or command window or Powershell) session on your PC, remember MX will detect if that session is ended and will shut down MX. This means if you want to keep MX running you need to keep your session on your PC running and you loose the advantage of saving electricity by running MX on a PI because your PC remains on.
As I type this a new release 3.8.0 is to allow MX to run as a service, and a future release is planned to change the associated script, so anything I write here might become obsolete, and the next sub-section gives you some links to the support forum about alternatives to the new feature. Hopefully, someone will edit this article, when instructions have settled down and won't change on next release. Basically, the ability to run MX as a service, means that MX actually runs independent of the session that starts or stops the service; and therefore implies you can shut down your PC without stopping MX.
Hopefully someone will add notes to this article about the running as service option. I have not tried it, so I cannot add such notes.
=== Older information about using a PC and a RPi ===
In the Cumulus Support forum, there are articles about a [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=139779#p139779 stop/start routine], a [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=141514#p141514 backup routine], and [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=146028#p146028 how to run MX as a service]. I will let you hunt for and read the relevant topics, as you may find details in more than one place. This article currently avoids describing these to try to keep content simple. Here is just a list of some alternatives to having to leave your terminal session running:
# Use '''start/stop routine''' (see earlier link), this effectively starts a separate session for MX to run in and leaves the standard terminal session free.
# Run MX as an '''init service''' (see the earlier post in the service link above), be aware that this is a new feature in the new release of MX 3.8.0, again this starts MX outside your terminal session
# Use '''Screen''' software to start up a separate session that you can log off from without MX stopping (see [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=146203#p146203 how to run using screen]}
# Run MX as a '''systemd service''' (see the more recent posts in the service link above), be aware that at time of typing this is planned to be incorporated in a future release but the MX developer has no knowledge in this area
===Headless Wireless Network set up===
If you don't connect a keyboard and monitor to your Raspberry Pi, you can't set up the wireless network configuration on your Pi using one of the provided configuration tools as described in the earlier wireless network sub-section.
You can use the SSH approach described immediately above to access the '''Raspi-config''' tool and in that do the necessary configuration.
There is one further, complicated, way to set up the wireless configuration so that the wireless network will work when you first boot up your Raspberry Pi. If you have brought the Zero model, that does not allow Ethernet connection, you might decide to follow this complex approach that involves creating a text file in the boot partition of your micro-SD card, and store it in the boot directory on your micro-SD card with a file name '''wpa_supplicant.conf''' before you insert that card in your Pi and do its first boot.
A note of caution here, it is easy to make mistakes, and you may find this does not work. It is presented here just to cover all options, to use this does require some technical skill, a novice will be better off avoiding this.
Ensuring you are using a text editor that won't add any unwanted control characters, add the following text using UTF-8 encoding:
<pre>ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
update_config=1
country=GB
network={
ssid="YourNetwork"
psk="YourNetworkPassword"
key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
}</pre>
*Obviously, if you are not in United Kingdom, you will replace '''GB''' by the country code that applies to you.
*Within the first set of quotes, replace '''YourNetwork''' by whatever ''Service Set IDentifier'' (SSID) is used for your wireless network.
**You may have typed this into your mobile phone.
**It may be shown on a card that slips into a slot on your hub or router, but you may have changed it from that initial setting.
**Whatever it is, and it can be up to 32 characters (letters, numbers, and symbols), type it within the double quotes.
**Some routers come with a default SSID that is the manufacturer's name, if left unchanged it might conflict with a neighbour, so it is left to you to pick a SSID that is unique to you using up to 32 characters to personalise it.
*Within the next set of quotes, which relate to the key (or password) that protects access to your network, replace '''YourNetworkPassword''' by whatever Pre-Shared-Key (password) is used for your wireless network.
**You will have typed this into your mobile phone, so that can automatically connect to your network.
**In this case, you should have changed it (for security reasons) from whatever was shown as the initial password on the card that slips into a slot on your hub or router (possibly all you have done is add a prefix or suffix that means something to you).
*Most wireless networks will use Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or (from 2006) Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2) protocols, so '''WPA-PSK''' is correct for you.
**Note that your Pi is only able to use these protocols.
**The earlier Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) was officially withdrawn in 2004 as too easy to crack, so it is not supported on a new Pi.
Should you wish to set up your Pi with several network definitions, please see [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=139422#p139422 Notes by ExperiMentor] (a contributor, in Switzerland, to the Cumulus support forum).
==Downloading MX distribution on PC==
If you download MX on your PC, then you will probably unzip the distribution there, and use a tool like winSCP to copy the installation to your RPi.
Use of FTP or SFTP was described earlier at [[#using file transfer]].
[[Category:Cumulus MX]]
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