FYI Gambas working A-1 on Chromebook

Post your Gambas programming questions here.
Post Reply
User avatar
CJ-V
Posts: 5
Joined: Thursday 30th May 2019 4:23pm

FYI Gambas working A-1 on Chromebook

Post by CJ-V »

Probably not of interest to most folk, but just in case I'm not the only oddball out there ...

I have Gambas3 (3.9.1-3, debian stretch package) installed and running on my Linux(Beta)-enabled Chromebook.

Although very early going (I've only just familiarized myself with the IDE, and I've only got "Hello World" mastered), I'm thinking Gambas has everything going for it and all I need to get into hobby-programming on my Chromebook.

If any of you are interested in getting updates, or have any questions, on this wee adventurous setup/journey, let me know.

Aside: about me

I'm 25 years into a Windows software development career working with, exclusively, Gupta Team Developer (previously: Gupta SQLWindows.)

Although developing for Windows has been my bread and butter all of these years, I stopped using Windows at home when support for Windows 98 ended. I then started exclusively using at home Linux (specifically, and with a shout of appreciation: Puppy Linux.)

About 4 years ago, in search of a new computer for home, I discovered Chromebooks and discovered that this kind of no-fuss-no-muss computing was my right cup o' tea. Well, until last fall, when I started getting an itch for at-home-hobby-programming: me and javascript do not get along, so web apps for Chromebooks was not turning my crank one bit.

I got myself a new Chromebook last January with the "Linux (Beta)" capability, and I now feel like I have the best of all worlds on one device: the no-fuss-no-muss of Chrome OS, with all of the power of Linux available to me anytime I need it. Pretty cool if one does not mind selling one's soul to Google. (I made peace with that a long time ago, just because I enjoy that "ecosystem".)

Anyway, all of that may seem way off-track for this post, but I'm thinking it all may somehow explain why I'm really liking Gambas. (Well, I started out with Basic on a Commodore Vic-20 when I was a kid, and played around a lot with Visual Basic in my university years, so the Basic programming language does tug at my heart-strings something fierce.)

Cheers and best regards !
(I'm looking forward to dive into the posts in this forum as I play around with Gambas.)
User avatar
Cedron
Posts: 156
Joined: Thursday 21st February 2019 5:02pm
Location: The Mitten State
Contact:

Re: FYI Gambas working A-1 on Chromebook

Post by Cedron »

Howdy CJ-V,

You are likely to like Gambas a whole lot better than VB. In most ways, it is how VB should have been done. Your goto web page in the beginning should be:

http://gambaswiki.org/wiki

Reading this forum is also a very good idea. The "Did you know?" thread has a bunch of neat tips. Yours truly has also posted a whole bunch of example programs here as well as sort of documenting my discovery process. Gambas is rich, it is going to take you a while to familiarize yourself with it.

I do recommend that you try the sample programs I posted in

https://forum.gambas.one/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=674

I also recommend that you download and run the attached program in

https://forum.gambas.one/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=709

Not only will this give you a nice reference page for all the Gambas classes, it also produces an SQLite database you can use to practice DB coding with. (Look at the Vault classes in particular).

Finally, I am about to post a reference sheet for the available Gambas Software Farm projects. You'll want to download that as well.

I have found the people at this site to be extremely friendly and helpful, I think you are in for a good experience.

Ced
.... and carry a big stick!
User avatar
cogier
Site Admin
Posts: 1118
Joined: Wednesday 21st September 2016 2:22pm
Location: Guernsey, Channel Islands

Re: FYI Gambas working A-1 on Chromebook

Post by cogier »

Hi CJ-V and welcome to the forum.

If you can let me (Charlie) have the details of how to install Gambas on a Chromebook I would be happy to post it on Gambas one home page here. Send it to admin AT Gambas DOT one.

The main tips for someone from a VB background are: -
Arrays use [ ] not ( ) brackets
If you want to use byref read the documentation first
Earlier versions of Gambas, e.g. 3.9.1 as found in Raspbian for the Raspberry Pi require that all Dim statements are at the beginning of the procedure. I notice the help still insists you do this though.

Check out the Gambas Farm in Gambas or here for example programs.

I look forward to your posts, sound like you have had a wealth of experience in programming. :D
User avatar
CJ-V
Posts: 5
Joined: Thursday 30th May 2019 4:23pm

Re: FYI Gambas working A-1 on Chromebook

Post by CJ-V »

I did a wee double-take for a second. Although I go by my middle name, my first name is Charles, so "me (Charlie)" was like one of my alter-egos conversing with me.

First things first, good for Chromebook users to know how to setup/prepare "Linux (Beta)" for Chromebooks: https://support.google.com/chromebook/a ... 5439?hl=en

Once that is done, installing any package from Debian is just a matter of finding the package in the stable repository (https://packages.debian.org/stable/) and doing a good old "sudo apt-get install" of the package.

For Gambas: sudo apt-get install gambas

On a Chromebook, Linux apps will get their shortcuts created in the Chromebook's Launcher menu.

Aside: all linux apps run in a sort of virtual container, but it is possible to share folders between Chrome OS and the Linux apps.

I have to leave to pick up my kid at school right now, but will try to add some screenshots (mine or links to already existing screenshots on the web.)


cogier wrote: Friday 31st May 2019 3:20pm Hi CJ-V and welcome to the forum.

If you can let me (Charlie) have the details of how to install Gambas on a Chromebook I would be happy to post it on Gambas one home page here. Send it to admin AT Gambas DOT one.

The main tips for someone from a VB background are: -
Arrays use [ ] not ( ) brackets
If you want to use byref read the documentation first
Earlier versions of Gambas, e.g. 3.9.1 as found in Raspbian for the Raspberry Pi require that all Dim statements are at the beginning of the procedure. I notice the help still insists you do this though.

Check out the Gambas Farm in Gambas or here for example programs.

I look forward to your posts, sound like you have had a wealth of experience in programming. :D
User avatar
CJ-V
Posts: 5
Joined: Thursday 30th May 2019 4:23pm

Re: FYI Gambas working A-1 on Chromebook

Post by CJ-V »

The following video explains how to enable Linux (Beta) on a Chromebook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obwMeK_jNmA

Note that since the video was created, Chromebooks now easily allow sharing individual Chrome OS folders with Linux (something that is explicilty done by a user for whatever folders.)

I have some local folders that I share with Linux, and I also share some Google Drive folders with Linux, and those folders are set to work offline and to automagically stay in sync with the cloud.

IMPORTANT: Not every Chromebook (in particular, not older ones) have the option to install and run linux apps right in Chrome OS.

First, for those who want to get into the technical details about the project to get Linux apps working on Chrome OS: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chrom ... and_vms.md

That page has pretty technical info about what kind of hardware currently supports Linux apps on Chrome OS.

That info is over my head. I much prefer finding "specific Chromebook devices", and this page does a good job: https://www.reddit.com/r/Crostini/wiki/ ... ed-devices
User avatar
CJ-V
Posts: 5
Joined: Thursday 30th May 2019 4:23pm

Re: FYI Gambas working A-1 on Chromebook

Post by CJ-V »

Finally got around to installing these on my Chromebook:
  • SQLite 3
  • DB Browser for SQLite
(Screenshot attached for the $hit$ and the giggle$.)

To me, Gupta SQLWindows (now OpenText Gupta Team Developer) programming with a back-end Oracle database makes for a right happy career.

This quest of mine to get into hobby development at home using my Chromebook is getting to be a right eye-opening experience and a ridiculous amount of fun. I'm some impressed by how well Gambas, SQLite, and DB Browser for SQLite are all working together, and working well.

Still really early goings. Although I can't imagine I have much to offer yet, I'll post updates here whenever I've got something exciting (maybe useful), and I'm always game to try and answer any questions.
Attachments
Screenshot 2019-06-16 at 8.57.12 PM.png
Screenshot 2019-06-16 at 8.57.12 PM.png (194.54 KiB) Viewed 6366 times
Post Reply