How do I configure a module?

ArcherProject · Feb 4, 2017, 11:13 AM

So I’ve just setup the magic mirror for the first time and I’m trying to edit just basic stuff like the default modules (weather being the one I want to sort out first).

So how do I do this? is there a forum post on this?

i managed to find out that if I type in MagicMirror/modules I get to the modules area but I have no idea where to go from here. COMPLETE beginner here with 0 experience so feel free to go into extra detail as if your talking to a child! :D

yawns · Feb 4, 2017, 11:48 AM

@ArcherProject
I assume you already created a valid copy of your config file, right? Then open up ~/MagicMirror/config/config.js in any editor. You can use an editor in terminal (nano for example) or you can use any text editor with gui (leafpad for example).

What exactly would you like to do? I guess it would be some overkill listing all possible options.

ArcherProject · Feb 4, 2017, 11:55 AM

So I’ve realised I can open it in the default file explorer (something I’m a little more used to) and edit the configs in there. however I still cant seem to get the weather to come up. could this be becasue the API key from openweather takes a while to kick in or is it more likely something wrong in the formatting?

Thanks for the help

broberg · Feb 4, 2017, 11:58 AM

@ArcherProject can you copy and paste your config file (removing your personal api-key)?

Mykle1 · Feb 4, 2017, 1:05 PM

@ArcherProject

I was just like you a few weeks ago. I didn’t know a thing about this, or coding. A complete noob, as they say. My suggestion, because it helped me, is, don’t do your editing in the terminal. Do it in the graphical user interface (GUI). Navigate your desktop as you would on a PC with Windows or a Mac’s Finder.

Click on File Manager (the folder at the top left of your desktop, usually)
Double click the MagicMirror folder
Double click the config folder
Right click the config.js.sample file - select Copy
Right click again somewhere else in that same window - select Paste
Rename the file to config.js and click the Rename button
The new config.js file that you just pasted is now your working config file for MagicMirror
Double click it and it should open in a text editor.

This is one of the places where you will customize your MM. It’s actually good enough to run your MM, although it will only show some of the modules but you’ll be encouraged by the fact that it is at least working. Every module folder has a ReadMe file that instructs you on what to add to your config.js file to get that module up and running.

I think that’s good for now. If you want to run MM right now to see how your new config.js is working you will have to go back to the terminal. Do this:

Open a new terminal
type cd MagicMirror
then type npm start

Sit back and watch the magic happen. When you calm down after a minute or two of watching your MM actually working and you want to quit MM, press the Option key on your keyboard. Select QUIT from File menu that appears, top left of your screen

ArcherProject · Feb 4, 2017, 1:41 PM

@Mykle1 thanks miate exactly what I have ended up doing and now I’m feeling a lot more confident! attempting to add a few extra modules too and so far so good! hope to make another one of these for myself in the future (this one is a gift). feel like I’ve still got a lot to learn though!

cowboysdude · Feb 4, 2017, 1:50 PM

@ArcherProject before you know it you’ll be an old pro at this!! It does get easier hang in there and if you run into trouble just ask! :)

Mykle1 · Feb 4, 2017, 5:06 PM

@ArcherProject

Again, you sound just like I did. I took the time to help you because a few weeks ago I was in exactly the same place as you are now and someone here stepped in and answered my questions and was very explicit in their directions. It got my MM up and running, gave me some confidence and taught me something. I still ask questions but I’m not afraid to experiment beforehand.

Another piece of advice:

Make a copy of any files you are going to edit (e.g. your config file, your css files, etc…) and work on those. If you mess anything up, you go back to the original. In my config folder I have my working config.js file and I have backups named configV2.js, configV3.js, configV4.js (etc) for each time I edited the config.js file. More than a few times I messed up something but I had the backups as a safety net. I trash the one I messed up and renamed the last working backup to config.js and continued the process.

cowboysdude · Feb 4, 2017, 5:07 PM

@Mykle1 Oh good lord… I can’t count how many I messed up LOL

Mykle1 · Feb 4, 2017, 5:08 PM

@cowboysdude My point exactly