Setting up a MagicMirror² on a Raspberry Pi isn’t too difficult using the installer script from @sdetweil . The more difficult part is selecting which modules to install and then configuring them.

I’m not a command line guru, so the hopping back and forth between the config, modules and css directory feels like a lot of work. So to ease the stress on my keyboard, I created a .bash_aliases file with some useful aliases. These aliases make my life easier, and I hope for you as well.

Currently I’m using the following aliases:

• cdMM => change to the MagicMirror directory
• cdMMC => change to the config directory
• cdMMM => change to the modules directory
• cdMMS => change to the css directory
• viMMC => open the config.js in vi
• edMMC => open the config.js in leafpad via X forwarding.

My .bash_aliases file can be found on github: https://github.com/MoreLinuxDev/MagicMirror-bash-aliases

I hope I setup the repository correctly as this is my first one on github.

Code: n48
Location: Walldorf (Baden-Württemberg)

@richland007 Are the mirror and Alexa on the same network??

@barryallen1337 true, but in the .bashrc on Raspbian, not that many are there. Also editing the .bashrc is something you can do, but those changes might end-up throwing update problems that need to be merged. This is due to the changes made in the .bashrc file.

To have a smooth ride during updating the Raspbian OS, it better to use the .bash_aliases file. This file, if it exists, is read by the .bashrc and your aliases are activated. The .bash_aliases is read at the end of the .bashrc file, so your aliases are always created last what means the aliases work the way you set them up.

@barryallen1337 true, but in the .bashrc on Raspbian, not that many are there. Also editing the .bashrc is something you can do, but those changes might end-up throwing update problems that need to be merged. This is due to the changes made in the .bashrc file.

To have a smooth ride during updating the Raspbian OS, it better to use the .bash_aliases file. This file, if it exists, is read by the .bashrc and your aliases are activated. The .bash_aliases is read at the end of the .bashrc file, so your aliases are always created last what means the aliases work the way you set them up.

@sdetweil , I haven’t been running Windows on my home pc’s and laptop since the late 90’, I’m didn’t know about bitvise. Will check this out for my work PC.

Most of my Raspberry Pi’s are running headless, and for those ssh and vi are mostly fine as they need little attention, but two week ago my SD card in the MM died, so I had to setup a new one. A restore of a backup would have made things much easier, but … the backup … yeah … was still on the to-do list :) … So I had to setup a system from scratch and that’s a lot of work, and that’s the reason I came-up with the aliases list.

Also I now setup the PI to have as little as possible writes on the SD with the method I written down in this topic: https://forum.magicmirror.builders/topic/11513/dead-sd-card-every-aprox-6-months/10

I’m also thinking to setup a github repro for my MM config.js and custom.css file. With these files stored on github, I can easily track back which modules I have installed and layout changes I have performed.

Mental note 1 … always make a backup of all critical files!
Mental note 2 … keep the MM working, because the wife who didn’t want the stupid thing in the first place, now was telling me to fix it ASAP because she now didn’t know what to wear due to the missing weather info.

Setting up a MagicMirror² on a Raspberry Pi isn’t too difficult using the installer script from @sdetweil . The more difficult part is selecting which modules to install and then configuring them.

I’m not a command line guru, so the hopping back and forth between the config, modules and css directory feels like a lot of work. So to ease the stress on my keyboard, I created a .bash_aliases file with some useful aliases. These aliases make my life easier, and I hope for you as well.

Currently I’m using the following aliases:

• cdMM => change to the MagicMirror directory
• cdMMC => change to the config directory
• cdMMM => change to the modules directory
• cdMMS => change to the css directory
• viMMC => open the config.js in vi
• edMMC => open the config.js in leafpad via X forwarding.

My .bash_aliases file can be found on github: https://github.com/MoreLinuxDev/MagicMirror-bash-aliases

I hope I setup the repository correctly as this is my first one on github.

@Travelbacon , I support your idea. True, the suggestion of Mykle1 works, but it’s not a standard.

@MichMich, Would be great to have longitude and latitude as default parameters in the config.js. In this way you would set your location once and all the modules that require it can use it.

@Serge said in dead SD-card every aprox. 6 months:

@almliden said in dead SD-card every aprox. 6 months:

Use RPi-images that writes to /tmpfs, or configure them to write temporary data to RAM to reduce wear on the SD-card.

How to do that?

As root user, edit the file /etc/fstab and add the following lines:

tmpfs    /tmp    tmpfs    defaults,noatime,nosuid,size=100m    0 0
tmpfs    /var/tmp    tmpfs    defaults,noatime,nosuid,size=30m    0 0
tmpfs    /var/log    tmpfs    defaults,noatime,nosuid,mode=0755,size=100m    0 0
tmpfs    /var/run    tmpfs    defaults,noatime,nosuid,mode=0755,size=2m    0 0
tmpfs    /var/spool/mqueue    tmpfs    defaults,noatime,nosuid,mode=0700,gid=12,size=30m    0 0

Now most of the write intensive files write to the Raspberry PI’s ram.

Disable the swap file, as it can be write intensive too. First check if you have swap activated with the command:

free -h

If your total swap is 0B, you are good, if not, execute the following commands:

dphys-swapfile swapoff
dphys-swapfile uninstall
systemctl disable dphys-swapfile

Now the command activated with the command:

free -h

should tell you that you are not using the swap file anymore.

@mrdenmark Queenstown NZ doesn’t have any ISS passes until 30 Nov. 2019, so your mirror might be correct.

You can check it at: https://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=25544&lat=-45.0312&lng=168.6626&loc=Queenstown&alt=0&tz=NZST

Looks like the screensaver got installed or activated again.
Disable the screensaver and all should be fine.

@sbrundage85 Yup, I just followed the instructions, nothing special done.

@Stoffbeuteluwe I also don’t know why it’s not working for you. I haven’t written the module, just installed and it worked.

I have an Amazon Echo Dot 2. generation.

@sbrundage85 I have an Amazon Echo Dot (2. Gen.) and it discovers the software WeMo the MMM-AlexaOnOff module without any problems.