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WhiteWizzard
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Joined: 05/04/2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2794

Posted: 04:55am 09 Oct 2015

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For the last 20months I have been using & configuring literally hundreds of MicroMites with TeraTerm in a Windoze environment (from 7, 8, to 10). 90% of the time, this is on my Windoze laptop. However, my main machine is a very nice iMac on which I have Windows installed running under the Parallels application. So up until yesterday, if I connected a MicroMite to the iMac, I would then boot up Windows on it. Trouble is, Windows typically then crashes the iMac so I then go back to connecting the MM to the laptop to finish whatever task I was doing.

So I thought it was time I finally got a MicroMite connected to MacOSX. I have looked briefly at this before (probably on two or three occasions) but EVERY time the instructions for setting the software up started to get stupidly complex. So yesterday I persevered BUT I still cannot believe how annoyingly complex Google's search results are making things to get this set up.

PLEASE - is there anyone out there that can help me? All I want is the equivalent of TeraTerm within MacOS (currently Yosemite v10.10.5). I expect to have to configure the baud rate and COM port only, and then select VT100.

I have the Terminal application built into MacOS (which is what everyone says will work (!!!!???!!!) - but how on earth do you get this to 'act' like TeraTerm?
The FTDI drivers successfully have been successfully installed (according to the installation) and now Isimply want to configure the Terminal program to 'see' the virtual (FTDI) COM port so I can start using the MicroMite.

I do NOT understand Linux at all and really do need STEP-BY-STEP instructions.

Please, can anyone help me????

Thanks,
WW

For everything Micromite visit micromite.org

Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o

CircuitGizmos

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Joined: 08/09/2011
Location: United States
Posts: 1421

Posted: 06:07am 09 Oct 2015

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WW:

I'm going to pretend I know what I'm talking about. Once you have the serial port device installed, then install Minicom for Mac.

If this works, I'll act like I knew what I was talking about the whole time.

(I did something similar under Linux.)

See this page:

Macs and serial

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WhiteWizzard
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Joined: 05/04/2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2794

Posted: 08:07am 09 Oct 2015

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Hi CG,

Ok, I think you half know what you're talking about

I have some MM 'output' on the screen but what a massive amount of set-up 'trial & error' I had to go through. Using MiniCom (or should I say, 'trying' to use MiniCom)

Big negatives at the moment include:
1> If screen is resized then all current text 'disappears' (but any new text is displayed)
2> Function keys don't work (i.e. F2 in editor saves program but then displays 'OQ' at command prompt; no CR or LF after 'OQ' by the way)
3> Can't seem to create a 'one click' shortcut icon on the desktop

So a bit of progress thanks to CG, but what a huge battle to go through . . .

Will keep trying

For everything Micromite visit micromite.org

Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o

CircuitGizmos

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Joined: 08/09/2011
Location: United States
Posts: 1421

Posted: 09:16am 09 Oct 2015

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I seem to remember #1 as a bit frustrating.

#2 enable macros and redefine the function keys?
http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=backtrack-3-man/minicom

#3 http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5125907/how-to-run-a-shell-script-in-os-x-by-double-clicking

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WhiteWizzard
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Joined: 05/04/2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2794

Posted: 10:05am 09 Oct 2015

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Sorry CG, but those two links leave me baffled, and lost, in a minefield of information.

'Step-by-step' preferred over 'war & peace'

I have almost given up

For everything Micromite visit micromite.org

Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o

TassyJim

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Joined: 07/08/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 5907

Posted: 10:51am 09 Oct 2015

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If you are having problems with the "F" keys, the 'mites have alternatives:

Quote You can also use control keys instead of the functions keys listed above. These control keystrokes are:
LEFT Ctrl-S RIGHT Ctrl-D UP Ctrl-E DOWN Ctrl-X
HOME Ctrl-U END Ctrl-K PageUp Ctrl-P PageDn Ctrl-L
DEL Ctrl-] INSERT Ctrl-N F1 Ctrl-Q F2 Ctrl-W
F3 Ctrl-R ShiftF3 Ctrl-G F4 Ctrl-T F5 Ctrl-Y

Doesn't the mac have an equivalent to "wine"?
Then you can run TeraTerm (or MMEdit)

Jim

VK7JH
MMedit MMBasic Help

CircuitGizmos

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Joined: 08/09/2011
Location: United States
Posts: 1421

Posted: 11:15am 09 Oct 2015

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I don't have OSX right now, so this is a bit of guessing.

I assume that you got minicom to run once and connected? Then the following should help you with making a shell script file to run by clicking.

If you open up a terminal window (text. looks like DOS) you are in your home directory. You should be able to type ls at the prompt and get a list of files.

Type touch tt. This creates tt which will be the name of a script. (tt short for teraterm.)

Type chmod 777 tt This makes tt executable.

Type open -e tt to open this file in OSX TextEdit.

In the editor:

#!/bin/bash
# Run Minicom

miniterm

Save that file (tt). Double clicking on tt should open it and run minicom.

You can navigate to your home folder and right click on tt and choose create alias. Drag the new file it created to your desktop. This is like a shortcut in Windows.

I hope. :-P
Edited by CircuitGizmos 2015-10-10

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ajkw
Senior Member

Joined: 29/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 290

Posted: 01:38pm 09 Oct 2015

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In Terminal:

screen /dev/tty.usbserial-YOUR-DEVICE-ID 115200

YOUR-DEVICE-ID can be found in System Information / Hardware / USB / Your Device / Serial number

Eg DA01IIJ0 for the usb on a MUP 2.

(or System Report via About This Mac or Launchpad - other)

screen /dev/tty.usbserial-DA01IIJ0 115200

Chris Roper
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Joined: 19/05/2015
Location: South Africa
Posts: 280

Posted: 01:46pm 09 Oct 2015

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CircuitGizmos said
Type touch tt. This creates tt which will be the name of a script. (tt short for teraterm.)

Type chmod 777 tt This makes tt executable.

Type open -e tt to open this file in OSX TextEdit.

In the editor:

#!/bin/bash
# Run Minicom

miniterm

Save that file (tt).

And apple sell it at a premium because it is easy to use

How on earth is the average user supposed to know that, let alone understand it.

http://caroper.blogspot.com/

WhiteWizzard
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Joined: 05/04/2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2794

Posted: 08:12pm 09 Oct 2015

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TassyJim said Doesn't the mac have an equivalent to "wine"?
Then you can run TeraTerm (or MMEdit)

Hi Jim,

I am trying to avoid using Windoze on iMac as it keeps crashing my machine.
At the end of the day, there must be an 'easy' setup that allows me to plug a MM to MacOSX via a genuine FTDI chip.

Reading the other posts here, it really seems far from easy! I am partially there thanks to CG's initial response. And I left a MM+ connected all night running a PRINT TIME$ loop and its still going and displaying on the MiniCom screen (even after the iMac went to sleep).

The mission continues . . . .

For everything Micromite visit micromite.org

Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o

JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3659

Posted: 08:21pm 09 Oct 2015

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You want to do something that from Apple's view point almost no-one does and in which Apple have no interest. So, it may well not be easy.

There are presumably apps but I guess they don't work on your chosen Apple device.

For those thinking it's easier on Windoze... look at the pain of getting a USB serial port to work as needed. MS seem to be forever making it harder and a mite different with each new Windows (driver signing etc).

JohnEdited by JohnS 2015-10-11

brucepython

Regular Member

Joined: 19/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 64

Posted: 10:08pm 11 Oct 2015

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While I can't help with the exact problem you've described, I've had no problems running Win XP on my 2008 Mac Pro using Virtual Box, which is a freebie from (and well maintained by) Oracle. Its stability continues to surprise and please me. Virtual Box download from https://www.virtualbox.org
Edited by brucepython 2015-10-13

WhiteWizzard
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Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2794

Posted: 10:22pm 11 Oct 2015

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Thanks Bruce - I will look into that one.
Just out of interest, and based on your use of it, what are the 'downsides'?

Thanks . . . .

For everything Micromite visit micromite.org

Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o

smudge
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Joined: 04/12/2014
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 16

Posted: 11:00pm 11 Oct 2015

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Hi Just watch out if you're thinking of upgrading to El Capitan as there are problems with Virtual Box accessing the USB ports in EC. They're supposed to be working on a solution but as far as I know it's still a problem.

brucepython

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Joined: 19/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 64

Posted: 02:17pm 13 Oct 2015

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WW:

Quote Just out of interest, and based on your use of it, what are the 'downsides'?

Niggles, I guess, mostly 'operator-induced faults' such as using Ctrl instead of the command key, which takes a few minutes for my mind AND fingers to switch each time I change OS. That's purely me, not a problem with VirtualBox. Remembering to switch the USB from one OS to the other using the icon at the bottom right corner is another operator problem. Not exactly earth-shattering. I have no idea of what happens with post-XP version of Windows as I've never used them.

smudge:

Quote Just watch out if you're thinking of upgrading to El Capitan as there are problems with Virtual Box accessing the USB ports in EC. They're supposed to be working on a solution but as far as I know it's still a problem.

Thanks for that advice. I never 'upgrade' to a new OS until after the third revision at the earliest. Having spent far too many years debugging other people's software for a living I don't want to continue that as a leisure activity. (It's tough enough debugging my own small efforts.)

Bruce

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