File system repair: forcing fsck on Linux/Raspberry Pi

I lost remote (VNC) contact to my Pi at a critical time and could not even get a response to ping!

So I had no option but to break the connection to its supply, a 12Volt battery.

Result; corrupted files and a damaged file system.

BirdBox2017: using motionEye & streamEye

After a couple of weeks of investigation, procrastination and frustration, I think I have reached a decision.

I am going to use motionEye to stream and display video to a remote laptop.

But this has meant a lot of upgrading to the heart of (what was) my 2015 bird box.

Garmin eTrex 10: what's your position buddy?

It's struck me once or twice, when out walking, that I don't know exactly where I am.

Imagine that there is some kind of medical emergency, and I need to call for an ambulance.

"Where are you sir?"

BirdBox2017: a new year, a new birdbox?

Well, not exactly. No plans to build a new box, but I would like to add a second camera.

As well as the main event inside the bird box, there is often quite a bit of action on the outside, especially during the early weeks, and at the end, when the chicks fledge.

So with only a few weeks left until I need to deploy my two Raspberry Pi powered bird boxes, I need to get on with development.

Pi Zero: adapting the USB socket

Although the Raspberry Pi Zero is about half the size of a credit card, the connectors stick out sideways, which affectively increases the boards footprint once connected.

To make matters worse, the USB socket is the micro version, so you need an adaptor if you only have a standard USB wifi dongle.

So in order to make a really small, headless Zero system, you need to do something radical.