Sheridan Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 I'm about to give up with this half-cocked bit of software. We're trying to use the usb/tablet method and it just doesn't work for us. Running the aiStarter on an W7 machine, as an admin, with the firewall off and the browser test still says it isn't running! If we can't even get this bit working we've got no chance of getting it to see an android device, let alone work for a more locked down students account. Why does 'educational' software always seem to mean 'will work at home only, logged in as a single administrator'! I guess if I wait long enough, the latest fad will knock this off its perch!
vizubeat Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 Have a word with my good friend @AXE -- he might be able to assist!
Sheridan Posted March 16, 2015 Author Posted March 16, 2015 An AXE is what I'll be taking to it next! Seriously though, how messy and unreliable is this stuff, and yet all the ICT departments are all over how good it is?
bshingler Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 check what your filtering is doing and firewall ports
Chris_Cook Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 (edited) Does the tablet have an internet connection? I don't know about the usb method, but if you use the wifi connection, it downloads the app from the app inventor website. Also, you might need the development drivers for the tablet or phone. Otherwise it might not show up. -- CORRECTION: it first connects to http://rendezvous.appinventor.mit.edu . Please see here: http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/support/explain-wifi-connection.html The device then connects directly to your development PC to get the app. Both your PC and the tablet need to be able to get to the rendezvous website AND be able to commenicate with each other. Edited March 16, 2015 by Chris_Cook I was wrong - it happens sometimes...
Sheridan Posted March 16, 2015 Author Posted March 16, 2015 Not even as far as connecting the tablet - I'm still stuck trying to get the web interface to recognise the aiStarter is running. Once that connection is OK I can look at the tablet/usb connection. The aistarter sits there running in a command windows on 127.0.0.1:8004 - but the web interface says its not running.
Arreks Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 Seriously though, how messy and unreliable is this stuff, and yet all the ICT departments are all over how good it is? That's actually a thing? we decided against using it after speaking to some other schools for help setting it up properly in the borough and hearing bad things.
Sheridan Posted March 16, 2015 Author Posted March 16, 2015 That's actually a thing? we decided against using it after speaking to some other schools for help setting it up properly in the borough and hearing bad things. Unfortunately here, they've heard had much of a nightmare it is to setup. However they also realise its not their problem as it will be us who has to wrestle with it!
Nibiru Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 App Inventor is an awful bit of software. Our council IT spent ages getting the emulator running - then MIT updated it and broke it again. So IT fixed it - now its recently been updated & its broken it again. We have never had any success with getting it to connect to tablets - it just doesnt work for some reason. Its obviously another bit of software that never been tested properly in a locked down school style profiles.
Sheridan Posted March 16, 2015 Author Posted March 16, 2015 App Inventor is an awful bit of software. Our council IT spent ages getting the emulator running - then MIT updated it and broke it again. So IT fixed it - now its recently been updated & its broken it again. We have never had any success with getting it to connect to tablets - it just doesnt work for some reason. Its obviously another bit of software that never been tested properly in a locked down school style profiles. Not just locked down - we've tried on 2 separate admin PCs, under admin logins and it just doesn't work at all on those either. Total POS.
bshingler Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 have you allowed local 127.0.0.1 to bypass the proxy?
Chris_Cook Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 can you connect via wifi / AI companion app? If you do that and scan the qr code, its much simpler. No messing with aistarter. AI starter and the emulator are a mess, but the rest of it works quite well.
Sheridan Posted March 16, 2015 Author Posted March 16, 2015 Yes, we've allowed localhost to bypass the proxy. Didn't want to use wireless, as they are supposed to be using this in an IT suite, with normal desktops
PotNoodleTech Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 If we are supposed to be teaching pupils how NOT to program then software such as this is an outstanding way of showing them!
Sheridan Posted March 16, 2015 Author Posted March 16, 2015 If we are supposed to be teaching pupils how NOT to program then software such as this is an outstanding way of showing them! Exactly - I would love to see something like this being used in a classroom, but its such a mess. Even their wiki's and blogs suggest that they're surprised if it works!
AXE Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 Have a word with my good friend @AXE -- he might be able to assist! Me? Try this: http://rnfxportal.com/MIT_AppInventor_V2_Launcher_for_USB.zip Unzip to the [Appinventor] folder in [Program Files]. Run [Connect.exe].
Sheridan Posted March 16, 2015 Author Posted March 16, 2015 Hmm, so far I've tried 2 * Windows 7 admin PCs, 1 * Windows 8 admin PC and 1 box fresh vanilla OSX 10.10 Macbook. None work, none can see the aistarter - so I'm guessing this is totally broken at the moment. I expected issues with permissions etc, but I thought I'd get further than this!
AXE Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 Have you installed the latest version of the AppInventor Tools? http://appinv.us/aisetup_windows
Sheridan Posted March 16, 2015 Author Posted March 16, 2015 Have you installed the latest version of the AppInventor Tools? http://appinv.us/aisetup_windows Yup - downloaded freshly today for both windows and mac. I only need the windows version to work, but the fact the mac fails as well is interesting. Probably a good time to tell the ict department this is a crock and to find something else.
newpersn Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 Works fine here. pupils use Google Chrome without problem
Sheridan Posted March 16, 2015 Author Posted March 16, 2015 Works fine here. pupils use Google Chrome without problem Did you have to fiddle with any settings in the browser, or similar? I get the feeling it will work in a home environment.
newpersn Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 Nope. Nothing changed. Internet Explorer proxy set to the swgfl. Only our moodle and mail address in the bypass. I don't know if chrome listens to system proxy.
Sheridan Posted March 16, 2015 Author Posted March 16, 2015 I've got ie set to avoid the proxy for localhost and also 127.0.0.1, but Chrome doesn't seem to pick these up properly. The only way I've got this to work so far is on a mac with direct external access (no proxy,no filtering, no firewall etc) so its not fit for purpose in our environment.
jinnantonnixx Posted March 16, 2015 Posted March 16, 2015 (edited) Find the App Inventor's folder (something like 'commands for app inventor' and run this adb kill-server adb start-server That should reset the emulator. Next try and get the emulator to work. This command will show you if the emulator is connected properly. adb devices Unless your luck has changed, see if there's any nuggets of info in the logs adb logcat I've had some success with the logs, paste the last 50 lines or so and see if we can spot something wrong. Edited March 16, 2015 by jinnantonnixx
NB9457 Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 I was having a similar issue at one of the primary schools I cover. I've been playing around with this App Inventor 2 Ultimate | SourceForge.net which is a full offline version and it seems to have solved my issue. Worth a look and a play, but I've not rolled it out yet as I need to sort a few things so it doesn't save locally. It may even run from a shared drive on the server, but I haven't tried this yet.
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