Asynchronous execution on DR800/1000 to capture screenshots

[MrWarper]

I had been wondering for a while how to take screenshots of what's on the screen of DR800/1000 readers, but since I've only seen them in developer's posts, I guess this is not very common for 'normal' users. Well, I've found screenshots can be terribly useful at times to swap stuff with my buddies, and they're so much better than screen photos...

After doing some research, turns out anyone using (edit: not the enhanced Mackxpatch nor DR800+, but this ->) FBReader by Mackx and Iñigo has a screenshot utility installed as part of their required core package, namely <SDCard>/Programs/_base/bin/fbshot. What a relief!

Now, this is apparently designed to be invoked via an SSH client from a computer when the reader is hooked to an USB port, with the help of some some other program developed here (usbnet?). While all of that is good and well, I'd need to take screenshots of what I'm doing much more often when I'm NOT standing by a computer...

I thought a quick and dirty solution would be to create a shortcut with some hardcoded parameters, i.e. place a text file called say gotcha.desktop, in <SD card>/System/Shortcuts, with this in its guts:
---8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<---
[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=Delayed (15s) screenshot
Exec=/media/mmcblk0p1/Programs/_base/bin/fbshot -s 15 /media/mmcblk0p1/picture.png
Type=Application
---8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<------8<---

This works, but there's a catch: when you execute fbshot from the ctb like this, it is apparently started in synchronous mode, so even if you switch to what you were doing, the ctb displays its 'wait' 'dialog' while waiting for fbshot to do whatever it expects, so any pics you take will include the sign on top (see attachment). Not very nice, ¿uh?

I suppose I can get hands on to this at some point, but that may take a long, long time. Meanwhile, does any charitable soul out there know if there's a way to execute this fbshot applet via a shortcut without the ctb displaying its damned 'dialog', or modifying the program? How?

Thank you in advance.

[Mackx]

Hi MrWarper,

There is another trick to get a screenshot, it requires Xournal and the Mackxpatch:
- Start the application/document of which you want a screenshot
- Start Xournal and select Journal->Background Screenshot
(Xournal will now go to background and the Folder-tab will be shown.)
Do not touch the screen with the stylus
- Use the iRex Menu (use buttons only, no stylus) to select the application/document Menu->Tasks->[The doc to select]
NOTE: this menu is only available when you have installed MackxPatch
- Now touch the screen with the stylus. A screenshot will be taken (this can take a few seconds) which will be available in Xournal where you can save it.

[MrWarper]

Hi Mackx,

Originally Posted by Mackx

There is another trick to get a screenshot, it requires Xournal and the Mackxpatch: [...]

You're so right about this! I discovered that a long time ago (exploring Xournal menus to see what they really did in order to enhance the translation ; ) and then completely forgot about it... ; ( Thanks for a great, great feature!!

A few comments:
-That code (and of course its corresponding menu) is present in DR800+ (v4 at least), so your solution is equally valid for its users.
-The 'trick' can be done without that menu if you just take a bit of care, so only your Xournal port is actually required:
Get your stuff together so you can get on screen whatever you want to take a picture of, and fire up Xournal right afterwards. When you activate the screenshot menu in Xournal, it will 'move' to the background so your subject is exposed and all you have to do is touch the screen with your stylus. This saves time, which relieves a bit of the pain of real-time operating on slow refreshing devices : )
-Xournal will only take a screenshot of any of the areas the screen is split into (document, tabs, status bar, see attachments) when touching it. Not a big deal, though.

So, while Xournal mostly solves the problem for good, I find it rather cumbersome to take screenshots, export them to PDF and then extract the images... therefore I am 99% happy but I still call unsolved on the original question -- call me nitpicky ; )

Maybe a python script could be executed that would invoke fbshot asynchronously with a delay switch and declare 'done' to the ctb, so it's not waiting for anything else when fbshot does its stuff? (I know nothing about python so please excuse my ignorance, but if it can be done like that, it sounds like something I could devote a couple of days to).

There's yet another partial alternative, albeit only for Mackxpatch users on the DR1000: when it is installed the 'wait' 'dialog' can be downsized or made invisible in the system settings (see last screenshot).