1. Using Monokiosk

If you want to install an existing app from Monokiosk, on to your Mono device - this guide is for you!

In this guide we will show you how to download and install a pre-built application on Mono. Monokiosk is the app store where you can browse and download mono applications, built by makers from around the world.

Note

In this early phase the number of applications on monokiosk is quite limited. We plan to add more applications to the kiosk ourselves, and hope that our community will submit their own creations to the site.

But until then, let us focus on the few apps we have in the kiosk right now. In this guide we shall install the Tic Tac Toe sample app.

Visit monokiosk.com

First order of business, direct your favorite browser to monokiosk.com, and you will see this page like this:

Currently there are a simple Clock app and and a Tic Tac Toe app. But before you franticly click on one of these crazy mind blowing apps, you first need to install a tool called monoprog.

Monoprog is a programmer. A programmer is an application that transfers application files to mono, using the USB port. You need this tool to get the application from the computer to your Mono device. When you install applications from Monokiosk, the overall procedure is:

1. Download the application from monokiosk. (An application is a file with the extension: .elf)
2. Use monoprog to transfer the downloaded .elf file to Mono.
3. There is no step 3!

First you must download monoprog itself, so click on Get Started in the menu bar. Nowyou will see this page:

Choose the option that fits you or your OS. The downloads are installers that will install monoprog on your system.

Windows 8 and 10 Users:

We are working on a signed driver package to be a part of the installer, but until then Window 8 and 10 users must disable the driver signing requirement. If the device driver is not installed, Windows will not detect Mono’s serial port as a COM device. See Sparkfuns tutorial on How to Disable Signing Checks

Linux Users:

We have compiled a debian package for you. You need to use the dpkg tool to install the package, and then run apt-get install to install any dependencies. Non-debian users: You are skilled enough to compile monoprog from source.

Download Tic Tac Toe

Now, go back to the frontpage and click on the Tic Tac Toe app. You will now see this page, where you need to scroll down to the download link at the bottom right:

When you click the link, the file ttt.elf will be downloaded to your computer. This file is the application binary file and it is compatible with all present Mono models. Save the file in a folder, that you can easily reach from a terminal. Yes, now we must use terminal or command prompt.

Transfer the app to Mono

Attention

Since this is the first version of monoprog, it is a command line application. We have plan to wrap it inside a nice GUI - but for now bear with us.

Open a terminal window:

• On Mac / Ubuntu: Open the Terminal application.
• On Windows: Press Window-key + R, type cmd and hit Enter.

Type type this in the console, to verify monoprog is installed:

$ monoprog
Usage: monoprog [options]
Bootloadable Programmer for Mono board.

Options:
  -h, --help             Displays this help.
  -V, --version          Displays version information.
  --license              Displays licenses of software components.
  -d, --detect           Detects whether a Mono is connected via USB.
  --mock <type>          Simulates device to be in <type>.
  -p, --program <app>    Transfers <app> to Mono.
  -v, --verbose <level>  Set output verbosity level (default is 1).
  -q, --quiet, --silent  Set output verbosity level to 0.

If you see a message similar to this one, then everything is awesome! If your console brags about unknown command or application, then please run the installer again.

Connect Mono to your computer using a standard microUSB cable. Then, (from the terminal) navigate to the directory where you placed the file ttt.elf. Then write this monoprog command:

$ monoprog -d

Monoprog will now try to find any connected Mono devices. If your device is found it returns: Mono device detected.

Note

If monoprog does not detect any connected Mono device, please force Mono into bootloader with help from this guide.

To transfer (program) the app to Mono write:

$ monoprog -p ttt.elf

Now, monoprog programs the application binary code to Mono’s internal flash memory. If everything goes well Mono will wake up and display the Tic Tac Toe app. Next, you can find a friend to play Tic Tac Toe with, you can download the other app or you could consider creating your own!