I've never used one but android phones can use utilize USB GPIO devices which are very cheap
replyTermux runs great, but it has some compatibility gotchas, largely because of the libc android uses.
replyI do use termux daily to ssh into other boxes, that's incredibly useful
Your phone has GPIOs inside it, but you can't access them without at least root.
replyCool, didn't know that. But like are they physically accessible? I don't think you can use the USB port as GPIO. Maybe some unused pins on the SOC itself, but that means opening up the phone and probably removing the shielding/heatsink...
replyYou can attach some photodiodes to your screen to control things. And use the camera/mic for input.
replyNow that's a funny idea. But it's true!
replyI think you can attach a keyboard to a phone over USB, and in theory it can provide both input and output (you can control the LEDs from the host computer). That would be a more convenient route, I suppose.
replyThat's true, although I don't know whether you can control the LEDs from within the app sandbox.
replyIf you can access it from within the sandbox, you don't need to be limited to keyboards - the HID framework allows for arbitrary I/O.
PI was a thing when it was much cheaper than X86. You can buy a much better speced mini PC nowadays
replyFor the cost of a Pico or a Zero? Even some of the SBCs cost about £30. Where can I get a mini PC for that?
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I'll bite. Wyse 3040. $20-40 on the used market, similarly crappy specs to a Zero.
replyhttps://www.parkytowers.me.uk/thin/wyse/3040/
Atom x5 Z-8350, 2GB of RAM, 8-16GB of flash, some USB, and there's a board on that page you can have done up to do a slapdash SD adapter inside the case for more flash.
That is interesting especially now a lot of cheaper Pis are hard to get
replyUnless one actually wants ARM.
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