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Buttons & clock

This page shows how to use the buttons on the clock and its menu, and what the built-in clock shows.

How it behaves

Without any setup, left and right show the previous or next app in the rotation, select dismisses the notification shown, and a quick double press of select switches the display off or on. A script that is shown gets each press first, and a press it keeps does nothing else (React to buttons). Holding select for half a second opens the menu, where you start a script. While Block buttons under Display → App rotation is on, the buttons switch neither apps nor the display, and the menu stays closed.

The buttons

The clock has three buttons: left, select (middle) and right. On a DIY build they sit on the configured pins. They control the apps and are passed to scripts. You can also send each press to a web address with buttonCallback.

What the buttons do:

Button Does
Left, right Show the previous or next app
Select, once Dismiss the notification shown
Select, twice quickly Switch the display off or on
Select, held for half a second Open the menu, or end a script started from it

The menu

Hold select for half a second and the menu opens over the current app. It lists what this clock can start in alphabetical order:

  • Scripts: the scripts marked @ondemand, such as games. They are installed but never take part in the rotation.

In the menu:

  1. Left and right move through the entries. Hold them to move on quickly.
  2. Press select to open an entry.
  3. Hold select for half a second to close the menu. It also closes after 20 seconds without a press.

Starting a script. Pick it under Scripts. It starts from the beginning and has the display to itself: the rotation stops, and left and right do not switch apps. Hold select for half a second to end it. The rotation continues where it was, and the next start begins from scratch. Settings and anything the script saved in its store stay.

The menu shows one entry at a time. A bar on the bottom row shows where you are in the list.

The clock

The Time app shows the clock. Choose its layout in Settings › Clock app. The Date app shows the date.

Which sensor and battery apps are available depends on your hardware. See Built-in apps. See Power & battery for the battery level and for switching the display off.

Good to know

  • The menu does not open while the display is off or while Block buttons is on. Switch the display on, or switch Block buttons off. Holding select still ends a running script.

Details