Actually, this project is closed, because on hackaday it is declared as a pure hardware project. All further work will be realized in the github repo (runningLightBox). But because so many of you are following now this project, I thought to write how I am programming the Raspi.

In the beginning I thought to use Visual Studio Code with the remote server, but then I decided to keep everything simple and mount the working folder form my laptop to the Raspi.

Raspi Part

• Install nfs-common

sudo apt install nfs-common

• Create a directory for mounting 

sudo mkdir /var/runningLightBox

•  Define what should be mounted where via fstab file

sudo nano /etc/fstab

 File looks then like this:

# <file system>     <dir>       <type>   <options>   <dump>     <pass>
<IP_OF_LAPTOP>:<LINK_TO_WORK_FOLDER>  /var/runningLightBox/  nfs      defaults    0       0

Laptop Part

• Install NFS server

sudo apt-get install nfs-kernel-server

•  Define which folder is allowed to be used by whom via export file

 sudo nano /etc/exports

  File looks then like this:

<LINK_TO_WORK_FOLDER> <IP_OF_RASPI> (rw)

NOTE: Laptop must be booted first! (I know it's logical, but ....)

Before I wrote a python script, I first tested the LEDs with the i2ctools:

• Get all I2C devices on the I2C1

i2cdetect -y 1

•  Set all pins of port A of the first segment to output

i2cset -y 1 0x20 0x00 0x00

•  Turn on all LEDs of port A of the first segment

i2cset -y 1 0x20 0x14 0x00

•  Turn off all LEDs of port A of the first segment

i2cset -y 1 0x20 0x14 0xFF

•  Repeat last three steps above  for all other devices

There is also a python script in the github repo (runningLightBox).