= Using RaspberryPI's for Creating an Interesting Slackbot =

[[PageOutline]]

== Install Node.js and NPM ==

It is always a good idea to the upgrade and update before adding packages after the initial installation of the OS on the PI.
{{{
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get update
}}}
You might need to removed the old nodered, which might not be the package we want
{{{
sudo apt-get remove nodered
sudo apt-get remove nodejs nodejs-legacy
sudo apt-get remove npm 
}}}
And then get the latest node source and install
{{{
curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_6.x | sudo bash -
sudo apt-get install -y build-essential python-dev nodejs 
}}}
npm seems to come with nodejs.  When trying to do an apt-get install npm, I get an error.
Running with 
{{{

node --version
v6.4.10

npm --version
3.10.3

}}}


Here is an alternate way to install, but the above method seemed to work.
{{{
wget http://node-arm.herokuapp.com/node_latest_armhf.deb
sudo dpkg -i node_latest_armhf.deb
}}}


== Useful Pages to Read ==

=== Node.js ===
https://nodejs.org/api [[BR]]
http://nodeschool.io/#workshopper-list [[BR]]

=== NPM === 

https://www.sitepoint.com/beginners-guide-node-package-manager/ [[BR]]

=== Coffee - the little language that compiles into Javascript ===

http://coffeescript.org/ [[BR]]

=== Slack Pages ===

https://get.slack.help/hc/en-us/categories/202622877-Slack-Guides

==== BUA Diversity Slack Home Page ====

https://buadiversity.slack.com/messages/general/details/

== HUBOT Tutorial ==

Need to set up a bot in a slack page - So, you still need to set up a slack url and a new bot.  Follow the instructions in
https://scotch.io/tutorials/building-a-slack-bot-with-node-js-and-chuck-norris-super-powers and do the section on Create a new Bot in your slack organization. And then follow the tutorial in spice-up-your-slack-channel-with-hubot.

https://www.sitepoint.com/spice-up-your-slack-channel-with-hubot/ [[BR]]
  It gives the most basic commands - none of the addons.  The section after integrating with slack works except for the pug me section. I found that the [https://github.com/Emile-Filteau/hubot-catme/blob/master/src/catme.coffee hubot-catme] section does work. And I didn't bother to understand the Jarvis part of the tutorial that talked about checking when a user was active last.  I went on with the example coffee script from the norrisbot git repository.

This is the general hubot repository.  It is worth looking at and following the scripting.md using the scripts/slackbot-examples.coffee file from [https://github.com/michikono/slackbot-tutorial Michikino Slackbot Tutorial] [[BR]]
https://github.com/github/hubot.git [[BR]]
https://github.com/github/hubot/blob/master/docs/scripting.md [[BR]]


== !CatMe Pages ==
https://github.com/Emile-Filteau/hubot-catme/blob/master/src/catme.coffee [[BR]

== Chuck Norris ==

Useful to do this tutorial also [https://scotch.io/tutorials/building-a-slack-bot-with-node-js-and-chuck-norris-super-powers Chuck Norris] - uses javascript instead of coffee.

== Ship It Squirrels ==

http://theprogrammingbutler.com/blog/archives/2011/10/28/hubot-scripts-explained/


== Maybe Useful to Read ==
http://www.michikono.com/2015/07/10/in-depth-tutorial-on-writing-a-slackbot/ [[BR]]
http://writing.kynan.net.au/2015/07/17/teach-your-raspberry-pi-to-talk-in-slack

== Example Slackbots ==

I installed a couple on the Pi, parvifolius.bbn.com.

To run the Chuck Norris bot and connect to https://buadiversity.slack.com
{{{
cd /home/pi/norrisbot
BOT_API_KEY=xoxb-48080620372-KHlo6i1AECTA0H7H1nZptr7r node bin/bot.js 
}}}

On the #general slack channel at the URL above, any mention of Chuck Norris generated a random Chuck Norris joke. Look at lib/norrisbot.js to see how this works.

To run the rabbithain bot:
{{{
cd /home/pi/test-bot/
HUBOT_SLACK_TOKEN=xoxb-48595095201-QyWScPVPnV94pQaW7zneF5oJ ./bin/hubot -a slack
}}}

On the #general slack channel at the URL above, it can do a bunch of random things. Check the scripts/example.coffee and attached images for what it can do.  It
is a good example script to see what can be done with slackbots.


== For Administration Purposes ==
Look into [http://pinet.org.uk/ PiNet] to help with classroom administration.  I tried it and it seemed to work. It uses NFS to keep all files from the PI's onto the file server.