The MagPi - February 2020

04

Install MagicMirror^2

Now the fun part. MagicMirror^2 is an Electron

app: a web app wrapped up in its own browser.

Installing it manually is complex, but Michael

and the team have provided an elegant script that

automates the entire process. Get to a command-

line prompt by using Terminal or an SSH client and

carefully enter the following command:

bash -c "$(curl -sL

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MichMich/

MagicMirror/master/installers/raspberry.sh)"

(For more detailed instructions, see

magpi.cc/magicmirror.)

The script will now install Node (the

programming environment that runs

MagicMirror^2 ), Electron, and the app itself.

05

Configuring MagicMirror^2

During installation you’ll see a lot of

text fly by the screen, along with a couple of

warnings that can be safely ignored. You will be

asked at one point whether you want to install

and enable pm2. Process Manager 2 (pm2) is an

application that simplifies the running of Node

apps (or anything else), starting things at boot or

automatically restarting apps when they crash.

If you reply ‘yes’, pm2 will start MagicMirror^2

immediately on boot. You will also be asked if you

want to start the app right away. If you’re eager to

see it in action, say yes.

06

Initial configuration

MagicMirror^2 is now installed and you

should be able to see the display on your mirror.

The installation process has tweaked a lot of

settings to improve the display quality and has

disabled things such as screen sleeping. You can

customise what is displayed on screen and its

position by having a look at the configuration

file located at ~/MagicMirror/config/config.js.

If you’re finding the screen too crowded, you can

tweak the layout by changing the value of ‘zoom’.

We found 0.6 worked well for the Raspberry Pi

touchscreen. We’ll look into more of these settings

next time. For now, go and get a hook and put up

your new fancy magic mirror!

Your maker.

Photographing a

magic mirror presents

unique challenges

MagicMirror^2 defaults

to a high-contrast black

and white display which

works well with the

reduced visibility

Tip! Restarting

MagicMirror^2

If you have made

a configuration

change, you can

restart without

having to reboot

by typing this at

the command

line: pm2 restart

MagicMirror

GREAT USES FOR

YOUR MAGIC MIRROR

We’re going to be looking at

uses for your magic mirror in

upcoming issues of The MagPi.

In the meantime, let’s whet

your appetite with some of

the cool things you can do.

The link below goes to the

exhaustive list of add-ons

available for MagicMirror^2. They

cover anything from calendar

integration to up-to-the-minute

finance information. Need to

know how many minutes until

the next bus? No problem. Some

go beyond the display itself,

offering voice control via Alexa

and Google Home. How about

a Pokémon of the day or video

live stream? Can’t find what

you need? If you know some

JavaScript, it is surprisingly easy

to write your own modules.

magpi.cc/mirrormodules

TUTORIAL

30 magpi.cc

MagicMirror^2 is now installed

and you should be able to

see the display