Control your Rasp Pi projects with Python’s Tkinter library
The Tinkerer
![© Lead Image © agor2012, 123RF.com © Lead Image © agor2012, 123RF.com](/var/linux_magazin/storage/images/issues/2018/209/python-s-tkinter-library/123rf_75456554_steampunk-teleport-machine-agor2012_resized.png/722952-1-eng-US/123rf_75456554_Steampunk-Teleport-machine-agor2012_resized.png1_medium.png)
© Lead Image © agor2012, 123RF.com
Use Tkinter to control your Rasp Pi projects from a smartphone or tablet.
If you are looking for an easy way to control your Raspberry Pi projects, consider Python's Tkinter library. In about 20 lines of Python code, you can create a graphic program to control a Rasp Pi rover project (Figure 1). This article shows how to create a Python Tkinter application to control the Rasp Pi's General Purpose Input Output (GPIO) pins. I will also show you how to set up a desktop shortcut that you can use to easily launch the application, and I will configure a Virtual Network Computing (VNC) server so that a smartphone, tablet, or PC can control the Rasp Pi remotely.
Python Tkinter Library
Tkinter [1] is bundled with the standard Rasp Pi Python installation. The base Tkinter library contains 17 different widgets that you can use for graphic applications. These widgets can be defined with customizable colors, sizes, text, and commands. There are three geometry managers (Pack, Grid, and Place) that can be used to arrange the widgets. For Rasp Pi hardware projects, I found the Grid geometry manager was a good fit. Listing 1 is a simple test program that presents two buttons in a grid and prints feedback when the buttons are pressed. (Note: Python 2.7 references the library as Tkinter
, whereas Python 3 uses tkinter
, lowercase). Figure 2 shows this test program with some button feedback.
Listing 1
tk_test.py
Tkinter Rasp Pi GPIO Motor Example
The Rasp Pi communicates with external hardware through its GPIO pins. These GPIO pins only support 5V connections, so relays or custom tops are required to connect to higher-powered devices. Very low-powered motors can be directly connected to Rasp Pi GPIO pins; however, it is highly recommended that you use a Rasp Pi motor top or some other protection hardware.
Different Rasp Pi tops will vary on the GPIO pins used for their motor connections. For our hardware setup, GPIO pins 19 and 21 were connected to the left and right motors. The GPIO pins are accessed in Python using the RPi.GPIO library. The RPi.GPIO library is preinstalled in the Raspbian image. Listing 2 shows the full code required to drive two motors. For this example, pins 19 and 21 are set as outputs using the GPIO.setup call. A motor function is created to turn each motor on or off. The Tkinter code was enhanced to make the buttons larger and add color. Also, the Python lambda function was used for passing the motor states. Figure 3 shows the Tkinter GPIO control program.
Listing 2
tk_gpio.py
Rasp Pi Shortcut
To make the project easier to access, you can place a quick launch icon or shortcut on the Rasp Pi desktop (Figure 4). To configure a shortcut, add a file to the user's $HOME/desktop
directory:
nano $HOME/desktop/tk_gpio.desktop
The name, icon, and execution command are defined inside this file (Listing 3).
Listing 3
tk_gpio.desktop
Depending on how you plan to run your program, a shortcut might be enough; however, if you would like to control the project remotely, VNC is a good option.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
![Learn More](https://www.linux-magazine.com/var/linux_magazin/storage/images/media/linux-magazine-eng-us/images/misc/learn-more/834592-1-eng-US/Learn-More_medium.png)
News
-
NVIDIA Released Driver for Upcoming NVIDIA 560 GPU for Linux
Not only has NVIDIA released the driver for its upcoming CPU series, it's the first release that defaults to using open-source GPU kernel modules.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 24.07 Released
If you’re into rolling release Linux distributions, OpenMandriva ROME has a new snapshot with a new kernel.
-
Kernel 6.10 Available for General Usage
Linus Torvalds has released the 6.10 kernel and it includes significant performance increases for Intel Core hybrid systems and more.
-
TUXEDO Computers Releases InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen9 Laptop
Sporting either AMD or Intel CPUs, the TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 is an extremely compact, lightweight, sturdy powerhouse.
-
Google Extends Support for Linux Kernels Used for Android
Because the LTS Linux kernel releases are so important to Android, Google has decided to extend the support period beyond that offered by the kernel development team.
-
Linux Mint 22 Stable Delayed
If you're anxious about getting your hands on the stable release of Linux Mint 22, it looks as if you're going to have to wait a bit longer.
-
Nitrux 3.5.1 Available for Install
The latest version of the immutable, systemd-free distribution includes an updated kernel and NVIDIA driver.
-
Debian 12.6 Released with Plenty of Bug Fixes and Updates
The sixth update to Debian "Bookworm" is all about security mitigations and making adjustments for some "serious problems."
-
Canonical Offers 12-Year LTS for Open Source Docker Images
Canonical is expanding its LTS offering to reach beyond the DEB packages with a new distro-less Docker image.
-
Plasma Desktop 6.1 Released with Several Enhancements
If you're a fan of Plasma Desktop, you should be excited about this new point release.