Google's Coder Tool Lets Almost Anyone Develop Apps with Raspberry Pi

In case you've missed it, the diminutive $25/$35 Linux computer dubbed Raspberry Pi has emerged as one of the biggest open source stories anywhere this year. It's attracted many tinkerers, is now running several flavors of Linux.  There is even now a supercomputer consisting of many Pi devices lashed together with Lego pieces (see the photo), and concoctions that turn the Pi into a home security device or music synthesizer.

Now there is going to be a new wave of Raspberry Pi inventions, as "educators and parents" discover a Google Coder tool that can "can craft small projects in HTML, CSS, and Javascript, right from the web browser." Basically, with the tool you can create Raspberry Pi apps right from your browser.

The Coder project is from Google Creative Labs, and will turn a Raspberry Pi into a simple web server with a browser-centric development environment. The Coder installer is free for download here, and you can load it onto an SD card, put the card in a Raspberry Pi device and choose coder.local to get started. 

The Coder team is also looking for volunteers to help with the project.  You can watch a video showing how to work with code in the simple development environment here.

According to the project team:

"Coder is designed for creating, editing, and running simple web apps. Coder apps are built using the standard building blocks of the web (HTML, CSS, and Javascript), and they can be crafted directly in your web browser...You can create new apps by clicking the Green '+' app in the top left. The gear in the top right opens your Coder's settings where you can change things like your name, password, wireless settings, and more."

Sounds like fun for tinkerers.