LinuxMCE Forums
General => Users => Topic started by: rndinokc on May 03, 2010, 05:03:53 pm
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This looks interesting. Has anyone been following this one. I suspect it is similar to the Zotac 330's that we have been working with. Any ideas?
Randy
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I will receive a ZBOX HD-ID11 the next week.
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This looks interesting. Has anyone been following this one. I suspect it is similar to the Zotac 330's that we have been working with. Any ideas?
Randy
Ironically it looks like for many GPU intensive uses the Ion-2 based systems like this one will be only marginally better performing than first gen ion's...and in some cases worse performing due to memory bottlenecks between the processor and the Ion chip . Also they typically use more power due to the increased number of GPU Core's in the Ion.
This Zotac looks a nice looking unit though.
All the best
Andrew
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It looks like Ion2 doesn't give significant performance advantage over Ion1. Probably that's why there is not so much new nettops on the market.
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Hi,
The Zotac ZBOX HD-ID11-U is working great !!!
Audio is conected via analog stereo, but I trying to configure the audio output via HDMI.
The graphics are great, even better that Geforce9400 from my hybrid.
The BIOS didn't control the cpu fan, then noice....there is a beta Bios upgrade that solve this but I will wait for next Bios release.
I will update this with more news.
Thanks
Bugui
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The Zotac ZBOX HD-ID11-U is working great !!!
How is the machine doing with heat? I'd be getting the Zotac box to replace a Dell Zino that slows down the processor when it gets too hot which causes a unwatchable choppy picture.
Am I correct in assuming that you are netbooting LMCE? If so, did you need to do anythign to get the NIC drivers to work?
Thank you!
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mmm...heat is the real problem. the case and fan aren't prepared to get out the heat of the box. This means, that fan needs to work a lot then "noice", a new Bios will work with the fan trying to control noice but it will increase some degrades the temp inside the box, (this should be supported by Zotac).
Ethernet drivers is not big deal, the box is not plug & play, but you can follow the procedure at wiki page to make an image with r8168.
http://wiki.linuxmce.com/index.php/Unrecognized_NIC
I'm still trying to make alsa works using HDMI output....not working right now.
The pros: The performance playing videos or running mythtv is great.
Thanks
Hernán
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I fix the HDMI audio output problem following this page... http://www.xpmediacentre.com.au/community/video-audio-cards/42201-hdmi-audio-nvidia-gt220-mythbuntu-9-10-a.html
Now it rocks, I will go to get down the fan noice,....this is the next step.
Hernan
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Can you explain which options you are using for hdmi audio the link points to several different options and methods.
Thanks
Tim
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hi,
today i also bought a zbox. my first problem is: how the hell can i start the bios setup? which key do i have to press on startup??
SOLVED: DEL was the key :)
thanks
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okay, now i have a real problem. after first boot i came up to the AV Wizard. Black screen and i pressed "1", also black screen, after pressing "q" my tv says "not supported videomode". Where can i change the videomode of the AV Wizard??
SOLVED: you have to click "3" and not 1 or Q. after that you get the AV Wizard. But why? i thougt 3 is for component?
thanks
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I just got my hands on a ZBOX, but following the Realtek 8168 and Unrecognized NIC WIKI pages still aren't doing anything for me.
(I have built the new r8168.ko file, but the wiki says to copy it to the MD's /usr/pluto/diskless directory structure... The problem is, the MD never netboots far enough in to even get as far as creating the diskless directory structure)
Has anyone else gotten one of these to work?
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I just added a zbox hd-nd02 a couple days ago. I had issues, but resolved them by going in BIOS and upping the GPU memory to 512 and enabling PXE boot. I also had to run nvidia-xconfig (i went on core, and chroot /usr/pluto/diskless/390). It's been running great.
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ok, I got it.. I had to run
depmod -a
modprobe r8168
before running Diskless_BuildDefaultImage.sh
Its now booting
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ok, I got it.. I had to run
depmod -a
modprobe r8168
before running Diskless_BuildDefaultImage.sh
Its now booting
would you please give me the steps you followed one by one,, I dont seem to understand the unrecognized NIC wiki at all. I would highly appreciate. Thanks.
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(these steps are assuming that your core doesn't need the r8169 driver
First, go to realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=13&PFid=5&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false#2 and download the 8.020.00 driver source (dated 11/15/2010). Then transfer this file to / on your core.
(or, use wget on the core directly to download the file, I found it hosted on google code:
wget r8168.googlecode.com/files/r8168-8.020.00.tar.bz2)
Next, ssh into the core:
- Become super user
sudo su
Check whether the built-in driver, r8169.ko is installed.
lsmod | grep r8169
If it is installed (the command above will give you an indication), you will have to follow the r8168 wiki to download the kernel sources and apply a patch. Otherwise, continue on...
- Lets go to the driver source you placed in /
cd /
- Extract the sources, then cd into the source folder
tar -jxf r8168-8.020.00.tar.bz2
cd r8168-8.020.00
- Compile the sources
makeThe makefile SHOULD automatically put the driver file in the right place:
/lib/modules/2.6.22-14-generic/kernel/drivers/net/r8168.ko
if not, copy it over yourself:
cp ./r8168.ko /lib/modules/2.6.22-14-generic/kernel/drivers/net/r8168.ko
- Install the driver module
add a new line at the bottom of /etc/initramfs-tools-interactor/modules, then save:
vim /etc/initramfs-tools-interactor/modulesadd the following line at the bottom:
r8168then exit vim (:wq)
- Remove the r8169 module, we won't need it
rm /lib/modules/2.6.22-14-generic/kernel/drivers/net/r8169.ko
make install
depmod -a
modprobe r8168
- Make the MD ramdisk boot image
/usr/pluto/bin/Diskless_BuildDefaultImage.sh
Now you should be able to boot the MD - you'll know its working when you see "We have announced ourselves to the router" and the diskless setup runs (you should also at this time see a new Media Director in the web admin).
When the diskless setup is finished, the MD will reboot - but again it will fail with a kernel panic (the new diskless filesystem does not yet have the r8168 module, so lets fix that by copying it over from the root file system)...
cp /lib/modules/2.6.22-14-generic/kernel/drivers/net/r8168.ko /usr/pluto/diskless/<MD#>/lib/modules/2.6.22-14-generic/kernel/drivers/net/r8168.ko(make sure you replace <MD#> with the device number of your new MD - you can see this in the web admin)
(also note that your kernel version in the path could be different, change it as needed for your installation)
You need to activate the module in 2 places now, using vim:
vim /usr/pluto/diskless/<MD#>/etc/modulesand
vim /usr/pluto/diskless/<MD#>/etc/initramfs-tools/modules(Again, replace <MD#> with your actual MD device number)
add the following to the end of both above files:
r8168
-And also remove the r8169 driver from the MD's boot files
rm /usr/pluto/diskless/<MD#>/lib/modules/2.6.22-14-generic/kernel/drivers/net/r8168.ko
Now just recreate the ramdisk IN THE MD (via chroot)
cd /usr/pluto/diskless/
chroot <MD#>
depmod
cd /boot
mkinitramfs -o initrd.img-`uname -r` `uname -r`
exit
Finally, lets clean up our mess from building the driver:
rm -r /r8168-8.020.00
rm /r8168-8.020.00.tar.bz2
Now reboot, and you should come up to the A/V wizard and you're done
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Jon,
let me know if you are seeing the screen saver freeze issue that I am seeing on my Zotac's. If playing music, the screen saver will freeze at the end of a song. I have to hit the menu button on the remote and then the back button to resume the screen saver, and then it freezes again at the end of the next song. I am only seeing this issue on my ZOTAC MD's.
Thanks,
Kevin
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(these steps are assuming that your core doesn't need the r8169 driver
First, go to http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=13&PFid=5&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false#2 and download the 8.020.00 driver source (dated 11/15/2010). Then transfer this file to / on your core.
Next, ssh into the core:
- Become super user
sudo su
Check whether the built-in driver, r8169.ko is installed.
lsmod | grep r8169
If it is installed (the command above will give you an indication), you will have to follow the r8168 wiki to download the kernel sources and apply a patch. Otherwise, continue on...
- Lets go to the driver source you placed in /
cd /
- Extract the sources, then cd into the source folder
tar -jxf r8168-8.020.00.tar.bz2
cd r8168-8.020.00
- Compile the sources
make
- Install the driver module
add a new line at the bottom of /etc/initramfs-tools-interactor/modules, then save:
vim /etc/initramfs-tools-interactor/modulesadd the following line at the bottom:
r8168then exit vim (:wq)
make install
depmod -a
modprobe r8168
- Make the MD ramdisk boot image
/usr/pluto/bin/Diskless_BuildDefaultImage.sh
Now you should be able to boot the MD - you'll know its working when you see "We have announced ourselves to the router" and the diskless setup runs (you should also at this time see a new Media Director in the web admin).
When the diskless setup is finished, the MD will reboot - but again it will fail with a kernel panic (the new diskless filesystem does not yet have the r8168 module, so lets fix that)...
cp /lib/modules/2.6.22-14-generic/kernel/drivers/net/r8168.ko /usr/pluto/diskless/<MD#>/lib/modules/2.6.22-14-generic/kernel/drivers/net/r8168.ko(make sure you replace <MD#> with the device number of your new MD - you can see this in the web admin)
(also note that your kernel version in the path could be different, change it as needed for your installation)
You need to activate the module in 2 places now, using vim:
vim /usr/pluto/diskless/<MD#>/etc/modulesand
vim /usr/pluto/diskless/<MD#>/etc/initramfs-tools/modules(Again, replace <MD#> with your actual MD device number)
add the following to the end of both above files:
r8168
Now just recreate the ramdisk IN THE MD (via chroot)
cd /usr/pluto/diskless/
chroot <MD#>
depmod
cd /boot
mkinitramfs -o initrd.img-`uname -r` `uname -r`
exit
Finally, lets clean up our mess from building the driver:
rm -r /r8168-8.020.00
rm /r8168-8.020.00.tar.bz2
Now reboot, and you should come up to the A/V wizard and you're done
Thank you so much,, I am actually printing out your post for my all good reference,, how ever lets assume that I have r8169 module installed already on my core, Again,, on the wiki following line I dont seem to understand,
This part is only required if you actually need the r8169 to be in the kernel at the same time as the new r8168 module. You may not need this if your MD has only one r8168 compatible NIC. If so, just move the r8169.ko file out of /lib/modules/2.6.22-14-generic/kernel/drivers/net/ prior to generating the new initrd.mg file, and that module will not be included in the new image.
Also,, hacking the r8169 instructions,, all need to be as super user?
let me know,, Agains thanks a lot.
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For the Zotac ZBOX you do not need the r8169 module. You only need the new one you created r8168.ko. So in /usr/pluto/diskless/<MD#>/lib/modules/2.6.22-14-generic/kernel/drivers/net/ you can remove or rename the r8169.ko file.
Yes you will need to be super user.
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Are you using the barebones version (only adding RAM) or do you have a harddisk in them?
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No need for hard disk
Media directors PXE boot
HTH
Tim
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That's what I thought. How much RAM do you need if you have the Nvidia GPU?
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What about the noise? I was under impression that it doesn't have any fans at all.
Also I'm interesting to know is it possible to power on that box from wireless keyboard?
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Got mine working, thought I'd share.
The instructions from jondecker76 work to get the network card up and running. Though the steps have to be modified to take the new the kernel version number into account.
Getting the HDMI sound working was a bit more problematic.
I updated the ALSA drivers to 1.0.23 as shown in http://monespaceperso.org/blog-en/2010/04/17/upgrade-alsa-1-0-23-on-ubuntu-karmic-koala-9-10/ (http://monespaceperso.org/blog-en/2010/04/17/upgrade-alsa-1-0-23-on-ubuntu-karmic-koala-9-10/) (It says its for 9.10, but it also works on 8.10)
Then I added a sound.conf file in /etc/modprobe.d with "options snd-hda-intel enable_msi=0 probe_mask=0xffff,0xfff2" in it.
In /etc/asound.conf I added:
pcm.!default {
type hw
card NVidia
device 3
}
ctl.!default {
type hw
card NVidia
}
Unfortunately /usr/pluto/bin/SetupAudioVideo.sh keeps undoing my changes to asound.conf, so I edited that file and commented out any lines containing asound.conf. (Not a nice work-around, I know, I'll see if I can make a cleaner fix.)
After that alsamixer showed the HDMI output as the only default output. I unmuted it and ran "alsactl store" to save the mixer settings.
HDMI sound is now working, and is the default output, so I didn't need to change any other settings (in mythtv for example).
@nite_man: It does have a fan. It hasn't bothered me so far, but I'll see what happens once I get the unit installed in a less noisier environment (i.e. my bedroom).
@sigg3.net: I'm using 2Gb of RAM. No problems so far, but I haven't done extensive testing yet.
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Nice work!
If I get time tomorrow I will give this a shot on mine. I am planning on getting another one of these (I actually have the ID40-U) for my living room, they work really well IMO!
Cheers
Slampt
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mhorst,
how about providing a patch to SetupAudioVideo.sh to detect the board and make the modification for you?
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I bought mine with 4GB, but I haven't tested it yet 'cause the parts for my core haven't arrived yet :)
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I have added a fan speed controller to my Zotac MD and turned the speed down as, at least the Ion 1 Zotac's, only just get too hot.