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General => Installation issues => Topic started by: delta_9 on August 15, 2007, 11:51:18 am

Title: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: delta_9 on August 15, 2007, 11:51:18 am
hey guys.  I would love for you to list the hardware that has been a thorn in your side. or stuff that just plain don't work. A little info in regard to what things and at what stage it messed things up would be really appreciated.  Products that take a crap load of set up also belong here.  Thanx guys.  I think the entire community could benefit from this.
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: Zaerc on August 15, 2007, 03:40:14 pm
You're kidding, right?
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: delta_9 on August 15, 2007, 03:44:38 pm
i see this is the place to make friends
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: teedge77 on August 15, 2007, 04:00:09 pm
I don't think he is kidding...and it is a good idea. I have noticed a lot of people have this and have that, but you don't see any mention of it as working or not yet supported in any wikis for the rest of us to know. I stuck my crap down at the bottom just so people could see what i use. I don't have much though. Just the basic box and some Z-Wave right now. Someone with some knowledge should start working on the wiki....or...someone like Zaerc .....since he's so bad ass....I'm kidding right?? It seems like a lot of people are getting in on this now and some effort by the community should be made to get a decent list going of what there is and what is being worked on. Also....crap that just plain won't work yet....I am waiting for the PCI-E Hauppauge stuff to work.....someday....in the future....before i die....god only gave me so many PCI slots....it is annoying that everyone says this when they first start...but....if it wasn't such a pain to find it then it might lessen it ever so slightly. I think we need a sticky that says...don't bug the rest of us til you read this....otherwise prepare for a decent ass chewing from everyone for being stupid....
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: Zaerc on August 15, 2007, 04:08:04 pm
Someone with some knowledge should start working on the wiki....or...someone like Zaerc .....since he's so bad ass....I'm kidding right??

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Special:Contributions/Zaerc vs. http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Special:Contributions/teedge77

There you go, anything else I can do for you?
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: delta_9 on August 15, 2007, 04:20:29 pm
teedge77 thank you for your post very help full and i do a agree i could only find this http://wiki.linuxmce.com/index.php/Category:Hardware
and i thought hmm this covers so little... i looked in the posts nothing much to speak of, all specific stuff nothing general. Nothing with a fail safe list of stuff that works every post hardware related iv seen so far. Is like yeah might work, But don't like blame me if im wrong(obvious they have never toyed with that config or hardware) ... that stuff build walls of confidence. i basically wanted people to say i have this and it works ... tried this and it sucked. :-[
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: delta_9 on August 15, 2007, 04:22:11 pm
oh all power full Zaerc ... you could grant me one more wish -> stop being a loser

the only nasty hardware im hearing is zaerc man that guys attitude

____________________________________________________________________________
teedge77 to whats below man all info welcome go with a messy post of what you feel
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: teedge77 on August 15, 2007, 04:22:59 pm
Sure. How do you think we should organize it...Should we put what we have seen works for others? Who could we ask about what is currently being worked on as far as driver support and stuff? Should we use some sortof template kindof thing or just wing it and write what we want?
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: teedge77 on August 15, 2007, 04:27:32 pm
Oh, one thing i can tell you. The Z-wave Intermatic device doesnt work at all...the ZCU000 works ok...good luck finding one though. Really that's all i can tell you for sure. The motherboard i use needed to have the BIOS updated....took me a little while to figure out that was the problem....I have no idea if the on board sound works or not...i use the Audigy 2 anyway. I did have to disable the on board sound to get the Audigy to work though. I will try to add stuff to my wiki Zaerc made and then i will change my signature to that.  I will try to dig through some to see what people have working and see what things are being worked on. I know insteon support is supposedly in the works but i really dont know thats a 100% positive claim.
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: delta_9 on August 15, 2007, 04:32:34 pm
thank you for your input does Zaerc or anyone else want to share some of his/their experience ?

finding it funny no post on the fail safe post ROFL
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: teedge77 on August 15, 2007, 04:56:49 pm
Oh....and Zaerc.....your "Vs" thing....I've never signed up to edit a wiki....i just poke around in here. It was a valiant effort though....you have done SOOOO much...we all applaud you greatly....that will actually give me a good place to look at stuff....its easier to look at that and find what I want to try than diggin through the other one...then workin out what I can find. I was lucky to even get the ZCU000....and I heard there was a newer model coming....but haven't seen anything yet. Do you use Z-Wave at all?
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: Zaerc on August 15, 2007, 05:17:26 pm
Oh....and Zaerc.....your "Vs" thing....I've never signed up to edit a wiki....i just poke around in here. It was a valiant effort though....you have done SOOOO much...we all applaud you greatly....that will actually give me a good place to look at stuff....its easier to look at that and find what I want to try than diggin through the other one...then workin out what I can find. I was lucky to even get the ZCU000....and I heard there was a newer model coming....but haven't seen anything yet. Do you use Z-Wave at all?

I have no idea what you're trying to say here but, yeah thanks for your help, very useful. 

BTW. Nice troll you guys got going here, excuse me for not feeding it.
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: gazlang on August 15, 2007, 05:22:56 pm
I need a z-wave alternative. Especially since I live in th UK; z-wave don't do our plugs!

I have had a few 'experiences' setting up LMCE.

First off, dont buy a HTPC case with built in imon vfd and remote - (I have the thermaltake bach, but silverstone also do this) it's a pain!
The remote would be handy for LMCE as it has a mouse 'pad' but this doesn't work in linux. There is however a patch to make the pad generate left, right, up, down movements, so I'm gonna give it a go and post a howto here if it works.
The vfd screen is also difficult to set up with LMCE. Again I'm still working on this so I'll post back.
My advice - save the £40 ($80) extra and buy a gyro mouse, or even a windows mce remote.

Second, if you have a wireless network card that requires ndiswrapper (like mine - belkin pre-N) don't use the LMCE dvd installer, you have to install kubuntu then ndiswrapper then the LMCE cd's (in my experience anyway). The dvd install has a different libc6 to the one ndiswrapper depends on, and I couldn't change it!

Third, don't install nvidia drivers from their website or via envy - LMCE only likes its own propietary driver. But do go for an nVidia card over ATI

Fourth, don't buy a samsung HDD! I did as they're cheap, but they are VERY sus and slow!!

There's probably more, so I'll keep thinking :-)
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: teedge77 on August 15, 2007, 05:33:17 pm
Yeah I got that friggin Zalman HD160 case. It has a VFD....not sure I will ever really bother to get it working since its all in a closet right now. It has a remote that comes with it that I have seen some instructions on getting to work. The gyro thing is probably better though than a regular IR remote.
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: gazlang on August 15, 2007, 05:41:39 pm
Is it a vfd with that case? or an lcd screen?
The remote with that case should be easier to set up than the imon pad as I think it's like a mce remote right? They're fully supported under LMCE

LCD screens though definately don't work well at the moment.
So another tip - don't get a case with a built in LCD screen!
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: teedge77 on August 15, 2007, 06:01:38 pm
It's a VFD. I think you can get it to work and the remote is very similar to an MCE remote. I am sure they are both easy enough for someone who half knows what they are doing to get working. I haven't even gotten around to it. I just got my lights working again last night. Next was gonna be the security panel...i did get a touch screen ordered that I will hook up to an old laptop to use as an orbiter with XP.
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: Zaerc on August 15, 2007, 06:20:28 pm
Whatever you guys do, don't add it to the wiki, somebody else might be able to find it!

I can't wait for this thread to sink to the bottom and the next one to pop up...
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: teedge77 on August 15, 2007, 06:34:23 pm
good idea...since its already in there i wont add it again....another big round of applause for you. thanks.
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: Kybber on August 15, 2007, 11:37:31 pm
Fourth, don't buy a samsung HDD! I did as they're cheap, but they are VERY sus and slow!!
I am waiting for two Samsungs to arrive. Ordered them because they are silent.
Silence > speed in a HTPC, imo. Which Samsung model(s) did you have problems
with, and what is "sus"?
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: Zaerc on August 16, 2007, 02:13:24 am
good idea...since its already in there i wont add it again....another big round of applause for you. thanks.

So you're saying everybodies hardware is already in there?  And even if it was it would be no thanks to you.  No standing ovation?
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: teedge77 on August 16, 2007, 03:43:04 am
Zaerc are you retarded? Seriously? You said don't add it to the wiki....not don't add anything....and....who said i would sign up on wiki with the same name....anyway.....
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: Zaerc on August 16, 2007, 04:41:54 am
Zaerc are you retarded? Seriously? You said don't add it to the wiki....not don't add anything....and....who said i would sign up on wiki with the same name....anyway.....
Somehow I sense a lot of hostility, could there be something bothering you?
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: teedge77 on August 16, 2007, 04:44:52 am
no. ever use asterisk? i was wondering about setting up a digium card.
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: Zaerc on August 16, 2007, 07:23:16 am
no. ever use asterisk? i was wondering about setting up a digium card.

Well I am completely new to things like Asterisk (not to mention MythTV or Kubuntu) but most of the experience I do have with it is here (http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/VOIP_with_XS4All), I don't think I will be buying a Digium card anytime soon but I do find them very interesting.  There are a few references to digium in the wiki, only nothing even remotely specific as far as I have found.  There is an option to add ZAP trunks in the AMP part of the web-admin, so I reckon the support should be included and pretty similar to setting up a VOIP trunk like I described.

I doubt we're the only ones looking around for info on these.  So if you were to add a card that you own (or are interested in) to the wiki, then everybody that shares that interest can put the info and experience they happen to stumble across there.  It doesn't have to be a complete page either, any old info (or pointer) is better then none at all.
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: GooglieS on September 28, 2007, 11:17:38 pm
So what about VFD display support (on Bach case)? I'm going to buy it for my HTPC.
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: tschak909 on September 29, 2007, 08:44:43 am
VFD support is still only limited to when MythTV is running. LinuxMCE as a whole does not use it yet.

-Thom
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: GooglieS on September 29, 2007, 10:32:13 am
And what about remote?
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: totallymaxed on September 29, 2007, 03:02:39 pm
I need a z-wave alternative. Especially since I live in th UK; z-wave don't do our plugs!

I have had a few 'experiences' setting up LMCE.

First off, dont buy a HTPC case with built in imon vfd and remote - (I have the thermaltake bach, but silverstone also do this) it's a pain!
The remote would be handy for LMCE as it has a mouse 'pad' but this doesn't work in linux. There is however a patch to make the pad generate left, right, up, down movements, so I'm gonna give it a go and post a howto here if it works.
The vfd screen is also difficult to set up with LMCE. Again I'm still working on this so I'll post back.
My advice - save the £40 ($80) extra and buy a gyro mouse, or even a windows mce remote.

Second, if you have a wireless network card that requires ndiswrapper (like mine - belkin pre-N) don't use the LMCE dvd installer, you have to install kubuntu then ndiswrapper then the LMCE cd's (in my experience anyway). The dvd install has a different libc6 to the one ndiswrapper depends on, and I couldn't change it!

Third, don't install nvidia drivers from their website or via envy - LMCE only likes its own propietary driver. But do go for an nVidia card over ATI

Fourth, don't buy a samsung HDD! I did as they're cheap, but they are VERY sus and slow!!

There's probably more, so I'll keep thinking :-)

Let's Automate have some UK z-wave units (complete with standard UK 3 pin mains plug/sockets) http://www.letsautomate.com/index.cfm?&Nav=ZWave

imon vfd and remotes certainly works under linux... it does not work 'out of the box' under lmce however.

We have installed the nVidia drivers from the nVidia website... just followed the instructions there and on the Wiki. Worked for us.

Andrew
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: olavxxx on October 31, 2007, 11:38:44 am
www.linuxcompatible.org
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: rafik24 on November 01, 2007, 02:04:01 pm
Hi All,

 I have a small config that includes a Core/Hybrid and 2 MD's where is use wifi so no cabling is required.

here are the main parts of my hardware config:

 WORKS:

 - DVB-S Satellite card "Technisat Skystar 2 with rs232 dongle and remote"

 - DVB-S Satellite card "Twinhan vp1025 pci" (the usb remote control does not work since hiddev grab the
    keys as if it was a keyboard and this makes a real mess, however it's is not lmce related and works
    with my infrared serial receiver).

 - Wifi card Ralinkk rt2500 pci

 - Mother board Mercury PVCLE266-M (works but i would not recommand using this as an md since the
   graphic card is via based mpeg encoding is painfully slow you'll waste an lot of time tweaking the best)

 - Mother board Asus A7N8X2 (works like a charm with 1Gb of ram)
 
 - Laptop ibm T43 (works great as MD with wifi)

 - Homebrew Infrared Serial Receiver ( http://lirc.org/receivers.html )

 - Homebrew Infrared Serial Transmitter ( http://lirc.org/transmitters.html i can transmit raw codes using
   lirc manually but i need to found a way to convert raw codes to pronto format)

 - Mobile phone Nokia 6600 (well it works but it is far to slow to be usable by an end user, i would
    recommend using it just to have a clue about what PlutoMO looks like).

 
 DOES NOT WORK:

  - DVB-S Satellite card "Twinhan VP7021 usb" (This just never worked so far in Linux lacking driver
    support).

  - Video capture card "InnoDV MediaCombo III" (it's a bt878 based card but the driver does not support
    the video conversion chipset)

 Regards,

Rafik
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: tschak909 on November 01, 2007, 04:59:07 pm
I use a Nokia N70, but I would like to point out that the keypresses sent via the mobile orbiter are asynchronous...you can send multiple keystrokes down the line, and it will do them...

i.e. 21 to turn on the lights.. 22 to turn them off... makes it more fluid to use.

-Thom
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: Zaerc on November 01, 2007, 05:20:52 pm
Hi All,

 I have a small config that includes a Core/Hybrid and 2 MD's where is use wifi so no cabling is required.

here are the main parts of my hardware config:

 WORKS:

 - DVB-S Satellite card "Technisat Skystar 2 with rs232 dongle and remote"

 - DVB-S Satellite card "Twinhan vp1025 pci" (the usb remote control does not work since hiddev grab the
    keys as if it was a keyboard and this makes a real mess, however it's is not lmce related and works
    with my infrared serial receiver).

 - Wifi card Ralinkk rt2500 pci

 - Mother board Mercury PVCLE266-M (works but i would not recommand using this as an md since the
   graphic card is via based mpeg encoding is painfully slow you'll waste an lot of time tweaking the best)

 - Mother board Asus A7N8X2 (works like a charm with 1Gb of ram)
 
 - Laptop ibm T43 (works great as MD with wifi)

 - Homebrew Infrared Serial Receiver ( http://lirc.org/receivers.html )

 - Homebrew Infrared Serial Transmitter ( http://lirc.org/transmitters.html i can transmit raw codes using
   lirc manually but i need to found a way to convert raw codes to pronto format)

 - Mobile phone Nokia 6600 (well it works but it is far to slow to be usable by an end user, i would
    recommend using it just to have a clue about what PlutoMO looks like).

 
 DOES NOT WORK:

  - DVB-S Satellite card "Twinhan VP7021 usb" (This just never worked so far in Linux lacking driver
    support).

  - Video capture card "InnoDV MediaCombo III" (it's a bt878 based card but the driver does not support
    the video conversion chipset)

 Regards,

Rafik

That would be much more usefull when added to the wiki: http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Category:Hardware
Title: Re: Please list the nasty hardware so i know what to avoid
Post by: rafik24 on November 01, 2007, 09:20:22 pm
Promise to update my wiki skills and put whatever input i come across as soon as i get some time,

Regards,

Rafik