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Messages - Cylon7

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1
I am selling some components from my LinuxMCE system. Please make me an offer on anything you're interested in.

I accept Paypal, but you'll need to pay the 3% markup. Or you can mail me a money order.

You'll need to pay the actual postage costs as well. I prefer to send it USPS, Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation; this is the cheapest way to send it with delivery tracking.


1) Gyration Air Mouse Go: Very gently used, in excellent condition. $85 new, I'm asking $50. The interface for the Core & Media Directors is designed for this mouse. Fully plug-and-play in LMCE.


Items 2 & 3 are new. I got them to pair to my ZWave stick, but at the time I didn't understand I needed a ZWave mini-mote for them to work. So I removed the batteries and put them back in the box. They pair up to the stick fine, and the motion lights activate as they should. With a Zwave stick & a Minimote, these are fully plug-and-play in LMCE.

2) HomeSeer ZWave MultiSensor HSM100. $85 new, I'm asking $65.

3) HomePro ZWave Motion Sensor ZIR000. $61 new, I'm asking $45.



4) HomePro Appliance Module ZRP100. $40 new, I'm asking $25. Last time I checked, the appliance modules weren't working with LMCE. It worked fine in Pluto Home and in LMCE 0704.


5) Panasonic Ethernet IP camera KX-HCM110A. $300 new, I'm asking $200. This part is used, but it's sat unplugged for the last several months. I just tested it again & it works fine. Fully plug-and-play in LMCE.



You can call or text me at 512 * 636 * 7596. All serious offers considered.

I'm a reputable member of the LMCE community, people in the chat room will vouch for me, like TSCHAKeee, golgoj4 and Merkur2K. I've been part of the community since Pluto Home, and was in the LMCE chatroom the first month that it was open.

Thanks,
Kevin aka 7

2
Users / 8.10 beta2 MythTV & HDHomeRun not working
« on: January 07, 2010, 04:03:45 am »
Hi people,

I just installed beta2 earlier this week.

My HDHomeRun & MythTV aren't working consistently.  :'( When I get home from work, MythTV backend is down, and Myth has made numerous attempts to record my shows, leaving behind a bunch of small clips of each show that are 35-50 megabytes each. I can watch most of the clips without a problem, but some just give a black screen.

My Core has problems shutting down cleanly. Most of the time I have to press the reset button, because multiple attempts to reboot in multiple ways (over SSH, from the web admin, from the Orbiter) fail. I wonder if this might be causing the problem.

Here is a pastebin of my log from right before my shows should have started recording, at 7pm, up through when I got home & rebooted Myth around 8pm.

http://pastebin.com/m6bd226aa

Any ideas?

Thanks,
7

3
This machine is still for sale. I recently got an email from paulrmartin *at* bresan *dot* net asking about it, but my replies to you are bouncing. If you're still interested Paul please contact me with another email address.

I'll include a fresh installation of LMCE 0810 for free. It'll arrive ready for you to turn it on and start the Setup Wizard.

4
Marketplace / Re: New machine for Linux MCE?
« on: September 01, 2009, 04:32:24 am »
Harvdog13,

I am selling an excellent, barely used Core machine that runs 0810 just fine. I'll ship it to you with LMCE already installed, so you'll just start up the machine and the initial setup wizard will start. It just needs a $20 Audigy Sound Card and it's ready to go.

http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=8438.0


I'm Cylon7 in the chat room, or email me at Kevin *at* ApolloSmartHomes -dot- com.


Good luck,
Kevin

5
Hi rperre,

Sorry I didn't see your inquiry until just now. Yes I installed 0810 on here and it is working fine.

I can also now include two SATA drives: one 160gb with an 8gb cache, and one 320gb with a 16gb cache. Both are Seagate SATA 2 drives.

Let me know if you're still interested. Kevin -at- ApolloSmartHomes -dot- com.

Thanks,
Cylon7

6
Developers / Re: Possible new layout for UI1
« on: July 13, 2009, 06:23:34 am »
Thumbs down from me.

Those designs won't work with HADesigner. You should check out TSCHAK's screencasts. You have to pay attention to stuff like data grids and button arrays. HADesigner is made to work across all the devices that can control LMCE, so you have to follow certain design guidelines.

Also it looks like Crestron or XBMC. We're not either of those things. It's not going to scale down to a small touchpad; someone would have to use their pinky to touch the buttons on most of those designs.

I'm color blind & you get one point there - those colors are so bright and preschool primary that even I can tell the different categories apart.  You should run your design through the free filtering app at http://www.vischeck.com, as 10% of all guys are color blind.

7
PS I don't post to the forums much so I realize my user ID says I'm a newbie; but any of the ops in the chat room will tell you that I've been a LinuxMCE nerd for several years now. I signed up as a dealer for Pluto Home in early 2007. I was among the first group of people in the IRC chatroom. I'm currently a licensed dealer for Pluto Home, and Vera. People like TSCHAK and tkmedia will vouch for the fact that I'm on the level. We can conduct the transaction through Paypal, to ensure you that I'm above-board. I've been on Ebay since the 1990's with 100% feedback, and I've been on Paypal since 2000 with no disputes. My user id on ebay is spellboundtx.

8
I'm selling my Extended ATX Core, which was built in August 2007 for compatibility with Pluto Home, the predecessor to LinuxMCE.

This machine is tested and 100% working. It has been kept mostly unused (turned off) in a climate-controlled environment. I've also made sure it's stayed dust-free by using canned air every few months. It will easily last 5-7 more years running full-time without a problem, because I built it from the highest quality parts to ensure long life and reliability. It could easily serve as a Core for a very large house, since it 3 LAN ports: One is 10/100, for the Internet connection, and the other two are Gigabit, giving you a large backbone for your internal network. You could put all your Media Directors on one of the Gigabit ports, and the rest of your internal network on the other.

There's nothing wrong with it, it makes a great Core; it was bought for a business partnership that's being liquidated. The fans can be turned down so that it's pretty quiet; or you could stuff it in a closet with the fans on high.

Here's a link to my Craigs List ad:
http://austin.craigslist.org/sys/1244599757.html

Here are the parts and links to prices online:

Power Supply and Case:
$180 @ NewEgg.com: Antec Titan 650 Watt Power Supply & EATX Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129027

$334 @ ServersDirect.com: Tyan S2882G3NR-D-RS R Motherboard
This is a well-equipped server board with 4 PCI-X slots (extended, not express), one PCI slot, 3 LAN ports (2 Gigabit), 2 RS232 ports, plenty of USB ports, and room for a second Dual-Core processor.
http://www.serversdirect.com/product.asp?pf_id=MB8059-X

$120 @ ServerSupply.com: AMD Dual-Core Opteron 275 2.2Ghz CPU
http://www.serversupply.com/products/part_search/pid_lookup.asp?pid=99027

$182 @ NewEgg.com: Qty. 2 of Kingston KVR400S4R3A/1G.
2 Gigabytes of memory, with 2 more memory slots for the existing processor.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134295

$33 @ NewEgg.com: NVidia GeForce FX5200 256megabytes
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814145136

$18 @ NewEgg.com: Qty. 2 of Rosewill RCX-Z1 CPU fan, Long life ball-bearing for 45,000+ hours
You get two of these; one is already installed on the existing CPU, and one is new in the box for when you decide to add another CPU. I used Arctic Silver CPU Paste on the existing fan, to ensure optimum cooling for the life of the CPU & fan.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835200014

$18 @ NewEgg.com: Qty. 3 of Antec TriCool 92mm case fans
2 are installed in front of the hard drive bays. There is room for the 3rd fan (included) on the case door, but it must be installed carefully so that you're able to open & close the case door as needed, without getting a stray cord caught in a fan.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835209003

$83 @ NewEgg.com: Logitech Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard and Mouse
I got this keyboard because I type alot, it's very comfortable, keeps up with fast typing, and gives good distance from the computer. I actually bought two of them and am keeping the other. The NewEgg description says it's beige and black; it is not, it's silvery-blue-grey and black.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126006

$54 @ CodeMicro.com: Lite-On Dual Layer DVD Burner with LightScribe
http://codemicro.com/store/check_price.php?partno=LH-20A1H-185

$44 @ ServerSupply.com: Maxtor 120GB Ultra ATA 133 Hard Drive
This is the fastest IDE hard drive you can get. There are plenty of SATA hard drive ports on board; plus there is a 3Ware SATA RAID controller included.
http://www.serversupply.com/products/part_search/pid_lookup.asp?pid=63788

$815 @ CodeMicro.com: 3Ware 8506-8 SATA RAID Controller
http://codemicro.com/store/check_price.php?partid=1088841
       If you know drive controllers, you know that nearly all RAID controllers are "FakeRAID", which means it relies on your system's resources and thereby slows your whole computer down. Among the few exceptions, are 3Ware RAID controllers (and some Intel controllers). There's a reason these drive controllers are pricey; it's like having a small, separate computer inside your computer just to run the hard drives. In fact it does have built-in memory and a CPU.

The system comes with the latest version of the motherboard BIOS installed. The floppy drive is installed in the case, and the drive works; however the included data cable is not long enough because the data port is on the opposite side of the case from the floppy drive. On the rare occasions I needed the floppy drive, it was very easy to just slide it out of the front bay (the case includes fast-access drive rails) & plug it in temporarily with the short data cable; or a longer floppy cable is only a few dollars. The motherboard BIOS hasn't had a new version in several years, so it's unlikely you'll ever need the floppy again for that.

This will make a great Core for someone, it just needs a sound card (Audigy, $15), and some SATA drives to store your media. The included ATA drive is for the operating system and runs really fast; or you could upgrade that to SATA also if you want, since the motherboard has plenty of onboard SATA ports. (I used an ATA drive for the OS, because of a limitation of Pluto Home / Debian Sarge. The current versions of LinuxMCE have full support for the onboard SATA ports.)

Feel free to bring all offers. Buyer pays actual shipping costs; I won't charge any handling, and I already have the necessary shipping boxes. Find me in the chat room, or email me Kevin -at- Apollo Smart Homes *dot* com  (no spaces).

9
Up for sale are two Z-Wave 3-Wire 300 Watt dimmer switches. I bought these right before moving into an older house which needs 2-wire switches.

One of them was installed briefly at the old house for less than a week and worked perfectly; that one has some minor cosmetic damage on the backside, which won't show once it's installed. The other one is in perfect condition and was never installed or used. I don't have the original boxes or packaging, but they've been well-kept in a climate-controlled environment.

They're $42 new here:
http://www.smarthomeusa.com/Shop/zwave/Item/ZDW100/

I'm asking $60.00 OBO for both of them, including Priority Mail shipping in the US, paid via Paypal. Find me in the chatroom or email me at (no spaces)  Kevin -at- Apollo Smart Homes *dot* com

10
Developers / Re: Java/ J2ME mobile orbiter
« on: August 29, 2008, 07:33:06 am »
colinjones Who is your cell phone carrier? That log and those symptoms are pretty much the same as mine. Your phone may not allow the midlet to access the Bluetooth stack. I tried it on my roommate's AT&T Blackberry & also got the same result.

11
Developers / Re: Java/ J2ME mobile orbiter
« on: August 29, 2008, 06:53:21 am »
An update on my e62 for those interested...

I got the unlock code from Cingular - but apparently, fully functional, uncrippled unbranded US firmware for this phone does not exist. Nokia removed the phone from their online software updating application, due to contractual agreements with AT&T. People in NYC and Chicago report being able to take their phones to the Nokia flagship stores there, but apparently I'm S.O.L. with this phone. Thanks AT&T for crippling an open source phone. I'm switching to TMobile (and I swear AT&T's service has gotten worse since I called to ask what day my plan ends, hurry up October 25th).

& colinjones - what kind of Blackberry do you have? Just curious, I've ordered a Curve, which has built-in wifi. I'm hoping it will work. (The e62 also has built-in wifi, which of course was also crippled in AT&T firmware.)

12
Developers / Re: Java/ J2ME mobile orbiter
« on: August 16, 2008, 12:15:33 am »
Yup you are right hari, I didn't notice that obvious missing entry in the sdptool browse after my late night last night.

It turns out that Cingular/AT&T put proprietary firmware on the e62, which prevents unsigned midlet applets from accessing the BT stack. Only Cingular can provide a proper unlock code, but all you have to do is call them & request it. It should arrive via email within 3-5 days. I'll update this posting to let people know. The e62's a good phone so I'm eager to get it working.

Thanks all,
7

13
Marketplace / For Sale or Trade - Z-Wave hardware
« on: August 15, 2008, 02:35:21 pm »
I have some Z-Wave hardware for the USA for sale.

1) Two Homepro Z-Wave ZDW100W wall dimmer switches. I bought them around this time last year from SmartHome.com, but then I moved to an older house where they won't work (these are the 3-wire switches that require a neutral). The sides of one switch are a little scratched, due to my trying to fit it into a smallish switchbox - but it's only cosmetic damage towards the back of the switch and it will be hidden once the switch is installed.


http://www.smarthome.com/2202ARW.html


They were originally $40 each plus shipping. I want to replace them with 2wire Z-Wave switches so I'll consider a trade, otherwise I'm hoping for $60.00.


2) One HomePro Z-Wave RS232 Controller ZCS000. I bought this about 15 months ago (back in the days of Pluto Home) before I really knew what I was doing (which is not to say that I really do now). It was originally $100 and it has not been used at all. Make me an offer.

It would probably work on LMCE without too much trouble, although I haven't tried it so I cannot guarantee that. I have the USB version, the ZCU000, which works Plug-and-Play. I'm willing to help the Buyer out with any information from my LMCE installation that might be helpful in getting it working - I figure you could probably just manually add the device to the Devices tree with the correct settings & get it to work (but again, no guarantees that it will work in LMCE).


http://www.smarthomeusa.com/ShopByManufacturer/HomePro/Item/ZCS000/


I'm willing to consider trades for other LMCE-compatible hardware. I currently *really* need:
- two compatible 100m Bluetooth adapters (preferably that you've verified work with the JavaMO),
- a USBUIRT (preferably with a Xantech emitter), &
- a Z-Wave motion sensor or two,
so I'd definitely trade some of my stuff for any of those items. But I'd also consider trading all the items listed above for a GC100, or maybe an HDHomeRun (but jeez I'm really tryin to lay off the TV).

Otherwise I'd prefer payment via Paypal. Packing & handling is free, buyer pays actual shipping costs. If I don't get any responses I'll put the stuff on Ebay in a few days.

I'm usually in the IRC chatroom as Cylon7, or you can email me (no spaces) Seven at Apollo Smart Homes *D0T( C0M

Thanks,
7

14
Developers / Can't get it working
« on: August 15, 2008, 09:05:13 am »
I have a Nokia e62. Posde reports the JavaMO working on the e61, which is almost the same phone (only without wi-fi).

I'm using a Kinamax BT adapter, which is listed as Linux compatible, and reviews on NewEgg confirm it works in Linux.
http://www.kinamax.com/product/Item/BT-USB.htm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833206001

LMCE recognizes the phone, and sends the Bluetooth message with the Symbian .sis.

Per the instructions, I transferred the Java MO files (downloaded from vt100) to the phone, and installed it. (And put the new Bluetooth library on the Core.)

The application loads on the phone but just says "Waiting for Connection"; meanwhile the Media Director UI keeps showing in the upper left corner that the Bluetooth dongle keeps reloading. The log says this, over and over again (where XX:XX etc. is my phone's actual Mac address):

Code: [Select]
========== NEW LOG SECTION ==========
1       08/15/08 01:51:39       44 (spawning-device)    Starting... 30
1       08/15/08 01:51:39       44 (spawning-device)    Found /usr/pluto/bin/LaunchBluetooth_Dongle.sh
05      08/15/08 1:51:44.788            Inquiry started <0xb6790b90>
05      08/15/08 1:52:00.918            Inquiry complete
 <0xb6790b90>
05      08/15/08 1:52:00.918            Inquiry started <0xb6790b90>
05      08/15/08 1:52:00.918            Detected device mac: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX link quality: 0 <0xb4dffb90>
05      08/15/08 1:52:00.920            About to connect to PlutoMO. We'll suspend scanning... <0xb578eb90>
05      08/15/08 1:52:00.921            Suspending scanning... <0xb578eb90>
Return code: 139
3       08/15/08 01:52:01       44 (spawning-device)    Device died... count=30/50 dev=44
Fri Aug 15 01:52:01 CDT 2008 died

sdptool browse gives me:
Code: [Select]
Inquiring ...
Browsing XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX ...
Service Name: AVRCP Target
Service Description: Audio Video Remote Control
Service Provider: Symbian Software Ltd.
Service RecHandle: 0x10000
Service Class ID List:
  "AV Remote" (0x110e)
Protocol Descriptor List:
  "L2CAP" (0x0100)
    PSM: 23
  "AVCTP" (0x0017)
    uint16: 0x100
    uint16: 0xf00

Service Name: Hands-Free Audio Gateway
Service RecHandle: 0x1000b
Service Class ID List:
  "Handfree Audio Gateway" (0x111f)
  "Generic Audio" (0x1203)
Protocol Descriptor List:
  "L2CAP" (0x0100)
  "RFCOMM" (0x0003)
    Channel: 28
Language Base Attr List:
  code_ISO639: 0x454e
  encoding:    0x6a
  base_offset: 0x100
Profile Descriptor List:
  "Handfree Audio Gateway" (0x111f)
    Version: 0x0101

Service Name: Headset Audio Gateway
Service RecHandle: 0x1000c
Service Class ID List:
  "Headset Audio Gateway" (0x1112)
  "Generic Audio" (0x1203)
Protocol Descriptor List:
  "L2CAP" (0x0100)
  "RFCOMM" (0x0003)
    Channel: 29
Language Base Attr List:
  code_ISO639: 0x454e
  encoding:    0x6a
  base_offset: 0x100
Profile Descriptor List:
  "Headset" (0x1108)
    Version: 0x0100

Service Name: SyncMLClient
Service RecHandle: 0x1000d
Service Class ID List:
  UUID 128: 00000002-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000002
Protocol Descriptor List:
  "L2CAP" (0x0100)
  "RFCOMM" (0x0003)
    Channel: 10
  "OBEX" (0x0008)
Language Base Attr List:
  code_ISO639: 0x454e
  encoding:    0x6a
  base_offset: 0x100
Profile Descriptor List:
  "" (0x00000002-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000002)
    Version: 0x0100

Service Name: OBEX File Transfer
Service RecHandle: 0x1000e
Service Class ID List:
  "OBEX File Transfer" (0x1106)
Protocol Descriptor List:
  "L2CAP" (0x0100)
  "RFCOMM" (0x0003)
    Channel: 11
  "OBEX" (0x0008)
Language Base Attr List:
  code_ISO639: 0x454e
  encoding:    0x6a
  base_offset: 0x100
Profile Descriptor List:
  "OBEX File Transfer" (0x1106)
    Version: 0x0100

Service Name: Nokia OBEX PC Suite Services
Service RecHandle: 0x1000f
Service Class ID List:
  UUID 128: 00005005-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000001
Protocol Descriptor List:
  "L2CAP" (0x0100)
  "RFCOMM" (0x0003)
    Channel: 12
  "OBEX" (0x0008)
Language Base Attr List:
  code_ISO639: 0x454e
  encoding:    0x6a
  base_offset: 0x100
Profile Descriptor List:
  "" (0x00005005-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000001)
    Version: 0x0100

Service Name: SyncML DM Client
Service RecHandle: 0x10010
Service Class ID List:
  UUID 128: 00000004-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000002
Protocol Descriptor List:
  "L2CAP" (0x0100)
  "RFCOMM" (0x0003)
    Channel: 13
  "OBEX" (0x0008)
Language Base Attr List:
  code_ISO639: 0x454e
  encoding:    0x6a
  base_offset: 0x100
Profile Descriptor List:
  "" (0x00000004-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000002)
    Version: 0x0100

Service Name: Nokia SyncML Server
Service RecHandle: 0x10011
Service Class ID List:
  UUID 128: 00005601-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000001
Protocol Descriptor List:
  "L2CAP" (0x0100)
  "RFCOMM" (0x0003)
    Channel: 14
  "OBEX" (0x0008)
Language Base Attr List:
  code_ISO639: 0x454e
  encoding:    0x6a
  base_offset: 0x100
Profile Descriptor List:
  "" (0x00005601-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000001)
    Version: 0x0100

Service Name: OBEX Object Push
Service RecHandle: 0x10012
Service Class ID List:
  "OBEX Object Push" (0x1105)
Protocol Descriptor List:
  "L2CAP" (0x0100)
  "RFCOMM" (0x0003)
    Channel: 9
  "OBEX" (0x0008)
Language Base Attr List:
  code_ISO639: 0x454e
  encoding:    0x6a
  base_offset: 0x100
Profile Descriptor List:
  "OBEX Object Push" (0x1105)
    Version: 0x0100

Service Name: Dial-Up Networking
Service RecHandle: 0x10013
Service Class ID List:
  "Dialup Networking" (0x1103)
Protocol Descriptor List:
  "L2CAP" (0x0100)
  "RFCOMM" (0x0003)
    Channel: 1
Language Base Attr List:
  code_ISO639: 0x454e
  encoding:    0x6a
  base_offset: 0x100
Profile Descriptor List:
  "Dialup Networking" (0x1103)
    Version: 0x0100

Service Name: Imaging
Service RecHandle: 0x10014
Service Class ID List:
  "Imaging Responder" (0x111b)
Protocol Descriptor List:
  "L2CAP" (0x0100)
  "RFCOMM" (0x0003)
    Channel: 15
  "OBEX" (0x0008)
Language Base Attr List:
  code_ISO639: 0x454e
  encoding:    0x6a
  base_offset: 0x100
Profile Descriptor List:
  "Imaging" (0x111a)
    Version: 0x0100


Someone earlier in this thread says they solved a similar problem by using another adapter, but I'd rather not do that - I already have these & they're listed as Linux compatible.

I went into KDE desktop, and manually got the phone paired. For a short while I was getting this, also repeating:

Code: [Select]
  5286  05      08/15/08 4:53:28.714            BDCommandProcessor_Linux_Bluetooth is destroyed. <0xb5799b90>
  5287  05      08/15/08 4:53:28.714            Failed to connect to PlutoMO. We'll resume scanning <0xb5799b90>
  5288  05      08/15/08 4:53:28.714            Resuming scanning... <0xb5799b90>
  5289  05      08/15/08 4:53:28.767            Inquiry started <0xb679bb90>
  5290  05      08/15/08 4:53:29.630            Detected device mac: 00:18:C5:2B:3E:F5 link quality: 0 <0xb4f98b90>
  5291  05      08/15/08 4:53:29.635            About to connect to PlutoMO. We'll suspend scanning... <0xb5799b90>
  5292  05      08/15/08 4:53:29.635            Suspending scanning... <0xb5799b90>
  5293  01      08/15/08 4:53:29.940            received channel: 19
  5294   <0xb5799b90>
  5295  05      08/15/08 4:53:30.114            Can't connect RFCOMM socket XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX, channel 19 <0xb5799b90>
  5296  05      08/15/08 4:53:30.114            Waiting any operation with the socket to finish... <0xb5799b90>
  5297  05      08/15/08 4:53:30.114            BDCommandProcessor_Linux_Bluetooth is destroyed. <0xb5799b90>
  5298  05      08/15/08 4:53:30.114            Failed to connect to PlutoMO. We'll resume scanning <0xb5799b90>

And in KDE Desktop - the Bluetooth connection icon will never stay blue for very long, sometimes only a half-second at a time.

Anyone have any ideas? Does anyone know what return code 139 is?

15
Feature requests & roadmap / Patience
« on: June 23, 2008, 06:52:30 am »
I started using Pluto Home, the predecessor to LMCE, in late 2006. At the time I was a Linux newbie. The basic guidelines of using this system still apply to newbies, whether they be total Linux newbies, or just new to LMCE. Buy the exact hardware specified. The functions that work, work really well, once set up according to the provided instructions. Be patient, especially if you're trying to add support for unsupported hardware - in which case you may need to know a little about programming and/or databases.

What Pluto Home gave us, for free, is basically a very powerful framework. You might think of it in terms of an actual house. The roof is on and the walls are up, and you can live there using an air mattress on the floor and a toaster oven - but it's not the best-looking house, most luxurious in the world just yet. We are still trying to improve the software, so that anyone without computer experience can just 'buy the house' (install LMCE) and 'move in' (start using it with recommended hardware from a large list of widely available stuff). In the meantime, if you're a programmer, you can make it do whatever you want. And we appreciate it when people pitch in and do that. At this point, we have the most powerful home automation framework available in the world - paid or otherwise. It just happens to by very DIY at this time, just as Ubuntu was very DIY a few years ago. In a few years, when you can buy an Ethernet port or wi-fi as an option on everything in your home from an oven to a bathtub, LMCE will be immediately ready to support it, at a lower cost-of-ownership (both short and long term) than any other system.

TV: The entertainment industry does not want *ANYONE* to have a PC-based HD PVR right now, *especially* in the US. Period. Windows and ATI showed a 'demo' model in the spring of '07, and we have yet to see it hit the shelves. The closest thing available, is a USB Hauppauge box that's component (Y-Pb-Pr) capture and about $250 US. We plan to have support for this box in 6 months, once support is added to MythTV. You would hook your cablebox up to this box, and control your cablebox using a USBUIRT. In the meantime, we have support for many of the same SD tuners, and OTA HD tuners, that are supported on other platforms. You can check the wiki or come to the chat room for more info on this. I use a Hauppauge card to record SD cable directly, and to watch my HD cablebox over SVideo through LMCE. I control the cablebox, my amp, and my TV with a USBUIRT, so that I can watch the cablebox HD directly on the TV, and still use LMCE to control everything seamlessly. All of this is well-documented in the forums, and many people in the chatroom have this setup.

Phone: You can easily flash a VOIP router, like the ones that Vonage gives away, and use PSTN with LMCE. There is plenty of information in the Asterisk forums on how to do this. LMCE wraps a lot of other projects; Asterisk is one of them. (MythTV is another.) There is plenty of support available for these projects that we wrap, both from us, and from the projects themselves. One of the regulars in the chat room runs his own VOIP company, and is happy to help with this. There are also multiple people in the chat room who have done the PSTN service by flashing a Vonage router.

Security: Pluto Home (the LMCE predecessor) built in support for basically two security panels - a specific RS-232 adapter for certain DSC panels, and a specific line of Honeywell security panels. The DSC Panel works, with some manual setup and tweaking, and you get most of the functionality available in LMCE. (It's inexpensive but requires some manual setup.) The Honeywell panel works *great*, it's totally plug and play, and you get all the functionality available, including "Entertaining" mode. (It's a fairly expensive panel.) If your panel's not supported and you are familiar with basic programming, please help us add support for it. People with only basic programming skills are adding support for their own devices every day using the GSD framework. Otherwise - yes, the consensus among our high-level developers (like TSCHAK) is that you don't really need a separate security panel. The LMCE system is much smarter than the $2000 Honeywell security system.

Home Automation: This is where 80% of LMCE's power comes from. It's about 20% Media Center, and 80% automation. Of a whole score of things - lights, home entertainment equipment, appliances, sprinklers, pool heaters, etc.
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As far as KISS - I'll return to the analogy of the house. The construction of a well-made home that conserves energy, looks good, and lasts for centuries  is not a simple task. LMCE will be the virtual framework for the literal 'house of tomorrow' - it will be conserving the home's energy, controlling entertainment equipment, and providing total home automation, for a low cost.

As technology controls our lives more and more, I feel that open-source becomes as important as an open judicial system - especially with something like LMCE, that can control many aspects of your home life. I like to think of the project as a virtual 'Habitat for Humanity'. Right now the home we're offering requires that you buy very specific hardware. Some day soon it will help change peoples' quality of life - by offering low-cost lighting control to people with mobility issues, amongst many other things. We need help now, and we'll need help then. If you know even a little bit about how to program, you can help build the house of tomorrow. In the meantime, if you follow the instructions, and ask for help, you can have much of the functionality that you're complaining about.

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