Messages

46

Developers / Re: Coding an Automatic Lighting controller in GSD

« on: January 17, 2009, 07:56:27 pm »

FWIW, I'm going to agree with Thom, Hari, Zaerc, and the other guys.  I think we're best served by extending the functionality of the core c++ components to allow needed flexibility rather than re-implementing their functionality as GSDs.

47

Users / Re: Denon AVR RS232 protocol users - help!

« on: January 10, 2009, 08:19:38 pm »

I'm not 100% certain, but looking at the Ruby scripts, it looks like the first thing the code tries to do is detect whether or not the receiver is connected (by sending PWON and waiting for status).  If it doesn't think the receiver is connected, it disables it (and resets the port field in the device).  I've seen some issues with this in my setup.  I always thought it was due to the fact that I'm running my receiver through a GC100, but maybe there are other issues.

48

Users / Re: Intermittent Network issues

« on: January 06, 2009, 05:26:17 pm »

Colin--

I have a web-managed switch in there normally, and it showed all at 1GB, unfortunately.  I wired to a 100MBit switch, and I still had a failure last night (of only 1 MD, which is a bit different).  I think I'll cut out the homemade cables to the MDs (I had already done so with the core) and replace with pre-made cat5e cables.

ooh another thought is autonegotiate. Setting auto for speed and particularly duplex on your internal NIC can cause problems, especially with NICs/Switches that don't autoneg well. Some cases this will cause the NIC or switch port to go to 10/half duplex, and under load will cause massive amounts of frame collisions which will effectively lock your port up. Nothing will be able to communicate with the core which means your MDs will die, but all other machines on that switch will be able to ping each other just fine.

The suggestion I made to connect direct to the core could eliminate this possibility, too. If your switch is manageable at all, you can force the switch port to 100/Full or 1G, and then do the same to the core NIC to prevent this. Also, if it is manageable, for a Cisco you can turn on PORTFAST which will eliminate certain STP blocking issues. Other brands of manageable switches will have an equivalent to this option as well. Can explain what this is if it turns out to be the cause.

But suggestions about the patch cables are the first and most likely causes, be sure of this first as it will be annoying for you to go through lots of advanced troubleshooting only to find you had a crappy cable

49

Users / Intermittent Network issues

« on: January 05, 2009, 10:41:33 pm »

Gang--

I've got an issue that is serving to constantly frustrate me and make my LMCE setup unusable.  I'm hoping someone may be able to help me.  The issue that I'm seeing is that when I have MDs running, at some point in time the internal network fails.  By fails, I mean I can't ping any machine from the core, and vice versa.  The MDs freeze, and the windows PCs indicate limited (non-DHCP access) My squeezebox goes blank, indicating loss of communications to the server.  However, there are no indications on the core that anything is amiss.  ifconfig indicates that the network connection is active, though RX and TX packets count up very slowly and erratically).  I've never seen this issue happen when I don't have MDs running.  The outside NIC is fine, i.e. I can access the internet from the core.  Shutting off any running MDs immediately corrects the problem and the network returns to normal (ie. windows PCs are routed to the internet, squeezebox works).

My setup is:
Hybrid: Intel S5000PSL
MDs:
1 Abit AN-M2HD
1 ASROCK    ALiveNF7G-FullHD R3.0
Switch
Netgear Gigabit

I've tried the following:

1) Updated the kernel to 2.6.27 to try the new e1000e driver for the onboard intel gigabit lan
2) Swapped out network cables/ethernet switch
3) Tried each MD singly and together
4) Added D-link network card to core to test new hardware/driver
5) Tried 64 and 32 bit versions of LMCE.

Still, in anywhere from 2 to 72 hours, the problem recurs.  Has anyone seen this before?  Anybody have any ideas of where to look to troubleshoot? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
-PeteK

50

Users / Re: Built New Core, Now Insteon not working - Please assist.

« on: January 03, 2009, 07:36:10 pm »

I had a (skeletal, rudimentry) Insteon PLC USB C++ driver built on the pluto Zwave model in the source tree a while ago.  Pluto was supposed to get it into a release about a year and a half ago but for various reasons they never did that.  I've been busy for a while, but now things have loosened up a bit at work (maybe less 7 day weeks), I want to go get this thing moving along once and for all.

51

Users / Re: Sharing non-media folders of an LMCE drive

« on: January 02, 2009, 09:28:22 pm »

I looked at doing this, but it's not very elegant.  For one thing, I would like not to have to go through the existing Samba shares to get to the directory  public->video->(raid disk)->file storage area.  I'd like to be just able to map a 'storage area' and give it seperarate directory/create masks.  I'm just concerned about breaking LMCE's disk mounting methods.

-PeteK

52

Users / Sharing non-media folders of an LMCE drive

« on: January 02, 2009, 09:06:24 pm »

I've got a question that came up when I tried to copy some home movies (.avi) to a RAID array mounted on the core for RAID-protected storage.  I copied them over to one of the media directories, and updatemedia picked them up and added them to the database (something I didn't want).  As of 0710, I didn't think there was a good way to make updatemedia skip certain directories, so I wanted to add these files in a directory outside of the normally scanned directory structure.  That got me thinking that in the longer term, I'd like to use the RAID array that I've got on the core for some more 'general storage' (non-media, or at least non-permanent media) through Samba, and I'd like to map that directory through samba without breaking the current system.  I created a samba share of /mnt/device/[hard disk device number], but I don't think this is the best solution.   Does anyone have any advice they can offer?

Thanks,
-PeteK

53

Installation issues / Re: Hardware raid in Core - How to make it available to the Core?

« on: January 02, 2009, 07:39:34 pm »

I have an AMCC H/W raid controller in my core.  In order for LMCE to find it, I had to create the array (which it sounds like you've already done) and then partition the array (using the normal linux paritioning tools). After that, LMCE found the drive and added it normally. I didn't read that you had created a partition.  Have you done so already?

54

Users / Re: Need help with rs232 tv

« on: December 06, 2008, 07:15:43 pm »

Ok, here are the things that I've tried.  I read you link Thom, but I don't know which criteria I should use.

I tried these entries.
<$"BE 05 27 00 EA"$>  <$"BE052700EA"$>
"BE 05 27 00 EA"     "BE052700EA"
"\xBE \x05 \x27 \x00 \xEA"   <$"\xBE \x05 \x27 \x00 \xEA"$>


Does anyone have a straight answer for me?  Thom's link is great, but I still didn't know what I was looking for under "strings".

I sent you my Olevia 232T template screen shots which work in 0710.  Can you please add the information to a wiki page, like this one?

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/LG_42LB5D

Thanks,
-Pete

55

Users / Re: Does creating a RAID set in LMCE on existing drive with media, wipe it out?

« on: November 27, 2008, 06:07:06 am »

Can you create a RAID 1 array first and then migrate that?  That may be a bit easier to understand what's going on before trying to move your data into a RAID 5 array.

56

Users / Re: did anyone heard about VERA?

« on: November 26, 2008, 05:08:25 pm »

Welcome Dan G.  There's a core group  (Daniel K, the guys mentioned earlier) that are working very hard to build a core for the community to go from, as well a small but growing group of devs who are working around the sides, trying to help as best we can.  Your help would definitely be appreciated.  I haven't seen as much fanaticism (in a good way) about a product in quite some time.  I think Pluto was definitely on to something here.  Your help in the LMCE community would be greatly appreciated.

-PeteK

57

Installation issues / Re: 110 baud rate for Olevia 537H LCD

« on: October 26, 2008, 03:43:29 pm »

Do you have the ICD for this TV?  I've got a 232T that takes everything at 115K.  Can you post a copy of the ICD?

Thanks,
-Peter

58

Users / Re: rs232 to TTL (rca ?) conection ?

« on: October 12, 2008, 11:55:52 am »

It would take a custom device and some Ruby (or C++) coding and I think it could be done.  However, the more we talk about it, the more I think the GC100 is the way to go.

59

Users / Re: rs232 to TTL (rca ?) conection ?

« on: October 12, 2008, 11:35:06 am »

The RS-232 voltage levels as defined in the spec are up to 15V, while TTL only allows up to 5V.  While in reality PC RS-232 drivers typically aren't driving up to the 15V level, they should be going negative (below ground), which may be a problem for your equipment. My guess is that it will probably work. However, to meet the spec, Like Hari suggest I think it would make sense to use a Global Cache GC100's IR outputs.  I'm not 100% certain, but it looks like it's driving the IR emitter with TTL signalling.  As for RS-232 pinout, pin 3 is the output and pin 5 is the ground.  Connect 3 to the pin and 5 to the barrel of your RCA plug for a standard config, unless your manufacturer says otherwise.

60

Developers / Re: Scroll bars in web-admin

« on: September 22, 2008, 07:47:17 am »

Committed in revision 21416 on linuxmce.org