purps, sounds good  .... :-)

I'll try to write a list of needed Buttons and their sizes.
I can offer my current PSD file for download if you want.

What else do you need?

Thanks.

ochorocho

OK great. If there's a particular style or colour scheme that you would me to start with, then let me know.

Do the images I produce have to be in PSD format? And I assume you need transparent background?

Cheers,
Matt.

i already asked a professional designer to do some photoshop magic to create a consistent Icon set.
This will take it's time.

For now i'm good with this icon set, till there is the new one.

Next screen users want to se is floorplan i guess...

I would like to have a go at designing some icons if it's required? I feel I could produce some good results. Please send me a  PM with your requirements if you want me to have a go.

Cheers,
Matt.

Has anyone tried this?? ... Setting up a diskless media director in VirtualBox on a portable PC (laptop, netbook, X86 Tablet) and using it as an Orbiter...

I was toying with this idea in my head... since there a number of things that people (and I) would like with orbiters, like; media playback, updating/refreshing sooner, full communication control, etc.

I see from the wiki that Jamo had used a Fujitsu Stylistic 3500 as a limited media director/Orbiter,... but was wondering if anyone had done this with a VM,... and whether you were able to hack the shutdown to allow for suspend or hibernate, in order to bring the virtual machine up faster.

If anyone has done this, have you created a fake room for the device, so that it wouldn't change another media director's output by default?

I'm going to give it a go, but if anyone has beat me to the punch, I'd love any tips you might have.

Why is this any more complicated that just creating a virtual MD? http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/VirtualBox_MD

Cheers,
Matt.

What tablet are you looking at it?

Anyone interested in chipping in and buying Langston a play thing?

This is the time for anyone who, for whatever reason, doesn't code, who are actively using the system, and would like to give something back.

Step up, and the cheaper it will be for all of us!

Cheers,
Matt.

The reason sound quality degrades in speaker cable in this fashion is due to increased resistance. Resistance can increase due to smaller diameters, and/or longer lengths. There are other factors, but those are the main ones.

So yes there may well be a limit of 15 m, but only for a certain diameter of cable. A larger diameter of cable such as possy is using will combat the problem.

Cheers,
Matt.

IP cameras are a bit expensive for me considering what I am going to do with them, although they should be headache free.

I have now bought a camera (was only 20 quid, linky http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180913595661?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_2050wt_981), so we'll see how it works down the length of the garden and through a few walls.

Current plan is to get a second-hand Hauppauge PVR-150, as I saw somebody had some success with VLC on 10.04, and start there. VLC can be used for both viewing and recording. Then if I can integrate it into LMCE, it's a bonus.

Cheers,
Matt.

Hi Karel,

Thanks for the reply, that looks just the job, but alas they do not appear to be available in the UK. Although I can always order one from across the pond if it's worth it.

I might order the camera itself before I do anything else. I have my eye on a wireless IR spy cam thing on eBay. Ideally the capture card will be in my core, but the camera will be down the bottom of the garden. So hopefully the receiver can go next to the core in the house without the signal degrading too badly, otherwise the wireless receiver and card will have to go on my workshop MD.... which I would like to avoid because I don't want that to be switched on 24/7.

I should mention at this point that the camera is to monitor nesting boxes. The other option is to have the receiver going straight to my television - I could still have a scenario that switches to that input, which would be sweet (plus it would be nice and smooth), but not sure how I would do any recording however.

Cheers,
Matt.

There doesn't seem to be much information on this, unless I am searching the wrong things.

What's the best way to integrate composite cameras into your LMCE system?

I see this capture card is supported http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Hauppauge_WinTV-PVR-USB2

....but I don't want to use the camera with myth - ideally I would like a scenario alongside my other security scenarios. Can it be added in this way, or is it myth only?

I am not in pocession of any capture card, so I am open to any other capture card suggestions! I have seen various mentions of the EasyCap as well (even if it does sound like female contraceptive).

Cheers,
Matt.

Stability and personal experience with 8.10.  For media playback which was 9/10ths of my original setup 8.10 worked flawlessly for me.

When I came back to the forums and wiki after this break and saw the new progress I didnt think the dl for 10.04 was far enough along in its development for me to either:

a: get a working system going
b: contribute anything to the real 'programmers' who were just developing it

With the frustration I am having though with getting things connected I will take your suggestion and backup 8.10 now to load 10.04 this afternoon.  Thanks for the reply.

I am a user also. I found 1004 to be a lot more stable/easy than 810, and that was many months ago now. Things have only improved. I will be reinstalling soon, and I will not hesitate to go 1004.

Cheers,
Matt.

Getting VNC to work internally is very different from getting it working remotely I've discovered. It tells me that my commands aren't utter bollocks at least, but of course it doesn't tell me if the approach is correct.

It is now working remotely after a lot of trial and error, but I am not satisfied this is the best way to do it. I do...

Code:

ssh -p 22 -L 5900:127.0.0.1:5900 <coreUser>@<externalIP>
ssh - p 22 -L 5900:127.0.0.1:5900 <desktopUser>@<internalIPofDesktop>

...and then I can do the VNC thing, which is great don't get me wrong, but....

How do I combine these two steps and ssh straight into my desktop, without having to type in the core password? If this is the best way of doing it, then fine, but how do people without a clever LMCE system do it i.e. with a normal router?

Cheers,
Matt.

EDIT: I didn't do anything to the firewall, which makes sense seeing as this is a tunnel.

"aplay -L" gives...

Code:

dcerouter_1023729:~# aplay -L
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
front:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC889 Analog
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC889 Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC889 Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC889 Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC889 Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC889 Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC889 Digital
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
front:CARD=default,DEV=0
    C-Media USB Audio Device   , USB Audio
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=default,DEV=0
    C-Media USB Audio Device   , USB Audio
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=default,DEV=0
    C-Media USB Audio Device   , USB Audio
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=default,DEV=0
    C-Media USB Audio Device   , USB Audio
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=default,DEV=0
    C-Media USB Audio Device   , USB Audio
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=default,DEV=0
    C-Media USB Audio Device   , USB Audio
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=default,DEV=0
    C-Media USB Audio Device   , USB Audio
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output

And to play something I tried...

Code:

dcerouter_1023729:~# aplay -D front:CARD=default,DEV=0 /home/public/data/audio/Windows\ Share-Volume_1\ \[63\]/Matt/Loose/Fats\ Domino_Shake\,\ Rattle\ And\ Roll.mp3
aplay: main:608: audio open error: Device or resource busy

...and...

Code:

dcerouter_1023729:~# aplay -D iec958:CARD=default,DEV=0 /home/public/data/audio/Windows\ Share-Volume_1\ \[63\]/Matt/Loose/Fats\ Domino_Shake\,\ Rattle\ And\ Roll.mp3
aplay: main:608: audio open error: Device or resource busy

...which gives me this error.

I have made sure the volume is up, in both alsamixer and on the device. Although I am getting an error in both the orbiter and on the command line, so I doubt it is a problem like that.

Cheers,
Matt.

UPDATE: This is now working! I followed the wiki and this time it functions as it should. I don't understand what the problem was before. Maybe it was the alsa version.

Still no luck, I am not able to play anything from aplay using the USB sound card. It looks fine, but there is just no sound coming out!

Code:

dcerouter_1023729:~# aplay /home/public/data/audio/Windows\ Share-Volume_1\ \[63\]/Matt/Loose/Aerosmith_Dude\ Looks\ Like\ A\ Lady.mp3
Playing raw data '/home/public/data/audio/Windows Share-Volume_1 [63]/Matt/Loose/Aerosmith_Dude Looks Like A Lady.mp3' : Unsigned 8 bit, Rate 8000 Hz, Mono

After that I did... (different from "aplay -l" I noticed)

Code:

dcerouter_1023729:~# aplay -L                                                   null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
front:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC889 Analog
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC889 Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC889 Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC889 Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC889 Analog
 5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC889 Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC889 Digital
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
front:CARD=default,DEV=0
    C-Media USB Audio Device   , USB Audio
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=default,DEV=0
    C-Media USB Audio Device   , USB Audio
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=default,DEV=0
    C-Media USB Audio Device   , USB Audio
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=default,DEV=0
    C-Media USB Audio Device   , USB Audio
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=default,DEV=0
    C-Media USB Audio Device   , USB Audio
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=default,DEV=0
 C-Media USB Audio Device   , USB Audio
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=default,DEV=0
    C-Media USB Audio Device   , USB Audio
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output

...I then tried...

Code:

dcerouter_1023729:~# aplay --device=iec958 /home/public/data/audio/Windows\ Share-Volume_1\ \[63\]/Matt/Loose/Aerosmith_Dude\ Looks\ Like\ A\ Lady.mp3
Playing raw data '/home/public/data/audio/Windows Share-Volume_1 [63]/Matt/Loose/Aerosmith_Dude Looks Like A Lady.mp3' : Unsigned 8 bit, Rate 8000 Hz, Mono
aplay: set_params:990: Sample format not available
Available formats:
- S16_LE
- S32_LE

...which again looks fine to me, but still no sound.

Am I doing the right thing here? Am I "choosing" the sound card correctly?

Cheers,
Matt.

(22, no?)

Thank you very much, that is very helpful indeed.

I successfully got VNC working over my internal network last night, just need to tie it all together now. Will report back with the exact steps.

Cheers,
Matt.

Thanks for the replies guys, sorry for the delay is getting back.

aplay -l gives...

Code:

dcerouter_1023729:~# aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: SB [HDA ATI SB], device 0: ALC889 Analog [ALC889 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: SB [HDA ATI SB], device 1: ALC889 Digital [ALC889 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: default [C-Media USB Audio Device   ], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

...which looks fine to me.

I have also removed the bluez-alsa, and when I run the command I now get...

Code:

dcerouter_1023729:~# /usr/bin/squeezeslave -o3 -m00:00:00:00:00:01 -r5 -M/var/log/squeezeslave.log
Expression 'snd_pcm_hw_params_set_buffer_size_near( pcm, hwParams, &lowLatency )' failed in 'src/hostapi/alsa/pa_linux_alsa.c', line: 415
Expression 'snd_pcm_hw_params_set_buffer_size_near( pcm, hwParams, &lowLatency )' failed in 'src/hostapi/alsa/pa_linux_alsa.c', line: 415
PortAudio error7: No output devices found.

...which doesn't look good.

Alsa version is 1.0.22 if that gives any clues.

It is also a somewhat old 10.04 installation, never been updated, perhaps I should just try it again when I get round to using a later version.

Cheers,
Matt.

I did it (we were nearly right).

Code:

ssh -L 5900:<LMCEserver>:5900 <user>@<othermachine>

Still not quite sure I have understood what I have done... could somebody please educate me? Why is 5900 in there twice? How does this relate to my firewall rule?

Cheers,
Matt.