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Messages - JaseP

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481
Installation issues / Re: Cannot install Linux MCE 0810
« on: February 23, 2012, 07:47:03 pm »
And sorry if i don't appreciate a lot of peoples hard work being called crap. What have you done to help lately besides just judge? There are tons of people with 'ideas' and time to talk about them, but few who cant shut up and get it done. Which are you?

Maybe you missed the part where I said...
Quote
The bottom line is that LinuxMCE is so very powerful, feature rich, relatively inexpensive and provides so many features that it should be the dominant multimedia center solution. ... The LinuxMCE developers should all be extremely proud of themselves, and with good reason.

And,...
Quote
I'm willing to do what I can to help, but I am no coder. ... So, I'm not just leveling criticism here, I'm willing to help...

482
Feature requests & roadmap / Re: Full Metadata in the 1004 repository...
« on: February 23, 2012, 06:25:28 pm »
It gives the system more stability if the package data (including package conflicts, etc.) is fleshed out. Plus, it helps the users know what everything does, helps system admins fix broken things easier, and is just plain old better developer "best practices."

As I mentioned in another thead, I'm willing to help out by pulling off and editing the original package meta data from the standard Ubuntu repositories, and help build a conflicts database to ID packages that don't play nice with each other. But I don't code, and I'm probably not going to try rebuilding any packages, so it'll be up to the developers to make use of it.

483
Installation issues / Re: Cannot install Linux MCE 0810
« on: February 23, 2012, 05:53:02 pm »
I'm not trying to be difficult, ... but the fact remains that everything is NOT working correctly. The problem is not the graphics chipset on 1004. That part's actually working well. The probkem is other things.

I actually have been using a base Kubuntu install (not a Ubuntu one and then converting, as I said I believe should work, provided you don't go crazy with the other packages). Problem is that when I get a decent LMCE install (a crap-shoot, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't), some little thing is broken (such as; the sound being muted and no good way to turn it back on, or me making a bone headed decision about the attached external drives, and no good way to fix it). Kubuntu is not as good as the Ubuntu install when it comes to setting up hardware. After Kubuntu is installed, my server system comes up with the sound muted. If I unmute the muted channels prior to installing LinuxMCE, the sound plays. But half the time the install borks for some other unknown reason.

As far as the "recommended" hardware, it is not always easy to get a system built with those specs,... or to switch one over to meet those specs... And let's face it, there is no good "required specs" list in the wiki or the website describing what is needed (maybe some paragraphs explaining it, but no good list)... And (under 1004) the advantage of an (older) nVidia graphics chipset over a relatively recent Intel chipset is negligible. If the base OS can use it fine, then LinuxMCE should too. I've never had problems with playback of video over an Intel chipset (at least since the Intel drivers have been stable), and the Intel drivers do handle some (limited at the very least) acceleration very well (Compiz, or native compositing, etc). From what I can see from playing around with the core,... the Intel chipsets handle LinuxMCE video playback and the interface just fine under 1004.

One big issue is sound. There should be a sound mixer available, at least under the "Programs" or "Advanced," even if it were ASCII only. There seems to be no good place to adjust sound channels in the system. If the sound channels are mis-mapped, the only way you are going to know is to have played a video or audio prior to running the LinuxMCE install. Without a mixer, a DVD installer would be no good for someone in that situation.

Now this next part,... Keep in mind that I have read the install script, so I know that there's a lot going on, that makes it not so simple,... and I mean this in the spirit of constructive criticism, ... but,...

One of the major problems I seem to be seeing is the package management (and package building) under LinuxMCE. If a LinuxMCE package is being used to replace a "normal" package, it should be versioned so that it "trumps" the old package and is seen as the latest (an "updated" package). I think there wouldn't be as much breakage if that were done correctly. I understand there will be bugs, especially while development is going on, ... But it seems that package conflicts are the "rule" in LinuxMCE rather than the exception.

If I install the modified "Pluto" version of a package, the old package should be uninstalled as part of the process, not requiring me to do it manually. And everything that is required for a basic install should be covered by a "Meta" package, installing by default all the necessary components and uninstalling the conflicting packages (and maybe that package should contain the install script, debs don't have to be just for binaries). It doesn't seem like that is happening. Or maybe it is, and there's just a ton of things falling through the cracks. Ubuntu personal PPAs (generally) work that way, even when there's a package that needs to be compiled (using DKMS, for example).

I brought up as a feature request, on that sub-forum, to flesh out the meta-data of the packages. I strongly suggest doing that,... And also, I suggest that if it is done, it's done in a separate repository from the current, and make sure it checks out before making it "Live."

The bottom line is that LinuxMCE is so very powerful, feature rich, relatively inexpensive and provides so many features that it should be the dominant multimedia center solution. That XBMC seems to dominate baffles me. The LinuxMCE developers should all be extremely proud of themselves, and with good reason. But it is so complicated to set up that even Linux "gurus" have difficulty setting it up. Linux network and system configuration is obscure enough that even LinuxMCE packaging were made easier, there would still be a market for installers and system builders. So job security through obscurity is not a real factor.

I have enough Linux experience over the last decade to solve my problems (with a little help). I just have to experiment and play with it a little more. But I would like to see this project/distro flourish. That opens up opportunities for developers, system builders, the project for more features, etc., etc. ad nausium,... The DVD install is a good idea, but I don't think it's enough. There needs to be more organization of the packages.

I'm willing to do what I can to help, but I am no coder. I can, however, help by "lifting" the metadata from the standard Ubuntu repositories and make it available as text for easy cut and paste editing into the LinuxMCE repositories. I can also try to build a database of conflicting packages to help developers improve the package repositories, and to help users understand why something doesn't  or can't work. So, I'm not just leveling criticism here, I'm willing to help...

484
Feature requests & roadmap / Full Metadata in the 1004 repository...
« on: February 23, 2012, 02:58:12 pm »
It would be nice to have full metadata in the LinuxMCE repository. I had installed LMCE 1004 and the synaptic package manager (I hate KDE's package manager) and noticed that the LinuxMCE packages contain no descriptions... It would be nice to have this info fleshed out so that people could tell which packages do what jobs... It would make fixing things and installing new functionality a tad easier.

Just a suggestion...

485
Installation issues / Re: Very high pings on internal network
« on: February 22, 2012, 06:38:24 am »
You can chain 5-ports together,... actually most of them are 4 port with the 5th port being the switch-wired connection...

486
Users / Re: New LMCE splash screen/logo!
« on: February 21, 2012, 10:57:02 pm »
@ Ray be

I like it...

487
I'm going to have make adjustments based on signal strength and duration. When I set up a test core over the holiday weekend, the Bluetooth dongle in the core was detecting every other car that drove by as a new Bluetooth event. Very annoying (I live on a high traffic road). The BT dongle was a cheap $2 one too (one of a batch I got that all had the same MAC address, not modifiable, cheap Chinese knock offs).

Bluemon would be a perfect choice for this,... but I have to find documentation on the package ...

488
Installation issues / Re: Cannot install Linux MCE 0810
« on: February 21, 2012, 09:11:40 pm »
Doing exactly that,... As an experiment, I installed 1004, but when setting it up made choices that mucked up the works,... I will be doing it again. Got to say it's night and day from my experiences with 710 & 810...

One question,... Does LMCE absolutely HAVE to be the only DHCP server on the network??? Or can it reside behind another one??? My problem is that I have 2 routers (and another 2 switches), with one of the routers being my MCV Vera (the only one that likes my Acer Iconia A500 tablet's wireless). The Vera likes to be the first router on the system in order to get outside internet contact working efficiently. My other router is a Linksys Wrt54g (older model) running Gargoyle Router (it could use a firmware update too).

I'd like to keep the Vera as the primarily router and have the Linksys/Gargoyle as an internal switch and access point for both LMCE and internet. What's the right way to configure LinuxMCE to accomplish that??? And,... Do I give anything up by setting it up that way (I have HDhomerun tuners on the network as well as an Obi110 ATA (similar to an SPA-3102). I'd like LMCE to find them (easily).


489
Hence, a very easy to implement feature request...  ;D

490
You can try using gparted to partition the larger drives down to smaller volume sizes. However, if you are not using a recent version of Linux, you may want to burn yourself a Gparted Live disk in order to partition the drive(s). Just be sure you know what drove is what, so you don't accidently re-partition your system drive. Some external drives (such as larger Western Digital drives) use partition schemes that are not compatible with Linux (and/or some sort of internal controller). For external drives, I recommend Seagate drives,... they are re-partitioning friendly and generally cheaper, though not generally as visibly attractive).

You can find Gparted Live here:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/gparted/files/gparted-live-stable/

491
Installation issues / Re: [SOLVED] VNC to the core?
« on: February 20, 2012, 07:36:48 am »
just out of curiosity could you run it on Ubuntu or is there more different then just KDE vs Gnome

Nope,... You'd have to install the Kubuntu desktop over the Ubuntu one (and thereby replacing any inconsistent packages),... essentially making your Ubuntu into Kubuntu... LinuxMCE is dependent on the QT framework, which is what KDE is based on... And I don't think that just installing KDE as an additional DE on Ubuntu would suffice... That's not to say that you could not (theoretically) start with a Ubuntu install, and them convert that install to a Kubuntu install... I was going to try that, but opted for installing from Kubuntu instead... However, I'm installing a few more packages than the average Kubuntu... and will see how it holds up...

492
Installation issues / Re: Cannot install Linux MCE 0810
« on: February 20, 2012, 06:22:25 am »
LinuxMCE is meant to be an appliance. ...

That's fine,... But 8.10 doesn't run on my hardware (Intel graphics for the most part and 2 Hauppauge 1600s, among other things),.. and I'm not buying new hardware... Just installed Kubuntu 10.04, graphics work,... Off to a good start...

And you MUST admit that there's a REASON you are developing LinuxMCE10.04. And I'm happy to offer help... by the way...

493
Installation issues / Re: Cannot install Linux MCE 0810
« on: February 20, 2012, 06:09:39 am »
LinuxMce  is very particular on what o/s /desktop, you may be able to patch together install that way ... but I think you're asking for trouble.
Why not just use the lmce DVD

just my 2cents

Tim

There is no functional difference between starting with Ubuntu and installing the KDE desktop and Kubuntu, other than the fact that the respins tend to suck in the hardware detection arena (and "suck" is the official, technical term)...

It's my understanding that the DVD is 8.10 only... no 10.04 DVD image... [I will fully admit to the contrary if I'm wrong].

Now, I'm not disagreeing with you that LinuxMCE can be persnickety... But from my point of view,... anything based on Ubuntu/Kubuntu 8.10 is ancient/crap,... and you're not going to get anywhere with me telling me that I should relish installing an obsolete OS just so I can get some packages to work... It's why I had walked away from LinuxMCE several years ago... and since 10.04 is being developed, coming back now...

For me it's been Linux (almost exclusively) as my desktop and home network OS since 2001/2002...  I've used SuSE (before they became Novell's "ladies of the evening"), Mandrake (yes ManDRAKE, not ManDRIVA, ugh,... I see they're ready for bankruptcy again), dabbled in Fedora/Red Hat (God!!! I've learned to HATE RPM distros), Debian, even tried Gentoo, etc. before landing with the Ubuntu family (tried Mint too). I even have run Android-X86... & still might again... I've configured my share of XFree86.config files (yes, before Xorg...), & in my early days, dealt with terminal based installers & kernel compiles... I'm no newbie when it comes to Linux,... So PLEASE don't try to convince me that LinuxMCE 8.10 is a good thing...


494
Installation issues / Re: Very high pings on internal network
« on: February 20, 2012, 05:21:59 am »
From a terminal, type: top

Top is a command line process monitoring app that can give you an idea of what is running on the system and what type of processor cycles, etc. that the running processes are using. It may give you an idea what the culprit is.

9 times out of 10, some process is running away with the machine. It may be that there is something buggy in your installation (or bugs introduced in a package that now has memory leaks, etc.), or that some process is running that you had no idea would be such a resource hog (or your setting have caused it to be such).

PS: you exit top with the Q key.

495
Installation issues / Re: Very high pings on internal network
« on: February 20, 2012, 12:03:49 am »
Do you have Skype installed??? If so, uninstall it and reboot (switch to Google Voice instead). Skype will use your system as a supernode in Linux without any way to kill the process without rebooting. The only other way to prevent it is to put Skype behind a NAT. But there are some who claim that won't work either.

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