Hulu Desktop Not Working

[bherbie]

I have had a working 10.04 system up and running for sometime now and all of a sudden my Hulu stopped working.. not a big deal for me as I can use the computing feature but it is my wife's favorite feature of LMCE.  I removed and added the software module multiple times and did quick reloads or reboots after each time and still not working.  Here are some logs from the MD:

Code: [Select]

@moon114:/var/log/pluto# cat 212_Hulu_Player.log
== ATTEMPT FRESH START ==
1 06/05/13 22:40:07 Spawn_Device.sh 212 (spawning-device) 6042 Dev: 212; Already Running list: 115,116,118,173,129,130,132,179,182,117,190,210,207,193,192,212,
1 06/05/13 22:40:07 Spawn_Device.sh 212 (spawning-device) 6042 Device 212 was marked as 'running'. Not starting
1 06/05/13 22:40:07 Spawn_Device.sh 212 (spawning-device) 6042 Dev: 212; Exiting because not starting
01 06/05/13 22:42:04.768 LIRCD_Thread: Accepted Socket Connection: 8 <0xb638bb70>
01 06/05/13 22:42:06.052 LIRCD_Thread: Closing Socket connection: 8 <0xb638bb70>
01 06/05/13 22:42:06.052 LIRCD_Thread: Listening for Hulu Desktop <0xb638bb70>
01 06/05/13 23:02:36.353 LIRCD_Thread: Accepted Socket Connection: 8 <0xb638bb70>
01 06/05/13 23:02:37.878 LIRCD_Thread: Closing Socket connection: 8 <0xb638bb70>
01 06/05/13 23:02:37.878 LIRCD_Thread: Listening for Hulu Desktop <0xb638bb70>
01 06/06/13 12:29:18.735 LIRCD_Thread: Accepted Socket Connection: 8 <0xb638bb70>
01 06/06/13 12:29:20.160 LIRCD_Thread: Closing Socket connection: 8 <0xb638bb70>
01 06/06/13 12:29:20.160 LIRCD_Thread: Listening for Hulu Desktop <0xb638bb70>
01 06/06/13 12:42:13.019 LIRCD_Thread: Accepted Socket Connection: 8 <0xb638bb70>
01 06/06/13 12:42:14.243 LIRCD_Thread: Closing Socket connection: 8 <0xb638bb70>
01 06/06/13 12:42:14.243 LIRCD_Thread: Listening for Hulu Desktop <0xb638bb70>

which doesn't tell me anything... but this pops up in the logs after attempting to start Hulu

Code: [Select]

@moon114:/var/log/pluto# cat Spawn_huludesktop_24445.log
(huludesktop:24445): Gdk-WARNING **: gdk_window_new(): parent is destroyed
(huludesktop:24445): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_drawable_get_display: assertion `GDK_IS_DRAWABLE (drawable)' failed
(huludesktop:24445): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_x11_get_xatom_by_name_for_display: assertion `GDK_IS_DISPLAY (display)' failed
(huludesktop:24445): Gdk-WARNING **: /build/buildd/gtk+2.0-2.20.1/gdk/x11/gdkdrawable-x11.c:952 drawable is not a pixmap or window
(huludesktop:24445): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_x11_display_get_xdisplay: assertion `GDK_IS_DISPLAY (display)' failed

anyone with any ideas?  The last line of this log file actually makes me think it is an issue with the NVidia driver..

Herbie

[tschak909]

You're not the only one who has been bitten by this. It's caused by Adobe breaking the flash plugin horribly with the last release of the plugin (presumably, the last version they will release for Linux).

The solution is to get an RPM with the 10.2 version of flash in it, unpack the flash plugin using rpm2cpio, and copy that plugin into the /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins folder, until we can come up with a solution that won't get trampled over with every damned update.

-Thom

[bherbie]

Thanks for the response, Thom.  I will try it and post back

[tschak909]

I have come up with a solution to allow Hulu Desktop to work for now, and have checked in the requisite code and data. I will ask our release manager, posde, to build a new package that can be updated.

With that said,

Hulu has dropped all support for Hulu Desktop. Period. End of Story. They think it's redundant. There will be no more versions, and when we can no longer run Hulu Desktop within LinuxMCE, the device template will be summarily disabled, and the software module option will be removed.

-Thom

[WhateverFits]

Thanks Thom! I can't wait to try it. I've been without Hulu for ages and that's big for the Wife Acceptance Factor.

[bherbie]

just saw the update come through... WOW!  Great job, Thom and Thanks!  Just a quick note to anyone else with this issue, I had to reboot all of my MDs after the update to get it to work...

[tschak909]

You're welcome. Hopefully this will allow Hulu to work a bit longer. Now that Hulu is not supported like this, alternatives will need to be used.

For the record, I am now using a Roku 2/3 box for such things, the new driver works exceptionally well.

-Thom

[bherbie]

I have a Roku and haven't had much success with it - and maybe the start of another topic - as I originally had it set up through the input of a PVR-250 but there was a noticeable 1 to 1.5 second delay between button clicks and movement on the screen.  I then ran it through the input on my Denon 3810CI  but the telnet stopped working and would only work after factory resets of the Roku and then for only an hour or so, and then have to do a factory reset all over again...   Point being the Hulu Desktop is seamless in LMCE and it is a shame that it is no longer being supported.

[tschak909]

I am aware of the bugs with the Roku GSD driver.

I have since rewritten the entire driver to use the new ECP control methods (instead of the telnet sockets). These are stateless HTTP calls, and do not tie up the control socket.

It also provides access to more buttons, keys, features, which will be expanded upon in future releases.

I have checked in the Roku device into the 1004 branch, not sure if posde built a package for it or not, will ask, but the code is there, and it does work beautifully.

As for the latency you experienced, this is, believe it or not, normal, through a tuner card. That's just the way it is when you bounce AV signals and digitize them, it takes time to do so. This is why AV control works best when you do direct control/input switching, wherever you can...Typically, I do direct control where the device normally is, and for bouncing around the house, I have a tuner device like the HD-PVR.

-Thom

[bherbie]

wow - you are the man, Thom!  I disconnected my Roku from the system and deleted it because of the issues I was having and was planning on throwing it on eBay - but with this information I will hold onto it and see if I can get it to work properly.  I did not see the new template for the Roku as of yet but will keep checking!

[tschak909]

I have checked with our release manager, and he has informed me that the new Roku device has been built, and is in the repo.

In order to use it, you will need to update your sqlCVS.

from the web admin, go to advanced > sqlCVS > update

select all of the items in the DCE, and then press update.

Upon plugging in the Roku box, it should find it, and install the new driver. You can verify by looking for a Roku_LTXDXS_Pla driver in /usr/pluto/bin and process.

-Thom

[bherbie]

ok - just a couple of comments on the new Roku setup... My MAC wasn't listed (beginning 00:0D:4B:4E) so I added it to the template, it was then found and installed. Also, It did not automatically create a media scenario but if I remember correctly it wasn't on the old template either... So once that was done everything seems to work correctly!  Thanks for all you do, Thom, it is greatly appreciated!

[tschak909]

it's on my list to add SSDP discovery to the Plug and Play subsystem this year, so that devices like the Roku can be found easier.

As for the scenario, interesting, it automatically adds to mine..hmm..

-Thom