Messages

1

Compatible Products & Services / Re: Where to buy the cool gyro mouse in the demo video?

« on: March 28, 2007, 01:19:14 pm »

I'm right with EnderTheThird.  Using the Wiimote would be theoretically much faster and more accurate for things like the on-screen keyboard.  I've been toying around with the idea ever since I saw The Video.

On a side note, my dilema now comes down to the following.  I can't install LinuxMCE on my MythTV HTPC because one, it does not integrate fully with MythTV (i.e., the plugins don't work and I want MythGame); two, it takes over the Ubuntu installation, doing all sorts of things it shouldn't do and breaking stuff like previously running apache websites, firewall scripts and network configuration, etc (i.e., you are meant to install it on a clean Ubuntu, and on its own).  On the other hand, you have to use a remote with 30+ buttons on MythTV because the UI doesn't support using only a mouse, so Wiimote + MythTV is a no-go.

Meanwhile, I found this:

http://www.gyration.com/en-US/ProductDetail.html?modelnum=GP2000001&accshow=3

Mouse functionality + buttons for MythTV (although not nearly enough buttons).  It's not the Wiimote, but at least I'd be able to use a mouse on MythTV for web-browsing, onscreen keyboards and the occasional mouse-click on stray dialog boxes, while waiting for LinuxMCE to mature so I can move it from a virtual machine on the study to the living room TV.

2

Installation issues / Re: Package pluto-orbiter failed (/tmp/tmp.gUvug24519

« on: March 28, 2007, 12:43:25 pm »

Actually, the only way I installed and ran LinuxMCE successfully was using VMWare! More specifically, I'm running VMWare Server 1.0.2 (Build: 39867) on top of an Ubuntu 6.10 (Ubuntu 6.10 on an Ubuntu 6.10, how very fractal of me!).

See the following thread for details on my installation process:

http://forum.linuxmce.com/index.php?topic=1315.0

3

Installation issues / Re: Stop Checking for Nvidia-Glx darn you...

« on: March 28, 2007, 12:24:22 am »

I had already tried inserting an "exit" in XConfigure.sh in addition to Config_Device_Changes.sh, with no luck.  If I had to guess, I'd say that this is a direct consequence of the problem on the "Why only Vesa?" thread:

http://forum.linuxmce.com/index.php?topic=1310.0

4

Installation issues / Re: Ubuntu + LinuxMCE on a virtual machine

« on: March 28, 2007, 12:17:19 am »

I have one such virtual machine, and I hadn't realized sharing it was even an option.  Not a bad idea at all!

However, not having foreseen such a use, I created it with static allocation of a virtual 8 Gb disk, and also created a snapshot right after finishing the initial update. It now occupies 13 Gb, which I believe is too big a torrent for this purpose.

But would this work?  Are VMWare images shareable and crossplatform?  I created mine under (surprise, surprise) Ubuntu 6.10.

5

Installation issues / Re: Preinstallation - What state should Ubuntu be in?

« on: March 28, 2007, 12:09:02 am »

I have just made a successfull installation, albeit on a VMWare virtual machine.  Nevertheless, this is what I did, step by step (ignoring the steps to create the virtual machine in itself):

1. Install Ubuntu 6.10 from an Ubuntu 6.10 Desktop DVD, with default options.

2. Immediately upon successful installation, ran Update Manager with the default user and waited for it to fully update everything.

3. Rebooted.

4. Downloaded the following ISO into default user's home directory (link is taken directly from the wiki):

http://torrents.thepiratebay.org/3646881/linuxmce-1.0-packages.iso.3646881.TPB.torrent

5. Mounted the aforementioned ISO on /media/cdrom, via the loop device:

Code: [Select]

$ sudo mount -o loop /home/user/linuxmce-1.0-packages.iso /media/cdrom

6. Downloaded and installed the official LinuxMCE installer:

http://linuxmce.com/download.php

7. Clicked on the new "Install LinuxMCE" icon on the desktop.

8. Chose hybrid core.

9. Chose manual network configuration, leaving it on DHCP.

10. Chose NOT to run a DHCP server (even though this is solemnly ignored by the installer).

11. Waited something over an hour for the installation to finish successfully, closed the window.

12. Rebooted.

13. Logged in with default user, ran Applications > Sound & Video > Start Media Center.

14. Waited a long time (another hour?), but no errors or deadlocks.

15. A/V Wizard popped up on a different X session, using 640x480@60Hz resolution.  Left it on 640x480@60Hz (pressed OK), and subsequently chose UI1 (called "static" on that interface, or something to that effect).  In other words, chose all defaults.

16. Accessed LinuxMCE Web Admin from another machine, created a new user, disabled DHCP server under Advanced > Network Settings. After a few minutes waiting, I decided the web server had hung, and therefore...

17. Rebooted.

18. Logged in with default user, ran Applications > Sound & Video > Start Media Center.

19. Script regenerated the screens, taking a few minutes to complete (should it have done it again?)

20. Accessed LinuxMCE Web Admin from another machine.  Verified that DHCP had been disabled (it had).  Clicked on installation.  Web server hung again.  Repeated steps 17. 18. 19.

21. Accessed LinuxMCE Web Admin from another machine.  Ran the full setup wizard by clicking on the left-hand side menu in top-down order.  Used mostly defaults, except for the sole MD (a PC with no TV, just regular VGA), changing it to 1024x768@85Hz.

22. Great success!

6

Installation issues / Re: Why only vesa?

« on: March 27, 2007, 07:52:13 pm »

I can confirm this weird behavior, except with a 6600GT.  The A/V Wizard does not seem to be able to select the correct video driver.

7

Installation issues / Re: Install from CD problems

« on: March 27, 2007, 06:45:50 pm »

It's official - a VMWare installation works flawlessly.  No hitches, from beginning to end.  Just thought I'd let you guys know.

8

Installation issues / Re: Install from CD problems

« on: March 27, 2007, 05:16:07 pm »

I'm finding that for testing purposes, the best thing one can do is install LinuxMCE under a VMWare virtual machine.  The installer clearly expects a pristine Ubuntu 6.10 Desktop installation, preferrably dist-upgraded, but without any custom packages.

The virtual machine also has two big advantages:

1. You can uninstall everything with mouse-click (including the virtual machine)

2. You can save and restore the state of the virtual machine (much like a console emulator), so that you can install Ubuntu and dist-upgrade it, save a snapshot, and THEN install lmce, so that if anything goes wrong, you can start over on a clean slate without having to reinstall Ubuntu.

I'm nearly finished with an lmce installation on a virtual machine, its working flawlessly.

9

Installation issues / Re: Fails to fetch Packages.gz

« on: March 27, 2007, 12:44:11 pm »

Phew, segmentation fault?  Sorry, I don't know enough about the installer to figure out which piece of the installer crashed on you.  I think you got the whole sources.list thing right, but now the problem is bigger.

But just to make sure, is your /etc/apt/sources.list unaltered from its initial state after you run the installer (aside from that additional line you yourself put in)?

10

Installation issues / Re: Uninstall?

« on: March 27, 2007, 12:35:02 pm »

I'm as much a LMCE noob as anyone here, but from what I've seen of the scripts, it is highly unlikely that an uninstallation is possible.  I have a few suggestions for the Powers That Be that relate to this, which I'll get to in a moment.

The way the installer is built, it basically takes over the system, making it impossible (or at least undesirable) to have LinuxMCE installed on a regular workstation.  It just breaks too many things, aside from the fact that it breaks LinuxMCE in itself (I've been trying to get this working for several hours, with no luck, and I'm no Linux or Ubuntu noob).

So how about two additional methods of distribution?

1) Make a LinuxMCE LiveCD.  You won't have to bother with an installer (or uninstaller), since everything will just be pre-installed on the CD.  I don't know how challenging that would be to make, but it would sure be easier on the end-users, especially your target audience which is not necessarity techno-savvy who just wants to see live those wonderful features shown on the video.

2) Every single piece of good software I know of has first been adopted by geeks, and the geeks then sell it to the "normal people".  So why not document and distribute the tools to an entirely manual installation, where the user can have control over when and how they will break their system?  As it is, the current installer breaks MANY things on an otherwise unchanged Ubuntu 6.10 desktop install.

Don't get me wrong, I still think LinuxMCE is going to be one of the more important open-source projects, right up there with Asterisk and MythTV.  But the fact remains that in my experience it was easier to install MythTV from source (and with a good Howto) than LinuxMCE with a fully automated (and broken) installer.

At the very least, at this point in development I think it should be advertised in bold red letters that one should NOT try to install LinuxMCE on one's everyday-use Ubuntu 6.10 workstation or desktop, as it is not at all a set of well-behaved packages.

And now, I'm off to format my HD and reinstall Ubuntu...

11

Installation issues / Re: Fails to fetch Packages.gz

« on: March 27, 2007, 03:44:41 am »

Let's see:

1. Edit /usr/share/mce-installer/mce-installer.sh and comment out line 25 ("rm -rf $WRKDIR")

2. Run the installer from the desktop and immediately exit it.

3. Move /tmp/selfextract.XXXX somewhere else, such as /tmp/mce-installer

4. Edit /tmp/mce-installer/mce-installer-core.sh, and comment out lines 66-74 (everything from "local Sources..." to "echo $Sources")

5. Edit /etc/apt/sources.list and at the end, add "deb file:/usr/pluto/deb-cache/ ./".

6. Do a "sudo aptitude update", and then "sudo aptitude dist-upgrade".

7. cd /tmp/mce-installer

8. ./mce-installer

12

Installation issues / Re: Stop Checking for Nvidia-Glx darn you...

« on: March 27, 2007, 03:20:05 am »

The same exact thing happens to me.  I'm using the Nvidia 9755's (built and installed using the "envy" utility).  Whevener I try to "Start Media Center", it removes the drivers, asks for the resolution in the initial configuration, and then the machine hangs completely, requiring a hard reset.  Upon reboot, I have to reinstall the drivers, for X won't load.

I'm stuck.  Tried inserting an "exit" in the beginning of Config_Device_Changes.sh, no luck.

13

Installation issues / Re: disabling DHCP functions in LMCE

« on: March 27, 2007, 02:20:55 am »

I second the request.

14

Installation issues / Re: Fails to fetch Packages.gz

« on: March 27, 2007, 01:49:02 am »

Ok, it worked, but I had to hack the installer so it didn't overwrite /etc/apt/sources.list.  I added the deb-cache directory myself, dist-upgraded, and then ran the installer from the command line.  Now its "setting up my computer to act as a Media Director".

Suggestion for Paul: have the installer make backups of critical system files (such as sources.list, interfaces, etc.).  Some of us are running the installer on our workstations in order to test it, and it basically screws many things up.

15

Installation issues / Fails to fetch Packages.gz

« on: March 27, 2007, 01:05:27 am »

From the installation log:

Code: [Select]

Failed to fetch http://linuxmce.com/ubuntu/./Packages.gz  404 Not Found

Is this normal?  The installation seems to fail because of it:

Code: [Select]

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
  pluto-dcerouter: Depends: pluto-confirm-dependencies (>= 1.0) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-confirm-dependencies (< 1.1) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-createdevice (>= 1.0) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-createdevice (< 1.1) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-install-scripts (>= 1.0) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-install-scripts (< 1.1) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-local-database (>= 1.0) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-local-database (< 1.1) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-std-plugins (>= 1.0) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-std-plugins (< 1.1) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-system-database (>= 1.0) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-system-database (< 1.1) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-website-admin (>= 1.0) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-website-admin (< 1.1) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-boot-scripts (>= 1.0) but it is not going to be installed
                   Depends: pluto-boot-scripts (< 1.1) but it is not going to be installed
                   PreDepends: vim but it is not going to be installed
E: Broken packages