Messages

1

Installation issues / Re: 7.10 Install Asrock 775Twins-HDTV with OnBoard NIC - slow to restart NIC

« on: December 03, 2008, 04:00:38 pm »

Do any of you developer guys have an idea on how I can slow down the network restart? or resume after a crash of the install

Is there a way to resume the install from where something broke?/choked is there a more manual alternative to clicking on the installer - Im guessing there is, but if someone has gone through something like this I would be grateful....

2

Installation issues / 7.10 Install Asrock 775Twins-HDTV with OnBoard NIC - slow to restart NIC

« on: November 01, 2008, 02:17:07 pm »

775Twins-HDTV One of these: http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=775Twins-HDTV&s=775

Anyway during the install after several minutes going from the CD It is scrolling through packages and then comes the curnch point.

It restarts networking.
LAN     - Realtek PHY RTL8201CL
- Speed: 10/100 Ethernet
- Supports Wake-On-LAN

Ok so here i am thinking - holy - its restarted the network, then continued installing before the lan is active?
I decided to check this when just installing kubuntu 7.10
I restarted the networking
/etc/init.d/networking restart

it took ages - but actually came up clean and the lan was available.

So, I hacked the /etc/init.d/networking script by placing a sleep 5 in there, and it works ok.

I then installed MCE for the second go, and it seemed to work, but looks like it might have lost a few packages on the way.

Can someone confirm something:

a) the script does restart networking and if so, that before proceeding, it confirms the network is available again?
b) Any suggestions, since my 5 second delay is ok for kubuntu, but not effective enough for the mceinstall script

Dont ask for logs, I have myth on their currently - cos I am testing, but would like to have MCE, but this is a showstopper as the install breaks 

The part that chokes is something about "MySQL not being installed"

Is it possible to somehow make it pause (for longer) when doing the install script as soon as it does the network restart
What do i need to hack

PS: Ignore the bit about the video - I have a nvidia 6800GT installed.

3

Users / Re: 7.10 Beta-2 Install - 7925 bus error

« on: June 10, 2008, 07:28:10 pm »

Maybe you should/could just upgrade to 7.10 RC2 

4

Installation issues / Re: i386 install with cd's

« on: June 05, 2008, 08:11:10 am »

Just to throw a spanner in the mix, heres what happened to me - weird but it did

I installed kubuntu 710
Everything was cool, then i installed the LinuxMCE part way through the install after restarting the network everything went stupid and nothing was available.

So I started checking network settings and running continual pings to the box during the install.
Wow low and behold the lan drops for a network restart and DOES NOT return 

Yet if i switch to a console, i could restart the lan (but by that time the install had choked fubar)

So to get around it, I had to manually add a 5 second delay to the network script
Yes the kubuntu one, nothing to do with linuxmce whatsoever as far as I can tell, it ws the standard /etc/init.d/networking file

sleep 5
was added to the end of the stop section.

After that I installed without issue. 

5

Installation issues / Re: Non network boot (HDD) Media Director?

« on: June 04, 2008, 08:47:40 am »

Specifically:-
"Support disked MD was dropped completely in 0710"

So that is still true for right now? Damn, I wanted a disked MD 

If so, anyone have an ETA for when it will be available

6

Users / Re: Will a Dual 733 Mhz PIII do the job?

« on: May 14, 2008, 11:55:23 am »

How ironic, I asked the very same question for the previous version Dual PIII 733 with 512Mb ram

I got it running, it took forever to load anything.

If you want to hold on to your cash and you have time - give it a go no performance guarantee's.

If you don't have the time, I recommend you upgrade - sorry

7

Users / Re: does ASUS M2N-VM DVI works great?

« on: May 04, 2008, 02:45:51 am »

I have one of these, it will be a MD most likely if anything.
Its currently only have Kubuntu 7.10 on it, and yes I am using both screens.
I have seen the reports of "Linuxmce Doesnt support dualview" and am hesitant.
For all i care, I may just leave it with mythtv running so i can get tv from upstairs from the core, and play movies natively.
On my VGA output I have a CRT 19" @ 1024x768 and on my DVI I have a projector at 1280x720 
I can watch movies etc on either one.
I was trying to have them as 'Cloned' but it got far too messy as i would lose my kubuntu menu (768 - 720 = 48 pixels missing 
If i lowed the position of one to show the KMenu, I would then lose the close and minimize buttons.
I decided in the end, I would run separate X sessions between them. CRT for daytime kids viewing, and Projector for nighttime. It wasnt difficult to replicate icons from .Desktop to .Desktop.1 so media could be chosen from whichever screen...
I did find an annoyance in that Kaffeine which i set to be the default player for disc insertion plays on the screen it was played on last... so i wrote a little script to kill it.
pidof kaffeine |xargs kill
That makes short work of stopping it without starting up the projector during the day.
PS: If that changes and I do install MCE I will let you know. At some point I have to install anyway, because my install is broken - lol

8

Users / Re: video format suggestions?

« on: May 04, 2008, 01:58:28 am »

Hi,
You have probably checked this out, but heres whats happening for me...

I am using the latest handbrake "HandBrake 0.9.2"

http://handbrake.fr/?article=download

It allows you to rip direct from dvd disc, and supports new things like the ahem Windows version:

"### Source Options-----------------------------------------------------------

    -i, --input <string>    Set input device
    -t, --title <number>    Select a title to encode (0 to scan only,
                            default: 1)
    -L, --longest           Select the longest title
    -c, --chapters <string> Select chapters (e.g. "1-3" for chapters
                            1 to 3, or "3" for chapter 3 only,
                            default: all chapters)"

-s, --subtitle <number> Select subtitle (default: none)
    -U, --subtitle-scan     Scan for subtitles in an extra 1st pass, and choose
                            the one that's only used 10 percent of the time
                            or less. This should locate subtitles for short
                            foreign language segments. Best used in conjunction
                            with --subtitle-forced.
    -F, --subtitle-forced   Only display subtitles from the selected stream if
                            the subtitle has the forced flag set. May be used in
                            conjunction with --subtitle-scan to auto-select
                            a stream if it contains forced subtitles.
    -N, --native-language   Select subtitles with this language if it does not
          <string>          match the Audio language. Provide the language's
                            iso639-2 code (fre, eng, spa, dut, et cetera)
    -m, --markers           Add chapter markers (mp4 output format only)

I am using the Mp4 encoding and just saving the file as .avi cos I cant be bothered with any other file types.
It allows AC3 (5.1) and supports down mixes to whatever stereo you have ... 2.1 or 2 channel etc.

Maybe this new version will solve your problems?
I rip at about 2000Bitrate and i get a good picture on my projector, compared to 2500 bitrate for Handbrake 0.9.1 - so theres definitely an improvement. I take the files as large, because thats where i want to view, on my projector, in best possible scenario. For the kids cartoon dvd's i rip at about 1200 although that may be lower, but still looks ok on the projector.
For hi quality animation I use the 1800 to 2000 bit rate.

PS: I have not looked into the seek/chaptering (tend to get ready and watch from beginning to end!)- but the ability to rip from DVD disc is nicer than using dvddecrypter to .Iso image the disc first, then encode.

I also have a small script that will strip every title off, in case there are multi-title/movies on the one disc.
It also seems to overcome most of the encoding issues with encryption (of all my discs so far I have only had a few issues - One of which was "The Lion King" I too am rip/coding all my dvd's I am forced to .ISO using dvd decryptor as no matter what i ripped, there was no audio!

I saw little difference with using the x.264 and when i checked, the MP4 method produced a slightly smaller file

I have it scripted to save typing, but havent implemented it automatically yet - on disc insertion/via menu - that would be cool

9

Installation issues / Re: HW for Core with no PVR - Will this work ok?

« on: October 05, 2007, 10:40:34 pm »

   - Excellent, thanks very much for the confirmation. All I need to do now is get a New HD that seems to be faulty, Warranty replaced, then I can install my Core!.

10

Installation issues / Re: HW for Core with no PVR - Will this work ok?

« on: October 05, 2007, 01:44:52 am »

howdy!

In New Zealand, we get Sky Digital TV (which actually comes from Australia via Satelite I think. Anyhow, the only output from the sky decoder is analog. So I am forced to use analogue input to record tv. (Its pay per view...)

So, I have to record sky plus 3 other cams which are for security inside the home (ie child monitoring) - so if i record sky on my core, plus the others running motion wrapper to alert when theres movement (no need for real time monitoring for those 3, as i will split the cable anyway to go to a tv in the master bedroom)

So should I get another PVR and put that in the core, or put the second pvr in the MD upstairs where sky is (means i dont have to run long VID/L+R Audio cables downstairs to the core.

I see on Mythtv site that i should be able to split this up, but was wondering what the database overhead from MCE would be. I see the latest myth lets you run the master db on any slave box, so maybe i have sky upstairs, pvr upstairs and have the master db on their, and the core has the backup DB.

That may be kind pf ugly I dont know

Just to add to my messy mix, I have a matrox G200 with a set top box. I think i can record into that. as I can with M$ Windoz

Thanks for reading....

11

Installation issues / Re: HW for Core with no PVR - Will this work ok?

« on: October 04, 2007, 11:58:05 am »

Have I said something incredibly stupid, or is no one willing to gamble on whether the overhead of linuxmce running some motion wrappers on a few cams will be enough to reduce the quality of my sky recording etc.

Have I posted this in the wrong post - I didnt see a 'pre Installtion section' 

12

Installation issues / HW for Core with no PVR - Will this work ok?

« on: September 30, 2007, 06:43:00 pm »

OK sorry for this, I cant find the info I want and I've been looking I promise...

Can someone please advise me what the minimum HW for the Core is if you do NOT run PVR's on it.

Heres my scenario;
Core - Is this enough? - PIII 733 Dual CPU with enough ram + Disk and a few PCI slots - yay I could dual NIC.
MD - P4 3ghz 2GbRam 250GB SATA with PVR 500 MCE nvidia 6800 PCIe (and much to my shame, utilizes one of the two PCI's for the nvidia (dont know why the HW manufacturer does that!) - oh well learned with the first Motherboard :-( although I think its pretty OK for a MD)

Reason:
Because my sky tv analog cable is where I want to put my MD (not the Core box), is it possible to use lower spec'd HW for the Core which doesnt need to have a PVR in it? (if thats possible I 'may' be able to get one PVR in there as I understand the PVR 500 needs lower spec'd HW anyway., but would rather not if i could...)

I understand that when the PXE boots it will take info from the Core but I also read and am not that not clear on whether I can use a PVR in an MD to another MD without the core needing to be higher spec'd hardware - so not sure if I want to use PXE??.

SO; my goal is to:
a) have a lower spec'd core just to house some media (or maybe just a backup of it)
    Run the household stuff.... IP Camera's only at the moment x 3.
b) Have one MD running a PVR card and having SKY Tv on one input, and an analog cam (hopefully to use the motionwrapper) for security inside the home (so its not public anywhere except inside the home via direct cable) so my wife can monitor downstairs.

c) Have a second MD (Havent purchased MB yet but have a nice silverstone case waiting !) in the rumpas room, with another PVR, monitoring another two camera's via analog into a PVR, and thats also where the projector is for movies (and a VGA screen I guess for when theres a music party and not using the projector(using and nvidia card).

If I cant, then I know I have other issues because I can't get the Core installed onto my P4 box. Thats another story, so I need to know which way to go. Low specd P3 for Core in the downstairs cupboard, or push on trying to get the P4 to install - and then work through the single NIC issue - and looks like the DB isnt loading and there is no /home/videowiz (or whatever it is, Im at work currently) so there is no video instructions etc. The HD is new, so Im not sure why the movies arent on there. unless my DVD was corrupted.

Sorry for the long post. I work shifts and may not respond super fast
;-) All help is much appreciated.

Can I have PVR in one MD and watch content from it in another MD without the core doing much. I expect my installs would be MD with Hard disk and no PVR, but I dont understand (never used) the Myth Backend concept.

If I use the HD install with the MD is the backend on that box? because it resides where the PVR is physically?

PS: My first MB is an ASROCK + Hauppage PVR500MCE The reason I got it was it had onboard nic and two pci slots
http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=775Twins-HDTV&s=775

I didnt realise that for the Video to work the Onboard ATI (yea I know) HD TV out, was an 'additional video', so I HAD to get a video card for it to work at all! Thought it would have been OK for the core, but now Im stuck/indecisive/lost a bit (or more than a bit)!

One final compliment to the designer - When I installed kubuntu, i had to manually fiddle with drivers for my nvidia card and download pakages.
When I installed linuxmce, even though something failed, I can run startx, and it loaded perfectly after increasing the resolution, so for that I am pleased ;-)