Messages

1

Installation issues / Re: Rebuilding my network with LinuxMCE this weekend, looking for advice

« on: January 30, 2009, 09:10:10 pm »

Maybe you can help me out a bit too by clicking on the applaud link by my name. For some reason my karma level has dipped below 0 in the last couple days!

I would certainly do so, if I could find what you are talking about?

Scroll up a bit, while just reading the forums (not while typing your reply)...  in the left column you should see who wrote the message you are reading, and by the username is an "applaud" and "smite" link, which I guess translates to: click on applaud - gives that person a pat on the back; click on smite - gives that user a lump of coal.

Under MythTV alone, you can configure if commercial flagging should be run on the master backend only, or on the backend that did the recording.

Yes, but under LinuxMCE, it likes to keep things configured the way it likes. What you may run into is making some changes to the mythtv config only to lose those next reboot or reload router. Sometimes it's easier to do it the LinuxMCE way instead of trying to fight the system.

2

Users / Re: Sipura 3000 setup for pstn analog lline (NOW WORKING! TESTERS NEEDED!)

« on: January 30, 2009, 08:39:59 pm »

Interesting conversation going on here, I also have an x100p and setup was relatively painless once I figured out what I needed.

I'm a tinkerer and wanted to see what asterisk was all about. I hope to start using the voicemail boxes a little more in the future.

To prepare on testing the forward voicemail to email setting, today I did this on the core:

sudo apt-get install postifx

Afterwards, I edited /etc/postfix/main.cf and put my ISP's outgoing mail server (SMTP) name beside "relayhost = "

and then reloaded postfix with:

sudo /etc/init.d/postfix reload

I still haven't had a chance to call in, direct my call to my voicemail and see what happens, but I don't see why it wouldn't now.

Jon: Perhaps this is something you may want to add to your sipura wiki page?

3

Installation issues / Re: Rebuilding my network with LinuxMCE this weekend, looking for advice

« on: January 30, 2009, 08:30:15 pm »

For what it's worth, I agree.  However, the system can only handle 512mb.  It's limited by the chipset.

I can't say for sure if 512mb of RAM is going to be a problem so perhaps somebody else can offer a pointer on that item.

So MythTV records over the network?  That seems like a bandwidth problem even on a 100mbit switch?  What if I had 4 or 5 tuners?

 I have one tuner in the core, and one on a MD, no issues with recording and playback with 4 machines. I think if you scan over the user setups (look here:  http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Category:User_Setups ) you'll see this isn't a problem for anybody.

 I think my commercial flagging happens right after a recording has finished. To be honest, I've never paid attention to which machine is actually doing the flagging, I assumed it has been the core.

 Under MythTV alone, you can configure if commercial flagging should be run on the master backend only, or on the backend that did the recording. I don't know how LinuxMCE has configured things, but again, I'd "guess" the core does the work.

Maybe I misunderstood then.  I thought LMCE was taking all the remote shares and grouping them into one "mount" on the Core.  Kinda like creating a Raid array over the network?  Am I wrong here?

Yes, that is not the case. This page may help:  http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Howto:_Using_Network_Shares

How exactly does one do that?  It appears that when I PXE boot a MD, the internal drive is completely ignored.  Is it because they are formatted NTFS?

If you have your dual network cards set up properly, then you'd boot your MD off the internet network. Once that MD is given it's IP address from the LMCE DHCP server, I believe there's a background script that will see if you have a drive in that box, and then it will prompt you if you want to use it, on screen. What I'm not sure of, is if you need there to be a public share or if it will just go ahead and create one. If you say Yes, you want to use that drive as a fileserver, then it should ask you if you want to use the LMCE User Directory structure. You are better off to say YES. It doesn't erase anything, it just creates folders in the manner explained above in the Using Network Shares link.

There is lots of info relating to network shares, network nas, et al. The forums and wiki should be pretty easy to search for more info on that. Sorry, I don't have a link here bookmarked to give you on that one.

It must suck to have such a limited music collection.  My collection of mp3 files is 208GB at last check.  I also have about 1TB of DVDs and downloaded movies/TV on an external firewire drive that I haven't even plugged into LMCE yet.

LOL. I thought it was a pretty good collection! :-)

When you do plug that firewire 1TB drive in, again, you should be asked about it, as mentioned above. Once LMCE creates the user shares, you'll need to move your music into the /public/data/audio/ folder, your videos into the /public/data/videos/, your pictures into /public/data/pictures/. And then,  give LMCE a few hours (or more) to fully catalog your content. Your music and pics will likely show up fine, but your videos will require some manual work to get them to display on the grid (when not sorting by Filename). Again, this is something you should look up eventually, the Files & Media system in the web admin, is where you add these 'attributes' you will hear about.... lots of forum talk about that one, what to do, what NOT to do, etc.

Just take things one step at a time. When you've accomplished one item, move on to the next, and if you're having trouble, post a message about that one issue, get that working, move on to the next, etc.

Maybe you can help me out a bit too by clicking on the applaud link by my name. For some reason my karma level has dipped below 0 in the last couple days!

4

Installation issues / Re: Rebuilding my network with LinuxMCE this weekend, looking for advice

« on: January 30, 2009, 06:11:25 pm »

First, I've already built and installed the Core.  I'm not opposed to re-doing it at this time if that should be required.  I mostly built it as a test-bed for my hardware to assure it was all going to work and be stable, which it is.  My Core is a PIII 1.4t with 512MB and a 40Gb drive.  I have (2) 3com PCI 10/100 server NIC cards in it, and a USB 2.0/firewire 400 pci card for plug-n-play storage.

You seem to like the P3's ;-)

I think you'd be better off with at least 1 Gig of RAM. 512MB is cutting it pretty thin.

MythTV records to the boot drive in the core, so your 40GB should be swapped out for that 500GB IDE drive you have in your MD.

You don't need a drive in your MD but if you want, drop the 40GB in there and let the core detect it, then use the LMCE User Structure on it for storage.

And last, I am concerned about LMCE spreading my stuff out all over the network.  It detects network shares (very nice) and asks if it can use them. 

LMCE doesn't put stuff on those network shares, YOU do! :-) It's up to you if you fill them up.

If you have media on a network drive, and you power off the unit, or the drive fails, then LMCE will know those files are no longer available and they won't display on the grid.

One thing that doesn't work well in this regard, is if you have music on those shares that aren't available? If you go to Music and say Play All it builds a playlist with all your music allright, including what is offline, so when it reaches one of those offline tunes? the music just stops playing and you're left wondering wtf? That's a bug, not a feature.

How you backup your media is up to you. In my case:

-our pictures are contained on our personal computers, and we copy them to the core. So we have multiple places where our pictures are stored (including portable devices that have copies too).

-my movies exist either in original DVD format (I just rip them as needed) or anything I download and want to keep, I burn to a data DVD. So if the system goes down, I can always copy over whatever I need from DVD again.

-my music, which is 23GB's, exists on original CD's (I have hundreds) and what I've downloaded in MP3 format. I recently spent a lot of time adding cover art just for LMCE (all my attributes I spent many hours on previously before my LMCE days). What I do for my music is mirror the audio directory to an external USB drive in my office (that isn't shared to LMCE at all). This way I have a duplicate copy of all my music and all the pretty little *.id3 files that spruce up the collection. Various chunks of our music exist on our notebooks and various hand held devices too.

Good luck with your system, and have fun!

5

Users / Re: Sipura 3000 setup for pstn analog lline (NOW WORKING! TESTERS NEEDED!)

« on: January 30, 2009, 02:48:44 am »

Hi Jon.

Haven't had much free time lately to experiment with the sipura, but what I've noticed is:

-yes, the echo is there on my end, not sure if it's there at the caller's end too?
-it rings the house line and the orbiters just fine once I adjusted my call preferences and reloaded router. Very kewl.
-the "call display" on the orbiter shows me the phone number, but not the name? Does that pop up the # only?
-if I'm logged in as me, and I notice an incoming call that is for the wife, I can't direct the caller to her voicemail box, it only lets me send it to my voicemail box or the 'general' voicemail box
-the only access to the 'general' voicemail box is through pluto-admin web page or picking up a phone and *98 into mailbox 100.
-there's an option when viewing My Voicemail to activate the forward to my email address... this doesn't work
-Phone Book works fine and is quite handy
-outgoing calls from the orbiters work. How would one go about utilizing a microphone attached to the computer to be able to talk?
-playback of voicemail through orbiter on the tv works fine, although sometimes you have to click on the message line twice before it will start playing. Not a big thing
-after the orbiter disappears on an incoming call (and you did nothing with LMCE), the menu (as if you pressed F7) stays on the screen for a very long time. I have to grab the remote and clear the menu.
-I was able to customize my recorded message from a handset quite easily.
-I was able to retrieve my voicemail messages quite easily from a handset.

I found this page in the wiki too:

LinuxMCE telecom features
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/LinuxMCE_telecom_features

which may be useful.

We don't use the built-in answering machine just yet. The better half insists she doesn't want to have to flip on the tv to get her messages, she doesn't use the pluto-admin web page at all, and she doesn't want all the house phones hung off the sipura because she doesn't like the echo or having to dial 9 before a call which makes dialing *98 impossible.

In my testing, I've just grabbed a portable phone from the basement and connected that to the sipura and used that for the day. As I've mentioned to you, I split the phone line at the demarc point to feed the sipura and the rest of the house separately. This pleases the wife tremendously as nothing changed internally except call display on the orbiters and an alternate voice mail system.

Next time I'm able to play I will see if I can get freepbx to forward messages to my cell number. I don't think we have call forward on the house line so that would be one way to keep in touch with home calls while away.

This is really good stuff and your instructions regarding the setup were easy to follow and most helpful.

6

Users / Re: UI2 Alpha Blending

« on: January 29, 2009, 09:03:46 pm »

My apologies for my lack of understanding. I just started using he system and have been using a ati remote that came with my ati video card. The only things that work on the remote when working with linuxmce are the mouse and the left/right click buttons on the the remote.  I just wanted to know that there is a remote or a way that will bring up the orbiter menu before i went any further with the sytem. hope i didn't sound as if i was complaining because i do rather enjoy using linuxmce thus far.

You likely need a better supported remote.

You can use keyboard commands to bring up the menu... F7 should get you started, where F6 and F8 look after other items.

A 'normal' gyro mouse simply requires pressing a button (same as F7 on the keyboard) to access control of LMCE, overtop of whatever is going on.

Some wiki links to read up on:

Control LinuxMCE with Gyro Remote
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Control_LinuxMCE_with_Gyro_Remote

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Category:Tutorials

Using the Gyration Remote GYR3101US (Non-Fiire Chief)
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Using_the_Gyration_Remote_GYR3101US_(Non-Fiire_Chief)

Windows MCE Remotes
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Windows_MCE_Remote

7

Users / Re: Disable autoplay wiki does not seem to be accurate anymore

« on: January 29, 2009, 08:36:51 pm »

Following those steps, I have the correct screen referred to in the wiki page under LinxuMCE 7.10RC2 AMD64...

I've attached a screen shot.

8

Users / Re: Some weird X10 results today

« on: January 28, 2009, 04:09:56 am »

Excuse me for being from some alternate universe where "I went and mucked with the database." obviously means something else.

Zaerc: we can sit here in the forums and waste our time splitting hairs over wording till the cows come home, because apparently that is one of your most favourite things to do here. If you had actually bothered to slow down and read the content of my post you would have known what I meant, but as usual, you are more than anxious to post yet another stupid, useless forum post at the speedy flick of your fingers.

If you want some software to sit around and goof with between you and your close buddies, then please run off to some private place and do that. For somebody who is supposed to play a key role in LinuxMCE, your presence on these forums does very little to enhance the project, in fact, your posts drive people away in droves, rather than invite them in and make them feel like they are welcome to participate.

How is LinuxMCE ever going to accumulate more programmer presence and other type of assistance when you, a key member, behave in such a manner? Oh I can hear you now, you really don't give a rat's ass. That's too bad. I think LinuxMCE has something here, and you're at the point where nobody is going to want to pitch in and offer the help I keep seeing being asked for all too often.

I really don't understand where you're coming from, and in some cases, I don't understand the people behind this project either. When I see core team members bashing users in the forums it makes me sick.

Now I've made my points, and I didn't have to call you names with four letter words. If you insist on replying, don't waste everybody's time, either don't or send me a private message if that makes you feel better.

9

Users / Re: Some weird X10 results today

« on: January 28, 2009, 01:32:27 am »

Thanks for confirming once more that you should NEVER mess with the database manually.  Good luck reinstalling!

 What I did was edit some code used in the web admin that deletes events -- since it wasn't working correctly.

 Between myself and the ever helpful jondecker, we were able to clean it up.

 I believe the commands I tried may have deleted too much, or it may have done absolutely nothing. Who knows.

 Please read fully the link I referred to in my original message for details. It just may be something that needs to be included with 8.10.

 This message from jon:

 http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=5943.msg35362#msg35362

 and my reply right after contain corrected code segments.

 I have a few 'quirks' with my X10, but nothing that is going to make me reinstall at the moment. I will wait for the 8.10 release, with hopes that will resolve my missing mythtv LiveTV issue too. And no, I didn't go screwing the database and muck that up too.

10

Users / Re: Some weird X10 results today

« on: January 27, 2009, 04:58:07 pm »

Today's tests were much unlike yesterday. Today it's 'round the board, no joy with the two entrance lights from any orbiter.

So I deleted ALL my lights, reloaded the router, added them all back, reloaded the router, put them back on the floormap, reloaded the router.

Everything but the front and rear entrance lights appear to work. The only common thing between them is I'm using a socket rocket to control those lights. They are set up in pluto admin as a light switch on/off.

If I tail the DCERouter.log I can see the commands with the correct device id numbers.

Is it a problem related to the socket rockets? I just double checked that the other two lights that were giving me problems respond correctly, so that could mean the socket rockets are responsible for this confusion?

(Those two lights do respond fine to the wireless remotes and motion sensors)

11

Users / Re: wait for 8 or build on 7? Jan 27 2009

« on: January 27, 2009, 02:11:06 pm »

gurus, I'm not far from building my first core and at least two MDs.  I'm keeping my eye on the v8 MCE, but no news posted in almost 2 months.  I could wait if 8's getting close, otherwise I'll go to 710.  Some strategery from you would be most welcome, I don't want to build this thing twice in a short period of time.

I think you'll end up building it a couple times anyway, as it's a lot to take it in and will likely require a few runs at it the first time anyway.

So given that though, I'd go ahead and use the single layer 7.10RC2 DVD and start learning.

12

Users / Re: MD works, but MythTV fails to auto launch, then exits after 30-45 seconds

« on: January 27, 2009, 02:09:07 pm »

copy the /usr/lib/mythtv/plugins/liblibmythfrontend.so to /usr/lib64/mythtv/plugins/liblibmythfrontend.so

I mays well mention that the directory:

/usr/lib64/mythtv/

on the core only contains a directory called "filters"

The above mentioned directory does not exist on my i386 media directory. On the living-room machine, same thing, contains only a directory called "filters"

13

Users / Re: MD works, but MythTV fails to auto launch, then exits after 30-45 seconds

« on: January 27, 2009, 02:03:55 pm »

copy the /usr/lib/mythtv/plugins/liblibmythfrontend.so to /usr/lib64/mythtv/plugins/liblibmythfrontend.so
and then try the modified module:
copy the /usr/lib/mythtv/plugins/libmythfrontend.so to /usr/lib64/mythtv/plugins/libmythfrontend.so

I think that's part of the problem.

This file does not exist (re-read above)

on the core (and diskless MD's) when you go to

/usr/lib/mythtv/

all that's in there is a directory called "filters"

14

Users / Re: Some weird X10 results today

« on: January 27, 2009, 02:00:25 pm »

also double check the simple things...  In Wizard->Lighting, is the controlled via set to CM11A?

Aside from that, it could be a db issue - Its easy to mess up the db in LMCE which will not deal with stray pointers!

That was the first thing I went and checked afterwards! Originally the CM11A was on the core but I moved it upstairs to the living-room so I was thinking perhaps those lights didn't update.... but again.... they DO work from the master-bedroom but nowhere else!

I'm probably talking about say, a dozen X10 modules of which 4-5 have been problem matic, and I've always felt it was a phase problem. But this is interesting for sure!

15

Users / Re: Some weird X10 results today

« on: January 27, 2009, 01:57:51 pm »

just a though: perhaps you could look at your /var/log/pluto/DCERouter.log file and even the log file of the X10 interface, to make sure that it's actually ending out the X10 command. If the commands are never sent out, then you know that your problem is in LMCE. If the commands appear in th X10 interface logfile, then you know it's an X10 problem...

I am going to set up that other box again in the master-bedroom today and double check things. At that time I'll grab my notebook too and tail log files and compare.

The really really strange thing is all lights work from the master bedroom but 4-5 of those lights won't work on the other machines.