Messages

1

Installation issues / Re: HP Media Vault

« on: January 19, 2009, 07:01:14 pm »

Colinjones: 

Time permitting, I would be happy to update the WIKI.  I have technical / instructional writing experience and would be happy to give back to this project.

I don't remember specifically which article implied that 1 NIC was doable - but I'm sure I'll come across it in my travels and make note of it.

My only concern with the dual network concept is accessing my file server through the LMCE Hybrid box.  With all the ups and downs during configuration I loose connectivity to often.  However, this won't be a problem.  I'll just eliminate the NAS from the equation for now with a second HD in the LMCE box to hold some media. 

After I get a handle on the LMCE system and a good feel for what I can do and what I am interested in doing (i.e. installing Home Automation and Alarm hardware in the house) I plan to setup a stronger box as my HYBRID or possibly a dedicated CORE.  That's all part of what I mean when I say, "I'm evaluating".  It's not so much whether or not I intend to use the system, rather what I intend to use it for and the best foundation to setup for the "go-live" process.

I thank you again for your advice.  And rest assured that I do not use PPPoE and my switch is up to the challenge.

- TL

2

Installation issues / Re: HP Media Vault

« on: January 19, 2009, 06:53:30 am »

TL don't risk abuse, if you were not aware of the 2 NIC requirement then you definitely haven't read enough on LMCE! Just type dual/single/2/NIC or some other criteria into either the wiki or forum search engines and you will see what I mean.

Two NICs and the correct networking setup is an absolute non-negotiable requirement for a newbie. Although it is technically possible to setup using a single NIC, do not expect any assistance troubleshooting if you do so unless you are already very experienced with LMCE. It is going fundamentally against the underlying design principles, so looking for help to re-engineer a system when you are new to it generally is unwelcome

LMCE relies on 2 networks and NICs for a range of things, one of which is the pnp system. Get a cheap second NIC and rebuild your box (from the DVD) - and follow Thom's advice on the FAQ.

The first NIC needs to be eth0 and connected to the "external" network - in practice this means your existing network and Internet access. The second NIC will be eth1 and connected to your new "internal" or LMCE network. Everything you want to interact with LMCE needs to be on this network with DHCP set up. Usually, you would just move your entire home itinerary of equipment to the internal network for simplicity, and just have a straight patch cable from the external NIC to your broadband router. If you find you are reconfiguring anything in Linux other than the xorg.conf file or installing new video drivers, then you are almost certainly re-engineering and probably addressing a symptom rather than cause. This includes symlinks, mounts, etc

The wiki article on AV Wizard and Display Drivers are also very useful...

I thank you for your answer with regards to my issue.  I actually have read about much of this.  I do understand exactly how multiple NIC's work and for what purpose.  What was not clear was how important this actually was even on a basic network with little going on.  My thought was to actually keep things as simple as possible.  Generally, eliminating as many variables as possible (i.e. multiple neworks) tends to have a better rate of success.  Apparently that was the wrong approach in this case. As I also stated, this was supposed to be an evaluation to see if it worked for me.  I wasn't really interested in completely reconfiguring everything on my network (i.e. the file server that serves things other than media).  That's fine, now that I understand the problem, I'll come up with a different plan.  As I said, I have parts and test boxes lying around so it's not an issue.

In regard to Thom's post, I might just point out that the WIKI articles and FAQ's that he refers to are not quite as easy to follow along with as he suggests.  The WIKI and FAQ's assume more than you realize.  Many of the instructions are not well matched to the actual menus and dialogs within the system.  It's like proof reading your own paper.  Your mind simply fills in the obvious when ever a step is missing, whereas someone who's never read it would notice right away.  Experience plays a large role in system configurations.  You know the hardware to start with, the exact options to choose based upon the equipment and situation you're in.  I don't know anything about Linux or LMCE beyond what I've read in the past few days.  I can beat a Windows box into submission, but Linux is a completely different animal. 

Somtimes it's difficult to find the correct answers via search features.  Heck, sometimes I'm not even sure what I'm asking.  That's why we come here to present our issues.  So someone can point out that I'm already screwed because the two NIC configuration is vital and not optional as some articles suggest and the options to do otherwise exist within the system.

So, if you are trying to promote new user interest, jumping on the newbie with an innocent question is a poor way to do it. 

- TL

3

Installation issues / Re: HP Media Vault

« on: January 19, 2009, 02:27:42 am »

Hari: Yes, I use the NAS for a number of things from other boxes.  I went so far as to reset the security and rebuild it just to rule out any quirks.  I created a new username password to match linuxmce/linuxmce as was created for the LMCE box.  There is also a user setup for the profile that was created within LMCE that matches both in name and password.  I have connected to it from the KDE desktop just to verify connectivity.

Zaerc:  Normally, I would agree.  However, I've an 18 month old and a complete kitchen remodel in the works.  I was (unrealistically) hoping this just might work like the Demo video shows.  Time is in rather short supply.  Truth be told, I've been in this business way to long to truly believe that this would work "out of the box".  But I did allow some excitement to build up after that demo video.

Colinjones:  You may have hit upon part of the problem here.  Since I set this up on an older PC to evaluate how it works and see if my wife might "approve" it, I don't have a second NIC.  I'm running the LMCE on my primary network, which isn't too elaborate at this point in time.  Basically, there are two Windows boxes and a router which serves as my internet client, primary firewall, and DHCP server (although the DHCP server is primary just there for test boxes and repair jobs as my printers / devices / machines are static addresses).  I have disabled the DHCP service for the LMCE box and configured it with its own static address.  I figured that with a simple network setup, this would not be a problem.  From your reply, I'm rethinking this.  Is this a problem?  I could borrow another NIC from one of my test boxes to double up, if you think this is the root of the trouble.

Thanks to all of you for your input.

- TL
 

4

Installation issues / HP Media Vault

« on: January 18, 2009, 10:55:52 pm »

Greetings all:

I have managed to fight my way through the basic installation of LMCE using the DVD option.  I have it up and running with the basic configurations set for rooms.  At this point I'm stuck.

I've spent a few hours trying to get this thing to properly detect my NAS.  It did initially detect it, however, I was unable to do anything with it.  So, I made sure all permissions were set correctly and reloaded the router.  No change.  I then figured I'd delete the device and reload the router to let it redetect.  This was a mistake.  No redetection.

I found a couple versions of instructions for manually configuring the device.  This will not work.  I ADD a child device for the CORE and wind up on the Device Template dialog.  There is no combination of "Hewlett Packard" and "File/Media Server" that yields a template I can select.  If I try to create one via the "Is your device not on the list option", I fill out the form and watch it disappear - returning me back to the original dialog for adding a child device, only now it is blank again.

I've tried this several times, making sure I followed the instructions from the WIKI as close as possible.  The closest I've come was to create the device by telling LMCE that it was a Maxtor NAS.  Since there was an available template, it created the device.  I then added a CHILD to that device with the Windows Share template and defined the share with the appropriate UNC path along with user and password.

Now, I can go through the GUI menu to MEDIA | MORE | MANAGE DRIVES and I can see the share I created.  However, there is nothing in it.  None of the buttons in that Manage dialog (i.e. Load One/Many or Refresh) appear to do anything.

Before I keep fighting down this path, I'd like to verify that I'll be OK with my "Maxtor" workaround.  More importantly, is there a better way to do this so I don't need to use this workaround?

I've been at this install / setup / configuration of LMCE for approximately 20 hours now.  I've yet to see anything at all that resembles "cool" or "neat" or even simply "working" beyond the low res. ugly orbitor menu.  Getting very frustrated.  Nothing should be this much of a battle.

Any suggestions would be very welcome at this point.

5

Installation issues / Re: CD install help required

« on: January 17, 2009, 07:28:32 pm »

Why are you using the CDs instead of the the DVD? Seriously, unless you have a really good reason don't use the CDs. The DVD is much easier and vastly faster (40mins vs 3+hrs). The CDs should be used if you are having difficulty with hardware compatibility, for customising partitions, etc.

Simple answer:  Using an older PC to evaluate LMCE prior to working with my live boxes.  Didn't have a DVD player in it at the time.  I believe I figured out where the problems might be.  I'm wondering if the OS updates I ran were the problem.  There is mention that running OS updates on top of LMCE will screw things up.  Anyhow, I decided to reset and try again.

New path:  I downloaded the DVD iso overnight, installed a DVD drive, and ran the DVD installer this morning.  Things started off well.  Kubuntu completed and rebooted.  The LMCE setup ran and I prompted with its basic questions.  This all went off without a hitch.  However,at this point, the install seems to be stuck in a loop with a dialog reporting the error: "Orbiter failed to initialize OPENGL".  The only option isOK.  After a few OK's it became apparent that I was stuck in the aforementioned loop.  So, I figured I'd return here to see what I might try next.

Thanks, in advance, for any suggestions.

- TL

6

Installation issues / Re: CD install help required

« on: January 17, 2009, 05:41:25 am »

I have a similar problem.  Two good CD's burned correctly resulting in the deb package on CD #1.  It does not autorun.  I also cannot lauch it via the Kubuntu Package Menu via the right-click menu as it does not exist.  I can choose OPEN WITH and select the GDebi Package Installer.  However, this option leads to a new dialog with the shiny INSTALL PACKAGE button that prompts me for the ROOT password and goes off to do nothing at all.

I'm an advanced tech in the MS world with very little Linux experience.  I'm trying very hard to make the leap into LinuxMCE  as the options and functionality look to be outstanding.  The simple fact that I cannot even lauch the install per the instructions is darkening my Linux cloud rather quickly.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.