ARGH!!! This installation isn't easy!!!

[mikeofaustin]

So far, i've spent the last 6 days trying to get this working. No. Such. Thing.

On a fresh install of ubuntu, I then update all the update links, then update...
set networking so it has complete freedom to the outside world (directly connect to the dsl modem).
Install with all defaults... even 640x480, lighweight mode. 

the very last message is that pluto failed after the very long script... scrolling up tells me something about av wizard not installed or something...  then I close the window by hand (becuase it never says complete, even after 12 hours of just sitting there).

I reboot.  ubuntu tells me " failure to initialize hal! "  hmmmm....
I start LMCE to finish installing...  I get finally get through to the menu. I THEN must go into mythtv setup and select my card - the bt878.   mythtv sees it, scans and see's my channels, and then I back out.   I select TV, then I get "myth main menu for about 3 seconds" like it needs more setup, but I can't becuase immediately  a black screen with my mouse cursor appears and I can't do anything but cntl-alt-backspace.  This is all I can do. nothing else.

....any ideas?  I don't know if it was exactly "out of box" for anyone else, but that guy in that video, .... I'm just crazy mad at this whole thing. 

AMD k7 1.2GHz
1GB RAM
160GB drive
IDE CDROM
GeForce4 440x AGP
ensonic sound card (MB audio/game port turned off)
K7s5a motherboard w/ onboard NIC
bt878

Nothing else....  just a bare bones system.

Perhaps I should just try and install MythTV and forget about  LMCE.  Anyone think it would be easier?

[corwin]

Perhaps I should just try and install MythTV and forget about  LMCE.  Anyone think it would be easier?

Yes.

[sharlee_angelo]

maybe myth tv frontend cannot connect to myth tv backend or to mysql database. you should read the mythtv logs in /var/log/pluto.

[mikeofaustin]

Well... I had to leave the box at home today and take the 7-th day off (Jesus pun no-where to be found)...   But, I find myself still searching.  What I did find, however,  is that there are 'known issues' that I haven't seen before  ->  http://wiki.linuxmce.com/index.php/Known_Issues

I will try tonight to follow this page to set up a 'Dedicated LMCE box', and forget about the hybrid method (after all, I did get the setup described for only $10 .

I think the product has great potential... in fact SUPER potential, it's just not ready yet, IMHO, at least for hybrid installation anyway's (and they've told us that).  Perhaps I'll get a more 'Out of box' experience, with a dedicated box.

... if I get this thing going, perhaps the good people at linux MCE will use some experiences from user's to revamp their 'How to install'...  ... or even create guide (with bug consideration) and have it as a 'sticky' here.

So far; I've learned
- The 'known issues' [link above] must be taken into consideration during install.
- DHCP is enabled regardless of telling it otherwise (so make your DHCP IP addy something that won't conflict with other IP's (such as with routers, other boxes, etc). I've also 'heard' that it will default to 192.168.1.1, which is most people's routers, so, temporarily change all your junk away from this.... OR, just hang your box right off the modem without any firewall, just to install, if your not sure what your doing.
- The install needs a connection to the outside world. This isn't exactly clear during installation.
- The 'black screen w/cursor' when trying to watch TV from inside LMCE, is a known issue and rumor has it that its a pluto problem.  cnt-alt-f7 to the ununtu screen if this happens, and lauch myth tv from ubuntu. If you can watch it there, this is the bug. (you might have to add the password to the setup screen on mythtv so it can access mysql.
- Vesa drivers are loaded (low performance)... some people are successfull with reloading the real drivers back... but once pluto updates on boot again, it rewrites them back to vesa...

(I'll keep adding to this link as I get more information... I'm still trying to get mine going too, and it's totally unfair for this to hit the population in this condition).  ...but on the bright side, perhaps it will attract programming support.  ... for me, my headache is that guy in the video... his famous words..."Out of box...".

[mikeofaustin]

A couple times, I've ran into this "You need to let DHCP be enabled or the director won't work right"...   

Is this true? And if so, can it be happy with it's own sub, or does it need to control everything on 'your' sub.

[mikeofaustin]

Well, it's 3 o'clock in the morning again...   (I'm now debugging with a dedicated server, as recommend).  Things appear as it they 'might' work, if things would just work 'right'.

     Question:
1). I read that LMCE sets up the mysql to access it with no password. Is this true? edit: no, the crazy passwork is in mythtv.txt (in the xorg directly???)

If so, I changed the password to nothing, and I still get a black screen with a cursor [after entering 'TV'] and can't back out of it without cnt-alt-f7 and restart dcerouter through admin.  edit: (issue addressed below)
     The mysql setup see's the bt878, but that's it. I wish there was a way to access that menu it pops up with -only for those few seconds after entering 'TV', before it goes to black  (or is that stuff controlled by LMCE). edit: I don't think this is needed now. pluto sets everythign up)
2). Is there a specific way that I need to verify that mysql is setup properly?  Is there a specific "filename".log?  edit: If you can watch tv in ubuntu with pluto, it's set up (you'll have to set the password first, however).  fyi, if you get, again, get the screen asking you for your language, after doing it one time already, your mysql is not setup right.
O.k. so I put in some mp3's (SONGS, Not movies) and they play... not only from the sound card, but from the bt878 (tv card) audio out too!!!!!  (if that's a clue for anyone ...)

....also, does anything think I would get more successs with a PVR150 ?  has anyone ever got the bt878 working with LMCE? edit: Any non-hardware based capture card is going to put allot of strain on the CPU. With my 1.2 AMD k7, it's maxed at 100% at full screen with skips. spend about $20 more and get a hardware based one...   (like the pvr150).
   ..going to bed now... it's now almost 3:30am  ARGH!!!

[mal_harwood]

I agree with many posts - this is not a V1.00 release ... maybe v0.1 is more accurate ... 6 days and still nothing I was impressed with Ubuntu and let down by LinuxMCE .. Im going back to Fedora and MythTV ... maybe even Debian on my main machine and Xebian on my others !!!

[mal_harwood]

How do I get help and where does it come from I hate Yahoo IM ... and cant find the base of the main authors .. is LinuxMCE ZA based like Ubuntu ? if so I'm there in 4 weeks - can I organised a 1:1 training course ?

[mikeofaustin]

Your in the right place if you wan't help... at least some people will try to help.  I myself, was up till 3 in the morning last night *_AGAIN_*.

what's the problem your having?  I think that for the most part, people that are not linux guru's, or at least know their way around linux, has a pretty good idea of how to get it working, and if they don't know, they don't bother to ask because they know it's unfixable with the current rev.    but that's of course, just my humble opinion.