Things that are safe to do and not to do? Like compiling a kernel?

[Hoochster]

I am just getting into LinuxMCE and am not quite sure what is safe and what isn't.  I am wanting to run DVB for Myth, and wanting to run the latest Myth SVN.  I am curious if it is a problem for me to recompile the kernel to remove DVB support and compile it via HG Driver Modules.  And then to compile Myth itself and install it.  Will this cause any problems for LinuxMCE on how it operates?  I just didn't want to mess up any other modules it is reliant upon.

Sorry for the plain question, but just thought I would start easy!

Thanks

Hooch

[Zaerc]

I have recompiled the kernel on my hybrid, the same version Kubuntu uses with a small patch.  I haven't tested everything there is but so far I have only noticed that this will break adding new Media Directors.  Which is easily fixed by copying vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic and initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic from another MD into the "/usr/pluto/diskless/<device-number-of-MD>/boot/" directory (and changing the symlinks). 

I haven't really looked into the reason of this faillure yet, but I'm pretty sure the 44Meg initial ramdisk the automatic build created isn't helping.

[sharlee_angelo]

I am just getting into LinuxMCE and am not quite sure what is safe and what isn't.  I am wanting to run DVB for Myth, and wanting to run the latest Myth SVN.  I am curious if it is a problem for me to recompile the kernel to remove DVB support and compile it via HG Driver Modules.  And then to compile Myth itself and install it.  Will this cause any problems for LinuxMCE on how it operates?  I just didn't want to mess up any other modules it is reliant upon.

the bad news is that you can't install a newer version of mythtv because the mythtv package from LMCE is specially modified for that. i'm wondering why do you want to do that, especially if the svn version could have some issues. and also there is no need to remove dvb support from kernel just to install some other drivers. i'm saying that because dvb support in kernel is an API (like ALSA) to make the things working for dvb systems. i advise you not to try to remove dvb support, instead you have to patch the kernel with hg driver modules and then compile it. you should see at dvb section in kernel the wanted driver.

I have recompiled the kernel on my hybrid, the same version Kubuntu uses with a small patch.  I haven't tested everything there is but so far I have only noticed that this will break adding new Media Directors.  Which is easily fixed by copying vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic and initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic from another MD into the "/usr/pluto/diskless/<device-number-of-MD>/boot/" directory (and changing the symlinks).

you should recompile a new kernel and then boot with it. then, run  /usr/pluto/bin/Diskless_InstallKernel.sh to install the current kernel into md image.

[Hoochster]

Just because it is SVN, doesn't mean it is real buggy.  It usually just has more support for newer items.  I run DVB-S in the US, and Myth-0.20 doesn't have a lot of the support needed for that.  Especially when it comes to over the air guide data etc.  That is why I run SVN.  To get better support of that.  And the version of Myth on LinuxMCE is still the packaged Myth.  I don't believe it is anything special just for LinuxMCE, don't quote me on that, due to the fact I haven't had time to watch to see where it grabs libmyth from heh, but pretty sure it comes from normal sources.  What they are doing is running a plugin on top of that to integrate with it.  Which is the same plugin I will be using with it if I have time to compile a new version.  I will post my success or failures when I get the time. 

As far as the DVB Drivers, the kernel drivers will probably suit just fine, they just won't be as new.  But being as LinuxMCE is using a fairly current kernel, it should be fine, I will just have to put in the modules the settings to properly load the dvb drivers.  That isn't a problem.  If I was using some of the other DVB-S type cards, the reason for using the HG Drivers, is due to better firmware support etc for sync issues.  But I am not using those type of cards, so it isn't as much a problem.  But that is why you would remove the dvb support in the kernel itself due to the HG Drivers taking over that.  And it compiles its modules against the kernel. 

Thanks everyone for chiming in.

[Zaerc]

I have recompiled the kernel on my hybrid, the same version Kubuntu uses with a small patch.  I haven't tested everything there is but so far I have only noticed that this will break adding new Media Directors.  Which is easily fixed by copying vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic and initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic from another MD into the "/usr/pluto/diskless/<device-number-of-MD>/boot/" directory (and changing the symlinks).

you should recompile a new kernel and then boot with it. then, run  /usr/pluto/bin/Diskless_InstallKernel.sh to install the current kernel into md image.

Thank you for that piece of the puzzel, I'll give it a try. 

And I think I should have mentioned that I'm not using mythtv at all at the moment, so I can't really tell whether recompiling or upgrading wil specifically break that.

[Hoochster]

FYI, instructions to follow when time permits, but got Myth SVN compiled and installed and working with my DVB-S cards, took a little bit of finagling, but wasn't tough.  So for those wanting to try it, I will try and post the steps later this evening.  Have a sick child that I have to take to the doc right now.  But will try and give an update later.

Thanks for all the help everyone!

[Zaerc]

Cool, and good luck on both counts.  Looking forward to those instructions...

[Hoochster]

Removed post, since I have completed a better way, that is a little more proper, not perfect but proper.  Will post tomorrow.

[Hoochster]

Well an update fyi lmao, but not quite sure yet what I did heh, but all is working now.  Just gotta finger out what I did to make it so heh.  So just for those looking for hope, it is fully possible.

[Zaerc]

You could put the instructions on a wiki page if you like so that the people trying your instructions can add the issues they run into as well.  That could iron out any problems you did not encounter as well.

[Hoochster]

Will see what I can do.  Going to be test verifying what I did to make sure it does go properly today sometime.  Reinstalled so that I can verify it works on a new system.  And will try and do the wiki thing after if I can figure it out.  Good call.

[Hoochster]

Here is the wanna be howto I made for how I got the latest MythTV SVN on the system.  It is a very crude hack for now, but will get anyone going hopefully if there is a need to run the latest.  Once 1.1 comes out, I will hopefully be able to get ahold of the sources and do this properly, and once done, will add a proper howto to the Wiki.  Thanks for all that helped.

http://forum.linuxmce.com/index.php?topic=1981.0

Hooch

[Hoochster]

Well did finally get time to try out a remote MD last night.  I love it heh.  But anyways, my hack definately as thought doesn't update the diskless boot stuff.  Anyone know what the proper steps would be for doing that, so that the new libraries and such match?

Thanks

[Zaerc]

Well did finally get time to try out a remote MD last night.  I love it heh.  But anyways, my hack definately as thought doesn't update the diskless boot stuff.  Anyone know what the proper steps would be for doing that, so that the new libraries and such match?

Thanks

These are probably not the proper steps, but here is how I do stuff like that.

In the web admin, under devices/media directors, check the Development box for the MD you want to compile on.  I'm not entirely sure if this is necessary, and you might need to reboot afterwards, but that is what I did.

Then ssh into the MD and build/install it locally.

BTW. I have tried your instructions, and they worked just fine.  My old (beta2) system did break but that is more likely to be related to all the other things I messed up beforehand (I'm not complaining).  I'm doing a clean install (of RC1) on another HD now so I can test it properly and let you know how it worked out in that thread with the instructions.  I don't want to scare other people away from trying it just because things broke on my system, which was already pretty messed up to begin with.


EDIT:
Another option might be to install using "DESTDIR=" into the root of the diskless MD's filesystem on the core.  Or maybe: chroot into the root directory of the diskless MD's filesystem on the core, and build it there.

[Hoochster]

Thanks for the reply Zaerc.  Ya, I have re-installed like 4 different times to test things to make sure that it all worked.  So hopefully it didn't affect your system.  I only tested against RC1.  But anyways, let me know, am curious.  Hopefully I can write better docs when the final comes out and I have access to the source. 

As far as the MD's are concerned, ya I assumed I could chroot in and compile it or whatever, just didn't know how all that worked if it pulled the files from somewhere else.  Will try that.