Linux MCE 1.1b2 installation woes...

[bwatson]

This looks like such a cool product, but for the life of me, I can't get to square 1 (installing it).

I've got a decent machine that I want to use as a Hybrid (backend + frontend) and another lower end machine that I want to use purely as a frontend in a bedroom.

So far, I'm trying the Hybrid computer, which is something like this:

ASUS mobo w/ NForce2 chipset
AMD Athlon XP 2500+ clocked to and recognized by system as 3200+
1GB RAM
80G HDD
NVidia 5900 XT video card

I bought this rig used for $150 and upgraded the video card to what's listed above as the previous card was a 4800 (which I plan on using in my low end frontend).

Here's a quick history:

1. Downloaded/burned/installed Ubuntu Feisty 7.04

2. Downloaded/burned MCE discs

3. Downloaded/installed MCE installer then launched via desktop icon as directed.  This didn't work (nothing happened after launching the link on the desktop).  I read that I had to use Kubuntu 7.04.  OK..

4. I download/burned/installed Kubuntu 7.04.  I let Adept apply all updates and, furthermore, use Envy to install NVidia drivers (because I want decent graphic capability for video playback and the UI).

5. Downloaded/installed MCE installer then launched via desktop.  Prompted for password.  Entered password then "nothing happens".  OK, so maybe the Envy installation and graphics drivers are too much.

6. Reinstall Kubuntu and let Adept update.  Download/install MCE installer.  Launch icon from desktop, prompted for password, then "nothing".  Hmmm...

7. From a shell, navigate to /usr/share/mce-installer and then do: sudo ./mce-installer.sh.  Error messages about not having gksu installed.  Alrighty then...

8. Use Adept to get/install gksu.

9. sudo /usr/share/mce-installer/mce-installer.sh.  More error messages to the tune of:

X Error: BadDevice, invalid or uninitialized input device 167
  Major opcode: 146
  Minor opcode: 3
  Resource id: 0x0
Failed to open device
X Error: BadDevice, invalid or uninitialized input device 167
  Major opcode: 146
  Minor opcode: 3
  Resource id: 0x0

Some Google'ing yields that I need to comment out some input devices in /etc/X11/xorg.conf (namely the stylus, cursor, and eraser devices).

10. backup /etc/X11/xorg.conf to /etc/X11/xorg.conf.orig

11. gksu /usr/share/mce-installer/mce-installer.sh.  Prompted for a password, and after entry, again I see "nothing happen".


So this is where I'm at and have no idea what to do next.

I'm sitting here with a pretty much stock Kubuntu install and can't manage to get the MCE installer to run at all.  Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Ben

[Zaerc]

...
4. I download/burned/installed Kubuntu 7.04.  I let Adept apply all updates and, furthermore, use Envy to install NVidia drivers (because I want decent graphic capability for video playback and the UI).
...
6. Reinstall Kubuntu and let Adept update.  Download/install MCE installer.  Launch icon from desktop, prompted for password, then "nothing".  Hmmm...
...

Maybe you could try following the installation instructions.

5. Once Kubuntu is up and running, click the "Install" icon on the desktop, follow the installation wizard until you have rebooted and are running Kubuntu from your hard drive(resist the urge to update at this time, it will cause problems with the LinuxMCE cache CD).

[tkmedia]

Make sure you are using the MCE installer from the CD's Not from the link on the web site, the one the web site is for ubuntu 6.10

If you used the one from the link on the website.
Delete the install script and install the one from the CD.


Good Luck


Tim

[bwatson]

Thanks for the tip Tim, that seems to have done it.  I didn't realize the installer on the Website was different than the one on the CD.  In fact, I didn't think the CD had an installer in it.

I've made it to square 1, launching the installer (and have even answered a couple of the questions).

The 2nd thing it asked me was about (installing) NVidia drivers (as it detected I had an NVidia card).

Would you recommend:

1. I install the NVidia drivers I want (e.g. using Envy) before installing MCE and choosing "No" to the question
2. Letting MCE install the drivers for me by choosing "Yes"
3. Doing either 1 or 2 above, and then updating my drivers myself

I've already opted for 2 just because I was happy to be getting somewhere, but I'm looking for an opinion from the list.

Thanks again,

Ben

[gazlang]

My big problem was with the Nvidia drivers, I tried using envy before installing LMCE and had problems when running LMCE with poor rendering, so I then tried re-installing kubuntu and using the nvidia drivers direct from the website, LMCE didn't think I had a driver and prompted me to install the propetary driver, so I did and after that the x-server wouldn't start; so re-installed kubuntu, let LMCE install the nvidia driver, got to load up LMCE and it all looked ok, untill I clicked on graphics options in the LMCE advanced menu - it shrunk my screen, so I then clicked on the KDE display manager in the core start menu and that messed everything up (without changing anything) LMCE no longer recognised its own installed driver!
I'm giving up on LMCE untill the stable version is out and moving to try mythbuntu (since i only want the media bit at the moment)

[bwatson]

Unfortunately for me, I'm thinking the same thing at the moment (using MythBuntu or something).

The installer ran and started off like a champ.

Since I thought it would take a little while, I figured I'd eat some dinner.  I come back down to check the progress and I see a lot of errors to the tune of "Could not resolve <some site>".

I went to shoot some pool and let it run unattended a bit longer in hopes that the things it couldn't download were trivial.  Wrong.

I come home and see a message "Installation failed".  And to check the MCE installer logs in /var/log

I look at the logs, which comprise 2 files.  The first file looks ok (it appears it is pulling stuff from the Cache and LinuxMCE discs).

The 2nd log is where the "stuff" hit the fan.  I'm guessing at this point in the installation, it wants to fetch packages from my chosen mirror (I chose kernel.org) and other sites.  At the top of the 2nd log, I see the installer outputting all of the options I selected during the initial installer setup (UI to use, Network settings, etc.).

Well, I've got my home network configured with a traditional router serving DHCP, so I opted not to use DHCP for my MCE install this time around.  Furthermore, all of my machines are statically IP'd and the router reserves static IPs by MAC address.  Prior to launching the MCE installer, I tested network and Internet connectivity with no problems.  I instructed the MCE installer to leave my network configuration as is.  But it obviously did something, because my box can no longer get out to the Internet.  After running an 'ifconfig', I see a new network interface in addition to the standard eth0 and lo interfaces, this new one named eth0:avah.  What's more, this new interface's IP is nowhere close to the 192.168.x.x private IP address one would expect in a home networking scenario.  No wonder it can't get out to the 'Net.

Anyone else encounter this problem?  What's the resolution?  I'm thinking of rerunning the installer, but configuring this new network interface before hand to use network settings compatible with my home setup.

[gazlang]

See this thread for connection loss during LMCE

http://forum.linuxmce.com/index.php?topic=1937.0

I solved the prob by apt-get install arping and rebooting prior to installing LMCE

[teedge77]

If you have the time i would get RC1. This fixes that problem by removing some stuff that breaks the network connection in the installation. Theres a few other threads on it if you dont want to get the new one. You have to remove the network konfigurator and reinstall it after and stuff like that. more pain than its worth i think when its fixed (along with many other things) in the new one.