VIA based diskless MD - AV wizard hangs

[trisc]

Hi all
 
I have a nice stable core with a working PVR, remotes, UI2 interface etc  - but so far I have failed to get a diskless MD running from this. I'm using a VIA EPK for the MD, it network boots fine and displays the AV wizard, but no matter which video driver I choose in its device template I haven't been able to complete the AV wizard. It hangs each time.

Can anyone suggest the correct device template to get a VIA based MD to work? This has been driving me nuts!

[trisc]

Update - After several restarts I can get to the launch manager screen which appears to load all the modules but I end up with a blank screen each time.

I anyone has managed to get a VIA based MD to work could you please post your config or let me know how you did it?

[rafik24]

 Hi,

 this also happens to me on my via pvcle266 ( via C3 Samuel 800mhz),

 In order to fix this you will need to go to /etc/X11/
 make a backup of the file xorg.conf.pluto then save it as xorg.conf

 Next time you reboot keep the shift button pressed in order to get the avwizard starting.

 In order to get a better rendering use the unichrome video card for your MD in the admin website.

 If rendering is not good enough you might want to recompille

 drm and mesa (with this i can run mpeg decompression hapilly on that 800mhz processor )

 Hope this helps,

Rafik

[totallymaxed]

Update - After several restarts I can get to the launch manager screen which appears to load all the modules but I end up with a blank screen each time.

I anyone has managed to get a VIA based MD to work could you please post your config or let me know how you did it?

You will need to compile & install the Unichrome Pro drivers from Via. Do a search here for several other threads where I have provided details of how to do this.

Andrew

[trisc]

I saw that thread and looked at the instructions, but it presumes a good working knowledge of Linux and looks very complicated, and you won't end up with a UI2 interface anyway.

So I was hoping to select the unichrome drivers in the admin and try at least to get something basic working...or will this not work at all?

Perhaps I should just stump up for the Fiire MDs and save time, unless I can find a step by step walkthrough to get these drivers installed?

[totallymaxed]

I saw that thread and looked at the instructions, but it presumes a good working knowledge of Linux and looks very complicated, and you won't end up with a UI2 interface anyway.

So I was hoping to select the unichrome drivers in the admin and try at least to get something basic working...or will this not work at all?

Perhaps I should just stump up for the Fiire MDs and save time, unless I can find a step by step walkthrough to get these drivers installed?

The Unichrome Pro drivers do not support UI2 at the moment... selecting one of the Fiire Engine Via drivers  in Web Admin would require you to purchase a Fiire Engine (as you will need and install code for these to work).

The Guide I posted the URL to is a step by step guide to building the Unichrome Pro drivers. If you follow it carefully it is not to difficult. Give it a try... but it is UI1 only

[trisc]

I'll give it a go, but I'm compiling drivers on one machine to be used on another....so how do I avoid trashing my precious Nvidia drivers and the kernel on the core?

I'm guessing that this has to be done in the folders for the diskless image?

[totallymaxed]

I'll give it a go, but I'm compiling drivers on one machine to be used on another....so how do I avoid trashing my precious Nvidia drivers and the kernel on the core?

I'm guessing that this has to be done in the folders for the diskless image?

No this will not damage your existing nVidia drivers or your Kernel. The process just builds the new libs/pkg's needed for the Unichrome Pro installer. It will not install the Via drivers on your Core... it will build and installer ready to be used on your Via though. Its safe to do on your core. Just login into a console on your core or ssh into it on your network from anothe machine and go to the /usr/src directory;

do...

cd /usr/src <return>

then download and build everything from this directory as described in the Via pdf. You will end up with a directory called;

CLE266CN400CN-CX700CN800XORG40072

you can then cp that directory to your /home/public/data/ directory so that when you have added your Via you can access the installer by ssh'ing into the Via based on its lmce MD ID ie ssh MoonXX (where XX is the ID of your Via based MD found in Web Admin)

Andrew

[trisc]

OK that makes sense!

I've downloaded and extracted the driver file to my home folder but where to start? Step 3? Step4? There don't appear to be any commands to kick off with - just a list of packages for different distros.

You're dealing with a real novice PITA here!

[trisc]

The Guide I posted the URL to is a step by step guide to building the Unichrome Pro drivers. If you follow it carefully it is not to difficult. Give it a try... but it is UI1 only

As instructions go they are as clear as mud! I got as far as step d. I know vi is an editor but that's as far as it goes

[rafik24]

 Hi trisc,

 I there any reason to prefer the unichrom drivers rather than the openchrome ?

 I installed the openchrom drivers that work great and i was wondering whether this implies anything in pluto
since there is no openchrome tab in the media directors video card list

 Regards,

Rafik

[trisc]

Hi Rafik

Do Openchrome drivers support an alpha channel? I'm not looking for transparency, but if they allow menu overlays that would be great.

Where can I get them and is there a guide to installing them?

[rafik24]

 Hi trisc,

 you can look at http://www.openchrome.org,
i think the best would be to try all 3 drivers and benchmark them with glxgears
to have a ruff idea on performances ans stability.

 I will give that a go and come back to you.

 Rafik

[trisc]

Hi

I looked at the openchrome site yesterday and was going to try installing the drivers when I found that Kubuntu on my machine has no package management application - at least not in the KDE menus!

Is this peculiar to Kubuntu/LinuxMCE?

[rafik24]

 In fact adept is removed while you install linuxmce on kubuntu, this is done to avoid automatic updates so the md are all at the same software level it also avoid dependency issues.

  You can still use apt as into apt-get install your_package.

 Hope this help