Watched the video, did install....and install....and install...back 2 XPMCE?

[-Q-]

Dear people,

I'm about to tell you a story of installing a MCE, and getting stuck with it.

The introduction
A while ago I got my new laptop with Microsoft Windows Vista installed on it. And as you allknow Vista comes with MCE and when I looked into that I thought:"That was the thing I always wanted, this is gonna replace my amplifier, dolby-surroundset, dvd-player, tuner an VCR. Away with all the cables and remote controls!" So...

The first try
Since my laptop is for my work I could not use it for Vista MCE, so I took an 'old' PC with the following specs:

HP Pavilion T680.nl (MB: P4SD-LA)
P4 HT 3.2 Ghz
1 GB RAM
200 Gb S-ATA
NVidia 6800 256 Mb (AGP - none integrated)
2 x Realtek 100 Mb NIC (1 integrated, 1 PCI)
AC'97 Audio 5.1 (integrated)
AsusTek TV7134 FM/RM

And intstalled MS Vista Ultimate on it. Everything was recognized. The only thing was that my TV7134 not worked in MCE, I solved that problem by installing the MS MCE 2005 drivers. (for all of you that are looking for those drivers: http://www1.medion.de/downloads/?op=search&lang=de&type=TEXT&param=Philips+7134&imageField.x=24&imageField.y=6 the 'redmarked are usefull'  )
I got rid of evrything with to much cables and placed my PC. I hooked it up and everything was working nicely....i thought.The wait-time and the response times were too long....not for me but for my wife . When switching channels at Live TV it took Vista MCE 3 seconds or longer, in other words unacceptable. That was not the only problem.... in Live TV the soundsync was out of sync at least a second.....so that was also unacceptable. I thought the reason could be a PC that didn't had the specs for a good working Vista with MCE. But I still wanted to have a MCE replacing my current set. So I used google for a different solution. And guess what...... LinuxMCE!

The second try and third try
First I'll have to explain that I'm a MS Professional, so I'm completely new to Linux in every form imaginable. A month or to ago I installed ubuntu for the first time and I've got to say that I was impressed. And with that in mind I surfed to LinuxMCE. And because I liked the words 'Quick Install' I downloaded the Quick Install DVD. At that time is should have know that it couldn't be that easy as described in the video . Right after the ISO was downloaded I first booted the ISO in a MS-VPC and after a while I got the error "invalid package", but because it was a MS VPC with dynamical diskI thought...ok maybe it's just not compatible....so I burned a DVD and inserted it in my PC. Atfer a while I got the same error, so I goolged and there was a wrong ISO on the net. Because my ISO was splitted up in 4 parts, it could have been that. The second ISO I downloaded was an ISO in 1 part, so a conplete ISO. Burn it, inserted it....same error.  This was reason for me to download Kubuntu 7.04 and the LinuxMCE ISO's.

The forth try an the fifth try
After downloading Kubuntu 7.04 and the LinuxMCE ISO's and testing them in MS-VPC I burned them and inserted and install Kubuntu 7.04 on my PC. So far so good. Installed LinuxMCE, waited an hour or so before I got the message "Remove Disk and Reboot". YES! AT LAST!.....I got a LinucMCE which is better than MS MCE!......YAHOO...YES YES YES yes......yes? dcerouter? What the hell is a dcerouter? ok then, lets login. Maybe it'll go further......rob@dcerouter:~$ (blink-blink)...hmmm.....What does Google has to say about this? On this point I got a lot of websites consering dcerouter (did I had already mentioned that I was a MSPro? But I really want a MCE! This was the page I started with (http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Display_Drivers) And I was on the go again....Ah DRIVERS (since I'm an MSPro this sould have been a common thing ) So I worked through the page, and even got into the NVIDIA installer.....NVIDIA installed, NVIDIA compiled and NVIDIA was ready!......let's reboot now!......so my PC was rebooting.......got up......I saw Kubuntu......I heard a familiar sound......and again a familiar sound.......and there was dcerouter again....grrrr.......maybe, maybe....maybe if I download the correct DVD the drivers are in....so let's download the correct DVD it'll work! So I downloaded Pando, downloaded the DVD again, burned the DVD again, inserted the DVD again, installed LinuxMCE again, rebooted again and there was dcerouter again....double grrr.
Google again and there I read that you'd better use the kubuntu install with the LinuxMCE install because then it would work better.....

The sixth and last try
Again I installed kubuntu with LinuxMCE, rebooted got dcerouter....installed the NVIDIA driver..... ofcourse the same problem, but now I was more confident. I saw that there was a GRNU-loader or something. Reboot again....press escapeto enter GRNU-menu....I did and I could startup with some kind of save mode.....I did and there was that dcerouter-thing again. But...but....in the NVIDIA-Installer I saw it was better to install in TELINIT 3.....so I did, and in this save mode kind of menu I could boot to kubuntu......I could start LinuxMCE, maybe from here I can install the correct drivers.....so I updated, I saw the Penquin-Block turn and circle, I saw the fire-mpg. O so happy I was. Yes I WAS! I thought I did it, I thought it worked until I rebooted, because there was the dcerouter again.......and now it was blinking from one screen to another, like it was laughing at me.

Please everybody....anybody....don't give me reason to stop now and go back to MS XP MCE. Please help me solve this....every MSPro at work is laughing at me for trying this, use MCE 2005 they say.....proof there wrong...help me

[Hagen]

I really don't see why you have these problems?
Absolutely all the hardware you listed is supported by default in 704...

There a couple of tricks that might help though, on the Kubuntu 0704 CD there's a RAM checker, you could try to run it to verify your RAM is good (nothing like the odd bit error to sour your install).

I have had very good experience with HP computers, they run and are supported out of the box.
When you install Kubuntu make sure you do not do any updates on it at all before you put in LMCE.
When you start the LMCE install it should tell you that it has found an Nvidia card and ask if you want to install the proprietory drivers (answer yes). The machine should be left alone until it reboots, about five minutes with your hardware.
When it reboots your screen will most likely be 800x600, don't bother to change it, it works after the LMCE install.
Then run the LMCE setup again.

(just to verify you did all the steps correctly)

Then when it comes up again you should get a green screen, the AV wizard, select your output, resolution and sound.
Your hardware should be golden for most of the options (my first install was a HP 1.7GHz, and even that worked well).
You don't have to look around for the  new Nvidia driver either as it is included on the install CDs (not the DVD), and your card is supported with it (7xxx and 8xxx needs to wait for the 710 release)

I have no experience with Linux from before either, but it's more intuitive once you get to know it (how much time did it take to get used to Windows?) .

Sorry if this is not all the help you hoped for.

[-Q-]

Thank you very much Hagen for you quick reply!

The point is that I did install kubuntu and I got the question about Nvidia, but still it comes with the dcerouter.
I won't go back to MS with this machine...I really want to learn and understand Linux, and as you say...how many times did I install Windows before I learned to understand it.
So that no point, I still want to use LinuxMCE. The thing is that I've done the installation 7 timesnow...and my knowledge is too little, that why I posted this Topic. A thing I really don't do to much. But why, if I do a common install do I get the dcerouter. Is it possilble that the dcerouter has a problem with my AsusTek tv7134?

[Hagen]

It is possible, Hauppage seems to be the prefered (best supported) brand for these products, but others should work as well.
It is the only piece of hardware you listed that I do not know from experience if it will work.

dcerouter is the 'core' of LMCE.

[-Q-]

AHA! :Dthat is wat dcerouter means......ok then that makes thing a lot clearer...I told you I'm a noob, but willing to learn....
So it could be the TV7134.....anybody who can help us with this one?

[cirion]

Just to clerfy something... Are you installing on a Virtual PC?

If you are not installing on a Virtual PC, I do recomend the DVD, and in doing so it will delete your hardrive. But with the hardware you are listing it sould work right away...

[-Q-]

I'm not installing on a VPC, that was only for testing if the cd's and the DVD were working.
So yoy say that the asustek tv7134 IS supported? And that would not be the issue why dcerouter still is popping up?

[tkmedia]

While it is blinking type in bursts

login

at #
type

cd /etc/X11
cp xorg.conf.pluto.avwizard xorg.conf

the wizard should now come up.

If this does not work try installing the latest nvidia drivers.

I have outlined a complete procedure here http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=3368.0


I know you will be happier with LinuxMce
I will be happy to help get this going as well as others will.
We like M$ converts

[-Q-]

(thanx tkmedia) tried it in 'normal' as in 'recovery' mode.....both didn't do the trick......I'm doing something wrong somewhere.....only where ?
So I installed the DVD again, after that I remove my TV7134, my second NIC and my second Audiocard (SB 128 PCI)...but that also didn't work.
Now just before going to bed I'll install LinuxMCE DVD again, but now without my second NIC an without the SB 128 PCI (I also have an integrated soundcard)
Let see if that will do the trick. In the meanwhile if anybody has an suggestion....please do

[-Q-]

Ok a new dayin paradise, I brought my PC with me to work so....I'll let you all know thru put the day....
I will do the  1,2,3 DVD install of tkmedia (http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=3368.0)

[-Q-]

HAIL tkmedia! HAIL! HAIL!
It worked like a charm, my thanks borders to rabies and from now on I'll call you Master of the Universe