Activating / Deactivating controls

[minex]

Hi all,

I am quite new to the Linux OS and programming code. But I would like to setup a LinuxMCE setup as following:

one where in the User interface we only see the Media function. So I want to deactivate the Home Automation and Security Tab in the User Interface. This way, when the system is used the user will not see these buttons.

Can anybody help me out?

Thank you.

[hari]

You can do quite some changes with the HADesigner. If that does not fit your needs just comment out the features you don't want in the source code and recompile the Orbiter.

br, Hari

[tschak909]

Honestly, I do not understand why people like you keep coming in wanting to tear this system apart.

The beauty and elegance of this system comes from integrating these pieces together. If you want a media only system, use something else.

-Thom

[thedaver]

"people like you"??
Ouch, not really in the spirit of development and exploration... 
I can certainly understand that you'd prefer to have the system used as designed and that it's design contemplates a broader use case than simply "play movies".
However, other gurus have also emphasized the modularity and personalization possible within LMCE.  Perhaps the request to slim down the functionality of an LMCE install but still benefit from all the fantastic capabilities built into the services that one DOES want to use isn't so insane a request? 

I mean, think about the case where users regularly build LMCE but don't enable/use the smart home or telephony functions.  If the OP just wanted to get a more efficient UI experience by hiding the unused portions of LMCE then that seems fairly reasonable??

I'll bet the OP never comes back to this project.

[jondecker76]

I would have to agree that disecting LMCE apart to handle just video playback would be a futile effort. There are plenty of options available that handle media only that would be much better suited for it. But, if someone wanted to do this, there are a few options:

Easiest:
Just change the home screen for your orbiters to be something other than the normal home screen - so you never see this part of LMCE. For example, maybe change it to the remote screen, where you can call up the file list with a button. This requires very little effort to pull off. Basically, you only need to know the PK of the screen you want to be the home screen, and enter it in the appropriate device data for the orbiter.

Harder:
Use HADesigner and remove parts of the UI that you don't want or don't like. This really isn't an easy task, however, for someone new to LMCE

Hardest:
Make a new skin for media only using HADesigner. Again, for someone that does not have at least some in-depth knowledge of the internals of LMCE, this would be quite hard.

But really, something like MythBuntu/MythTV might be better for what you are looking for

[minex]

Actually it is quite simple,

I have a computer shop and we sell also speakers, amplifiers,...

The problem with costumers is we have to think about what they want and not what we want. This is what I want to propose to them:

a basic system used for only media like video, DVD, pictures,...
a system for only home automation
a complete configuration
...

This way we can program to the desire of the custumer. If they would see a complete system with functions they don't want or need, they will begin to touch all buttons and mess everything up.

For us it is easier to work with one program than hoving one for this purpose and another program for something else and so on.

[tschak909]

You might want to dig a little deeper. You can't sell this system without a license from Pluto.

Also, you may want to spend a _LOT_ more time with this system, before you intend to sell it, due to the incredible scope of the entire system. At least spend a year using virtually every single aspect of this system, with every feature enabled....

We will not be your customer's support.

-Thom

[jondecker76]

A couple of things to consider:

1 - Regarding your wishes to separate different parts of LMCE (media, automation, etc). While the end result may seem simple, pulling this off will take a lot of work and a pretty deep understanding of the innards of LMCE. Many of us here have been studying the code and submitting improvements for over a year and still don't understand LMCE in its entirety. Please understand, that this is fine if it is what you want to do, but have realistic expectations that it won't be an easy task and it will take a lot of time and effort. Add to this that you stated that you are new to Linux and programming.

2 - LMCE was released under limitations of the Pluto Public License (PPL). If you have any plans of reselling systems or even components designed for or around LMCE, you must get a dealer license and permission from Pluto Home. I haven't heard of new dealership licenses being dealt out anymore, but they still may be doing this.



Lastly, consider this. Assuming that you do want to resell licensed copies of LMCE/Pluto and you get a dealership lisence, I would recommend becoming an active user first. LMCE is so complex that you really must spend A LOT of time using it and setting it up personally to ever have the knowledge to support a customer with an issue. Even veteran users end up with questions and problems they haven't seen before. You can't help a suffering customer unless you have done some of the same suffering  yourself - trust me on this.

Anyways, good luck. Install LMCE on an old computer and give it a go. Using the software should be your first step in evaluating its usefulness for your situation.

[Marie.O]

[..]This way we can program to the desire of the custumer. If they would see a complete system with functions they don't want or need, they will begin to touch all buttons and mess everything up.

For us it is easier to work with one program than hoving one for this purpose and another program for something else and so on.

A note from the trenches: Apart from the jondecker76 and tschak909 notes regarding having to use the system for a while and all that, I have a small observation for you:
15 month ago, a friend came to me, and wanted a pure media system, that would allow him to have a central storage for all of his DVDs and CDs, and play it in his new apartment. I showed him the flash presentation of PlutoHome and he was hooked.

I asked him, if he wanted to do lighting, security and telecom as well, but he declined, saying he already had all the specs defined the way he wanted it and just needed media.

Two month after he moved into his new apartment, and using the media part of lmce during that time extensively, he asked me about the other buttons on the menu. Now, due to the interest piqued by the buttons, he does want to control his lighting from his Nokia n800. And he wants to use the telecom part, and initiate calls from his n800 via his MD. And asked about how to get the damn door video phone into the lmce system, so he does not have to get up right away, when the pizza boy calls at the bottom of the apartment complex

Point being: Yes, the buttons do produce /some/ initial clutter, but on the other hand, they will serve YOU as free advertisement of what the system can do.

If you are serious about setting up a shop with lmce, you might want to PM tschak909 about some consulting. He knows exactly what the system can and cannot do. And he is capable of producing amazing things with HADesigner.

[Dale_K]

I've worked in computers my entire adult life and consider myself to be a pretty sharp guy.  I've been working with LMCE for about 4 months now and I haven't even touched the Security, Lighting, Telcom stuff (though I intend to).  I'm running a very simple 1 core, 4 MD system and I honestly think these guys are UNDERstating the learning curve.

PLEASE, take some time and seriously reconsider offering this product to end users.  As I said, I'm computer savvy and I understood what 'opensource' meant when I decided to install, so my level of expectation was what it should be.  However, if I were the average consumer purchasing this system from someone I would have had a much higher level of expectation and honestly you or I don't have the expertise to provide it.  Not knocking you, just trying to give you a 'regular guy' perspective on it.  A good example is it took me 2 weeks to get the control of my receiver right.  Your customers will and should find something like that unacceptable.

The system is incredibly powerful and with that comes incredible complexity.  In my opinion you shouldn't even consider selling this to end users until you have had extensive test bed experience with it.  (I actually think the 1 year suggested might be a bit short for someone considering reselling/supporting LMCE.)

Just my opinion

[hari]

true words..

[totallymaxed]

I've worked in computers my entire adult life and consider myself to be a pretty sharp guy.  I've been working with LMCE for about 4 months now and I haven't even touched the Security, Lighting, Telcom stuff (though I intend to).  I'm running a very simple 1 core, 4 MD system and I honestly think these guys are UNDERstating the learning curve.

PLEASE, take some time and seriously reconsider offering this product to end users.  As I said, I'm computer savvy and I understood what 'opensource' meant when I decided to install, so my level of expectation was what it should be.  However, if I were the average consumer purchasing this system from someone I would have had a much higher level of expectation and honestly you or I don't have the expertise to provide it.  Not knocking you, just trying to give you a 'regular guy' perspective on it.  A good example is it took me 2 weeks to get the control of my receiver right.  Your customers will and should find something like that unacceptable.

The system is incredibly powerful and with that comes incredible complexity.  In my opinion you shouldn't even consider selling this to end users until you have had extensive test bed experience with it.  (I actually think the 1 year suggested might be a bit short for someone considering reselling/supporting LMCE.)

Just my opinion

I agree... you need a hell of a lot of experience both using, configuring and installing LinuxMCE systems before you can reliably build a business around it (and that assumes you have a license from Pluto etc ;-) ).

We started our involvement with Pluto in early 2005...and we started to do customer sales/marketing in late May 2008. At that time we had already installed literally 100's of LinuxMCE systems multiple times and had done an enormous amount of testing of hardware configs etc. In addition we already had by May 2008 about 15 long term installations (ranging from Core + 2 MD's upto Core + 8 MD's with ZWave, IP cameras, Voip etc etc) in 'Friends & Family' houses that we treated as 'paying' customers to test our ability to support and serve real customer installations.

So yes... its not at all simple to offer LinuxMCE commercially.

All the best

Andrew

[colinjones]

I've worked in computers my entire adult life and consider myself to be a pretty sharp guy.  I've been working with LMCE for about 4 months now and I haven't even touched the Security, Lighting, Telcom stuff (though I intend to).  I'm running a very simple 1 core, 4 MD system and I honestly think these guys are UNDERstating the learning curve.

PLEASE, take some time and seriously reconsider offering this product to end users.  As I said, I'm computer savvy and I understood what 'opensource' meant when I decided to install, so my level of expectation was what it should be.  However, if I were the average consumer purchasing this system from someone I would have had a much higher level of expectation and honestly you or I don't have the expertise to provide it.  Not knocking you, just trying to give you a 'regular guy' perspective on it.  A good example is it took me 2 weeks to get the control of my receiver right.  Your customers will and should find something like that unacceptable.

The system is incredibly powerful and with that comes incredible complexity.  In my opinion you shouldn't even consider selling this to end users until you have had extensive test bed experience with it.  (I actually think the 1 year suggested might be a bit short for someone considering reselling/supporting LMCE.)

Just my opinion

Absolutely agreed! Setting it up for yourself with your hardware is one thing, but then doing the same for other people's amps, tvs, etc is something else entirely... that's when you realise you need to understand a lot more about what happens under the hood!

[minex]

Actually it is quite easy,

I am looking at all your posts. It is true that setting up a system costs time. But firts we gather information on an issue, the we develop it and we are able to work als with other programmers. It is a shame that "people like you" are all thinking they know best and waste their time in those kind of comments.

Instead you should be glad that people are interested comming to this forum. I did not think it was an exclusive club!

Look for a girlfriend y'all!

[Marie.O]

Instead you should be glad that people are interested comming to this forum. I did not think it was an exclusive club!

The forum is not an exclusive club at all. It is filled with lots of people with different interests. And we have seen quite a few people come in here, that want to just install it and make a quick buck. We got cautious over time. And everyone who has used lmce for a while knows, there are lots of pitfalls. Is it a black art? No. Does it help to invest time? Yes. And if I were to base a business around lmce, I would go, and get me an expert, that has indepth knowledge of the system, and can help me get to good start, instead of me spending endless weeks and month, and still not being able to grasp what it is all about. lmce is different from anything else out there. From the feature perspective, from the user perspective, and most of all, from the development perspective.

Look for a girlfriend y'all!

That was uncalled for. And, as a side note, I am sure, my wife would object