Difference between revisions of "User:Rperre"

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As I had a lot of hardware "laying around" from my computer upgrading spurts I have every other year or so, I decided to gives this setup a try.
 
As I had a lot of hardware "laying around" from my computer upgrading spurts I have every other year or so, I decided to gives this setup a try.
  
Motherboard: Asus A7N8X Deluxe
+
*Motherboard: [[Asus A7N8X Deluxe]]
  Socket A with a AMD Athlon XP 2600+ installed
+
** Socket A with a AMD Athlon XP 2600+ installed
  Memory at 1Gb PC3200 (will upgrade to 2Gb, still have a slot open)
+
** Memory at 1Gb PC3200 (will upgrade to 2Gb, still have a slot open)
  2 Internal NICs, 3COM, and nforce (forcedeth) both 100Mb max, need upgrade internal Nic to Gb.
+
**  2 Internal NICs, 3COM, and nforce (forcedeth) both 100Mb max, disabled the nforce, added intel pci Nic for Gb.
  Audio is an ALC650 with 5.1 output
+
Added a Soundblaster Card for audio, cannot get internal card to work.
  
Videocard: Axle Geforce 7600GS
+
*Videocard: Axle Geforce 7600GS
  512Mb of memory
+
** 512Mb of memory
  AGP8x
+
** AGP8x
  
Storage: OCZ core2 SATA II 60Gb SSD
+
* Storage: OCZ core2 SATA II 60Gb SSD
 +
** 500Gb Hard drive for storage
  
Drive: Generic DVD-drive
+
* Drive: Generic DVD-drive
  
Power supply: ANTEC True430P
+
* Power supply: ANTEC True430P
  
Case: old generic case which is overheating, will go to an ANTEC full tower for space and enough cooling
+
* Case: old generic full tower case, kinda bulky but good enough for now.
  
'''NAS'''
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*'''NAS'''
 
+
** Mvixbox with 2 drives for a total of 1.5Tb
  Mvixbox with 2 drives for a total of 1.5Tb
+
** Simpleshare with 250Gb for daily use on our home computers and backup of Core image
  Simpleshare with 250Gb for daily use on our home computers and backup of Core image
+
  
  
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Video, Sound and drive are all up and running.
 
Video, Sound and drive are all up and running.
  
Network needed a small tweak, the nforce 'forcedeth' seems to want to add a different MAC for this card each time you start up and increases the eth# accordingly which messes things up for the internal network (i'm using this nic for internal), you can get past this by editing the /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net-rules.
+
I disabled the nforce network card and added a gigabit network card for the internal network. The nvidia 'forcedeth' seemed to be getting a new nic name each reboot, disabling this one was the easiest for me.
Delete all lines past eth1, leave the eth1 line and make it look as follows:
+
  
SUBSYSTEM=="net", DRIVERS=="forcedeth", ATTRS{vendor}=="0x10de", ATTRS{device}=="0x0066", NAME=="eth1"
+
''LinuxMCE 0810 beta2 snapshot June 1 2010''
  
You can find your vendor and device ID by looking in /sys/class/net/eth#/device.
+
Installed it from the DVD with no problems
  
This will "lock" your nforce NIC to eth1. After this edit I had no problems with my network cards.
+
I'm using UI2 (no alpha blending, but think it will work just fine)
 
+
 
+
''LinuxMCE 0810 alpha7''
+
 
+
Followed the wiki for the latest alpha installation
+
 
+
It worked OOTB, but... to get the video to play smooth you have to install the latest nvidia drivers, 185.18.14 at the moment I write this. After this everything played nicely with UI2-alpha blending.
+
 
+
Follow the display drivers wiki for installation of latest drivers.
+
  
  
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I had a box full of X10 devices in my garage from a previous attempt to automate the house, I have integrated some table lights in the system.
 
I had a box full of X10 devices in my garage from a previous attempt to automate the house, I have integrated some table lights in the system.
 +
 +
Make sure to add the CM11A manually and after add your devices as childs, works fine.
 +
I added a repeater/coupler because of the 2 bus system here in the USA, still tweaking this as i type this.
  
  
 
''Hauppauge PVR500''
 
''Hauppauge PVR500''
  
 +
Worked out of the box installed in my Core/hybrid, getting local channels available on the cable
  
 
''NAS Mvixbox''
 
''NAS Mvixbox''
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'''MEDIA DIRECTORS'''
 
'''MEDIA DIRECTORS'''
  
Got two Zotac ION ITX C-U boards, connected one to my LCD TV and set it up for PXE boot, booted up just fine. I followed the ZOTAC wiki and chose UI1 at 1st boot. Installed the Avanard Repo 180.60 nvidia drivers, I got a opengl error, had to manually set the xorg.conf to 'nvidia'. After this it started up great in any resolution.  
+
Got two Zotac ION ITX C-U boards, connected one to my LCD TV and set it up for PXE boot, this works out of the box, i got the black screen when the AVwizard should come up, pressed the number "3" and there it was.
Going to try the newest nvidia drivers on the other board, nvidia 190.18
+
I choose hdmi2, 1080p, 60hz and it works fine.
  
Setup my second Zotac ION ITX C-U board, connected it to our Sony Receiver that is connected to our DLP TV and set it up for PXE boot. After image was done, I had a "Failed to setup X" which is normal since i used a HDMI cable to connect, i manually set the driver to vesa and could go through the AV wizard this time, used UI1 again for first boot and it worked. This time I installed the Nvidia 190.32 drivers and re-ran the AV Wizard. Somehow i would get a blank screen when selecting "1" (HDMI/DVI), but "3" (Component) worked, strange but it works fine in 720p now.
+
Sound over Hdmi works great in the latest snapshot, only one cable needed to connect your MD
  
I will try 1080p when my Gigabit switch and nic for the core comes in.
+
The only thing I always see, is that you have to restart your MD completely after the whole installation is done. You'll get a black screen otherwise. After restart everything is fine.
 
+
Got the boards at Newegg, they had them with a $25 rebate att, great deal for these great boards.
+
 
+
The only thing I always see, is that you have to restart your MD completely after the whole installation is done. You'll get a grey screen otherwise. After restart everything is fine.
+
 
+
Still waiting for full vdpau integration, but it seems to do great in all resolutions.
+
  
 
Also looking at other possibilities, especially cheap but performing for e.g. the bedroom TV's that don't require 1080p, I can't see the difference anyway between 720p and 1080p. But if it's possible it will be fine and future proof.
 
Also looking at other possibilities, especially cheap but performing for e.g. the bedroom TV's that don't require 1080p, I can't see the difference anyway between 720p and 1080p. But if it's possible it will be fine and future proof.
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'''ORBITERS and REMOTES'''
 
'''ORBITERS and REMOTES'''
  
Currently using an old Palm TX and my laptop with the Web orbiter, but will expand to gyro remote and/or WEBDT 366 as time goes, not interested in the bluetooth capabilities.
+
Have 2 Gyration remotes, work ootb
The Palm TX does not work, it constantly goes to the lighting floorplan and stays there, haven't troubleshoot this much, and will when i have time.
+
Have 2 Webdt 366's and they both work great and ootb after installation of the image.
  
 
Bought a windows vista MCE remote, this was plug and play with mceusb2 selected, mceusb will not work with these vista remotes.
 
Bought a windows vista MCE remote, this was plug and play with mceusb2 selected, mceusb will not work with these vista remotes.
 +
 +
I have 2 WebDT 366's which work great with Tschak's image, even after re-installs it's easy to add them back in. Awesome orbiter. I will probably use these as fixed orbiters on the wall somewhere since battery life isn't the greatest.
  
 
I am also very interested in the 2440 all in one boards, which would be perfect to put in place of the current intercom system for fixed orbiters around the house.
 
I am also very interested in the 2440 all in one boards, which would be perfect to put in place of the current intercom system for fixed orbiters around the house.
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SPEAKERS: All Bose with the 701's up front 301's in the back and the VCS10 in the middle, still have to get a good powered SUB or amplify our current passive one.
 
SPEAKERS: All Bose with the 701's up front 301's in the back and the VCS10 in the middle, still have to get a good powered SUB or amplify our current passive one.
 
All of these have an IR connection in the back for control.
 
 
I have learned all IR remote codes and these will be submitted to the sqlcvs database.
 
  
  
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RECEIVER/DVD: Sony 5.1 all in one Home Theater System DAV-HDX265
 
RECEIVER/DVD: Sony 5.1 all in one Home Theater System DAV-HDX265
 
I have learned all IR remote codes and these will be submitted to the sqlcvs database.
 
  
  

Latest revision as of 17:04, 16 July 2010

Introduction

I am a Helicopter Instructor Pilot with a wish to automate our home, linuxMCE seems to be perfect for what I want to do in our house. I'm fairly new to Linux, but learn quickly, I have some experience with programming from my college years, and always tweaking stuff to make it work better/easier. Our house is a 1 floor setup with an existing Nutone intercom and an old Alarm system we do not use at the moment, I will integrate these systems into my setup as time goes by. We have 4 Bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, Kitchen, Livingroom, Playroom, Office, Pool area that I would like to provide this system with. Initially the Livingroom, Playroom, Kitchen and Office will be added and than I will expand as time goes by and I found the right "pnp" hardware. Master Bedroom and Bath are next, than we'll go to the patio for outside entertainment.

CORE SETUP

As I had a lot of hardware "laying around" from my computer upgrading spurts I have every other year or so, I decided to gives this setup a try.

  • Motherboard: Asus A7N8X Deluxe
    • Socket A with a AMD Athlon XP 2600+ installed
    • Memory at 1Gb PC3200 (will upgrade to 2Gb, still have a slot open)
    • 2 Internal NICs, 3COM, and nforce (forcedeth) both 100Mb max, disabled the nforce, added intel pci Nic for Gb.

Added a Soundblaster Card for audio, cannot get internal card to work.

  • Videocard: Axle Geforce 7600GS
    • 512Mb of memory
    • AGP8x
  • Storage: OCZ core2 SATA II 60Gb SSD
    • 500Gb Hard drive for storage
  • Drive: Generic DVD-drive
  • Power supply: ANTEC True430P
  • Case: old generic full tower case, kinda bulky but good enough for now.
  • NAS
    • Mvixbox with 2 drives for a total of 1.5Tb
    • Simpleshare with 250Gb for daily use on our home computers and backup of Core image


INSTALLATION

Ubuntu 0810

This Asus motherboard has 2 Sata connectors and hooked up the SSD to the Primary and made sure the jumper was set to enable SATA, installation was no problem.

Video, Sound and drive are all up and running.

I disabled the nforce network card and added a gigabit network card for the internal network. The nvidia 'forcedeth' seemed to be getting a new nic name each reboot, disabling this one was the easiest for me.

LinuxMCE 0810 beta2 snapshot June 1 2010

Installed it from the DVD with no problems

I'm using UI2 (no alpha blending, but think it will work just fine)


CM11A X10 controller

I had a box full of X10 devices in my garage from a previous attempt to automate the house, I have integrated some table lights in the system.

Make sure to add the CM11A manually and after add your devices as childs, works fine. I added a repeater/coupler because of the 2 bus system here in the USA, still tweaking this as i type this.


Hauppauge PVR500

Worked out of the box installed in my Core/hybrid, getting local channels available on the cable

NAS Mvixbox


MEDIA DIRECTORS

Got two Zotac ION ITX C-U boards, connected one to my LCD TV and set it up for PXE boot, this works out of the box, i got the black screen when the AVwizard should come up, pressed the number "3" and there it was. I choose hdmi2, 1080p, 60hz and it works fine.

Sound over Hdmi works great in the latest snapshot, only one cable needed to connect your MD

The only thing I always see, is that you have to restart your MD completely after the whole installation is done. You'll get a black screen otherwise. After restart everything is fine.

Also looking at other possibilities, especially cheap but performing for e.g. the bedroom TV's that don't require 1080p, I can't see the difference anyway between 720p and 1080p. But if it's possible it will be fine and future proof.


ORBITERS and REMOTES

Have 2 Gyration remotes, work ootb Have 2 Webdt 366's and they both work great and ootb after installation of the image.

Bought a windows vista MCE remote, this was plug and play with mceusb2 selected, mceusb will not work with these vista remotes.

I have 2 WebDT 366's which work great with Tschak's image, even after re-installs it's easy to add them back in. Awesome orbiter. I will probably use these as fixed orbiters on the wall somewhere since battery life isn't the greatest.

I am also very interested in the 2440 all in one boards, which would be perfect to put in place of the current intercom system for fixed orbiters around the house.


LIVING ROOM AV GEAR

TV: 65" Hitachi DLP with a max resolution of 1080i 65SWX20B

STB: Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HDC

RECEIVER: Onkyo SR606

DVD: Sony 5 disc multi DVD player DVP-NC665P

SPEAKERS: All Bose with the 701's up front 301's in the back and the VCS10 in the middle, still have to get a good powered SUB or amplify our current passive one.


PLAYROOM/HOME THEATER AV GEAR

TV: 47" Philips LCD TV (max 1080p) 47PFL5432D/37

STB: Scientific Atlanta Explorer 3250HD

RECEIVER/DVD: Sony 5.1 all in one Home Theater System DAV-HDX265


Working on

Trying to get the IR control to work correctly, just playing with some settings when i have time.


All in all it's not very difficult to setup, but it does require some reading and searching the forums/wiki/web for answers, especially when you are a linux noob like me.