Well during all my time with MythTV and all it's great functions, I'll discovered several changes along the way with different fixes etc - to handle a problem with. So here's the short description of problems and solutions:

Using 1DVD for whole system (under the stairs):

After thinking a lot into saving powing - I've started using the ASUS EEE B202 boxes without any DVD or CDrom drive, so started thinking about sharing DVD-drives from network. I've started out by using the NFS as already used with sharing drives, but unfortunably this gives a problem with the stability of playing the DVD, the audio continues but the pictures stands still - so tried out SAMBA instead.

Start with installing the needed packages on the clients:

$ pacman -Sy smbclient

Afterwards change the /etc/fstab on the clients - and add these lines for using along the automount during boot.

$ # DVD //10.0.0.10/dvd /mnt/dvd cifs username=root,password=<PASSWD> 0 0

AS I did this - smbfs was replaced with cifs, so that's why :-)
On the CORE-server you need a little more - starting with installing the samba package.

$ pacman -Sy samba

Now you'll need to edit your /etc/samba/smb.conf. There's placed a default configurationfile - but well - we don't need all that. Here's what my /etc/samba/smb.conf look's like - but I'm anly sharing the DVD-drive that way:

[global] Workgroup = PBJDESIGN server string = Samba Server %v security = share encrypt passwords = Yes smb passwd file = /etc/samba/smbpasswd log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m max log size = 50 4 socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192 printcap name = lpstat dns proxy = No printing = cups os level = 65 preferred master = Yes domain master = Yes wins support = Yes [dvd] comment = dvd drive on Core writeable = No locking = No path = /mnt/dvd

And add the user root to samba - as a user - for accessing the drive.

$ smbpasswd -a root

And you'll be ask for wished password for the user twice with out see what you type.

That's was all I did, and that help a lot on the lacking of playing DVD's. But sometimes I've discovered if there's a timeout of reading the disc, it jumps out of playing and back to MythDVD view.
To start samba on CORE-server from boot - add samba to the DAEMONS{....} line in /etc/rc.conf.

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Sound (Digital - DTS - Surround Dolby ):

After getting my new Asrock ION330, i entered some problems about sound, I've discovered that the audio through the HDMI-Cable is possible using ALSA:hw03 as sound device - But It'll only send it to the TV. I wanted allso the sound getting through to my Surround reciever - so here's the settings for getting the sound to work:

My General sound settings in mythfrontend....
Audio output device = ALSA:hw:0,3 - !!!!Could be changed to ALSA:Default for the SPDIF output!
Passthrough output device = ALSA:iec958( AES0 0x02 )
Max Audio Channels = Stereo
Upmix = Passive
Enable AC3 to SPDIF passthrough = checked box
Enable DTS to SPDIF passthrough = Checked box
Aggressive Sound Card = Not checked box
Use internal volume control = Not checked box

This should make it possible to get the sound to work on your system!

MythArchive:

MythArchive is basicly ment to run on a Backend/frontend machine, so now when I have my setup there's a lot of problems regarding to this. Starting out after installing MythArchive - I'll need to install some other packages since the MythArchive is running with python. So install the missing packages:

$ pacman -Sy mysql-python pil pyxml

This will install the missing packages. Now you'll have to fullfill these demands. MythArchive Root Directory NEEDS to be some place where your user(myth in my case) have read/write access and LOTS OF FREE SPACE!!!! As default it's /usr/share/mythtv/mytharchive - which I'll use also as Directory. The next part is about the default xml profile, but starting out you'll need to create the dir config in Mytharchive and afterwards a file in config called mydata.xml with these lines in the file:

<!DOCTYPE NATIVEARCHIVEJOB> <nativearchivejob> <job> <media> <file title="Paradise Hotel 4" type="recording" delete="0" filename="2036_20080217145000.mpg" /> <file title="Paradise Hotel 4" type="recording" delete="0" filename="2036_20080217154500.mpg" /> </media> <options dvdrsize="4482" mediatype="0" erasedvdrw="0" createiso="0" doburn="1" savedirectory="" /> </job> </nativearchivejob>

This will tell your MythTV which profile to use during MythArchive processes. But since we don't have the rigth permission to the directory, so start with chowning the MythArchive directory:

$ chown -R myth.users /usr/share/mythtv/mytharchive

Then We're now ready to make the little hacks - that makes it possible to run MythArchive on a frontend - its a cheat trick by giving the MySQL backend some parameters, so do this as root:

$ mysql -p $ use mythconverg; $ insert into settings (value, data, hostname) VALUES ('RecordFilePrefix','/storage/records', 'stuen');

This will work if you have the rigth settings for all the things - The NFS mounted Drive, the name on the Frontend!

PLING - Now it'll works just fine and you'll see the loglines in the mainwindow on the frontend!

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MythShutdown:

That's a bit more tricky - caurse here's it's about the rigth permission etc for the user myth so he's able to shut down the machine manually! First of all we need sudo to make this possible. So start by installing this

$ pacman -Sy sudo

After installing this package, we'll need to edit some of the different params in the Sud config file:

$ visudo

And add these lines to the file:

Under User privileges: root ALL=(ALL) SETENV: ALL myth ALL=(ALL) SETENV: ALL Under samples in the bottom: %users localhost = NOPASSWD: /sbin/shutdown -h now myth stuen = NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/mythshutdown -q

Now you'll need to edit using the Graphic interface - so go to Settings --> Settings --> General Settings, and find the line about mythshutdown and make it look like this:

sudo /usr/bin/mythshutdown -q

And that's it! Now your MythTV shutdown should be working fine!

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Mythtv-status:

To get at updated status each time you log in to myhtTV Coreserver(MBE) you'll get at loginscreen looking like this:

It's quite easy - allthough you'll need several packages to make it work. Depending on your Distro - you'll need these packages:

LWP::Simple XML::LibXML Date::Manip MIME::Entity MythTV - The MythTV Perl API <optional>

Copy the bin*files to your /usr/bin directory and make them executeable, and they are ready to run. To make it show each time at login - put these lines in the buttom of your /etc/profile:

# MythTV Status mythtv-status -c -d

Afterwards you're done - and that's it.

 

A Streaming Radio within MythTV:

A I was using my frontends as normal - I've started missing hearing normal radio. So started wondering searching how to make it work. I found out that you got several ways - but I wanted to hear the Danish channels, so using the radios online.

Start begging I've used the old MythFM and Mythstream - and starting out by searching my own way. I found out that radio's in Denmark uses the same streamingUrl each time - so just needed the find the URL for the streaming. Afterwards It was only the placing of the Menu in FUI - along with the 2 scripts. the streamsniffer is quite easy to use. Unpack and make it chmod +x , Start streamsniffer - and then start a browser and tune into to favorite channels. You'll afterwards se the streaming url of the radio - and should be able to copy/paste it into a new browser and the radio starts playing - use this URL and change the channels to fit into your own needs.

In the MythFrontend, add these lines in /usr/share/mythtv/mainmenu.xml:

<!-- Added for Radio Button --> <button> <type>MUSIC</type> <text>Play Radio</text> <text lang="DK">Afspil Radio</text> <action>MENU fmmenu.xml</action> </button>

This will make a new menu in the Main menu in the Mythfrontend. So now we need to tell what to do - when entering the new menu - so Make a new file call /usr/share/mythtv/fmmenu.xml and put these settings in - allthough you'll need to fit'em into your own needs and names for the station.

<!-- Made for adding radiochannels to MythTV --> <!-- Made 251207 by PBJ --> <mythmenu name="FMMENU"> <button> <type>MUSIC</type> <text>Radio 100FM </text> <action>EXEC /usr/bin/mythfm radio100fm</action> </button> <button> <type>MUSIC</type> <text>RadioCity </text> <action>EXEC /usr/bin/mythfm radiocity</action> </button> <button> <type>MUSIC</type> <text>The Voice </text> <action>EXEC /usr/bin/mythfm voice</action> </button> <button> <type>MUSIC</type> <text>DK P3 </text> <action>EXEC /usr/bin/mythfm dkp3</action> </button> <button> <type>MUSIC</type> <text>DK P4 </text> <action>EXEC /usr/bin/mythfm dkp4</action> </button> <button> <type>TV_DELETE</type> <text>Stop Radio afspilning</text> <action>EXEC /usr/bin/mythfm_kill</action> </button> </mythmenu>

As you kan se - we're calling /usr/bin/mythfm and mythfm_kill to make the actions and in them where using Mplayer to get the sound etc - actually quite simple.

/usr/bin/mythfm:

#!/bin/bash # Control streaming radio in MythTV # Script made 251207 PBJ if [ "$1" = "radio100fm" ]; then # First make sure all others streamings are killed. /usr/bin/mythfm_kill echo "I'm about to play:"$1 /usr/bin/mplayer http://onair.100fmlive.dk/100fm_live.mp3 & elif [ "$1" = "voice" ]; then # First make sure all others streamings are killed. /usr/bin/mythfm_kill echo "I'm about to play:"$1 /usr/bin/mplayer http://dix.media.webpartner.dk/voice128 & elif [ "$1" = "radiocity" ];then /usr/bin/mythfm_kill echo "I'm about to play:"$1 /usr/bin/mplayer http://stream.ventelo.dk:80/radiocity?MSWMExt=.asf & elif [ "$1" = "dkp3" ]; then # First make sure all others streamings are killed. /usr/bin/mythfm_kill echo "I'm about to play:"$1 /usr/bin/mplayer http://wmscr1.dr.dk/e02ch03m?wmcontentbitrate=40000 & elif [ "$1" = "dkp4" ]; then # First make sure all others streamings are killed. /usr/bin/mythfm_kill echo "I'm about to play:"$1 /usr/bin/mplayer http://wmscr1.dr.dk/e04ch07m?wmcontentbitrate=40000 & else exit 1 fi exit 0

And /usr/bin/mythfm_kill:

#!/bin/bash # Kill mythfm from playing other radio stations # Made 251207 by PBJ pkill -f mplayer

Quite simple radio - But you'll need to know the streaming url - and then fit the scripts into your needs.