Anyone using an Acer Revo currently?

[maltloaf]

I've settled on the other one, the auto config script as it's easier to keep up to date.

For this you need to install minimal ubuntu 9.10 and then run the script on top.



Instructions here..

[LINUX] XBMC Complete Installer Script for NVIDIA Ion Based Systems - XBMC Community Forum



minimal ubuntu iso..

XBMC Community Forum - View Single Post - [LINUX] My Asrock 330 ION Tweaks, Tips, Tricks, and Fixes!



should install to SD fine

[evilsatan]

Cheers for that mate, what about the ION tweaks that are included on XBMCfreaks version? Are they easy to perform myself?

EDIT:
I see the script you posted seems to include all of those tweaks

[maltloaf]

theyre all in there, as you run the script it becomes pretty obvious. GFX drivers, audio drivers etc.

the only thing it doesnt do is enable Vsync by default (stops tearing) and also you need to select VDPAU when you first run xbmc (only once)

Other than that it's pretty straightforward and as I said, better because you can update to latest much easier than xbmcfreak which basically requires a complete reinstall...

[evilsatan]

I knew it couldn't be that easy

Following the Ubuntu minimal install post I copied the files onto my newly formatted FAT USB drive, booted to it and it said remove all devices then restart. Easily solved by getting the Karmic Koala mini.ISO and using unetbootin to install (seems the USB wasn't bootable using the copy file method).

But... onto my main issue. I cannot autoconfigure my network settings, there is a consistent error. So I chose to manually configure. I entered the IP from whatismyip.com (using my laptop connected to my home wifi). When it asked for gateway I got an error using my IP of 192.168.1.254 for my homehub so I used the same IP as whatismyip.com. Left nameservers blank. Goto get the ubuntu installation and Bad archive mirror error!!

I have a ethernet plugged into my Revo which goes to a homeplug, then another homeplug connected to my homehub via ethernet. Any ideas where I'm going wrong?

Also is there any advantage using the 64bit ubuntu over the 32bit? I wasn't sure if the RAM limitations were windows specific.

[maltloaf]

your ip should be a spare ip of your lan (probably 192.168.x.x), not the wan ip. The gateway should be the dsl modem/cable box ip (again 192.168.x.x). The nameserver can be set to this too (usually)

[evilsatan]

Just a warning for anyone running 195 or 196 drivers:

Do not update to 195.36.08! - nvidia
An update was pushed today for lucid to update nvidia-graphics-drivers to 195.36.08. Nvidia has pulled this update as there are possibly severe issues with fan speed control causing cards to overheat and cause permanent damage.

We are aware that some customers have reported fan speed issues with
the latest 196.75 WHQL drivers on NVIDIA.com. Until we can verify and
root cause this issue, we recommend that customers stay with, or return
to 196.21 WHQL drivers. Release 196.75 drivers have been temporarily
removed from our website.

We believe recent NVIDIA UNIX graphics drivers, 195.36.08 and 195.36.03, are also affected by this. Until the problem is resolved, we recommend that UNIX users revert to the 190.53 web release or the 195.30 public beta.

We are in the process of removing 195.36.08 and 195.36.03 from NVIDIA's FTP site.

We will post more information as it is available.

[maltloaf]

I **think** I'm on 190 but will check when I get home

cheers,

malty

[maltloaf]

Spent about 2hr the other night trying to get my ps3 remote working with ubuntu/xbmc. It's recognised and pairs but I don't get any further. Anyone had any luck ?

Also today I need to look into mounting my new NAS drive automatically and use it as the folder for sabnzbd+

[maltloaf]

OK got my NAS drive properly mounted now and it's the destination for sabnzbd+ downloads

here's what I did in case anyone else needs the same..

first you need to make a credentials file with your username and password in for the nas drive

sudo pico /root/.smbcredentials

in this file put the following

username=user
password=pass

replace user and pass with the nas smb user/pass, press ctrl x and then y and press return

make the file so it can be only read by root

sudo chmod 700 /root/.smbcredentials

then you need to make a folder where the share will mount.

sudo mkdir /media/nasdrive

next you need to set the share to be auto mounted at bootup and this requires editing of /etc/fstab

sudo pico /etc/fstab

add the following line at the bottom...

//nasip/sharename    /media/nasdrive        cifs    credentials=/root/.smbcredentials,iocharset=utf8,file_mode=0777,dir_mode=0777 0 0

replacing nasip with the IP of your NAS and sharename with the shared folder you are mounting

worked for me let me know how you get on if you try this...

ps, to add this as a folder in sabnzbd+, go to config/folders and set the temp folder as...

/media/nasdrive/downloads/incomplete

and the completed folder as...

/media/nasdrive/downloads/complete

[DejaVu]

I'm gonna jump on this thread seeing as it's appropriately named.

I'm getting the R3610 in a week or so. It's gonna be attached to my TV purely as a Media Server and used for nothing else.
Which one should I go for?

http://www.ebuyer.com/search?q=R3610&x=0&y=0 Is there a cheaper place?

I figure the Linux one is cheaper, but lower spec @ £189, but I could always load Windows 7 to it myself and perhaps upgrade the RAM later on (Is it still OK at playing MKV's?)

The catch 22 is I would prefer the 4GB version, but it's already installed with Windows 7 (costing more cos of the licence).

I'm in 2 minds about Windows Media Centre and XBMC.

Whats the pro's and con's of Linux and Windows and Windows Media Centre and XBMC?

BTW, Wont be streaming. I have 4x 1TB Hard drives to connect to it...

Obviously a n00b to this.

[maltloaf]

i would buy this one

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/182588

as you can always upgrade it

as for linux/xbmc/wmp etc, linux is faster and lighter BUT it's a steep learning curve. Depends how your tinkering skills are

[DejaVu]

Yeah, thats what I was thinking.

[maltloaf]

Managed to partially break mine. Just to be clever I thought I'd install a GUI desktop just in case I ever needed it. Installed xorg, gdm and gnome-core and sure enough, a fully working desktop came up. Sadly now it only boots into the desktop and not into xbmc anymore. I can start xbmc from gnome or I can kill gnome and start xbmc from the cli but I can't get xbmc to start as default. I even disabled gdm but it still starts ! Oh well

[evilsatan]

@DejaVu - Depends what you want out of your machine to which box you go for. I had to have the dual core, storage space didn't matter for me because, like you, I intended to run media from external HDDs. Linux isn't a problem because you can add windows if you wanted to.

Basically the Linux Revos do not come with a wireless kb + mouse, that was a requirement for me so I looked how much it would cost to source one elsewhere, I also looked how much it would cost to swap out the 2x1GB for 2x2GB, and the 4GB machine has a 320GB HDD instead of 250GB. I ended up paying £250 from SimplyAcer because the extra I got for my money was cheaper than buying the memory from crucial. The model I got was 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Genuine windows 7, wireless kb+mouse etc.

If you don't need the extra RAM or keyboard then go for the £190 at ebuyer.

[DejaVu]

I'm not planning on using a wireless Keyboard and Mouse, just a my Media Remote control (Either my Harmony or MS Media Remote). Not quite sure about the amount of RAM I'll need, so long as it plays 1080p with no hiccups, I'll be happy. I was hoping to use the Windows based Media Centre programs. Either Microsoft Media Centre with http://www.mediabrowser.tv or XBMC.

Why is better to run the Linux version of XBMC? Is it more responsive?

[maltloaf]

the linux nvidia driver is better at using the graphics hardware to display images. You can get flawless HD playback much easier in linux. You can get it working easily in the 2GB linux one almost out of the box.

I suppose the real answer is to try both win and linux and see what works for you.

by the way I got the wireless keyboard and mouse with mine and 320GB hard drive as it came from Taiwan (via phoenixsingh)

cheers,

malty

[Thrush]

I can't say I agree with that Malt.

Having experienced both linux and windows for 1080p playback, I found windows to be far easier to setup and play with windows media player classic, it plays everything I throw at it without a hitch.

I have yet to try xbmc in windows, classic plays everything I want!

btw I have the dual core machine with 2gb ram.
I also don't have to worry about nivida drivers killing my machine, which is a nice bonus.

Linux for me was a headache from the start and I battled with it for a month, my lcd tv does not support 1:1 pixel mapping... do you know how hard it is to set up modelines? Its a fucking joke, in fact most of linux's settings arn't designed for the anyone who is coming from a windows background, everything is just too much hardwork.

I installed windows 7 with the latest nvidia drivers and I had a onscreen scroll bar to sort out my image so that everything fitted on my television, now why wasn't that option avaliable on linux?

[maltloaf]

Just because Linux isn't set up to spoonfeed windows users into changing doesn't mean that it's wrong. Switching to Linux is and always has been a fair step. A step which is being largely bridged by os x (essentially freeBSD with a beautiful custom GUI).

The linux option for this and so many things isn't a tick box in a heavyweight and bloated GUI. It's trawling through forum pages and executing cli commands which ultimately give a much more streamlined result, as it's doing what you want and ONLY what you want, bloat free.

Admittedly it's a long and arduous path, especially for "I want a tickbox and I don't care how many CPU cycles it takes" windows users, and as such, ain't for everyone. Horses for courses.

[Thrush]

Its not about being wrong or right, its about usability.

I don't think the average user of any software wants to spend days looking for in many cases random lines on forums for a maybe solution to your particular problem, I keep on refering to it but modelines was a joke. I like many others want to get from a to b in the simplist possible way.

A few posts back you talk about nearly breaking yours! What would I want to go through that for? (I did, actually had to reinstall ubunto countless times!)

Windows 7.... bloated? Maybe. Working? Yes Sir!

[maltloaf]

Its not about being wrong or right, its about usability.

I don't think the average user of any software wants to spend days looking for in many cases random lines on forums for a maybe solution to your particular problem,

I do! I think what you really mean is the average **windows** user, not the average user. You shouldn't judge everyone by what you want fron something. Some people will change the oil on their car, some don't even know how to lift the bonnet.

A few posts back you talk about nearly breaking yours! What would I want to go through that for? (I did, actually had to reinstall ubunto countless times!)

Windows 7.... bloated? Maybe. Working? Yes Sir!

yep I broke mine. I also fixed it. Too easy to just reinstall I'd rather find out why. Bloated ? No. Working ? Yes sir !