Creating a pre-installed pack

[joz]

Hi all,

Some of my friends were asking me if I could make my setup somehow available for them. These guys are all new to MP so they would have to start from scratch installing everything (MP, plugins, skins, fanart etc.).

I always backup my complete MP folder and docs & settings folder so when I do a reinstall I just copy paste everything back to the right place. So I thought I could just zip my folders and share them online. As long as people stick to the same directory where I installed it (c:\program files\mediaportal) everything should work fine, right?

I use a hotseat installation so there's no server installed and won't be included in the pack.

What do you guys think of this? Are there gonna be serious problems installing this on another system? I'll test it out on a friends machine in some time and see if it works. In the mean time any feedback is welcome

[ThaClown]

Interresting question..
I dont see why it should not work... but errors could me made fast...

[rpm]

well, there could be some issues regarding the video card, don't know if mediaportal makes some checking on video card when installing....

Other than that, I don't think there should be any problem, and of course they have to have the same folder structure for your share folders.

Any other thing, I'll let you know

[joz]

don't know if mediaportal makes some checking on video card when installing

That was my fear exactly, driver issues... Only way to find out is test it I guess

and of course they have to have the same folder structure for your share folders.

You're right about that one. But this isn't the hardest part to get right on a MP install. With the full release there'll be probably some simple guide with steps.

And here we go. The alpha pack is ready! (couldn't call it beta, really no testing done already )
MediaPortal pre-packed hotseat installation (Aeon Wide skin). It's hosted on my server at my place. This comes at a price:
- this thing is not online all the time (it is now )
- It has an upload rate of maximum 100KB/s. With these huge packs it'll take some time to download.

The most important thing of all is that the first two things you install (order doesn't mather, just do it before the fanart packs etc.):
- mediaportal_hotseat_install.exe. Do NOT change the directory.
- documents_settings.exe. Do NOT change the directory.

After that the packs can be installed and should get installed at the right place (at least like I set before if you don't fiddle with the dir).
I'll try this out on a friends system as soon as I have the time and see how it goes (will keep you guys updated here in this thread).
In the meantime you guys could test it out for yourself offcourse but I haven't tested this thoroughly. It seems to work ok (again not 100% sure) on my XP system, Vista could be a whole different ball game (no experience with MP and Vista). I tried to make it generic with dirs such as %programfiles"and %ALLUSERSPROFILE%

If you're already running MP then I would recommend you not to use these packs!!!

[rpm]

Originally Posted by joz

That was my fair exactly, driver issues... Only way to find out is test it I guess

You're right about that one. But this isn't the hardest part to get right on a MP install. With the full release there'll be probably some simple guide with steps.

And here we go. The alpha pack is ready! (couldn't call it beta, really no testing done already )
MediaPortal pre-packed hotseat installation (Aeon Wide skin). It's hosted on my server at my place. This comes at a price:
- this thing is not online all the time (it is now )
- It has an upload rate of maximum 100KB/s. With these huge packs it'll take some time to download.

The most important thing of all is that the first two things you install (order doesn't mather, just do it before the fanart packs etc.):
- mediaportal_hotseat_install.exe. Do NOT change the directory.
- documents_settings.exe. Do NOT change the directory.

After that the packs can be installed and should get installed at the right place (at least like I set before if you don't fiddle with the dir).
I'll try this out on a friends system as soon as I have the time and see how it goes (will keep you guys updated here in this thread).
In the meantime you guys could test it out for yourself offcourse but I haven't tested this thoroughly. It seems to work ok (again not 100% sure) on my XP system, Vista could be a whole different ball game (no experience with MP and Vista). I tried to make it generic with dirs such as %programfiles"and %ALLUSERSPROFILE%

If you're already running MP then I would recommend you not to use these packs!!!

Can you give us a description of what every .exe file do ?

[joz]

sure thing, I kinda forgot

1) documents_settings.exe
This'll create the skeleton directory structure in:
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal
(%ALLUSERSPROFILE% in XP = "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\")

2) games_fanart.exe
This will unzip game backdrops I have into:
C:\Program Files\MediaPortal\skin\Aeon Wide\Media\Animations\games

3) mediaportal_hotseat_install.exe
This will install the main files of MP into:
%ProgramFiles%\Mediaportal
(in XP %ProgramFiles% = "C:\Program Files")
So this includes:
- Default MP installation stuff
- Loads of plugins (which I'm running here atm)
- The Aeon Wide skin including all my own mod's
- TVLikeSleep
- TVGids_to_xml.exe (dutch WebEPG)
- probably forgot something

4) movies_fanart.exe
This will unzip movie backdrops I have into:
C:\Program Files\MediaPortal\skin\Aeon Wide\Media\Animations\movies

5) mp_tv_series_fan_art.exe
This will unzip my tv series fanart into:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\Thumbs\Fan Art

6) music_fanart.exe
This will unzip music backdrops I have into:
C:\Program Files\MediaPortal\skin\Aeon Wide\Media\Animations\games
These backdrops are already named correctly (that is, for me)

7) my_emulators_games_and_consoles.exe
This will unzip into:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\Thumbs\myEmulators
It has games and some emulator icons

8) plugins_fanart.exe
This will unzip plugins fanart into:
C:\Program Files\MediaPortal\skin\Aeon Wide\Media\Animations\plugins

9) radio_logos.exe
This will unzip radio logos (dutch, just a couple for now) into:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\Thumbs\Radio

10) settings_fanart.exe
This will unzip settings backdrops I have into:
C:\Program Files\MediaPortal\skin\Aeon Wide\Media\Animations\settings

11) tv_logos(incl.kijkwijzer).exe
This will unzip TV logos (again dutch) and audience rating (also dutch) I have into:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\Thumbs\TV\Logos

12) weather_fanart.exe
This will unzip weather fanart into:
C:\Program Files\MediaPortal\skin\Aeon Wide\Media\Animations\weather

I went with so many seperate files because I'm not really sure all people would want all my stuff. This way you'd have to click a couple of times to get everything installed but at least you can cherry pick them.

p.s.
I didn't write all the paths with variables but I ensure you this'll be the cause for the self extracting archives (double checked this)

[gemx]

Nice idea but what about the needed codecs? They have to be installed seperately?

[joz]

Yes they would have... one more thing to consider (which I kinda forgot about)

imo I could do two things:
1) Really create an installer and not all these seperate self extracting archives. The codecs will be the once from the simple codec guide. Never did this before so I'd have to check it out. If possible I'll have some checkboxes for the stuff you want to install.
2) attach the simple codec guide with it. Like the quote from braniac "The lazy man's way"

[rpm]

great job !

about the codecs, I always use ffdshow+CoreAVC for mkv and they are really easy to configure...so maybe a quick guide for this would be really good...

Cheers

[joz]

Ok thx for the suggestion. Never used CoreAVC befire, should check it out. Heard people talking 'bout better performance.
It's all really based on my "current system" and I use the simple codec guide myself. I really have to perfect this more.
Create something like WAMP does for setting up an easy Apache MySQL and PHP on windows.