building a server for mediaportal plus general server.. what os to use though? (1 Viewer)

[Kilack]

Hi,

Currently have a singleseat set up in the lounge. I have a "server" which is running winxp.

I want to make a dedicated server and move the tuners into this but am having problems deciding on the OS to use.
I had wanted to use 64bit windows 2003, due to allowing more than 10 connections and 64bit to allow more memory. I want this to be serving other stuff not just for mediaportal.

here comes the issues, it seems mediaportal doesn't support win2003 or any of the server family, it also seems unclear if hauppauge support 64bit drivers for anything other than vista.

So when people run the tv engine on a server, what exactly are they running it on generally?

Has anyone had any success on windows 2003 server? or whs?
Any reason why these aren't supported? being that tv engine is supposed to be run on a server?

Bloody MS and their restrictions on every type of windows... hehe

I'm not sure what to do now.. bought 4 gigs of memory 2x2 thinking of a nice 64bit server but might be forced to go 32bit now because of drivers and might be forced to use vista32 bit or xp pro which gives me the silly 10 connection limit which really sucks because even different shares on the drives count towards that limit even if teh connections are from one machine right?

 

[romuz]

Win 2003 server 32 bit supports all 4gb memory so u dont need 64 bit version im running my server on it with one dvb card

 

[level20peon]

Forget about using Windows 2003. I have been using it for several years in combination with MediaPortal. Had to use a hack now and then though. But in essence it always was a half-hearted solution since there never was _any_ support comming from the devs, even if it wasn't OS related. Well, I always found a way to realize what I wanted though until now.

Well, now. Now MP 1.1 is coming and it won't even install on Windows 2003 anymore. So I have to use another hack by installing it on a compatible platform like XP and then migrate all files and registry settings to my Windows 2003 machine.

I won't give up my server system since it is vital for my home-network and for so many other purposes. I also won't install yet another Computer "just" to get the Media part done.

You see where this is going. I am starting to think it isn't worth the effort anymore at some point. It's like MP is harder to use from release to release for some users who started using MP before the 0.2x branch anyway.

Towards your driver-question; There are always ways to make the drivers work in such an environment, depending on the effort you are willing to invest and the knowledge you have on Windows. But after what I said before, this probably will be the least of your concerns


-level20peon

 

[pnyberg]

Good points level20pen!

I'm also using MP on a server system (2008). The thing is that I also have this server for many purposes, including running VMWare hosting my virtual web server. Also since the server is always on and is more than capable of running TVE3/MP as well without bother installing another MP client. (FYI I'm using Gefen HDMI and spdif extenders to connect my server to my TV and surround system in the living room, I have the server in another room - so I can't hear it ).

I'm sad to hear that the devs decided to not let you install MP client on a server OS... I fully understand that they are not supporting it - but they should definitely let you install it. It would be up to the user to decide if he/she want support or not. Today there is a warning that it isn't supported - that's fine and I can live with it - that should be sufficient imo.

Sorry, I'm not meaning to hijack this thread...

Back to the subject; If you are willing to take the plunge anyway kilack, I definitely would recommend Win2008 32bit. It is based on Vista so drivers for Vista works on 2008 as well. And I would recommend using 32bit since currently drivers for "client based peripherals" is mostly 32bit.

But things will change with win7 and 2008 R2 and new drivers will eventually only be 64bit - but it could take some time...

 

[Kilack]

Thanks for the replies, well it seems ashame that they don't want to put any effort into making it run on the server family, obviously it can be done and with their help it could be done a lot easier I am sure. People wanting to run the tvengine on a dedicated server probably do want to run it on a _server_ and not have to have another machine running vista or xp just to have tvengine in it..

I would love to use windows 2003 or 2008 server to run the tv engine so I can get rid of one machine which was the idea but it seems from the replies that now the developers are trying to make it even harder to get things working in the server family.. If windows 2008 server is very smilar to vista (which i have read it is) then surely they could add support there or at least allow you to install it with a warning instead of preventing the installer from even working.

Anyway am now even less clear on what to do , want to use 2003 server because i actually have a license for it and am familiar with it.. but hauppauge have 64bit drivers for vista so probably likely to work in server 2008 64bit which could be nice....

Maybe the developers could be convinced to take a look at 2008 server?

 

[tourettes]

If you really want to have TVE3 running on the server OSes, please as Microsoft to provide needed components (BDA , directshow updates etc.). After that is done we can start to support those OSes.

 

[pnyberg]

Well, yes of course Tourettes. But still I would like you to allow it to install on a server OS... And send up BIG warning signs - that it is NOT supported - just as you do with pre-1.1 MP.

Would that be too much to ask?

 

[tourettes]

Well, yes of course Tourettes. But still I would like you to allow it to install on a server OS... And send up BIG warning signs - that it is NOT supported - just as you do with pre-1.1 MP.

Would that be too much to ask?

Yes, as the team gets still too much error reports and other support requests with those unsupported OSes. And even when we don't read those reports thru it is still causing some overhead that we don't want to.

Also if you really want to install the server on unsupported OS, you can always just use the compatibility mode to run the installer (it should fool the application to think they are running on a sane OS).

 

[level20peon]

Also if you really want to install the server on unsupported OS, you can always just use the compatibility mode to run the installer (it should fool the application to think they are running on a sane OS).

Didn't work for me (Windows 2003 R2 SP2 Standard, MP 1.1 Alpha, All possible settings of compatibility mode).


-level20peon

 

[romuz]

Also if you really want to install the server on unsupported OS, you can always just use the compatibility mode to run the installer (it should fool the application to think they are running on a sane OS).

Didn't work for me (Windows 2003 R2 SP2 Standard, MP 1.1 Alpha, All possible settings of compatibility mode).


-level20peon

Windows 2003 R2 SP2 Standard and MP 1.1 Alpha(and all SVN's) works for me with normal install
with one tweak
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/mediaportal-1-1-0-alpha-453/tv-server-install-whs-tvservice-config-66941/