Improve the installation process (1 Viewer)

[SpudR]

Hi guys
Recently I read a thread where @Kenneth Abbott was complaining about MP and how difficult it is to set up - https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/im-glad-i-didnt-pay-for-this.119394/#post-999164 if you want to find the thread.

Kudos to @kiwijunglist for sorting - truly in the MP community spirit

This got me thinking however...

The installation process is the users first showing of MP and could do with some improvement, namely the setting up of some details which are a little buried in the MP config programs.

So, I'm opening the floor to suggestions of what needs to be included in the installation, hopefully to be included at a later date.

I would suggest that at some point (probably to be decided by the devs as there may be dependency issues), on a full install the installer asks:

• Check for latest MP versions - DL and install if necessary
• Should I download the 'essentials' plugins pack (to be decided, but would included the 'essentials', like TV series etc.)
• Check for latest Plugin versions - DL and install if necessary
• Location of media (TV series, Movies, Music and Pictures), this goes in to the DB as a global var
• Should I catalog the selected media now? (check boxes for the 4 media types)
• Basic settings for the TV server
• Do you want me to scan for TV channels now? (warning of the time it might take)
• Auto config for the EPG in local country
• Skin related questions (DL another skin), choose theme etc.

The main idea is that MP should give the users a basic start and a running system from the outset. Once the install is completed, run MP and stand with your mouth open, and eyes wide, mind blown, staring at the magnificence that is MP

Thoughts?

 

[jameson_uk]

Totally agree but this is one of the reasons I almost quit MP... and I know that @mm13520000 feels strongly about ease of setup too

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/index.php?threads/90881/
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/index.php?threads/100077/

And lots of other little things.

Issue is that no devs want to pick this upand I simply don't have the time.

I started work on a UK only installation but have not got very far yet

Should be the main focus of the team but unfortunately it isn't

 

[Edalex]

Yeah, wizard is must have thing. All things you mentioned are doable
Me and Vasilch will probably make some research in scanning tv channels in gui first.

Other things could be done by showing screen from already existing GUI Settings.

 

[mm1352000]

Me and Vasilch will probably make some research in scanning tv channels in gui first.

There is no way to do that without dupliicating the code in TV Server configuration... and that is a bad design. Please do not do anything here. I was working on this for TVE3.5 already. As I said in another thread, every change like this has to be manually merged to TVE 3.5 or redone in MP 1 after TVE3.5 is merged. It would just be making more work for ourselves.

 

[kiwijunglist]

^ Agree probably not worth working on the tv side of this yet. I think what is needed is for someone to make a new concept for

1. Installation Wizard (probably nothing will change here)
2. Initial Setup post installation Wizard MP
3. Initial Setup post installation Wizard TV
4. Optional setup of plugins
5. Re-Run setup wizard MP (will probably be the same as #2)
6. Re-Run setup wizard TV-Server (will probably be the same as #3)
7. New Configuration layout MP +/- advanced
8. New Configuration layout TV-Server +/- advanced

Some where in #1-3 there will be a side step into installing a selection of popular plugins (individual tick boxes) approved by the team. The side step will have a little info page or video on each option. In step4, you are sequentially taken into the setup/setup wizard for each plugin you ticked.

I'm a proponent for having a basic/advanced mode toggle button in settings, although some of the team members don't like this feature.

PS. There is already a concept here, but I don't really agree with it and it's probably out dated as well.
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...ibute/99_Design_Concepts/Configuration_Wizard

 

[Edalex]

Please do not do anything here.

Okay, I thought TV3.5 is far from readiness. I didn't see builds for MP1.
Honestly I'm afraid it could be unusable in XP like MP 1.4.0

I think what is needed is for someone to make a new concept

You seems good in making concepts [/quote]

 

[mm1352000]

Okay, I thought TV3.5 is far from readiness. I didn't see builds for MP1.

Yes it is not ready... but that does not mean the work is not ongoing or that builds for MP1 won't be made available. What I'm trying to say is the scanning-in-GUI was already being worked on, so it makes no sense to do things twice.

Honestly I'm afraid it could be unusable in XP like MP 1.4.0

MP 1.4 can be used on XP. I'm using XP.

 

[morpheus_xx]

I had planned to work on channel scanning inside MP2 GUI as well. We need to build the infrastructure in a flexible way. Scanning must run async on server and needs to notify progress to the client (and allow to cancel).
While Mp1 will use WCF, Mp2 uses UPnP. That's why I asked to create a common "eventing service" to wrap the network protocol from the logic.

 

[mm1352000]

We need to build the infrastructure in a flexible way. Scanning must run async on server and needs to notify progress to the client (and allow to cancel)

Exactly. The logic for adding and updating and actual storing of channels should be all in the server side (TVLibrary, or even a plugin framework), and the GUIs should be used only for control and display of progress.

 

[SpudR]

This all sounds positive to me, is it worth looking to build the aforementioned concept for a future MP release? (I have no idea what this might look like BTW).

I do think that some of the details in the wiki, need a little updating but it's not too far from what I'm suggesting - I like the idea of asking for the weather location too, I forgot that one.

I'm mainly looking to automate the install and some of the main tasks I perform every time I update/reinstall, and am aware that most of the info I'm inputting could be asked during the install.

I had planned to work on channel scanning inside MP2 GUI as well. We need to build the infrastructure in a flexible way. Scanning must run async on server and needs to notify progress to the client (and allow to cancel).

Just to clarify in my little, non dev, mind, I guess you are suggesting that the scanning engine be a separate part of the MP TV bit called when necessary?
This sounds like a great idea and in keeping with the MP2 philosophy that everything is a plugin.