Porting the TV server to Linux (1 Viewer)

[leo212]

This whole discussion is pointless and has already be discussed many times over.

It seems every time there is some new development in MP, out comes the cry "lets port it to Linux". MediaPortal is a windows, DirectX and .NET based application. If you cannot accept that then please stop wasting everyones time and find/join a product/project that suits your needs and tastes.

All this "I hate Windows/C#/etc. Lets port all the code to MY favorite
OS/Language", needs to stop, because that is what MP is. Take it or leave it.

I think that you missed the point of this discussion.
If someone think that is a waste of time to think of improvements for the MP Architecture can stop reading now. We just amusing with the idea of myth-server with MP-client, and seems that everyone is pretty OK with that...

 

[James]

Sorry that was not the point of the thread/Discussion see the thread title: "Porting the TV server to Linux". Clearly PORTING of the existing TV Server was.

As so often happens with these threads they get off topic.

There is nothing wrong if some one wants to develop a plugin to talk to a Myth based server, but if there really is interest start a new thread for that discussion.

 

[johnbobjamesson]

why not have senseless discussions? no need to take part in them, right? take it or leave it

J

 

[James]

It is just distracking to keep reading these threads in the forum.

 

[kerpow]

I am sure anyone who reads through this thread will see a natural progression in the conversation.

I think its funny that we are asked to keep this topic out of other threads, then when a new one is started for the sole purpose of this topic, we get told that the "whole discussion is pointless" etc etc etc by those who don't seem interested anyway.

I agree that discussions like these should be contained in their own threads, but I also think that these discussions are very interesting and sometimes lead to great ideas.

Should we move Linux/MP discussion away from the MP forum all together? Humm, that wouldn't be very productive would it.

Lets just hope is was James having a bad day! Come on everybody, SMILE!

 

[samuel337]

I've tried using both so here are my observations:

Getting MP up and running for me was as simple as:

1. Installing Windows XP.
2. Install all appropriate drivers (including video and tv card drivers).
3. Install MediaPortal.
4. Go through MP configuration, setup TV card.
5. Run MP.

That's all it takes for me, and I'm using very common hardware so it should be. I never at any point touched the command prompt btw; all GUI.

Getting mythTV running on Linux however involved (I'm using Ubuntu 6.06 Badger btw as it seems to be the most popular):

1. Install Ubuntu 6.06 (there were problems here with my nvidia card, but this is not mythtv's problem so I won't go into it here).
2. Enable the Universe and multiverse repositories in Synaptic.
3. Download packages required to *build* the dvico drivers and mythtv (version in the repository was old when I did this earlier this year).
4. Build the dvico drivers by downloading and make-ing them.
5. Download mythtv sources, create the mySQL database for mythtv, configure the compilation process, compile mythtv, mythplugins and myththemes. I'll admit this step isn't needed if the package is available in the repositories.
6. Run mythtv-setup and configure it, then run mythfilldatabase.
7. Run mythbackend.
8. Run mythfrontend.

Looking at the steps alone, it seems to be pretty much the same, BUT - the difference is that I had to use the terminal for the majority of these commands. This is just something the user should not have to do. However, you may say that its dvico's fault for not open-sourcing a driver so it can be rolled into the distribution, so with that assumption, its pretty much the same on both platforms, except more hand-holding is needed on linux. I have to say though, very good work on the mythtv-setup process - MP lacks this.

Now on to usage:
MythTV has a very solid tv platform, and it works very well. It froze only about once, compared to about 5 times within the same period I was using it for approximately the same amount of time (MP is a lot better now). But that's about it. MythTV is sorely lacking in plugins for everything else. The Music interface is far from intuitive (you have to load the playlist in another screen hidden away before going to the main music screen to press play). It also lacks the ability to play TV while you do something else. As soon as you leave the TV module, TV is off. As soon as you leave the music module, the music ends. It does have a very good MythWeb interface though.

MP however, was more rocky with regards to TV, but it worked most of the time. Its other plugins are also way ahead of mythtv, and a lot more can be done with it. The interface is also better designed, however I think its suffering from feature bloat lately. The 'wake up from hibernation for recordings/alarms etc.' feature is much easier to setup in MP too.

So all in all, I'd rather use MP for the time being, but if MP's client/server system can match mythtv's, and MP can improve its setup process to that of mythtv, it would be awesome.

So I do understand why all you linux fanboys want it on linux. But like I said in another post - give real reasons, not silly "linux is O/S so its better than M$. M$ is evil" arguments. And the comments about DirectX faults are silly - sure there's faults with it, as with v4l too, but just because you can compile v4l yourself doesn't mean the average joe will know how to, so its all the same. And all this about M$ holding everyone to ransom - geez, do you really think M$ doesn't feel the linux pressure? If linux got its act together, it can easily blow Microsoft out of the water, just like if Apple allowed its OS to run on all PCs.

Anyway, rant over - I think if mythtv's interface was like MP's, mythtv would be in a much stronger position. As for mythtv's backend vs. MP's tvserver? I think the tried and tested mythtv backend wins in my book at this point in time (after all , they basically do the same thing and you don't see any difference anyway).

Sam

 

[leo212]

I've tried using both so here are my observations:

Getting MP up and running for me was as simple as:

1. Installing Windows XP.
2. Install all appropriate drivers (including video and tv card drivers).
3. Install MediaPortal.
4. Go through MP configuration, setup TV card.
5. Run MP.
.
.
.
Getting mythTV running on Linux however involved (I'm using Ubuntu 6.06 Badger btw as it seems to be the most popular):

1. Install Ubuntu 6.06 (there were problems here with my nvidia card, but this is not mythtv's problem so I won't go into it here).
2. Enable the Universe and multiverse repositories in Synaptic.
3. Download packages required to *build* the dvico drivers and mythtv (version in the repository was old when I did this earlier this year).
4. Build the dvico drivers by downloading and make-ing them.
5. Download mythtv sources, create the mySQL database for mythtv, configure the compilation process, compile mythtv, mythplugins and myththemes. I'll admit this step isn't needed if the package is available in the repositories.
6. Run mythtv-setup and configure it, then run mythfilldatabase.
7. Run mythbackend.
8. Run mythfrontend.

Sadly, now it is much difficult to install MP:
1. Install Windows XP + Drivers
2. Install .NET 2.0
3. Install MediaPlayer 10
4. Install .NET 1.1 (if you want to use my messenger plugin)
5. Install SQL Server (don't forget to configure user and password)
6. Configure MP Server
7. Configure MP Client
8. Run MP

But if you'll try simple distributions of Linux – its goes much simpler:
1. Install Fedora (all in GUI) + Most of the drivers are included.
2. Configure Repositories for Yum.
3. run command: "yum install mythtv"
It will download and install the latest version of mythtv + all of the requirements, like mysql etc…
4. run Myth Backend.
5. run MythTV (configuration of mythtv is completely by GUI)

most of us are Windows users and we learned along the years to use windows, I assume that if I'll ask my mother to install WindowsXP + MediaPortal, it will be even harder for her from installing mythtv on linux.

Because Linux is an open-source software - we can create a distributions of our own that comes with built-in mythtv and drivers, in windows we can't do that.
someday if we will want to create MP on a box (like Tivo) we can't do that beacuase of the limitations of Microsoft's Products. in linux - we can.
The future of Media Center is in Linux, in Windows platform Windows MCE will take over, altough MP is much better and thats because Windows MCE come built-in in Vista.

Thats why Porting to Linux is important issue for MP.

 

[Frodo]

I get sick about these windows/linux wars
You like linux, fine with me.
You like windows, fine with me 2.
I guess its a matter of taste.
Now back to the topic. You can discuss all you want but in the end
you either start porting or not.
The MediaPortal team already sayed that they wont do any ports.
So its up to you.
Just keep repeating that MP should be ported wont help anyone here.
The point has been made, arguments have been said so what now?
Find some linux developers who want todo the job, learn programming yourself whatever. But we (the Mediaportal team) wont do a port.

Frodo

 

[leo212]

I get sick about these windows/linux wars
You like linux, fine with me.
You like windows, fine with me 2.
I guess its a matter of taste.
Now back to the topic. You can discuss all you want but in the end
you either start porting or not.
The MediaPortal team already sayed that they wont do any ports.
So its up to you.
Just keep repeating that MP should be ported wont help anyone here.
The point has been made, arguments have been said so what now?
Find some linux developers who want todo the job, learn programming yourself whatever. But we (the Mediaportal team) wont do a port.

Frodo

It is not a metter of Linux VS Windows, it a metter of MediaPortal's Life in the future (Vista is coming soon...) , but you surely made your point, frodo.
If someone is want to join to a port/plugin develop group for mediaportal is invited to send me a private message.
who knows? maybe someday we will see an indepented MediaPortal Operation System.

 

[James]

leo212,

Sadly, now it is much difficult to install MP:
1. Install Windows XP + Drivers
2. Install .NET 2.0
3. Install MediaPlayer 10
4. Install .NET 1.1 (if you want to use my messenger plugin)
5. Install SQL Server (don't forget to configure user and password)
6. Configure MP Server
7. Configure MP Client
8. Run MP

Firstly the instead of picking faults with MP install, please help us improve it. There is a thread here: https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/showthread.php?t=11779 where you can make suggestions for improving the installation process. Or as you can code, you could help make these improvements.

Secondly what makes you think MP has no life after vista? There are many examples of programs that come free with windows, but users choose to download another program and use that instead for whatever reason. One such example is Firefox.

I would suggest you also read this: https://www.team-mediaportal.com/news/global/vista_mce_2007_not_supporting_dvb/c/s/t.html

Lastly the developers develop MP firstly for themselves. So as long as I require a media/tv application that is not available off the shelf (that fits my needs perfectly) and it continues to be fun. I will continue to develop for MP, as I believe will most of the other developers.

/James