Archiv der Kategorie: Computer

Updates to the build

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After the introduction of Windows 7 the wish for an update got larger. Installation of Windows 7 Professional proved easy enough, however a few quirks remained:

  • The web interface for scheduling recordings does no longer work as its developer started working for Microsoft and no longer has time to update Webguide.
  • ArcSoft Total Media Theater needs an update to work under Windows 7. The update is not free.
  • The Philips Remote no longer works correctly. Only the Media Center functions run as expected, but the entire functionality regarding music and the 2-way communication of titles, artists, albums et al on the display are now defunct. Philips will not release updates for Windows 7 compatibility.

Playing games was not on the original agenda when planning this particular HTPC, however things have changed a bit. MS Flight Simulator was what brought up the need for stronger graphics. ATI had just released its second version of the Radeon HD 5770. New to the envelope was a new cooler design. It first seemed like a step backwards from the „video tape“ enclosure of the first cooler but Anandtech reviewed the new cooler and actually found it to be better than the original.

The OrigenAE case does not offer a lot in terms of depth for todays high end gpus. The Radeon just barely fit. Make sure to attach the power connector before inserting the card in its slot. The GeForce 9400 chip runs much cooler when the radeon is in place. That was to be expected. Given the fact that the 5770 is very efficient when idle, I would assume that the system actually uses less power when idle now than without a dedicated graphics card in place. I would need to measure that though.

Additional disk space

After about a year of usage We found that the storage system was getting a bit low on space. A fourth disk was added to the HTPC for backup purposes. The 2TB Western Digital WD20EARS drive was mounted on top of the bluray drive. OrigenAE allows for installation of a fourth disk in that spot even tough it certainly is one of the hotspots of the case being far away from any cooling air. SMART info shows the disk runs approx 5 degrees Celsius hotter (about 48-50°C) than the drives in the cage next to the fan.

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Mac OS X TimeMachine Backups on a Linux Server

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With Mac OS X 10.5 Apple introduced it’s first backup solution for the rest of us. Most other programs I’ve used were either too complicated, too unreliable or a combination of the two or just to plain expensive. TimeMachine aims to solve all of that.

In the past I’ve used anything from plain copies via the Finder to Retrospect, Archiware (a great tool if you have a few machines and a server), rsync etc. For my dad for example all of those were not quite what was needed. The problem with most of these solutions in our modern world are, when you use a Laptop, you are not always connected to the backup system and hence schedules fail to run. As soon as manual intervention is needed, backups usually don’t happen.

TimeMachines approach seems logical with the use of external disks. As I have a Linux server running in my home and my MacBook Pro is always connected to the network be it via AirPort or Ethernet it makes sense to use the server for backups.

After a bit of googling I found a post on http://www.kremalicious.com/2008/06/ubuntu-as-mac-file-server-and-time-m… outlining
This is what I had to do:

Prerequisites: I run an Ubuntu based system in version 8.10. Most of these things should apply to other Linux machines as well though.

The ubuntu/debian netatalk package comes without ssl support that is needed for Mac OS X to work because OpenSSL is not compatible with the GPL. Hence you either need to compile your own package or download this one here:

Rolling your own involves downloading the source packages

# apt-get build-dep netatalk
# apt-get install cracklib2-dev fakeroot libssl-dev
# apt-get source netatalk
# cd /usr/src/netatalk-2*
#DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS=ssl dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot

Install it with

# dpkg -i netatalk*.deb

In order to prevent Ubuntu from automatically upgrading you newly installed package you need to set it on hold:

# echo „netatalk hold“ | sudo dpkg –set-selections

All you need to do next is configure /etc/default/netatalk and turn off everything but AFPD_RUN=yes

edit /etc/netatalk/afpd.conf to have the last line read

– -transall -uamlist uams_randnum.so,uams_dhx.so -nosavepassword -advertise_ssh

and finally in /etc/netatalk/AppleVolumes.default you get to list the shares netatalk shall serve you. Edit the file according to your wishes. It could be something like this:

/srv/TimeMachine/sg/ „TimeMachine“ options:usedots,upriv allow:myusername

That way only the user „myusername“ can access the share which is probably what you want. Also the share is nicely advertised as „TimMachine“.

Next in line is a Bonjour/Zeroconf daemon that will advertise the netatalk services on the network. In this case Avahi is used for that purpose.

a simple

# apt-get install avahi-daemon
# apt-get install libnss-mdns

should be all that is needed.

edit the hosts line on /etc/nsswitch.conf to read

hosts: files mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] dns mdns4 mdns

Now we need to tell Avahi that it needs to broadcast the availability of AFP across the network so that the server will automatically show up on the MacBook Pro.

Open /etc/avahi/services/afpd.service

<?xml version=“1.0″ standalone=’no‘?><!–*-nxml-*–>
<!DOCTYPE service-group SYSTEM „avahi-service.dtd“>
<service-group>
<name replace-wildcards=“yes“>%h</name>
<service>
<type>_afpovertcp._tcp</type>
<port>548</port>
</service>
<service>
<type>_device-info._tcp</type>
<port>0</port>
<txt-record>model=Xserve</txt-record>
</service>
</service-group>

now restart avahi

at this point the share pops up under network on the Mac.

Last but not least TimeMachine needs to be configured to use that share as its storage pool. Nicely enough Apple hides all network volumes except the ones from Mac OS X Server and TimeCapsule in the TimeMachine control panel. Heck, not even an AirPort base station with an attached USB disk can be used. Sometimes I really don’t understand Apple…

To get the Mac to see the network volume as a TimeMachine storage pool open a terminal and write

defaults write com.apple.systempreferences TMShowUnsupportedNetworkVolumes 1

TimeMachine should create a sparsebundle disk image for the files. That is a special disk image that only uses as much space as is really just needed and grows in size afterwards. On my box this wasn’t created automaically, but you can easily create one with the disk utility on the Mac and copy it over to the Linux box. The filename of the image must be computername_MACADDRESS-OF-ETH0-WITHOUT-COLONS.sparsebundle
computername ist not your actual computername as seen in the sharing panel of system preferences but always simply „computername“.
That should do.

Lirc IR Remote with MythTV

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I use one of the newer Microsoft Media Center remotes for my system. For one it was dirt cheap, does what I need it to do and does it well. Also from what I have read it is well supported by Lirc. All this proved true.
The buton layout is fairly good, it has a comfortable shape and it’s got a power button that you can program to turn off your tv set.
The IR receiver has a long USB cable. Thus it can be place almost anywhere. Even though that will probably not even be necessary as this is one of the most powerful remotes I’ve seen. It works in bright sunlight and even if the receiver is directly behind you. Something I cannot say of my rather expensive Pioneer Plasma screen.
On top of that the remote comes with two IR blasters that allow you to control a couple set top boxes for cable or satellite tv. I have never used the blasting capabilities though.
Mythbuntu makes it extremely easy to select a remote an configures it for you. Contrary to my Gentoo installation the back button on the remote stopped working. I hacked the .lircrc file of my tv user to set that button accordingly.
For now it works nicely.

# LIRCRC Auto Generated by Mythbuntu Lirc Generator
# Author(s): Mario Limonciello, Nick Fox
# Created for use with Mythbuntu
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Seven
config = 7
repeat = 0
delay = 0
endbegin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Right
config = Right
repeat = 0
delay = 0
endbegin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Mute
config = |
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Skip
config = Z
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = One
config = 1
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Down
config = Down
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Zero
config = 0
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Replay
config = Q
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Home
config = M
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Pause
config = P
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Six
config = 6
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Two
config = 2
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = ChanDown
config = Down
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = ChanUp
config = Up
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Rewind
config = <
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Forward
config = >
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Play
config = P
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = VolDown
config = [
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Stop
config = Escape
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Back
config = Escape
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = VolUp
config = ]
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Five
config = 5
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = More
config = I
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Four
config = 4
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = OK
config = Return
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Up
config = Up
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = RecTV
config = R
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Nine
config = 9
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Three
config = 3
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Enter
config = Enter
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Eight
config = 8
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Guide
config = S
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Left
config = Left
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

xorg NVidia DVI/HDMI and a Pioneer Plasma

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Getting my Pioneer PDP436-XDE to display MythTV is easy and not so easy at the same time. First off, automatic xorg configuration does not work, but with the proprietary NVidia drivers there is a 720p option.

While the panel itself has a resolution of 1024×768 pixels and a 16:10 aspect ratio the electronics espects either a 1080p or 720p signal on the HDMI input.

So I have to get the X server to output a signal at 1280x720p. I tried using the integrated Intel 945 graphics but had no luck. If anyone has gotten his system to output 1280x720p with Intel graphics let me know in the comments or contact me here.

Mythbuntu has a very minimal xorg.conf file after installation relying heavily on automatic configuration of the X server and correct EDID information that needs to be provided by the display. Unfortunately automatic configuration did not work as expected so I had to slightly modify my xorg.conf file to work correctly with my plasma display.

# File generated by xorgconfig.
# XORG.CONF for 1280x720p on a Pioneer Plasma via DVI with NVidia graphics
# NVidia proprietary driver
Section „ServerLayout“
Identifier     „Simple Layout“
Screen         „Screen 1“ 0 0
InputDevice    „Mouse1“ „CorePointer“
InputDevice    „Keyboard1“ „CoreKeyboard“
EndSectionSection „Files“
FontPath        „/usr/share/fonts/misc/“
FontPath        „/usr/share/fonts/TTF/“
FontPath        „/usr/share/fonts/Type1/“
FontPath        „/usr/share/fonts/75dpi/“
FontPath        „/usr/share/fonts/100dpi/“
EndSectionSection „Module“
Load           „dbe“   # Double buffer extension
SubSection     „extmod“
Option         „omit xfree86-dga“   # don’t initialise the DGA extension
EndSubSection
Load           „type1“
Load           „freetype“
Load           „glx“
EndSectionSection „InputDevice“
Identifier     „Keyboard1“
Driver         „kbd“
Option         „AutoRepeat“ „500 30“
# Specify which keyboard LEDs can be user-controlled (eg, with xset(1))
Option         „XkbModel“ „pc104“
Option         „XkbLayout“ „us“
EndSection

Section „InputDevice“
Identifier     „Mouse1“
Driver         „mouse“
Option         „Protocol“ „Auto“
Option         „Device“ „/dev/input/mice“
Option         „ZAxisMapping“ „4 5“
# Mouse-speed setting for PS/2 mouse.
Option         „Emulate3Buttons“
EndSection

Section „Monitor“
Identifier     „Pioneer Plasma PDP436-XDE“
VendorName     „Pioneer“
ModelName      „PDP436-XDE“
HorizSync       25.0 – 50.0
VertRefresh     59.0 – 60.0
ModeLine       „1280x720p“ 74.5 1280 1336 1472 1664 720 721 724 746 -hsync +vsync
Option         „DPMS“
Option         „UseEdidDpi“ „FALSE“
Option         „DPI“ „100 x 100“
EndSection

Section „Device“

# simeli added
Option         „UseEvents“ „True“
Identifier     „NVidia GF7300“
Driver         „nvidia“
#simeli old xorg
Option  „TVStandard“ „HD720p“

EndSection

Section „Screen“
Identifier     „Screen 1“
Device         „NVidia GF7300“
Monitor        „Pioneer Plasma PDP436-XDE“
DefaultDepth    24
Option         „ConnectedMonitor“ „DFP“
Option         „TVStandard“ „HD720p“
SubSection     „Display“
Depth       24
Modes      „1280x720p“
EndSubSection
EndSection

Putting it Together – The Build

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Putting it all together is fairly straightforward. We only had to fight a few minor quirks.

I opted for installing the Motherboard first. Despite being a full ATX case the OrigenAE case is still rather cramped. You do notice that once you start installing components. Installing the motherboard works well using a magnetic screwdriver. Putting the Scythe Ninja cooler on top of the CPU proved to be more tricky because of the push pin system. You have almost no space to move with your fingers. So I’d recommend anyone installing the Ninja prior to installing the motherboard in the case.

The combination of the GA7AUM-DS2H Gigabyte board, the OrigenAE S16V and the Ninja makes the choice for an optical drive rather easy. You cannot use a drive with a depth greater than 170mm. I also makes sense to use angled SATA cables and angled SATA power connectors on the optical drive. You can see that fairly well on the pic here how cramped everything is in that setup. Given that the space behind the optical drive is so limited, there is no other way of mounting the CPU fan on the side blowing towards the PSU fan. As I said before, the CPU itself would not really need the fan but the Nvidia chipset is greatful for a bit of airflow. Temperatures drop significantly even tough the fan doesn’t really blow at its cooler directly. One could also stick on a Scythe 40mm fan to the northbridge heatsink directly. But these tiny fans have a tendency to get filled with dust and stop working. So wherever possible I try to avoid them in my builds.

I think installing a 3rd party heatsink on the chipset such as a Thermalright HR-05 would make the CPU fan unnecessary.

Cables from the PSU that are not needed can easily be tucked away between the case wall and the optical drive. This is one spot where there is sort of too much room. Certainly helpful if you don’t have a PSU with modular cables. Currently we have a Zalman fanmate installed to help us find the optimal speed for the CPU fan. I hope during this summer we’ll find out how much airflow is really needed so we can install a fxed resistor or a lower speed fan. One can see that Fanmate cable fairly well it’s not tucked away with cable ties and the like but just thrown in really.

The OrigenAE case comes with some rather large holes with rubber gommets for the 80mm fans on the back. Somebody looking for a quiet system ought to replace the stock fans immediately. They are certainly not bad but just not quiet by our standards. The OrigenAE rubber gommets are rather brittle. We installed the decoupling pieces provided by ichbinleise.ch with the fan leaving the original gommets in place. Otherwirse the holes would have been too large most likely.

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