Chez G

Here are some notes I took when re-installing Ubuntu on my ABIT AN-M2HD machine today. I mount remote drives into the local filesystem rather than using XMBC to do so, but either works.

Install Ubuntu Feisty

• Apply updates
• I have a 42” Panasonic plasma and it needs a specialorg.conf. Copy over previous xorg.conf.plasma (see attached below)
• set for automatic login to my user
• remove CD from /etc/apt/sources.list
• add xbmc sources to /etc/apt/sources.list:
  • deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc/ubuntu gutsy main
  • deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc/ubuntu gutsy main

Network

• set static ip information
  • ip: 192.168.254.98
  • mask: 255.255.255.0
  • gateway: 192.168.254.254

Desktop

• add terminal button to top bar
• Add system monitor & cpu scaling
• Add sound volume to top bar
  • aptitude install sensors-applet lm-sensors
• turn off tracker
  • edit ~/.config/tracker/tracker.cfg
  • set EnableWatching to false
• Turn off screensaver
• Turn off DVD auto-run
  • System -> Preferences -> File Management -> Media
  • Was not present in Gutsy 8.04; enabling instructions

Sound

• System->Preferences->Sound
  • Set all to ALC883 Digital
• run alsamixer
  • Scroll to right
  • Highlight IEC958
  • Press “m” to unmute it

External communication

• ssh
  • sudo aptitude install openssh-server
  • copy ssh credentials
  • copy /etc/hosts
• System->Preferences->Remote Desktop (turn on)
• nfs mappings
  • copy /etc/fstab
  • sudo aptitude install nfs-common
  • make directories
  • mount -a

install emacs

• sudo aptitude install emacs
• copy .emacs
• copy emacs scripts

home dir

• remove Music, Documents, Pictures, Public, Templates, Videos
• copy .bash*

new nvidia driver

• Download envy from http://albertomilone.com
• sudo dpkg -i envy_0.9.9-0ubuntu6_all.deb
• sudo aptitude install build-essential xserver-xorg-dev module-assistant
• fakeroot dh-make debhelper libstdc++5 dpkg-dev dpatch
• (alternatively, sudo apt-get install -f)
• Applications->System Tools->Envy
• Install, then reboot

install xbmc

• sudo aptitude update (note that xbmc sources already added, above)
• sudo aptitude install xbmc xbmc-web xbmc-skin-xtv xbmc-t3ch-addons

xbmc configuration

• disable rss and animations
• enable vsync
• add xbmc launcher to desktop (add -fs to run full screen)
• In XBMC, change Audio to use “iec958” instead of “default” (Should not be necessary, but I had intermittent problems with audio defaulting to analog out 3/26/2008)

ffmpeg (optional)

• https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ffmpeg

install extra multimedia (optional)

• Consider http://www.getautomatix.com

nuv-export (optional)

• http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=346778
• also: aptitude install mplayer transcode

Remote control

• Run irexec in daemon mode
  • System->Preferences->Sessions add one to run “irexec -d”
• Use my .lircrc (note you need to add the dot at beginning)
• Use restart-xbmc script
• Map “clear” key to run restart-xbmc via irexec
• Revise Lircmap.xml to remap some keys

EDITED 3/30/2008: Now possible to get XBMC via Debian packages; attached more of my config files; sound set to iec958. I’m currently pretty happy with the quality of it. I have one significant bug which is pressing “ok” during video playback is supposed to resize the video resolution but crashes instead. My friend Stephen is more bothered by the bug where 720p and 1080 playback have an audio lag, but since I’m not watching anything in 720p yet it’s not a big deal for me.

EDITED 11/13/2008: Linked to attached files because you need to be logged in to see the attachments.