Client For Linux

[sshapiro63]

Hello All,

I recently migrated to a Suse Linux 9.3 desktop. Anybody know if there is a sageclient in the works that would allow me to view programs from my Sage Server (which is running on WinXP Pro)?

Thanks,

Steve

[SGtheArtist]

I am also interested in known if SageTV works on or will be developed for the Linux platform.

As much as I like WindowsXP I think it would be a better choice to create the Sage Server on a Linux platform.

I noticed a thread about Sage Media Center on Linux however SageTV system requirements only mention support for Windows.

I guess the more inportant issue is how reliable can Windows be for running a Sage Server 24/7? How often do you manage your server?

[SHS]

Windows 2000 has been very reliable for me for past 2 years run as server 24/7 and this system was my main box before switch to a server so add a few years to with a few mirror problem here and there I say that petty good .

[salsbst]

I guess the more inportant issue is how reliable can Windows be for running a Sage Server 24/7? How often do you manage your server?

The only problem I've had in my years of use is the occaisional (about 5 times in total) loss of contact with my USB-UIRT. Plugging/unplugging the USB-UIRT and restarting the Sage service fixes that. This problem also occurred when I used Girder, so it's not a SageTV issue, but a Windows (or perhaps hardware) issue.

[sshapiro63]

XP works fine as a platform for the server. I have had it running without problems for 6 months. My desktop is now Linux so I would like to see a Linux client. If this can't be done, I might look into MythTV as a replacement for SageTV.

[SGtheArtist]

6 months & 2 YEARS! that is an impressive figure, I'll probably stick with Windows then since that is what I know.

sshapiro63, I've considered MythTV also, the issue I ran into during my research was the limited Surround Sound (AC3, DD5.1, DTS, etc.) either by decoding or passthru support that Linux offered. (This will be more important when HDTV becomes more mainstream.)

It would be nice to have a cross platform client or server so that you could mix & match your systems however since this doesnt appear to exist at this time my client would be required to be Linux in order to use MythTV and I would definately like to have DVD with surround sound on my client.

Note: I did find a couple examples where surround sound was achieved, but not very many.

Thanks for the posters input & sorry if I hijacked your thread sshapiro63.

[dbfresh23]

I would love to get my hands on a linux client so i can try to get it on a roku photobridge. I've been considering a switch to MCE just because of the Extenders. That new linux system looks nice, but $700 for a system I'd just want to use as an extender seems silly.

[mikejaner]

I have had no crashes on my SageTV Server, XP Pro system running at 1.8ghz in the past two years. These days it's more an issue of people picking stable hardware, vs. operating systems.

[blade]

I think the biggest benefits of a linux based client is less overhead. Windows is a hog and a few of us run our Sage Servers on some pretty old hardware.

Another important benefit is not having to pay for the OS. When I setup Sage I had to purchase 2 copies of WindowsXP, the Sage server, client license, and a mpeg decoder. That adds up pretty quick for just the software. It would be very nice to have been able to use the $$$ wasted on 2 copies of XP to purchase nicer hardware.

I'm not a linux guru and would probably have still gone with XP just for the ease of us; however, it would be nice to have the option to go with a free linux distro instead of shelling out more $$ for an OS that I will be doing nothing but running Sage on.

[dbfresh23]

You seem to have missed my point. I'd rather have an "extender" rather then a computer sitting in my living room. The reason I said linux is because that is what the roku photobridge runs. I wouldn't mind running windows XPE, I'm just not willing to pay $1000 to do it! I don't see why this isn't already out there, I don't think sage can really compete without a very nice extender choice like MS has. So long as the functionality and stability are there, I'd run Novell Netware if I had to! My point wasn't what software I want to run, it was the hardware. Wouldn't you rather run an Extender like This rather then a full computer system? I could care less what OS is running on the sever as long as it works right.

[waynedunham]

If the PB had Java support we could probably just use the Java hooks they released to do something similar to the MVPClient.

I have a PB and would love to see the SageTv interface on it. It plays the recorded files just fine via Mplay, but you have to go through a file selector to pick the file to play so you don't have the show descriptions, not to mention a way to schedule recordings.

[dbfresh23]

Or we could just customize the PB SDK which would allow it to run sage even better.

[waynedunham]

Originally Posted by dbfresh23

Or we could just customize the PB SDK which would allow it to run sage even better.

If I had any programming ability I'd love to help, but however the extent of my "programming" ability is creating some pitifully small batch files to create a group of generational backups for specific files. (i.e. 10 generations of Wiz.bin and Sage.properties files)

I would be willing to Beta test , which I have done many times in the past (Helped Beta Test the v2.x software for the ReplayTv's backin the ReplayTv 2000/3000 days).

[dbfresh23]

I wonder what the return policy is on that $700 linux box. Could always buy one of them, get the sage stuff off it and return it!

[SHS]

Suse, RatHat and Fedora not counting all the other had pull the hackup MPEG decoder from the there Distribution becuase it really illegal why that well that it all about licensing (See MPEG-LA) and as you know Linux maybe FREE open source code so who paying for the legal rigth to used MPEG patents which also need be in a binary codes, and biggest problem with linux is compatible or aka Linux version of "DLL Hell" or should say Linux Dependencies Hell.

The Linux version of "DLL Hell" is not based on user error at all. It is the developer's responsibility to ensure the end user can use their software, and on Linux, this can be very difficult to do when people can download a countless diff package (tarball, RPM, .deb, whatever) from a hundred different servers, taking the developer out of the distribution process. This makes it nearly impossible for the developer to notify users of the requirements of his/her package prior to installation. Path-specifying environment variables mitigate the effects of having libraries in different locations on different systems, but there is not much to prevent a user from installing an out-dated package to support an app, over-writing newer libraries that are necessary for other apps.
So what dose this mean well in real world in mean Linux has NO TURE STANDARD XYZ being each Distribution doing things so diff from each other.

There are a few way to get legal to get MPEG decoder and that with Hardware Decoder.
It wouldn't do you much good to go and buy that $700 linux box only to rip SageTV from it after all that box come with Hardware Decoder and I beat anything it also in binary code so you need spent a lot time hacking (reverse engineering) that box's.