How to add headless Squeezebox capabilities to an extender

[routerunner]

Originally Posted by mistergq

I guess I am still confused. I understand its not a plugin. What I don't understand if its an all or nothing addon...meaning that once you update the HD200 or HD300 with your program, is the only option to connect to squeeze server, or can it still connect to the SageTV server?

Thanks

My apologies, I didn't understand your question....

The upload is not permanent, it will not change/re-flash your HD200/HD300 in any way. The software is only uploaded into a ramdisk and will go away next time you will perform a full reboot (unplugging the power supply), which will return your system exactly as it was before.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by routerunner

To be quite honest I didn't expect this kind of feedback

I spent hours and hours as an attempt to protect my investment (discontinued != what I've got is dead), also I've been sick and tired to change hardware ($$$) just because someone decided to introduce a new format and my box was not able to handle it. There are plenty of boxes out there that uses the very same Sigma Design chipset as the HD200/HD300 and perfectly capable of doing exactly what the HD200/HD300 is capable of.

So if in the future I'll feel again the urge to spend hours and hours of my time to make something, I believe, is useful for me and the community I'll not hesitate to do it, because unfortunately money doesn't grow on trees...

Relax man. Your post title was to 'convert' the hd300 to a slimplayer, which would mean it would NOT be an extender anymore.. which most would not even consider doing, and in that respect, it would make MUCH more sense to do this with a cheap commercially available piece of hardware, instead of a virtually priceless discontinued yet still in high demand HD300. ADDING slimplayer capabilities to the HD300, on the other hand, is a completely different matter. Your first post didn't really indicate one way or the other, and the title hinted towards the former.

[mistergq]

Originally Posted by routerunner

My apologies, I didn't understand your question....

The upload is not permanent, it will not change/re-flash your HD200/HD300 in any way. The software is only uploaded into a ramdisk and will go away next time you will perform a full reboot (unplugging the power supply), which will return your system exactly as it was before.

Aww...awesome. I need to check to see if sirius is still a channel. If so, I am going to play with this.

Btw: I appreciate your hard work. While STV may be "dead", I see many more happy years to come.

[routerunner]

Hi,

as anticipated, please find in attachment the new release v1.0.1 which includes FTP/HTTP and SMB protocol mechanism to upload the software into an HD200 or HD300.

I've got family, kids and limited spare time, so in order to prioritise further development, I need to know how many of you is currently using the software or planning to use the software in the future and in particular:

- On which extender: HD300, HD200 or both
- Which audio interface: Analog, SP/DIF
- Interest on having the HDMI audio output as well? And on which extender?

Please PM me with your thought, any help will be appreciated...

Regarding the current and rather unsuccessful poll, I want to apologise about the format which implies that everyone interested in this software running on the HD100 must provide 24/7 internet access to an HD100 for development, well the poll should have been instead:

- Yes
- Yes, by giving 24/7 internet access to a HD100 for development
- No

unfortunately I cannot change the poll, and in reality I just need to get access to one unit to do the job, however can I kindly ask you to add this preference to the above information if interested?

Also, I didn't realise that the double quoted word "convert" in the original thread title could be misleading, so I'm going to ask to one of the forum moderator whether the thread title can be changed to something more appropriate.

Finally, I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2012.

take care
routerunner

[routerunner]

Last night I read through the SageTV plugin development document, very interesting. The way I understood the document is that I have to create three plugins:

1) Library plugin to handle telnet communication (I need this separate for another exciting project I have in mind)
2) Standard plugin that listens to system events and upload the software
3) STVI plugin for configuration

Is that all I need? But what about the tarball files containing the software to upload, do I need to create a fourth "system" plugin or can I include them in the zip file of plugin #2? Can you please suggest a simpler/better way?

thanks

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by routerunner

Last night I read through the SageTV plugin development document, very interesting. The way I understood the document is that I have to create three plugins:

1) Library plugin to handle telnet communication (I need this separate for another exciting project I have in mind)
2) Standard plugin that listens to system events and upload the software
3) STVI plugin for configuration

Is that all I need? But what about the tarball files containing the software to upload, do I need to create a fourth "system" plugin or can I include them in the zip file of plugin #2? Can you please suggest a simpler/better way?

thanks

That sounds about right. Not much you can simplify since you want to reuse the telnet plugin.

You can include the tarball in the package of the Standard plugin but I would actually recommend making the tarball it's own library plugin (and make it a dependency for the Standard plugin.) If you do it that way you can update the tarball without having to update the entire Standard plugin, and vice versa.

Given what you've posted so far I'm thinking that the STVi will be the most difficult part for you, only because Studio programming is a bit quirky.

Tom

[routerunner]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

That sounds about right. Not much you can simplify since you want to reuse the telnet plugin.

You can include the tarball in the package of the Standard plugin but I would actually recommend making the tarball it's own library plugin (and make it a dependency for the Standard plugin.) If you do it that way you can update the tarball without having to update the entire Standard plugin, and vice versa.

Given what you've posted so far I'm thinking that the STVi will be the most difficult part for you, only because Studio programming is a bit quirky.

Tom

Thanks Tom, so will be it then.

Regarding Studio programming, yes, you're right, I recall I started to studying it years ago on V6 because I didn't like the interface very much and determined to make one of my own, but yes, it was very quirky indeed.

What about V7 is it any better? Do you reckon that someone in the community could help me on that?

Eddy

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by routerunner

Thanks Tom, so will be it then.

Regarding Studio programming, yes, you're right, I recall I started to studying it years ago on V6 because I didn't like the interface very much and determined to make one of my own, but yes, it was very quirky indeed.

What about V7 is it any better? Do you reckon that someone in the community could help me on that?

Eddy

Studio is essentially the same since V6. The best way to get started is to find something in the existing UI that does similar things to what you want to do, and then copy it. V7 did add the plugin manager so before making any changes to the STV you will need to:

- Make sure you are using the default STV.
- Make sure you have no UI Mod plugins installed.
- Do "Save a Copy As ..."
- Load the file you just specified in "Save A Copy As ..."
- If you switch back to the default STV and load UI Mod plugins, make sure you uninstall them before switching back to your development STV.

Post questions in the "SageTV Customizations" section and somebody will answer them

[sic0048]

I have only HD100's and would be interested in this. In fact I have a couple of HD-100s that are not being used right now, so converting one to a squeezebox actually makes sense. I already have the hardware and I would tie the box into my automation system so I could distribute the squeezebox output anywhere in the house.

I can get one of the unused HD-100s hooked up and allow you access to it. Please PM me if you are still in need of a volunteer and we'll figure out the easiest way to get this done.

Thanks!

Brian

[Skybolt]

Don't take this post the wrong way, I think your efforts are awesome. I also don't mean to hijack this thread.

But, you can download a software squeeze player for free from logitech as well as their media server. Along with there free android and iApp ware. So basicly you get everthing for free from logitech that you would get if you bought a Squeeze box (except you needa PC running the apps).

I run this 24/7 from my HomeSeer PC, but nothing is stopping me from using my SageTv server either. The only caviot is you need the house wired from a central location for Audio.

After all Free is, well Free.

-Skybolt

[sic0048]

Originally Posted by Skybolt

But, you can download a software squeeze player for free from logitech as well as their media server. Along with there free android and iApp ware. So basicly you get everthing for free from logitech that you would get if you bought a Squeeze box (except you needa PC running the apps).

I run this 24/7 from my HomeSeer PC, but nothing is stopping me from using my SageTv server either. The only caviot is you need the house wired from a central location for Audio.

After all Free is, well Free.

-Skybolt

I haven't played with it in several years, but when I did look at it (along with a lot of other people), we could never get the software version of squeezesoft to run consistantly without crashing or giving us other problems. The hardware side always worked well, but the software player was crap. Perhaps they have fixed that in the last couple of years.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Skybolt

But, you can download a software squeeze player for free from logitech as well as their media server. Along with there free android and iApp ware. So basicly you get everthing for free from logitech that you would get if you bought a Squeeze box (except you needa PC running the apps).

I think you're missing the point of this "plugin", it's not a replacement for the Squeezebox controller app, or Squeezecenter, or Softsqueeze, or any of the like.

The closest thing this "replaces" is a Squeezebox Receiver (which unfortunately isn't available standalone anymore).

Squeezecenter alone doesn't do you any good.
The iOS/Android app likewise isn't good because it can't play anything directly.
And Softsqueeze isn't any good if you don't have a PC in the room.

So for a lot of us, this "plugin" gets us a Squeezebox in every room we've got an extender, for "free" (vs a few hundred dollars for any Squeezebox model).

[damage]

cool project. i had squeezeslave http://goo.gl/H8v6r running on a $20 seagate dockstar http://goo.gl/TP9Pc as a headless squeezebox

if you're fortunate, depending on your location, you can find gen1 squeezeboxes on craigslist. i've gotten 5 slimp3s & squeezebox 1's on craigslist for $10-25 each over the past several years

[routerunner]

Originally Posted by stanger89

So for a lot of us, this "plugin" gets us a Squeezebox in every room we've got an extender, for "free" (vs a few hundred dollars for any Squeezebox model).

This is exactly the spirit that did drive this project, well done stanger89

[routerunner]

Originally Posted by damage

cool project. i had squeezeslave http://goo.gl/H8v6r running on a $20 seagate dockstar http://goo.gl/TP9Pc as a headless squeezebox

if you're fortunate, depending on your location, you can find gen1 squeezeboxes on craigslist. i've gotten 5 slimp3s & squeezebox 1's on craigslist for $10-25 each over the past several years

The squeeze slave player is a very cool project (see my initial post) and the freely available source code can be compiled for any CPU Linux is currently supporting and beyond, providing you do know how to cross-compile for that CPU and prepared to make a suitable makefile for that, however the real added value of this "plugin" was the implementation of the OSS kernel drivers for the HD200 and HD300 (which are unfortunately different) required by the squeeze slave player to work.

In your particular case, the only reason why you are able to run the squeeze slave player on the seagate dockstar out of the box is because the Linux kernel running on that platform is already containing the standard OSS/ALSA support, otherwise without this kind of "plugin" you will be in the same boat as us mate.

[routerunner]

The current poll is quickly going at the end. As I said before, I did a mistake on asking the question, so please feel free to vote for "Yes" even if you cannot provide an HD100 for development, as in reality I just need one unit to work on. I have received already a couple of offers, thank you very much for that, however before even considering to spend any time on it, I was looking for at least 25-30 "Yes" votes to justify the work, and in every case I cannot even 100% guarantee I will be able to successfully perform the support as I know very little about the HD100 and I suspect it will be hard. One thing must be clear, though, in every case I'll be not in the position to permanently "convert" your HD100 into a Squeeze box standalone, the upload mechanism will be, if possible, always required.

When the poll is over, providing I've received the required number of "Yes" votes, anyone is willing to contribute to the porting, please contact me for details and agree the more convenient time to start. In every case it will be not before middle/end January next year and it can take several weeks, mainly depending on how much time I can dedicate and how difficult the job will be as the HD100 is very different from the HD200/HD300.

Finally, I asked already to one of the forum's moderator whether was possible to change the thread title as still people asking me about the "conversion" which I hoped I clarified is not a permanent one. I haven't received a reply so far, so if nothing happening by Sunday, then I would like to open a new thread with a more, hopefully, clear title and "move" the whole discussion there along with the current downloadable release, so after Sunday if you post any comment here there is a possibility that will not be replied...

thanks
Eddy

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by routerunner

Finally, I asked already to one of the forum's moderator whether was possible to change the thread title as still people asking me about the "conversion" which I hoped I clarified is not a permanent one. I haven't received a reply so far, so if nothing happening by Sunday, then I would like to open a new thread with a more, hopefully, clear title and "move" the whole discussion there along with the current downloadable release, so after Sunday if you post any comment here there is a possibility that will not be replied...

What is your requested title?

- Andy

[routerunner]

Andy has just changed the thread title for us.

I do hope is now more related to what this "plugin" is really doing...

Thanks
Eddy

[damage]

Originally Posted by routerunner

The squeeze slave player is a very cool project (see my initial post) and the freely available source code can be compiled for any CPU Linux is currently supporting and beyond, providing you do know how to cross-compile for that CPU and prepared to make a suitable makefile for that, however the real added value of this "plugin" was the implementation of the OSS kernel drivers for the HD200 and HD300 (which are unfortunately different) required by the squeeze slave player to work.

In your particular case, the only reason why you are able to run the squeeze slave player on the seagate dockstar out of the box is because the Linux kernel running on that platform is already containing the standard OSS/ALSA support, otherwise without this kind of "plugin" you will be in the same boat as us mate.

not quite out of the box. the dockstar bootloader had to be replaced to run debian off a usb drive instead of the stock dockstar OS & the build env installed (so no cross compiling necessary)

i personally prefer the screens on my cheapo squeezeboxes instead of a headless device as i send messages to them (new email, caller id, etc). normally, the sage infopopup plugin displays this stuff when the tv is on.

[routerunner]

Originally Posted by damage

not quite out of the box. the dockstar bootloader had to be replaced to run debian off a usb drive instead of the stock dockstar OS & the build env installed (so no cross compiling necessary)

To be quite honest with you I personally wouldn't even think about changing the extender bootloader, with the risk of turning into a brick a still high valuable piece of hardware