Plex Media Center Linux Build Reports

Dev Community Apps & Creations
21

Hi, thanks for the hard work !!! I hope this project continue further :)!!



****Hardware:

****PC (Intel® Core™ i7-2600 CPU @ 3.40GHz × 8 / 6GB RAM / ATI Radeon HD 5700 )



**OS:

**Ubuntu 12.04 x64



**PMC version(s):

**Used the source and compiled it



**uname -a output:

**Linux ubuntu 3.2.0-29-generic #46-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jul 27 17:03:23 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux



**Extra packages needed:

**I installed the listed build deps



Added

export LD_PRELOAD="/usr/lib/libfaad.so"

after

export PLEX_HOME="/usr/local/share/xbmc"

inside of /usr/local/bin/pmc



**What works:

**Everything Works nicely so far :slight_smile:



lazybaizy@ubuntu:~$ pmc<br />
there is no soundcard<br />
[0x2b607c0] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/library/arts]<br />
Processing results from worker: 0 (context: 12000).<br />
[0x275f360] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/channels/recentlyViewed?filter=video]<br />
Processing results from worker: 1 (context: 11002).<br />
[0x24cbc20] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/library/sections/2/onDeck]<br />
[0x2b4d140] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/library/sections/2/recentlyAdded?unwatched=1]<br />
[0x2b4c750] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/library/sections/2/arts]<br />
Processing results from worker: 4 (context: 12000).<br />
Processing results from worker: 2 (context: 11000).<br />
Processing results from worker: 3 (context: 11001).<br />
there is no soundcard<br />
there is no soundcard<br />
[0x276a8d0] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/library/sections/2/recentlyAdded?unwatched=1]<br />
[0x35f0700] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/library/sections/2/arts]<br />
[0x35be560] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/library/sections/2/onDeck]<br />
Processing results from worker: 7 (context: 12000).<br />
Processing results from worker: 5 (context: 11000).<br />
Processing results from worker: 6 (context: 11001).<br />
[0x35ce8d0] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/channels/recentlyViewed?filter=video]<br />
[0x24e2c30] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/library/arts]<br />
Processing results from worker: 9 (context: 12000).<br />
Processing results from worker: 8 (context: 11002).<br />
[0x37fd030] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/channels/recentlyViewed?filter=video]<br />
Processing results from worker: 10 (context: 11002).<br />
[0x38f5a20] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/library/sections/2/onDeck]<br />
[0x35a5ee0] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/library/sections/2/recentlyAdded?unwatched=1]<br />
[0x275f650] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/library/sections/2/arts]<br />
Processing results from worker: 13 (context: 12000).<br />
Processing results from worker: 11 (context: 11000).<br />
Processing results from worker: 12 (context: 11001).<br />
[0x3739760] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/library/arts]<br />
Processing results from worker: 14 (context: 12000).<br />
[0x1a95700] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/channels/recentlyViewed?filter=video]<br />
Processing results from worker: 15 (context: 11002).<br />
Final path: http://o-o---preferred---ams03s18---v12---lscache1.c.youtube.com/videoplayback?upn=QeHyBXMhdXU&sparams=cp%2Cgcr%2Cid%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Citag%2Cratebypass%2Csource%2Cupn%2Cexpire&fexp=907605%2C914501%2C915507%2C907217%2C922401%2C919804%2C920704%2C912806%2C906055%2C924500%2C906831%2C925701%2C924700%2C911406%2C913550%2C904721%2C920706%2C907344%2C912706&key=yt1&itag=22&ipbits=8&signature=0C89504E45D1D868B42F60F57027A3EBF9B36657.49767651C72024DC7598C5FB59E078E23E86EA2F&mv=m&sver=3&mt=1344906131&ratebypass=yes&source=youtube&ms=au&gcr=nl&expire=1344931242&ip=78.27.25.190&cp=U0hTSVlOT19JTENOM19RSFNDOmF1d3VYVmRTRVpP&id=e40b7c15dd366794&newshard=yes<br />
Failed to open VDPAU backend libvdpau_nvidia.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory<br />
libva: VA-API version 0.32.0<br />
libva: va_getDriverName() returns 0<br />
libva: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/fglrx_drv_video.so<br />
libva: va_openDriver() returns -1<br />
there is no soundcard<br />
there is no soundcard<br />
[0x390d560] Processing content request in thread [127.0.0.1:32400/channels/recentlyViewed?filter=video]<br />
Processing results from worker: 16 (context: 11002).<br />
Exiting Plex Media Server queue...<br />
Segmentation fault (core dumped)<br />
Crash report available at /home/lazybaizy/xbmc_crashlog-20120814_020254.log<br />


**Crash Log:"xbmc_crashlog-20120814_020254.log"
** 

############## XBMC CRASH LOG ###############<br />
<br />
################ SYSTEM INFO ################<br />
 Date: Tue Aug 14 02:02:54 BST 2012<br />
 XBMC Options: <br />
 Arch: x86_64<br />
 Kernel: Linux 3.2.0-29-generic #46-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jul 27 17:03:23 UTC 2012<br />
 Release: <br />
    Distributor ID:	Ubuntu<br />
    Description:	Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS<br />
    Release:	12.04<br />
    Codename:	precise<br />
############## END SYSTEM INFO ##############<br />
<br />
############### STACK TRACE #################<br />
=====>  Core file: /home/lazybaizy/core (2012-08-14 02:02:54.749292766 +0100)<br />
        =========================================<br />
[New LWP 13906]<br />
[New LWP 13922]<br />
[New LWP 13921]<br />
[New LWP 13924]<br />
[New LWP 13923]<br />
[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]<br />
Using host libthread_db library "/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libthread_db.so.1".<br />
Core was generated by `/usr/local/lib/xbmc/xbmc.bin'.<br />
Program terminated with signal 11, Segmentation fault.<br />
#0  0x0000000000000000 in ?? ()<br />
<br />
Thread 5 (Thread 0x7fc21d714700 (LWP 13923)):<br />
#0  0x00007fc22781c0fe in pthread_cond_timedwait@@GLIBC_2.3.2 () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0<br />
#1  0x00000000007c447f in timed_wait<boost::unique_lock<boost::mutex> > (wait_until=..., m=..., this=0x1b10df0) at /usr/include/boost/thread/pthread/condition_variable.hpp:147<br />
#2  timed_wait<boost::unique_lock<boost::mutex>, boost::posix_time::seconds> (wait_duration=<synthetic pointer>, m=..., this=0x1b10df0) at /usr/include/boost/thread/pthread/condition_variable.hpp:169<br />
#3  ManualServerScanner::run (this=0x1b10dc0) at ../ManualServerScanner.h:103<br />
#4  0x00007fc223ebcce9 in thread_proxy () from /usr/lib/libboost_thread.so.1.46.1<br />
#5  0x00007fc227817e9a in start_thread () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0<br />
#6  0x00007fc2236cf4bd in clone () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6<br />
#7  0x0000000000000000 in ?? ()<br />
<br />
Thread 4 (Thread 0x7fc20bd81700 (LWP 13924)):<br />
#0  0x00007fc22781c0fe in pthread_cond_timedwait@@GLIBC_2.3.2 () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0<br />
#1  0x00007fc223ebf456 in boost::this_thread::sleep(boost::posix_time::ptime const&) () from /usr/lib/libboost_thread.so.1.46.1<br />
#2  0x00000000006c820b in sleep<boost::posix_time::seconds> (rel_time=...) at /usr/include/boost/thread/pthread/thread_data.hpp:138<br />
#3  PlexServerManager::run (this=0x7fc210005eb0) at ../../plex/PlexServerManager.h:377<br />
#4  0x00007fc223ebcce9 in thread_proxy () from /usr/lib/libboost_thread.so.1.46.1<br />
#5  0x00007fc227817e9a in start_thread () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0<br />
#6  0x00007fc2236cf4bd in clone () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6<br />
#7  0x0000000000000000 in ?? ()<br />
<br />
Thread 3 (Thread 0x7fc21e965700 (LWP 13921)):<br />
#0  0x00007fc22781ed2d in read () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0<br />
#1  0x0000000000de7b90 in read (__nbytes=4096, __buf=0x7fc21e962db0, __fd=14) at /usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu/bits/unistd.h:45<br />
#2  RunWatchingForChanges () at Network/NetworkInterfaceLinux.cpp:123<br />
#3  0x00007fc223ebcce9 in thread_proxy () from /usr/lib/libboost_thread.so.1.46.1<br />
#4  0x00007fc227817e9a in start_thread () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0<br />
#5  0x00007fc2236cf4bd in clone () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6<br />
#6  0x0000000000000000 in ?? ()<br />
<br />
Thread 2 (Thread 0x7fc21e164700 (LWP 13922)):<br />
#0  0x00007fc2236cfb53 in epoll_wait () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6<br />
#1  0x0000000000dbd044 in boost::asio::detail::epoll_reactor::run (this=0x1af86b0, block=<optimized out>, ops=...) at /usr/include/boost/asio/detail/impl/epoll_reactor.ipp:240<br />
#2  0x0000000000dbfc68 in do_one (this_idle_thread=<optimized out>, lock=..., this=<optimized out>) at /usr/include/boost/asio/detail/impl/task_io_service.ipp:264<br />
#3  boost::asio::detail::task_io_service::run (this=0x1b0ddd0, ec=...) at /usr/include/boost/asio/detail/impl/task_io_service.ipp:130<br />
#4  0x0000000000dc0055 in boost::asio::io_service::run (this=0x1af3c40) at /usr/include/boost/asio/impl/io_service.ipp:57<br />
#5  0x00007fc223ebcce9 in thread_proxy () from /usr/lib/libboost_thread.so.1.46.1<br />
#6  0x00007fc227817e9a in start_thread () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0<br />
#7  0x00007fc2236cf4bd in clone () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6<br />
#8  0x0000000000000000 in ?? ()<br />
<br />
Thread 1 (Thread 0x7fc229c747c0 (LWP 13906)):<br />
#0  0x0000000000000000 in ?? ()<br />
#1  0x00007fc20808e6f7 in ?? () from /usr/lib/fglrx/libatiadlxx.so<br />
#2  0x00007fc224bdb832 in XCloseDisplay () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libX11.so.6<br />
#3  0x00007fc22430e3ba in ?? () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libSDL-1.2.so.0<br />
#4  0x00007fc22430075e in SDL_VideoQuit () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libSDL-1.2.so.0<br />
#5  0x00007fc2242d7215 in SDL_QuitSubSystem () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libSDL-1.2.so.0<br />
#6  0x00007fc2242d72ce in SDL_Quit () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libSDL-1.2.so.0<br />
#7  0x00007fc2242d78cf in ?? () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libSDL-1.2.so.0<br />
#8  <signal handler called><br />
#9  0x0000000000000000 in ?? ()<br />
#10 0x00007fc20808e6f7 in ?? () from /usr/lib/fglrx/libatiadlxx.so<br />
#11 0x00007fc224bdb832 in XCloseDisplay () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libX11.so.6<br />
#12 0x0000000000a489dc in CWinSystemX11::DestroyWindowSystem (this=0x12b11e0) at WinSystemX11.cpp:88<br />
#13 0x00000000007833a9 in CApplication::Stop (this=0x12b18d0) at Application.cpp:3464<br />
#14 0x00000000009aabdf in CApplicationMessenger::ProcessMessage (this=0x12b2bc8, pMsg=0x40b7e10) at ApplicationMessenger.cpp:221<br />
#15 0x00000000009ac7b9 in CApplicationMessenger::ProcessMessages (this=0x12b2bc8) at ApplicationMessenger.cpp:169<br />
#16 0x0000000000792204 in CApplication::Process (this=0x12b18d0) at Application.cpp:4848<br />
#17 0x00000000009c5586 in CXBApplicationEx::Run (this=0x12b18d0) at XBApplicationEx.cpp:89<br />
#18 0x000000000064da38 in main (argc=1, argv=0x7fffac9f3878) at xbmc.cpp:179<br />
############# END STACK TRACE ###############<br />
<br />
################# LOG FILE ##################<br />
<br />
Logfile not found in the usual place.<br />
Please attach it seperately.<br />
Use pastebin.com or similar for forums or IRC.<br />
<br />
############### END LOG FILE ################<br />
<br />
############ END XBMC CRASH LOG #############
22

Hi all



First post, so don’t bash me too hard :slight_smile:



Dove right into PMC for Linux, beeing a linux tinkerer for a few years now, and having my share of custom builds (ohh Slackware days…).



Hardware:

Custom machine (i5-2300 CPU @ 2.80GHz / 8GB RAM / Integrated GPU)



OS:

Ubuntu 12.4.1 x86



PMC version(s):

Git build on Jun 25 2012 (Git:a4d6ec9)



uname -a output:

Linux xanato 3.2.0-29-generic-pae #46-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jul 27 17:25:43 UTC 2012 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux



Extra packages needed:

I installed the listed build deps, but I already had built XBMC Eden, so not sure what is required



What works:

Everything I’ve tested so far.

Running PMC on same machine as PMS.



NOTES



Time to build

real 7m42.083s

user 18m59.147s

sys 0m59.760s



When I first ran xbmc.bin, I had no video playback.

Searching the log files and the forum, found the LD_PRELOAD hack mentioned by ‘nomnomnom’ in this post.

This solved the NeAACDecOpen undefined symbol.



But I had another undefined symbol: BZ2_bzDecompressInit



Googling for it, it’s from libbz2.



Added


/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libbz2.so.1

to LD_PRELOAD… et voilá!! Watching video, no fuss, with subtitles!



My LD_PRELOAD line added at the top of pmc script:


export LD_PRELOAD="/usr/lib/libfaad.so:/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libbz2.so.1"

Don't know exactly how to correct this in the build files, but two more dependencies not listed originally: libbz2 and libfaad.
The LD_PRELOAD files are from the regular pkg, not the -dev.

Everything else looks good until now.
I'll try and build it on a Dell E6420 (also running Ubuntu 12.4.1) to see diferences - this one didn't build XBMC :-)

Last but not least... great job from all devs and testers. Keep up the tremendous great work. Bought a Mac Mini (my only Mac) two months after OSXBMC started just for it :-)

+1 on PlexPass here.

Daniel

EDIT

Built it on my Dell E6420 (i7-2640M CPU @ 2.80GHz | 4 GB RAM | Integrated GPU)

Time to build (over an NFS share, on wireless)
real 18m51.634s
user 25m6.206s
sys 2m8.104s

Dependencies requirements where the same... required the same LD_PRELOAD to play video.

Unable to discover PMS on network, probably missing some bonjour-something... Manually setting server works OK.
23

Hi everyone,



Thanks for making this such a vibrant and awesome community. Been tinkering and lurking for a while, figured I’d post what I’m up to.



I’m currently in the process of running make in an attempt to get PMC running on an AppleTV 1st gen on Ubuntu 12.04. This is the first attempt, and I’ve installed a bunch of stuff that eventually I won’t need (xubuntu-desktop, etc). If this attempt works, I’ll be re-doing the project using just a base install with Openbox and PMC (maybe an SNES emulator) for a more Plex-appliance feel.



AppleTV has the Broadcom BCM970015 HD decoder card and I’m using an 8GB IDE SSD (since everything will be streaming from the Plex server, no need for internal storage). USB hub w/ Bluetooth and 802.11n, 2 additional ports. I’ve successfully built a basic XBMC appliance (with PlexBMC of course) on this machine and it worked fairly well, but I want to run PMC proper.



I expect due to the 1GHz Pentium M and 256MB of RAM this might take a while. I’ll post the results, cross your fingers for me …

24

OK, I was able to successfully build Plex Media Center on the first-gen AppleTV. At this point, it loads and browses fine, UI is quick and responsive.



No video playback - which I understand is an issue on 12.04, and I’ve seen the threads with workarounds. Not going to try that yet, as I’ve had some issues getting the CrystalHD driver up and running (odd, since I’ve done it without problems many times before on the same box).



Once CrystalHD driver is working, I’ll try the video playback workarounds and report back again.



But, hey, the good news is it looks like it may be possible to build a nice Plex appliance with a first-gen Apple TV.

25

One more update:



I was able to successfully build Plex with CrystalHD support on an AppleTV first-yen running Ubuntu 12.04. It took forever, and ate up nearly all of my 8GB IDE SSD during the build process.



Problems:



No audio - set it to HDMI, but no love. Audio works fine in other apps.



No video playback - I applied the PRELOAD fixes mentioned in various places to no avail.



I haven’t looked at logs or anything yet. I’m currently wondering whether it makes sense to continue troubleshooting based on a couple of things:


  • PlexBMC plugin has been updated to include MyPlex and shared library support, so currently you can do just about anything Plex can do in XBMC using the PlexBMC plugin, and it’s far easier to get XBMC running.


  • Android 4.0 mini-computers that do full 1080p are available for under $100 and have the official, native Android Plex app available to them. The time I’ve spent hacking on this is worth way more than $100.



    However, I would love to be able to get the native desktop Plex application running just to see if I can. That said, it looks like development has stalled on the Linux port - no hard feelings to gewalker, I’m sure he’s got better things to do. I’d love to take over but I have no idea where to start, and my time is limited as well.



    Anyone out there have any tips/suggestions? Should I abandon this battle against a windmill?
26


Thanks for the tip about PleXBMC


I have a report on a build from source on my craptop

Model: Lenovo x100e
CPU: AMD Neo 1.6ghz 1core
RAM: 2,5gb (-256mb video memory)

uname -a
Linux johan-ThinkPad-X100e 3.2.0-30-generic #48-Ubuntu SMP Fri Aug 24 16:52:48 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

It's acually not Ubuntu, it's Xubuntu 12.04 but i guess that doesn't matter


Time
./configure about 10min
./make over 60min
./make install about 30sec

The things i had to to to make it work:
1. When i used the git command, it downloaded all files except for ffmpeg by some reason, had to download it manually and copy/paste it into the right folder. I downloaded it from the linked github git https://github.com/gewalker/plex-ffmpeg-linux
2. By some reason, the mediastream skin didn't work so it was a unexpected crash when startup. Fixed by copying the skin.mediastream from my mac over to my laptop :)
3. Starts up properly, but videos doesn't play
It has something to do with ffmpeg, i'm pretty sure that it's this error line:

18:22:32 T:140602848134912 M: 0%   DEBUG: Thread 140602848134912 terminating<br />
18:22:32 T:140603014395648 M: 0%   DEBUG: FileCurl::Close(0x7fe0c4027860) http://192.168.1.89:32400/photo/:/transcode?width=512&height=512&url=http%3a%2f%2f127%2e0%2e0%2e1%3a32400%2flibrary%2fmetadata%2f2160%2fthumb%3ft%3d1349395138<br />
18:22:32 T:140602872108800 M: 0%   DEBUG: SECTION:LoadDLL(special://xbmcbin/system/players/dvdplayer/avcodec-52-x86_64-linux.so)<br />
18:22:32 T:140602872108800 M: 0%   DEBUG: Loading: /usr/local/lib/xbmc/system/players/dvdplayer/avcodec-52-x86_64-linux.so<br />
18:22:32 T:140603014395648 M: 0%   DEBUG: Asked to check media from PMS: http://192.168.1.89:32400/photo/:/transcode?width=512&height=512&url=http%3a%2f%2f127%2e0%2e0%2e1%3a32400%2flibrary%2fmetadata%2f2045%2fthumb%3ft%3d1349395139<br />
18:22:32 T:140603014395648 M: 0%    INFO: Cache file didn't exist for http://127.0.0.1:32400/library/metadata/2045/thumb?t=1349395139 (/home/johan/Library/Caches/PlexMediaServer/PhotoTranscoder/65/65ec304393380e953d2d1c8c64d3d0d851cce726.jpg)<br />
18:22:32 T:140603014395648 M: 0%   DEBUG: CFileCache::Open - opening <photo/:/transcode> using cache<br />
18:22:32 T:140603014395648 M: 0%   DEBUG: FileCurl::Open(0x7fe0c4027860) http://192.168.1.89:32400/photo/:/transcode?width=512&height=512&url=http%3a%2f%2f127%2e0%2e0%2e1%3a32400%2flibrary%2fmetadata%2f2045%2fthumb%3ft%3d1349395139<br />
18:22:32 T:140602872108800 M: 0%   ERROR: Unable to load /usr/local/lib/xbmc/system/players/dvdplayer/avcodec-52-x86_64-linux.so, reason: /usr/local/lib/xbmc/system/players/dvdplayer/avcodec-52-x86_64-linux.so: undefined symbol: NeAACDecClose<br />
18:22:32 T:140602872108800 M: 0%   ERROR: CDVDDemuxFFmpeg::Open - failed to load ffmpeg libraries<br />
18:22:32 T:140602872108800 M: 0%   ERROR: OpenDemuxStream - Error creating demuxer<br />
18:22:32 T:140602848134912 M: 0%   DEBUG: thread start, auto delete: 0


**EDIT**
[s]What does this line mean?
.so files are the executable file format for linux right? How am i able to know what NeAACDec stands for?
Do i need to download a hex editor?[/s]

18:22:32 T:140602872108800 M: 0%   ERROR: Unable to load /usr/local/lib/xbmc/system/players/dvdplayer/avcodec-52-x86_64-linux.so, reason: /usr/local/lib/xbmc/system/players/dvdplayer/avcodec-52-x86_64-linux.so: undefined symbol: NeAACDecClose


**Realized that NeAACDec is a .h file.
Still don't know what to do though :/
[s]Gonna search for it in the source now[/s]
Found it in /plex-linux/xbmc/cores/dvdplayer/Codecs/libfaad2/include
Have absolutely no idea what to do now...**

Thanks alot for porting this to linux!
Sad that the development is down though, linux development is important.
27


I just bought an Appletv 1 and a broadcom card, nothing has arrived yet but i am excited to get started. I have found this [OpenELEC](http://openelec.tv/), an opensource minimal install of linux and XBMC for various hardware, including the old AppleTV. I'm just wondering if Plex or PlexBMC could be installed instead? At least it should be a smaller install of the OS which would free up that 8gb. OpenELEC 2.0 (stable) - 2.0.0 ATV i386 (105 MB).
28

Yea, everything working :lol: Have not installed any skins. How do I do this exactly?





I am getting some major stuttering in 1080p. At this point I don’t know if it is an Plex or XBMC issue or a Broadcom or an Apple TV issue. I bought the newer bcm970015 but the hard drive is the original 160gb. Any suggestions to increase performance?

29

Upon reading the Openelec wiki I see that the appletv1 does not have gigabyte ethernet and that may be the possible reason for the inadequate 1080p. I just ordered the recommended ethernet to usb adaptor to see if that rectifies the problem. My next upgrade might be ssd. I know I might be putting too much money into this but it is sorta fun.

30

Got it all running. :smiley:



Hardware: Dell Inspiron 530 (Intel C2D E4400), EVGA 8600 GTS, HT-Omega Claro Plus+ (CMI8788)

OS: Ubuntu Minimal 12.10 64bit

uname -a output: Linux plex 3.5.0-18-generic #29-Ubuntu SMP Fri Oct 19 10:26:51 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Extra Packages needed: Everything outlined in How To - Installing Plex on Ubuntu 12.10 64bit plus fluxbox, xinit, alsa, and nvidia-common

What doesn’t work: So far, nothing. It all works.

What works: Everything!



I’m trying to build this into a Live install, so I’ve got PMC to load on boot by auto-logging in the Plex account and running “exec startx pmc” in ~/.profile.

Because it’s setup like that, I had to create an ‘admin’ account to be able to SSH in and work the system.

31


Sorry for asking (newbie) I installed everything from the other post (how-to-installing-plex-on-ubuntu-1210-64bit) + the library you added, now how can I start PMC from command line? the exec startx pmc doesn't work.

Thank you
32


OpenELEC is fantastic. It's what I wound up doing with my AppleTV. The PleXBMC plugin works brilliantly, and it allows me to tie Plex shares into the same UI as Live TV (via an HDHomeRun on my network), Free Cable XBMC plugin, Hulu, etc. I've not been able to get Plex Channels working through PleXBMC at all, however. And yes, you read that right - the Apple TV gen 1 w/ CrystalHD card can do full rez broadcast 1080i (around 20Mb/s) with no problems. It's kind of cool to watch live tv on that box :)

You'll have a very easy experience with OpenELEC. Also check into Crystalbuntu. It's currently been awaiting a version 2.0 since April 2011, and at this point OpenELEC is the better choice, but keep an eye on Crystalbuntu - the 2.0 version could be totally sweet. Crystalbuntu is far more open and extensible than OpenELEC.

If you can swing it, use an SSD. It's worth the speed boost. Good luck!
33


Skins are installed like other XBMC add-ons, just browse the repository and you'll find a bunch of 'em.

I've noticed stuttering on certain files, 1080 and 720, that seems to be related to the encoding of the file. Rips of the same quality/size/bitrate/resolution I've made myself work fine. 100Mb/s ethernet is PLENTY for 1080. A lot of the 1080 rips floating around out there aren't more than 4-6Mb/s.

I've done some stupid experimenting with running linux the ATV. At once point, I had the OS on an external drive and used the internal IDE SSD for swap. That actually worked extremely well but wasn't really a good solution since I had a big ass hard drive attached. It also is much snappier if you use a 7200rpm drive. Honestly though the cost probably isn't worth it, considering you can by an Android set top box that runs Plex (and XBMC) natively for $90 :) But, if you're just doing it for the geeky fun, have at it :)
34


Well, mine is still running a little slow. Sound sometimes works sometimes not. Sometimes I get shudder, sometimes I don't, FF and RW are a little wonky. I really think the original HD has seen better days. I will invest in an SSD. What did you buy? I assume you found an PATA SSD as newer SATA will not work I'm told.
35


I tried a few things... 7200rpm drive, 8GB CF to IDE, and finally settled on an 8GB Kingwin IDE SSD. I found a good deal on a refurb unit for $40. It performs well MOST of the time, but as you mention there are still occasional hiccups and stutter, but these are FAR less frequent and intrusive using the SSD. I've heard that you can use a SATA to PATA adapter but have not tried this myself. Regardless the speed would be limited by the bus itself even if it worked. Also, I use streaming content exclusively, nothing off the hard drive. Primarily using WiFi via the USB port for networking.

Make sure you turn off options for DTS and such if you're outputting over HDMI to a device that does not support those audio formats.

Hope this helps!
36

If you've taken the plunge and built the PMC on Linux, tell us about it here. What hardware and distro were you on? What did you have to do to make it work? What broke? The more we know, the better the client is going to get!

Just installed and tested basic media playback.

Host - Acer eMachine E510 Laptop, Ubuntu 13.04, updated all packages on 21/9/2013

Followed the install shown here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVKoJ4BahFo

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:plexapp/plexht

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jon-severinsson/ffmpeg

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pulse-eight/libcec

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install plexhometheater paprefs pavucontrol

Currently played everything I have tried so far OK, but crashes when exiting.

Some glitching with thumbnails and banners as they fade in and out, but otherwise works well.

Yay, I dont have to look for a cheap secondhand Mac Mini now for the HTPC! I'm going to check out one of the low spec Intel NUCs instead.

Im also going to try this in xubuntu for a minimal fast boot and autologin-and-run PLEX appliance.

Is there any chance of anyone doing a PLEXbuntu in the near future? 

37

To tell the truth, I prefer to use something light like Lubuntu, so I can install Plex and XBMC. It also provides much more convenient access to terminals, scripting and updates.  A Plexbuntu or OpenElec_Plex would be nice I'm sure, I'd certainly use it to set up boxen for less linux-savvy friends and relations.  

38

Just installed and tested basic media playback.
Host - Acer eMachine E510 Laptop, Ubuntu 13.04, updated all packages on 21/9/2013
Followed the install shown here:

 
 
 
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:plexapp/plexht
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jon-severinsson/ffmpeg
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pulse-eight/libcec
 
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install plexhometheater paprefs pavucontrol
 
Currently played everything I have tried so far OK, but crashes when exiting.
Some glitching with thumbnails and banners as they fade in and out, but otherwise works well.
 
Yay, I dont have to look for a cheap secondhand Mac Mini now for the HTPC! I'm going to check out one of the low spec Intel NUCs instead.
 
Im also going to try this in xubuntu for a minimal fast boot and autologin-and-run PLEX appliance.
 
Is there any chance of anyone doing a PLEXbuntu in the near future?


This installation procedure seems by far the easiest i have found.
I'll try it on my macmini running Lubuntu.

Though I am wondering where this repo is coming from ... Is it the plex official one ?
Does this mean that plex team his making linux nightlies now ?

I'm not a linux tech saavy at all, how can this setup be updated when there is a new release ?

Thanks.
39

This installation procedure seems by far the easiest i have found.
I'll try it on my macmini running Lubuntu.

Though I am wondering where this repo is coming from ... Is it the plex official one ?
Does this mean that plex team his making linux nightlies now ?

I'm not a linux tech saavy at all, how can this setup be updated when there is a new release ?

Okay I gave it a try on my 2010 mac mini running Lubuntu 13.10.

These steps seems to go fine

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:plexapp/plexht
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jon-severinsson/ffmpeg

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pulse-eight/libcec

But this one gives me an error :
sudo apt-get update

Ign http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com saucy-backports/universe Translation-fr_FR
Ign http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com saucy-backports/universe Translation-fr
W: Impossible de récupérer http://ppa.launchpad.net/pulse-eight/libcec/ubuntu/dists/saucy/main/binary-amd64/Packages  404  Not Found
W: Impossible de récupérer http://ppa.launchpad.net/pulse-eight/libcec/ubuntu/dists/saucy/main/binary-i386/Packages  404  Not Found
 

Seems like libcec would not be available on 13.10 (saucy). ?

I'm currently stuck there, if anyone has a hint, would be appreciated :)

Thanks.

40

Okay, short update,

Fixed this issue installing manually libcec from this link : https://launchpad.net/~nathan-renniewaldock/+archive/xbmc-build-deps/+build/4540266

Now it seems to work properly, except PHT will crash when Quitting. Hope they will fix this soon :)