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[Hilton]

I'm happy to integrate it over the weekend, but one quick question before I do: does your method run correctly if the device is booted without anything attached to the HDMI output?  Long ago and far away, I pursued an x11VNC-based method, but found that, precisely because it tries to use the actual GUI output, that it didn't work reliably when the system was run truly headless (either x would fail to launch, or the vnc server would fail). 

I'm sure there are configuration steps that will side step all that (and you may have outlined them above), but the main reason I went to tigervnc (or tightvnc) was that it was trivially easy to create a dummy display, sidestepping any issues resulting from the presence or absence of an actual display.

For anyone looking to run the script once a minute to regularly to check if MC is running and restart it, the correct cron entry is

Code: [Select]

* * * * * /path/to/script/scriptname.sh
If you're only running it at boot, you don't need some of the conditional commands in the script.  I'll try and integrate this discussion above.

does your method run correctly if the device is booted without anything attached to the HDMI output

YES

Remember we've forced HDMI mode with the following from my other post.

Here's my /boot/config.txt
Ive changed a couple other things in here:
This changes console resolution to standard 1080p
framebuffer_width=1920
framebuffer_height=1080

This forces HDMI to 1080p 60hz even with no monitor attached.
Which means if you need to plug it in to a monitor or TV after running in headless mode, it wont be in a minicule unusuable resolution.
BTW you need to boot into gui mode for some of the features to work in headless mode.
hdmi_group=2
hdmi_mode=82

I believe because of the above setting I also need to set this to enable HDMI audio
hdmi_drive=2

[bob]

I snarfed the rdp method to add to the Id.

It's working well. I think I'm going to make one change to the /mediaserver mode. I'm going to have it NOT hide the main window since that doesn't serve any purpose on the Id since you need X running anyway.
For people that were running MC "hidden" perhaps I'll make an /iconic option.

What /mediaserver is mostly intended for is to suppress user prompts.

[Hilton]

Nice one! I was wondering if it might be useful for that given the number of users that asked for a Remote Desktop into the Id.

[mwillems]

Nice one! I was wondering if it might be useful for that given the number of users that asked for a Remote Desktop into the Id.

It's especially elegant as it still supports cross-platform solutions like VNC

[Hilton]

Just to add to the RDP discussion.
Windows RDP to the Pi works great from a windows machine but the free iPhone Microsoft RDP app doesn't scale to fit the screen properly. VNC viewer on the iPhone however works perfectly. Best of both worlds.

[bob]

I changed the /mediaserver mode and have been testing this on my beta Id. It works nicely with or without headless booting now...

[bob]

It's especially elegant as it still supports cross-platform solutions like VNC

The way Hilton did this precludes the use of vnc directly, it uses rdp instead (the vnc server is only listening on localhost).
I'm wondering since there is RDP on just about anything, if it makes sense to support vnc? I assume not but if so how to get around the issue that both need passwords? Since the rdp is riding on vnc wouldn't that require two chained passwords?

[mwillems]

The way Hilton did this precludes the use of vnc directly, it uses rdp instead (the vnc server is only listening on localhost).

That's not necessarily required, he was piggybacking off of my script that was intended to be used with no VNC password and using something like SSH for authentication instead.  You ssh in with port mapping (using the -L flag), and then run the VNC client once you get there.  It was intended for security, not convenience, and limiting the VNC to localhost isn't really necessary.  

You could just as easily leave the localhost switch off and have direct access to the VNC client, which with x11vnc is the real screen with support for hardware acceleration.   You can always have XRDP listen on a different port, which is exactly what his clean startup option does (5901).  You just need to make sure to export the correct display first (I think), and they'll both point at the same display.

Several parts of my script don't need to be there anymore (like the conditional tests, which were aimed at a cronjob running every few minutes, not once on startup), unless you do want to run them at intervals to make sure everything is still running.

I'm wondering since there is RDP on just about anything, if it makes sense to support vnc? I assume not but if so how to get around the issue that both need passwords? Since the rdp is riding on vnc wouldn't that require two chained passwords?

I don't think it has to work that way (see above), I think you can offer them as separate options a the same time.  FWIW, my personal experience of linux rdp support has been pretty flaky.  I've needed to use it for work, and I always wind up screaming (or just giving up and booting windows).  It's great on windows, but...

Modern crossplatform VNC viewers (tiger vnc or ultra vnc) are pretty fast.  I get a significantly better "desktop experience" with Tiger VNC than I do with Team Viewer or RDP.

[mwillems]

Also Hilton, I wanted to thank you for pointing me back to x11vnc.  I've now got hardware graphics acceleration on my virtual machines on my headless server, which I've been vainly poking at without much success (futzing with VirtualGL) for a couple months.  Turns out when you use the actual hardware output as your VNC $DISPLAY you get some incidental goodies  

Well worth a few extra steps with x11vnc.

[mwillems]

I'm posting instructions for headless operation here because I'm out of space in the first post and didn't reserve the second and third posts for expansion  

The following steps outline a very basic method of creating a virtual display and allowing for remote control of Mediacenter on the pi. NOTE: If you're using a different username than "pi", you should replace all instances of "pi" in the code below with your username.  

Enter the following commands

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get install tightvncserver
tightvncserverAfter the second command, you will be prompted for a regular password, pick one you will remember. You will also be asked whether you want to create a view-only password. Type 'n'.

If it worked correctly you should see something like:

Code: [Select]

New 'X' desktop is pi:1
If you see a number other than :1 in that output, use that instead of :1 below. Now enter the following lines in the terminal

Code: [Select]

sudo vncserver -kill :1
vncserver :1 -geometry 1920x1080

You should now have a virtual desktop running on your pi. Test it out by trying to log in from another computer using a VNC client.  For example, tigervnc is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux: https://bintray.com/tigervnc/stable/tigervnc/1.4.3

When you start TigerVNC it will ask you for the VNC server details.  Enter the ip address* of your pi, followed by ":1". It will look something like

Code: [Select]

192.168.1.35:1 Once you enter the address, click connect, and it will prompt you for your password.  

*If you don't know the ip address of your pi, enter "sudo ifconfig" in a terminal on your pi, and it will tell you. You're looking for a 4-part number separated by periods next to the phrase "inet addr." You want the one in the paragraph labelled eth0 if your pi has a wired connection or wlan0 if your pi has a wireless connection.

You should now be looking at a virtual desktop on your pi, from which you can run MC!

We're not done yet, though, as we still need to configure the pi to start the vncserver and MC on boot. The easiest way to do this is with a cron script. Type "sudo nano ~/headless" into the terminal and type the following

Code: [Select]

#!/bin/bash
export USER=pi
ps -e | grep tightvnc || vncserver :1 -geometry 1920x1080
export DISPLAY=':1'
ps -e | grep mediacenter || mediacenter20 /mediaserver
Once you're done, press CTRL-X, and choose "y" and press "enter" twice.  Now type

Code: [Select]

sudo chmod 755 ~/headless
crontab -e
After you enter the second command, you may be prompted you to choose an editor; if so choose /bin/nano, which should be option 1.  Now you should now be looking at a file with some information in it.  

If you want mediacenter to launch on boot type the following line at the bottom of the file:

Code: [Select]

@reboot     /home/pi/headless > /dev/null
If, instead, you want mediacenter to launch on boot, but also make sure that it's still running and relaunch it if it has crashed, enter the following at the bottom of the file INSTEAD of the previous

Code: [Select]

* * * * *   /home/pi/headless > /dev/null
Once you've added the one you want, press CTRL-X and then "y" and "enter" twice.  Now reboot your pi as described above, and within a few minutes you should be able to access MC and your VNC desktop.  

There are some limitations to this method.  For example, you cannot use this method to control the pi's actual display output, so you couldn't use this to remote control a pi's display when it's hooked up to a monitor.

If you want a more robust solution that doesn't have these limitations (but requires a few more steps), Hilton provided step by step instructions for a fuller featured remote access method which allows using windows remote desktop, and an alternative VNC method that allows you to remotely control the Pi. His method can be found here: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=95578.msg666290#msg666290, with some extra configuration bits here: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=95578.msg666323#msg666323.

[PrinterPrinter]

Hello,
When I try to follow this guide, I get this error message when installing JRiver.

I can still run it, but it won't actually play music and after I boot the system the only thing that I see is a blinking 'asci prompt' - not X or even the normal command prompt...

Please help
////////

sudo dpkg -i MediaCenter-20.0.110-armhf.deb
Selecting previously unselected package mediacenter20.
(Reading database ... 78723 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking mediacenter20 (from MediaCenter-20.0.110-armhf.deb) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of mediacenter20:
 mediacenter20 depends on xfonts-unifont; however:
  Package xfonts-unifont is not installed.

dpkg: error processing mediacenter20 (--install):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mediacenter20

[mwillems]

I had a hard time following some parts of your post (does "I can still run it" refer to the pi or to Mediacenter?)  You seem to have two probably unrelated issues.  I'm not in front of a pi right now, but here are some suggestions:

1) X not starting

This is not a mediacenter issue.  Are you sure you:

a) started from a generic NOOBS installation, and
b) set the pi to boot into graphical mode by default as described in the guide?

If you did both of those things and aren't seeing x or the command line login prompt when booting, you may have a corrupted installation. You should always get at least a command line login prompt (a text prompt asking you for a login name).  If you see a blinking cursor with no login prompt, you're probably looking at an installation that failed to boot for some reason, possibly due to sdcard corruption (common when power is interrupted without a proper shutdown).  To be clear there's nothing about installing mediacenter that should cause boot issues.

2)Installation problem

As to the installation problem, it looks like the dependencies may have changed in the most recent build.  I'm not in front of a pi right now so I can't test, but (once you get to a command prompt) I would try the following:

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get install xfonts-unifont

Then, if that succeeds, try entering the "sudo dpkg..." command again.  That should fix it (although I would appreciate confirmation).

[PrinterPrinter]

Thanks Mate,
It was a bit confusing but it looks like i managed to get JRiver to boot properly and also managed to activate my optical out add-on board.

The last part I'm struggling with getting JRiver and tight VNC to start automatically...

I tried following the instructions posted but they won't start automatically...

Any advice would be welcome!

[mwillems]

Thanks Mate,
It was a bit confusing but it looks like i managed to get JRiver to boot properly and also managed to activate my optical out add-on board.

The last part I'm struggling with getting JRiver and tight VNC to start automatically...

I tried following the instructions posted but they won't start automatically...

Any advice would be welcome!

Do you mean the instructions two posts above in this thread?  If so:

To troubleshoot, boot your pi as you normally would, but don't take any steps to actively start mediacenter.  Wait five minutes, and then please post the output of the following five commands:

Code: [Select]

ps -e | grep vnc
ps -e | grep mediacenter
crontab -l
cat ~/headless
ls -la ~/

If one of the commands has no output, please indicate that as well.  

[PrinterPrinter]

Hello Mate,
It looks like it working? I think.

Code: [Select]

pi@raspberrypi ~ $ ps -e | grep vnc
 2271 ?        00:00:00 Xtightvnc
pi@raspberrypi ~ $ ps -e | grep mediacenter
 2286 ?        00:00:13 mediacenter20
pi@raspberrypi ~ $ crontab -l
# Edit this file to introduce tasks to be run by cron.
#
# Each task to run has to be defined through a single line
# indicating with different fields when the task will be run
# and what command to run for the task
#
# To define the time you can provide concrete values for
# minute (m), hour (h), day of month (dom), month (mon),
# and day of week (dow) or use '*' in these fields (for 'any').#
# Notice that tasks will be started based on the cron's system
# daemon's notion of time and timezones.
#
# Output of the crontab jobs (including errors) is sent through
# email to the user the crontab file belongs to (unless redirected).
#
# For example, you can run a backup of all your user accounts
# at 5 a.m every week with:
# 0 5 * * 1 tar -zcf /var/backups/home.tgz /home/
#
# For more information see the manual pages of crontab(5) and cron(8)
#
# m h  dom mon dow   command

@reboot     /home/pi/headless > /dev/null
pi@raspberrypi ~ $ cat ~/headless
#!/bin/bash
export USER=pi
ps -e | grep tightvnc || vncserver :1 -geometry 1920x1080
export DISPLAY=':1'
ps -e | grep mediacenter || mediacenter20 /mediaserver

pi@raspberrypi ~ $ ls -la ~/
total 112
drwxr-xr-x 17 pi   pi   4096 May 19 08:26 .
drwxr-xr-x  3 root root 4096 May  6 22:20 ..
-rw-r--r--  1 pi   pi     69 May 18 15:44 .asoundrc
-rw-------  1 pi   pi   1029 May 18 19:03 .bash_history
-rw-r--r--  1 pi   pi    220 May  6 22:20 .bash_logout
-rw-r--r--  1 pi   pi   3243 May  6 22:20 .bashrc
drwxr-xr-x  9 pi   pi   4096 May 18 15:58 .cache
drwxr-xr-x 14 pi   pi   4096 May 18 16:05 .config
drwx------  3 pi   pi   4096 May 18 14:27 .dbus
drwxr-xr-x  2 pi   pi   4096 May 18 15:56 Desktop
-rw-r--r--  1 pi   pi     35 May 19 08:26 .dmrc
drwxr-xr-x  2 pi   pi   4096 May 18 15:58 Downloads
drwxr-xr-x  2 pi   pi   4096 May 18 16:28 .fontconfig
drwxr-xr-x  2 pi   pi   4096 May 18 14:27 .gstreamer-0.10
drwx------  2 pi   pi   4096 May 18 14:27 .gvfs
-rwxr-xr-x  1 root root  161 May 18 16:49 headless
drwxr-xr-x  4 pi   pi   4096 May 18 15:40 .jriver
drwx------  3 pi   pi   4096 May 18 14:27 .local
-rw-r--r--  1 pi   pi    675 May  6 22:20 .profile
drwxrwxr-x  2 pi   pi   4096 Jan 27 08:34 python_games
drwxr-xr-x  3 pi   pi   4096 May 18 14:27 .themes
drwx------  4 pi   pi   4096 May 18 14:33 .thumbnails
drwxr-xr-x  2 pi   pi   4096 May 18 15:41 Video
drwx------  2 pi   pi   4096 May 19 08:26 .vnc
-rw-------  1 pi   pi    266 May 19 08:26 .Xauthority
-rw-------  1 pi   pi   2782 May 19 08:26 .xsession-errors
-rw-------  1 pi   pi   6870 May 19 08:27 .xsession-errors.old

In other news, perhaps it would be easier to set if JRiver made it's own distribution image? that would come pre-configured with all the files etc? It would also be good to have built in support for thing like https://www.hifiberry.com/digiplus/ that add optical and coax to the RPI.

[mwillems]

Hello Mate,
It looks like it working? I think.

Code: [Select]

pi@raspberrypi ~ $ ps -e | grep vnc
 2271 ?        00:00:00 Xtightvnc
pi@raspberrypi ~ $ ps -e | grep mediacenter
 2286 ?        00:00:13 mediacenter20
pi@raspberrypi ~ $ crontab -l
# Edit this file to introduce tasks to be run by cron.
#
# Each task to run has to be defined through a single line
# indicating with different fields when the task will be run
# and what command to run for the task
#
# To define the time you can provide concrete values for
# minute (m), hour (h), day of month (dom), month (mon),
# and day of week (dow) or use '*' in these fields (for 'any').#
# Notice that tasks will be started based on the cron's system
# daemon's notion of time and timezones.
#
# Output of the crontab jobs (including errors) is sent through
# email to the user the crontab file belongs to (unless redirected).
#
# For example, you can run a backup of all your user accounts
# at 5 a.m every week with:
# 0 5 * * 1 tar -zcf /var/backups/home.tgz /home/
#
# For more information see the manual pages of crontab(5) and cron(8)
#
# m h  dom mon dow   command

@reboot     /home/pi/headless > /dev/null
pi@raspberrypi ~ $ cat ~/headless
#!/bin/bash
export USER=pi
ps -e | grep tightvnc || vncserver :1 -geometry 1920x1080
export DISPLAY=':1'
ps -e | grep mediacenter || mediacenter20 /mediaserver

pi@raspberrypi ~ $ ls -la ~/
total 112
drwxr-xr-x 17 pi   pi   4096 May 19 08:26 .
drwxr-xr-x  3 root root 4096 May  6 22:20 ..
-rw-r--r--  1 pi   pi     69 May 18 15:44 .asoundrc
-rw-------  1 pi   pi   1029 May 18 19:03 .bash_history
-rw-r--r--  1 pi   pi    220 May  6 22:20 .bash_logout
-rw-r--r--  1 pi   pi   3243 May  6 22:20 .bashrc
drwxr-xr-x  9 pi   pi   4096 May 18 15:58 .cache
drwxr-xr-x 14 pi   pi   4096 May 18 16:05 .config
drwx------  3 pi   pi   4096 May 18 14:27 .dbus
drwxr-xr-x  2 pi   pi   4096 May 18 15:56 Desktop
-rw-r--r--  1 pi   pi     35 May 19 08:26 .dmrc
drwxr-xr-x  2 pi   pi   4096 May 18 15:58 Downloads
drwxr-xr-x  2 pi   pi   4096 May 18 16:28 .fontconfig
drwxr-xr-x  2 pi   pi   4096 May 18 14:27 .gstreamer-0.10
drwx------  2 pi   pi   4096 May 18 14:27 .gvfs
-rwxr-xr-x  1 root root  161 May 18 16:49 headless
drwxr-xr-x  4 pi   pi   4096 May 18 15:40 .jriver
drwx------  3 pi   pi   4096 May 18 14:27 .local
-rw-r--r--  1 pi   pi    675 May  6 22:20 .profile
drwxrwxr-x  2 pi   pi   4096 Jan 27 08:34 python_games
drwxr-xr-x  3 pi   pi   4096 May 18 14:27 .themes
drwx------  4 pi   pi   4096 May 18 14:33 .thumbnails
drwxr-xr-x  2 pi   pi   4096 May 18 15:41 Video
drwx------  2 pi   pi   4096 May 19 08:26 .vnc
-rw-------  1 pi   pi    266 May 19 08:26 .Xauthority
-rw-------  1 pi   pi   2782 May 19 08:26 .xsession-errors
-rw-------  1 pi   pi   6870 May 19 08:27 .xsession-errors.old


Yes it appears to be working.  Are you seeing issues?  If you can described what your issues are, I can help.  Just to be clear, if you have the Pi plugged into a monitor, you won't see anything because the VNC creates a virtual desktop.  The only way to see that desktop is using VNC.  So the final test of whether it's working is to use a VNC viewer to try and connect to the pi. The method above is solely for a headless configuration.  If you want both remote access and monitor access to look the same, you'll need to use Hilton's method above.

In other news, perhaps it would be easier to set if JRiver made it's own distribution image? that would come pre-configured with all the files etc? It would also be good to have built in support for thing like https://www.hifiberry.com/digiplus/ that add optical and coax to the RPI.

Let me clarify: I don't work for JRiver, I'm just an enthusiast, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I'm pretty sure that's more or less what JRiver is selling with their Id Pi product, so if that's what you're looking for, you may be able to get it.  The staff at JRiver haven't weighed in on "community" images, so I can't speculate about that.

"Built in" support for the digi is already in the kernel; if it's anything like the hifiberry dac, you only need to enter two or three lines on the terminal to get it working.  If you mean "enabled by default in a pre-made image" that might be harder as many of the available i2c audio add ons use the exact same output pins on the Pi.  So if you enabled all of them in an image it might not work very well (i.e. interfaces might get confused about which one was actually connected).    

[PrinterPrinter]

Thanks Mate,
Much appreciate the help!

It's working very well, I don't want to touch it ;-)

[PrinterPrinter]

Hi There,
I have a tiny issue,

While JRiver runs on my RPI - it seems to have gone to another desktop as I can't see it when I'm connected via VNC - however the music is playing and I can control it with the JRemote app... Any idea on how to fix this? or switch desktops in RPI?

Thanks you!

[mwillems]

LXDE has a desktop switch on the task bar at the bottom (you can see four squares next to each other), so that will let you change desktops within the virtual VNC session.

Also, which version of MC are you running?  Earlier versions hide themselves when you pass the /mediaserver switch; more modern versions only start minimized when you pass that switch.  So if you're running an older version, it may not be running on a different desktop, it may just be hidden.  Try modifying the script above to remove the /mediaserver argument and see if that helps.

[Weedos123]

I had problems with this before on a full Linux PCs, but the same affliction occurs again with pi install, I can't get my mjr file to install my license.

After first install, MC shows up as expected with the 30 day trial, so I put my master licence code in the register box, which is accepted and I get an mjr file.
So i go into a terminal window and do as instructed elsewhere to restore the licence from file.  First time I do this everything seems to be ok, message comes back saying its registered ok.  Go into MC and I get a "licence has expired" message.  Redo the registration in terminal window and get "segmentation fault". Which obviously means something, but not to me as a Linux newbie.

My .jriver directory's permissions are "pi pi drwxr-xr-x" and the ones below it and the files are similar, which look ok to me.  Pi being the user.

So I purged MC and reinstalled and now I just get a segmentation fault.  The mjr file is less than 14 days old.  So stuck. Anyone any ideas?
Thanks
Paul

[Weedos123]

I had problems with this before on a full Linux PCs, but the same affliction occurs again with pi install, I can't get my mjr file to install my license.

After first install, MC shows up as expected with the 30 day trial, so I put my master licence code in the register box, which is accepted and I get an mjr file.
So i go into a terminal window and do as instructed elsewhere to restore the licence from file.  First time I do this everything seems to be ok, message comes back saying its registered ok.  Go into MC and I get a "licence has expired" message.  Redo the registration in terminal window a find get "segmentation fault". Which obviously means something, but not to me as a Linux newbie.

My .jriver directory's permissions are "pi pi drwxr-xr-x" and the ones below it and the files are similar, which look ok to me.  Pi being the user.

So I purged MC and reinstalled and now I just get a segmentation fault.  The mjr file is less than 14 days old.  So stuck. Anyone any ideas?
Thanks
Paul

[mwillems]

I had problems with this before on a full Linux PCs, but the same affliction occurs again with pi install, I can't get my mjr file to install my license.

After first install, MC shows up as expected with the 30 day trial, so I put my master licence code in the register box, which is accepted and I get an mjr file.
So i go into a terminal window and do as instructed elsewhere to restore the licence from file.  First time I do this everything seems to be ok, message comes back saying its registered ok.  Go into MC and I get a "licence has expired" message.  Redo the registration in terminal window and get "segmentation fault". Which obviously means something, but not to me as a Linux newbie.

My .jriver directory's permissions are "pi pi drwxr-xr-x" and the ones below it and the files are similar, which look ok to me.  Pi being the user.

So I purged MC and reinstalled and now I just get a segmentation fault.  The mjr file is less than 14 days old.  So stuck. Anyone any ideas?
Thanks
Paul

The segfault is unrelated to the registration issue, and will be hard blocker, so let's work that issue first.  Did you follow the guide above exactly?  A segfault is usually the result of a missing dependency, so take especial note of the list of dependencies in the instruction post. 

The current build of MC requires a dependency that wasn't previously required; the guide is up to date now, but if you used the guide before a few days ago you may be missing xfonts-unifont.  If you think that might be your issue, try:

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get install xfonts-unifont
Once you get your segfault worked out, we'll start working the license issue.

[Weedos123]

Thanks for the swift response.

I just ran the install for xfonts-uni font and it says it's already installed. 0 upgraded 0 newly installed etc, so it not that.  
I did install it a week ago and followed the instructions to the letter, wouldn't know what to do if I deviated from them.. No errors came back during the install.  Thought they were clear and excellent.  MC did work until I tried to instal the licence.  It's the licence not installing properly that seems to have caused the issue.  Would redoing it all from scratch be worthwhile?

[mwillems]

You'll need to try what I suggested in my prior post.  Make sure you have all of your dependencies installed.  The segfault and the registration issue are probably unrelated.

EDIT: I see you edited your post, I'll respond below.

[Weedos123]

mwilliams
Seems like taptalk on the iPad is making a mess of my posts and their timing so now using a computer.  It seems like you read the repost of my original post before I had a chance to edit it with what I wanted to say. I have tried your suggestion with no success. So tomorrow, going to go with a complete reinstall with the revised instructions, just in case I missed anything.

[mwillems]

A reinstall might help.  It's also important to note that only the most current build of MC for ARM will accept a license, so you should make sure you have the most up to date version.

[PrinterPrinter]

LXDE has a desktop switch on the task bar at the bottom (you can see four squares next to each other), so that will let you change desktops within the virtual VNC session.

Also, which version of MC are you running?  Earlier versions hide themselves when you pass the /mediaserver switch; more modern versions only start minimized when you pass that switch.  So if you're running an older version, it may not be running on a different desktop, it may just be hidden.  Try modifying the script above to remove the /mediaserver argument and see if that helps.

Thanks Mate.
I've installed version 20.0.66

Where do I find the command line and media centre 'switch'?
I've now messed it up completely and basically get two instances of MC running on the Pi...
I also tried looking at the other desktops to try and find it but without luck...

Please advise, thank you!

[mwillems]

Thanks Mate.
I've installed version 20.0.66

Where do I find the command line and media centre 'switch'?
I've now messed it up completely and basically get two instances of MC running on the Pi...
I also tried looking at the other desktops to try and find it but without luck...

Please advise, thank you!

With that version, it's almost certainly the mediaserver switch that's the issue.  Type in the terminal

Code: [Select]

sudo nano ~/headlessYou'll then see:

Code: [Select]

#!/bin/bash
export USER=pi
ps -e | grep tightvnc || vncserver :1 -geometry 1920x1080
export DISPLAY=':1'
ps -e | grep mediacenter || mediacenter20 /mediaserver
On the last line, delete "/mediaserver", then hit ctrl-x, press y, and enter twice.  That should fix the issue after a reboot.

By the way, if you want to update to a newer licensed version (which you will eventually as the build you're using will time out in June), enter the following commands into the terminal

Code: [Select]

wget -q "http://dist.jriver.com/mediacenter@jriver.com.gpg.key" -O- | sudo apt-key add -
sudo wget http://dist.jriver.com/latest/mediacenter/mediacenter20native.list -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mediacenter20.list
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

In the future if you want to update again, you only have to enter the last line (sudo apt-get update...).

These instructions are in the first post now, but weren't there when you followed the guide because there wasn't a licensed version until recently.

I've now messed it up completely and basically get two instances of MC running on the Pi...
I also tried looking at the other desktops to try and find it but without luck...

Please advise, thank you!

A reboot should resolve those issues unless you're doing something drastic.

[PrinterPrinter]

Thanks Mate,
I followed your advice and now the MC window is back! ;-)

I have a couple of new problems though,
I bought a master license upgrade (already had a MC 20 win license) - but when I input it, either via the terminal or type it in MC it says it cant find the license or 'segmentation error' when using the terminal... Do I need a specific Linux license?

Also,
I've taken another look at the HiFiberry digi+ set up instructions and noticed there was a stage I skipped - It says: Remove the following lines from /etc/modprobe.d/raspi-blacklist.conf on Raspbian. If you’re using another distribution, check where it configures module blacklists.' - I couldn't find this folder/file - do you have any idea where I could look for it?

Lastly,
I feel like a complete N00b but the 'start button' at the top left corner of the desktop (where you could reboot from the GUI) - went missing... I tried messing with it but with no success.

Thanks very much mate!

[mwillems]

Thanks Mate,
I followed your advice and now the MC window is back! ;-)

I have a couple of new problems though,
I bought a master license upgrade (already had a MC 20 win license) - but when I input it, either via the terminal or type it in MC it says it cant find the license or 'segmentation error' when using the terminal... Do I need a specific Linux license?

The master license will work for this (I use it myself).  To be clear, you don't enter the registration code from the command line, you use the .mjr file that you got when you registered on the command line (as described in the first post).  Is that what you mean?

When you're entering it in the terminal are you doing it in the VNC desktop or through ssh or something else?  Be as specific as you can be.

Also,
I've taken another look at the HiFiberry digi+ set up instructions and noticed there was a stage I skipped - It says: Remove the following lines from /etc/modprobe.d/raspi-blacklist.conf on Raspbian. If you’re using another distribution, check where it configures module blacklists.' - I couldn't find this folder/file - do you have any idea where I could look for it?

No clue about that, I've never seen a "raspi-blacklist.conf" file, so those instructions may be outdated.  You should ask HiFiberry what they mean.

Lastly,
I feel like a complete N00b but the 'start button' at the top left corner of the desktop (where you could reboot from the GUI) - went missing... I tried messing with it but with no success.

Thanks very much mate!

I don't know, I've never seen it go missing before.  You can always reboot by typing "sudo reboot" into the terminal.

[PrinterPrinter]

The master license will work for this (I use it myself).  To be clear, you don't enter the registration code from the command line, you use the .mjr file that you got when you registered on the command line (as described in the first post).  Is that what you mean?

When you're entering it in the terminal are you doing it in the VNC desktop or through ssh or something else?  Be as specific as you can be.

Thanks Mate,
I tried inputting the license as per the command posted (obviously referring to the right file name for my license) both via SSH and through MC on the graphical interface from the help menu - when doing this I actually plugged the Berry to a screen, keyboard etc ;-).

I hope I solve this before the trial expires

Thanks again for all the help, really appreciated!

[mwillems]

Thanks Mate,
I tried inputting the license as per the command posted (obviously referring to the right file name for my license) both via SSH and through MC on the graphical interface from the help menu - when doing this I actually plugged the Berry to a screen, keyboard etc ;-).

I hope I solve this before the trial expires

Thanks again for all the help, really appreciated!

The terminal method is more reliable than the help menu method, and the terminal method works fine if you do it when using a virtual terminal in the GUI (whether VNC or actually hooked up to a monitor). 

If you need to do it via ssh, you need to export a working display first.  If you've setup the headless method described above, you'd enter "export DISPLAY=:1" press enter, and then try the terminal license restore.

[bob]

I'm thinking the build 110 really shouldn't have issues with entering the registration info from the help dialog box.
Are you certain you have an internet connection on the pi? That a requirement to reach the license server.

[Weedos123]

Still cant register my master licence.

Completely reinstalled a noob raspbian onto a freshly formatted sd card. followed mwillems instructions to the letter, using ssh from my macbook pro, all steps completed properly without error until I came to register.  I do have v110, mc runs but says its in trial mode and I do have internet access as I got all the updates etc OK.  The permissions on my .jriver folder are "drwxr-xr-x pi pi" where pi is the user, so i think they are OK.

The registration results in a "segmentation fault" error again, but at least I am not alone here.

Any ideas anyone?

[mwillems]

Still cant register my master licence.

Completely reinstalled a noob raspbian onto a freshly formatted sd card. followed mwillems instructions to the letter, using ssh from my macbook pro, all steps completed properly without error until I came to register.  I do have v110, mc runs but says its in trial mode and I do have internet access as I got all the updates etc OK.

The registration results in a "segmentation fault" error again, but at least I am not alone here.

Any ideas anyone?

Try running the command on a virtual terminal (like lxterminal) in the GUI on the pi instead of via ssh (i.e. use VNC or hook it up to a monitor). Or see my post immediately above Bob's for an explanation of how to make it work via ssh.

I'm thinking the build 110 really shouldn't have issues with entering the registration info from the help dialog box.
Are you certain you have an internet connection on the pi? That a requirement to reach the license server.

I've never actually had the help menu registration work on Linux for me including on this build.

[bob]

Try running it on a virtual terminal (like lxterminal) in the GUI on the pi instead of via ssh (i.e. use VNC or hook it up to a monitor). See my post immediately above Bob's for an explanation of how to make it work via ssh.

I've never actually had the help menu registration work on Linux for me including on this build.

Interesting.
I tested that before uploading this build. Perhaps a certificate issue on your pi? Try:
sudo c_rehash /etc/ssl/certs

[Weedos123]

Thanks for those ideas,  I ran the certs command as suggested by Bob and that ran through OK.  Then went and tried again using ssh, still get set fault error.  Connected the pi to the tele with keyboard mouse and used the terminal in the pi's gui and got a different message "Could not restore licence from file XXXXX.mjr".  The licence file is less than a week old.

Does this mean anything to either of you?

[bob]

Thanks for those ideas,  I ran the certs command as suggested by Bob and that ran through OK.  Then went and tried again using ssh, still get set fault error.  Connected the pi to the tele with keyboard mouse and used the terminal in the pi's gui and got a different message "Could not restore licence from file XXXXX.mjr".  The licence file is less than a week old.

Does this mean anything to either of you?

When you run ssh into the pi do you think you are getting a X session?
If you aren't running it from another linux machine you probably are not.

From another linux machine
ssh -X the.ip.address.of.your.pi

[mwillems]

Interesting.
I tested that before uploading this build. Perhaps a certificate issue on your pi? Try:
sudo c_rehash /etc/ssl/certs

That worked, I succeeded in doing a help menu registration.

[PrinterPrinter]

That worked, I succeeded in doing a help menu registration.

Hey Guys,
I tried this and it didn't work for me (via help menu registration...)

Also,
I may have noticed a couple of bugs with this version, where shoudl I post them? In this thread? Or start a new one?

Thank you for all the kind help!

[mwillems]

You should probably start a new thread for your registration issues. 

Bugs should be posted in the build thread (not this one): http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=97630.0

[Witty]

Always have Enjoyed Media Center 20 on Windows,   Thank you to the folks behind this project.

I am new to Linux.  Have MC20 working on Pi 2.

In the first forum post I see normal window re-sizing has been tested.

I also see maximize and minimize buttons are not working.

Not sure if I understand.  Can this MC20 be displayed in larger window or even a full window? If so, how can I accomplish this?

[mwillems]

Always have Enjoyed Media Center 20 on Windows,   Thank you to the folks behind this project.

I am new to Linux.  Have MC20 working on Pi 2.

In the first forum post I see normal window re-sizing has been tested.

I also see maximize and minimize buttons are not working.

Not sure if I understand.  Can this MC20 be displayed in larger window or even a full window? If so, how can I accomplish this?

The window can be resized in the same way any window can be resized in windows or linux.  Hover over the window boundary and click and drag. It's just the maximize and minimize buttons that don't work.

[Mark_NL]

Not sure if I understand.  Can this MC20 be displayed in larger window or even a full window? If so, how can I accomplish this?

The window can be resized in the same way any window can be resized in windows or linux.  Hover over the window boundary and click and drag. It's just the maximize and minimize buttons that don't work.

May I add as linux newbee struggling with this, you can resize as in (MS)windows;
Just not used the available methods often; (obviously) right click on button on the taskbar and "maximize" or make mediacenter window active (click on it), press ATL + Spacebar and "maximize".

An other difference to get used to is the focus: a child window (sub window) as in >tools>options can get behind the main (mediacenter) window.

[Witty]

Thanks for the suggestions.  The alt - spacebar - m,  brought down a menu with Maximilian as one choice.

Solved my problem.

[HiFiPitt]

Itīs my first Post here! Using MC for HD-Audio since years on Win, on Mac 1 year ,since three weeks on RP. Bought few days ago upgrade Master-License.

Have installed MC20 v.110 on new RP2 as in the Guide advised, no peripherals yet. MC20 appears as a fixed small less inch squared Window on upper left Corner of desktop, no chance to move, maximize or minimize. Within MC20 all works best, too the internal Setup Menues are placed center to the Desktop and can be moved and sized. Should be solved before installing Hifiberry DIGI+, because this brings some trouble with the new kernel too.

How can I get the Mainwindow of MC20 be moved and sized or placed center by Startup?

i.g. Have running MC20 101 Testversion full function on other RP1 and RP2 with Hifiberry DAC (RP1) and DIGI+ (RP2) full bandwidth, handled with JRemote perfectly, with older Kernelversion, but this seems to expire 08. June, so i want have a running licensed system.

[mwillems]

Have you tried resizing the window by dragging at the edge of the window?
Alternatively have you tried right clicking on the taskbar entry and selecting "maximize"?

[mwillems]

If you're getting persistent audio dropouts on an RPi 2, some users have found it helpful to change their CPU scaling governor to keep the Pi at maximum CPU frequency.  Here's how to do it in a way that will survive reboots.
Type

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get install cpufrequtils
touch /home/pi/governor.sh
chmod 755 /home/pi/governor.sh
nano /home/pi/governor.sh
Then enter the following text:

Code: [Select]

#!/bin/bash
for n in {0..3}; do cpufreq-set -c $n -g performance; done

Save by pressing CTRL-X, y, and then enter twice.

Now type

Code: [Select]

sudo nano /etc/rc.local
And add the following above the line that reads "exit 0"

Code: [Select]

/home/pi/governor.shSave by pressing CTRL-X, y, and then enter twice.

[mp48]

I have installed the Mediacenter on a Raspberry Pi 1 B+ and it runs flawless as an audio server. Today I had to restart the Raspberry and a message popped up "Support for MC will end on 10 June 2015". Does that mean, that only the support ends or will stop also the software ?? If the latter, how to continue?

[mwillems]

I have installed the Mediacenter on a Raspberry Pi 1 B+ and it runs flawless as an audio server. Today I had to restart the Raspberry and a message popped up "Support for MC will end on 10 June 2015". Does that mean, that only the support ends or will stop also the software ?? If the latter, how to continue?

Early builds of MC for ARM were free "beta" builds that will time out on June 10th; the software will stop working entirely after that date.  MC for ARM is now "official," so if you want to keep using MC you will need to update to the current version and install a license.  If you already have a JRiver Linux or Master license, you're all set, you'll just need to install a more current MC build and install the license (instructions in the first post).

If you don't have a license yet, you'll need to buy one (either a linux license or a master license).