Wishlist
I’ve updated my wishlist for Christmas, feel free to buy something not on the list though! The wishlist is here
I’ve updated my wishlist for Christmas, feel free to buy something not on the list though! The wishlist is here
We have moved our internet provider & phone line from Virgin Media to BT Broadband. Thankfully it has been relatively painless, especially as it also knocks out the TV. Rough summary of what needed to be done:
A summary of the recipes that are popular with the kids. Well popular with Henry at least, May only seems content with munching through a pork pie.:
Henry definitely prefers mild flavours, anything too flavoursome is ‘too spicy’, from tomatoes to bacon. Or anything that cannot be chewed to a paste (meat for example, stringy vegetables).
Probably going to do a clean install of our macbook, upgrading to Mac OS 10.6.3. Need to re-install:
Pre-server upgrade, need to upgrade MythTV, just as I got used to svn, MythtTV has moved to github. Will work out how to do patches later (see Using Git guide, for now grab a snapshot tarball:
wget --no-check-certificate https://github.com/MythTV/mythtv/tarball/v0.24
Make a clean copy. Then on the server and all clients take a copy of the latest revision in /home/mythtv/XXXXX.
Shutdown all clients and the backend using /etc/init.d/mythbackend stop, stop any cron job that auto starts the backend.
On server backup myth database as described on the MythTV Wiki using mythconverg_backup.pl.
Create the new version of MythTV: Run the previous configure recorded in config.log, updated as appropriate. Run make.
Finally shutdown all clients and the backend again. Ensure any local modifications to myth are in ~/.mythtv (i.e. mysql.txt and any menu modifications).
Remove any copies of mysql.txt (/usr/local/share/myth/mysql.txt & /var/run/mythtv/.mythtv/mysql.txt).
Usually a good idea to run mythtv-setup, on macbook start X11, run:
Restart the server using /etc/init.d/mythbackend start. Check database is upgraded okay, check detected all tuners, listings, recordings and videos. Restart the client and check it is working (live TV, recordings and videos).
Always worried that we are bringing a lot of incorrect settings and unwanted orphan database guff. We could now create a new mythconverg database using the mc.sql file. Restart the backend pointing at the new database, this will populate with working defaults. Run mythtv-setup to add tuner cards, listings provider and channels. Run mythfilldatabase to get listings. Restart client and set up appropriate Video Playback Profile, check live TV works. Import videos, music and photos. Import old database tables – previously recorded programs (oldrecorded), current recordings (recorded, recordedprogram & recordedseek), and supporting tables: (recordedrating, recordedcredits, people, credits).
Once successful, install mythweb on the server:
Getting MythTV from Github
First install and configure git:
Grab a copy of the repository and swap to the fixes branch:
There does not seem to be a simple method of tracking what revision you have in git? Proposed upgrade process:
cp -r mythtv mythtv_installedgit short-log HEAD..???git pullTime to upgrade the server again, getting numerous failures, so need to re-install the whole system…
Quick Overview of Steps to Commission the Server:
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System Mount /dev/hda1 * 1 7 56196 83 Linux [/boot] /dev/hda2 8 70 506047+ 82 Linux swap [swap] /dev/hda3 71 800 5863725 83 Linux [/] /dev/hda4 801 9729 71722192+ 5 Extended /dev/hda5 801 1530 5863693+ 83 Linux [/mnt/portage] /dev/hda6 1531 2260 5863693+ 83 Linux [/home] /dev/hda7 2261 2869 4891761 83 Linux [/mnt/root] /dev/hda8 Remainder [/shared/]
Use backed up files from old installation as reference to various steps in the Gentoo install guide (/etc/conf.d/*, /etc/fstab, /etc/make.conf, and so on).
Ensure kernel has support for all filesystems ext2/3, xfs, nfs server. Ensure drivers built for all key components (use lspci -v to get key ones), correct CPU is chosen, hardware sensors and CPU powersaving.
Copy across all /etc/portage files before emerging the following packages.
Once complete will have the following services running:
Use /usr/lib/portage/world as a guide as to what packages to install.
Top level services that need to be installed:
Key components to support the above:
Order of Installation:
lm_sensors – follow installation instructions and install appropriate modules
CPU Frequency control – Use kernel modules if possible, explore /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/
Install and restore exports file from backup, TODO: Check for portmapper/rpcbind.
See the previous post on Asterisk upgrade.
Also install the latest phpagi
Install sox for increasing gain on voicemail.
Get British audio from Enicomms, put in /var/lib/asterisk/sounds/en_GB
Install as per Gentoo instructions, and restore backed up www files. (including .htaccess). TODO:
Download and install, and configure useful tools:
Copy across bespoke tools:
Only really need backend support, but still need all the dependencies, so get portage to add them all. Ensure version we want is enabled in portage, update package.keywords
echo "media-tv/mythtv ~x86" >> package.keywords emerge --onlydeps --ask mythtv emerge --noreplace mythtv
Restore /root/.mythtv settings.
Also need xmltv for listings, with imdb support:
emerge --ask xmltv tv_imdb --download --imdbdir /shared/imdb --prepStage all
Kernel Drivers if possible:
Copy backed up udev rules to ensure known adapter names. cp backups/etc/11-dvb.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/11-dvb.rules
Weighing up the pros and cons of upgrading various components, try and capture what we have:
Motherboard –
CPU – AMD Athlon
PCI – Hauppauge Nova-T
PCI – Twinhan
PCI – Nvidia VGA
PCI – Digium Analogue Telephony Card with 1 FXO [5W max]
USB – Hauppauge Nova-T Stick
IDE – HDD
IDE – HDD
IDE – HDD
Fan – 120mm
Fan – 120mm
PSU –
New Server
ASUS P5ND2-SLI Power Consumption 150W(idle) – 220W(load) [1] Manual [pdf] – Manual states power range from 500W to 350W (system consumption) 17 to 25A on the 12V line.
Processor installed is a Pentium 4 with HT support [1], support EIST, max TDP of 85W.
With no hob or oven, need a repertoire of simple meals that we can cook in the microwave (which also has a basic grill).
Beans on Toast
Spaghetti Hoops on Toast
Fishfingers, peas & sweetcorn
Burgers
Noodles, peas & sweetcorn
Rice & Naan bread
Tinned Spaghetti Sausages
Soup
Creamy parmesan, quick cook macaroni
Chicken Pie ready meal & peas
Take away pizza / fish n chips
Pre-cooked meals:
Wraps with frozen Chilli Mince
Frozen Fish Pie
Going to try classic Delia Roasted Stuffed Goose with Prunes in Armagnac from Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course.
I’ll be cooking:
Plan:
The server is running Gentoo, which will by default only install Asterisk 1.2. Unfortunately it is not obvious that this supports the more up to date dahdi drivers required for the Openvox A400P card that I need to install.
I also could not find anything on the web to recommend a stable version of Asterisk, so I just install the latest ebuild available. To enable installation of dahdi and Asterisk with mysql cdr support I did the following:
net-misc/asterisk-addons mysql
net-misc/asterisk dahdi
net-misc/asterisk-addons ~x86
net-misc/asterisk-app_notify ~x86
net-misc/dahdi ~x86
net-misc/asterisk ~x86
net-misc/asterisk-core-sounds ~x86
net-misc/asterisk-extra-sounds ~x86
net-misc/asterisk-moh-opsound ~x86
net-misc/dahdi-tools ~x86
net-libs/libpri ~x86
emerge --remove asterisk-addons
emerge --ask asterisk asterisk-addons dahdi dahdi-tools
indications.conf - 'country=uk'
modules.conf - load => cdr_addon_mysql.so
extensions.conf - add my macros and contexts
sip.conf - add my Outbound SIP Registrations and Providers and Devices, configure network domain
rc-update add dahdi defaultmodprobe dahdi
modprobe wctdm
dahdi_genconfig
echo "#include dahdi_channels.conf" >> /etc/asterisk/chan_dahdi.conf
/etc/init.d/dahdi start
/etc/init.d/asterisk restart
Finn Capital comment on ABM and HAT:
H & T – BUY [pdf]
Albemarle & Bond – BUY [pdf]
Not as painful to do as I thought. Partly because I spread the chores over a few days. On Tuesday get the bottles ready and fill with sterilising solution, Wednesday add the Finings to the brewing bin,Thursday 16th rinsed the bottles and finally bottle the beer (7 days after putting in the brew bin).
Beer is now sitting in a warm cupboard for a couple of days before going back out to the garage. Got another 30 empties in the garage, so once we are through the first 10 pints can start a new brew kit.
We’ve been in the new house for a couple of months now so have been wanting to get some beer on the go. So ordered the tried and tested “Woodforde’s Wherry”, one of Woodforde’s Norfolk Ales’ brew kits. I ordered it online this time for a good price of £15.73 from Brew It Yourself.
Done the easy bit of getting it into the brewing bin after sterlising everything, annoyingly broke my thermometer so not sure it’s at the ideal temperature for the yeast. Going to bottle this one so have got the unenviable task of sterilising 40 odd bottles in the next few days…
I quickly hacked together a WordPress plugin to help friends and family keep track of which Mr. Men books Henry has in his collection. The code is in a pretty ropey state and does not take advantage of all the new WordPress plugin API’s but thought it worth making available in case anyone wants to take it further.
Although it’s called ‘Mr. Men’ wishlist plugin it will take any list of books/CD’s available through Amazon and create a simple tiled array of covers. I grabbed the images and amazon reference numbers (ASIN) values using a simple perl script that accessed the Amazon Web Services API. However that was a while ago and the API has changed quite a bit since then.
Although I started to make it possible to have multiple wishlists but have not finished writing this bit yet.
Available to download from here: Mr. Men Plugin[zip]
May in some ways has been much quicker at picking up stuff than Henry was, walking, climbing, eating with a spoon, drawing, etc. Partly as she has a big brother to show her the way…
However her vocabulary is frustratingly minimal, which is odd as she knows she is guaranteed a smile from us when she shouts out ‘Trac-Tor’!
Here are the ones I can remember:
By By – Bye Bye
Eh Lo – Hello
Tongue Clicking – ‘Clip Clop’ = Horse
Moo – Moo (Cow, Sheep, Monkey, etc.)
Eh Oh – Uh Oh (after dropping anything)
Bum Bum – Bum Bum (Henry’s Contribution to May’s education)
Aap – Up
Trac Tor – Tractor
Ca – Cat
Bit of a nightmare getting the database schema upgraded, and I am reluctant to throw away all my recording history for the last 7 years. The problem I created for myself is that I misunderstood the wiki page detailing how to remove the database corruption, last time I was considering the upgrade. Basically a year ago I converted the database using the instructions in the guide, upgraded to the latest version of MythTV 0.21 – Fixes and assumed that was it fixed.
Alas MythTV has been inserting latin1 encoded characters into the database ever since, so I have a mixture of encoding methods in the database, options are:
So lets try the one with the least amount of manual messing about first! Apparently Mysql will attempt to munge incorrectly encoded characters into the correct encoding format when you insert the data. So based on the advice found at Blue Box Group I took a new backup of the mythconverg database, copied it and changed the encoding type from latin1 to utf8. Using the sed script ‘s/DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1/DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8/‘.
This did not appear to convert the characters, tried lots of combinations to try and convert the database with no great progress. Examining the hex dump of some of the UTF sequences did not seem to make any sense, so I’m taking the view that the data is corrupt.
Next attempt involves simply stripping out all the non-ASCII characters and replacing with ‘?’ characters. Easy to do in vi with something like ‘s/[^ -~][^ -~]*/?/g‘.
This will generate a few problems in that the INDEX’s may now exceed the maximum length, so wherever ‘hostname’ is used as a key in the index change it to `hostname`(20). Additionally there will almost certainly be duplicates in the people table, so I removed the line UNIQUE KEY `name` (`name`(41)) where the people table is CREATED. Had to also change the KEY to the oldprogram table to be PRIMARY KEY (`oldtitle`, `airdate`).
Create a new mythconverg23 database with appropriate user privileges and import the modified database. I wrote a short php script to find and remove all the duplicate people from the people table and to remap the credits entries.
To check this was successful recreate the index on the people table with the sql command: ALTER TABLE `people` ADD UNIQUE (`name` ( 41 ));.
Export the database again, change the encoding back to latin1, and import back into mysql.
mysqldump -u mythtv -pmythtv --opt --skip-set-charset \
--default-character-set=utf8 --skip-extended-insert \
mythconverg23 > mythconverg23_utf8.sql
cat mythconverg23_utf8.sql | \
sed 's/DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8/DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1/ \
s/`hostname`(20)/`hostname`/' > mythconverg23_latin.sql
cat mythconverg23_latin.sql | mysql -u mythtv -pmythtv mythconverg23
Okay see if we can now upgrade the schema…
mythbackend -v all