Archive:HOW-TO:Install XBMC on Ubuntu/HOW-TO 1
Introduction
The purpose of this guide is to give a hand to new XBMC users, who want to build a Linux based, deticated HTPC, but don't have any knowledge and experience in the Linux world. They have the chance to try XBMC Live, but if they also want to have more control and more customization possibilities, than the Linux version is more suitable.
So, as this is a real step-by-step guide, I hope everybody can follow and walk through the whole installation procedure.
The guide is based on Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid) as a platform, start with a minimal install and only install the needed components at the top of that.
On the face of it, maybe seems very lengthy process, but you will feel shorter while you follow it.
!!! Please note: !!!
- The guide is for using XBMC on a dedicated HTPC, so there is no window manager and/ or any additional application installed
- as you'll use this PC only as a media center, I assume you use passthrough (SPDIF or HDMI) audio, therefore I choose NOT to install the libs for Pulseaudio and compile XBMC later without Pulseaudio support.
- You need minimum 4GB size flash drive or hard disk to go
You will get:
- A dedicated HTPC autoboot to XBMC
- Latest XBMC SVN version
- Updated ALSA driver
- Updated VIDEO driver
- Lirc (I have MS MCE Remote which works out of the box, so everybody with other remotes and LCD displays are in his/ her own to solve the individual Lirc issues)
- Suspend/ resume (works perfectly on ASUS P5N7A-VM)
Preparation
FIRST STEP
Download, burn and install Ubuntu Intrepid mini.iso from here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/MinimalCD
Apparently there seems to be an issue with Intrepid installer. If you are using flash drive, it's not installing GRUB for some reason.
You have to options:
- Either install Hardy(Ubuntu 8.04) mini.iso first, which is install GRUB, then right after that, install Intrepid mini.iso over the same flash drive. It will reformat the drive, but GRUB will stay alive on the drive.
- Second option is that right after Intrepid mini installation, boot up Intrepid mini.iso from the CD again, choose rescue mode, and there you will find an "install GRUB" option.
- During the installation, please set „xbmc” as username and password at the account creation.
- At the end, when you have to choose from the optional components, check only „OpenSSH” to be able to access your HTPC remotely via SSH.
After you’ve done, boot it up, then use an SSH application (e.g. putty) to log in remotely from your desktop, using the above created username and password. This way, you will be able to copy/ paste all the steps below. Alternatively you can use your console, but then you will have a hard time type in everything.
So once you logged in:
First of all, update the repos, and install all prerequisites:
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# sudo apt-get update
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# sudo apt-get install –y localepurge subversion make g++ gcc gawk pmount libtool nasm automake cmake gperf unzip bison libsdl1.2-dev libsdl-image1.2-dev libsdl-gfx1.2-dev libsdl-mixer1.2-dev libsdl-sound1.2-dev libsdl-stretch-dev libfribidi-dev liblzo-dev libfreetype6-dev libsqlite3-dev libogg-dev libasound-dev python-sqlite libglew-dev libcurl4-gnutls-dev x11proto-xinerama-dev libxinerama-dev libxrandr-dev libxrender-dev libmad0-dev libtre-dev libogg-dev libvorbis-dev libmysqlclient-dev libpcre3-dev libdbus-1-dev libhal-dev libhal-storage-dev libjasper-dev libfontconfig-dev libbz2-dev libboost-dev libfaac-dev libenca-dev libxt-dev libxmu-dev libpng-dev libjpeg-dev wget build-essential linux-headers-`uname -r` xorg pm-utils mingetty
During the installation of the packages, there will be a popup window to choose your locale languages to let "localepurge" know which locales not to remove in further installations. I would suggest to keep all en_us (3 all together) and your own country locales (again should be 3) as well. Localepurge will save you some space with removing unneccessary languages.
Upgrading ALSA (sound driver) to the latest version
I have modified the ALSA upgrade script (available at Ubuntuforums), and now it is working with only “-di” option in our case here (Also on ASUS P5N7A-VM).
To download and use the script:
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# chmod 777 AlsaUpgrade-1.0.x-rev-1.15-Ben.sh
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# sudo ./AlsaUpgrade-1.0.x-rev-1.15-Ben.sh -di
This mini version of Intrepid has a bug (or maybe a feature): the user created at installation is not added to the „audio” group. We need the correct this:
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# sudo usermod -a -G audio xbmc
or replace „xbmc” with username you installed with
reboot the computer:
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# sudo reboot
For some reason, the driver snapshot for ALSA 1.0.19 is not always downloading properly; in this case you have to run the script again. To check whether the driver upgraded or not:
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# more /proc/asound/version
If you see driver version 1.0.19 here, you can continue, but if there is 1.0.17 as driver version, then you have to repeat the last 3 step (upgrade, reboot, check).
If it’s OK, then you can delete the just downloaded ALSA source to free up some disk space:
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# sudo rm -r /usr/src/Alsa-1.0.19/
Now run alsamixer:
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# alsamixer
Navigate right with cursor keys until IEC958 and unmute all three of them (IEC958) with „M” key. You should see in case of all three IEC958 a „00” in green background. Press „ESC” to quit from alsamixer.
Now, you have to edit the following file, using nano for example:
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# sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base
and add this line to the end:
options snd-hda-intel model=6stack-dig
Update Video driver
NVIDIA
(For Ati owners: #ATI)
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# sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-180.22-pkg1.run
In the nvidia installer: accept the License agreement, choose „YES” for „No precompiled kernel interface...”, choose „OK” for „No matching precompiled kernel interface...”, than choose „YES” to update X configuration file, than finally „OK” again at the end.
Now you can delete NVIDIA installer
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# rm NVIDIA-Linux-x86-180.22-pkg1.run
(To continue click on: #Download, compile, and install XBMC from source (skip ATI section))
ATI
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# sudo apt-get install -y cdbs fakeroot dh-make debhelper debconf libstdc++5 dkms
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# sudo sh ati-driver-installer-8-12-x86.x86_64.run --buildpkg Ubuntu/intrepid
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# sudo dpkg -i xorg-driver-fglrx_8.561-0ubuntu1_i386.deb fglrx-kernel-source_8.561-0ubuntu1_i386.deb fglrx-amdcccle_8.561-0ubuntu1_i386.deb
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# rm ati-driver-installer-8-12-x86.x86_64.run *.deb
Download, compile, and install XBMC from source
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Wait for downloading XBMC source files, might takes long time, depend on your Internet connection. After it downloaded:
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# cd XBMC
OPTIONAL STEP
If you experience problems with Intrepid ffmpeg performance (most probably you will) which is under discussion here: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=43075, you may want to try aron's patch (thank you aron, for this).
Please be aware, that this is not supported and not recommended by team-XBMC. If you don't want to install this patch, just skip all the optional steps and jump to the closest "NEXT STEP".
OPTIONAL STEP2
OPTIONAL STEP3
# patch -p0 < xbmc_ffmpeg_mt.patch
Then configure/compile/install XBMC:
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# ./configure --prefix=/usr --disable-pulse
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# make -j2 (Please note: use only „make”, if you don’t have a dualcore CPU)
This is again, can take quite some time, depending on your CPU speed.
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# sudo make install
Autoboot and autostart XBMC
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# cd $home
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# sudo nano /etc/event.d/tty2
In here comment out the last line (with #) and add the following line. The end of the file should look like this:
respawn
#exec /sbin/getty 38400 tty2exec /sbin/mingetty --autologin xbmc tty2
Or replace "xbmc" with the username you installed Ubuntu Mini.
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# sudo nano .bash_profile
Copy the following text, then save the file:
if [ -z "$DISPLAY" ] && [ $(tty) == /dev/tty2 ]; then
startx -- -br
fi
Install Lirc
I've found MS MCE Remotes, listed here: http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/MCE_Remote, are plug & plays, working out of the box. I also found, that there're remotes out there, which instalation are a real pain. The choise is yours. If you have one of the above mentioned MS MCE remotes, the installation is that simple:
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# sudo apt-get install –y lirc
And follow the wizard.
Power Management
To be able to control power management (suspend, shutdown, reboot) from within XBMC, you have to modify PolicyKit.conf to grant privilegies to your user for power management. There is a preprepared PolicyKit.conf for this, you can get it by:
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# sudo wget -P/etc/PolicyKit http://217.20.138.65/PolicyKit.conf
Please note: if you installed your system with username other than "xbmc" at the begining, you have to modify that in the file.
If you wish to enable CPU scaling, install the required packages as the following, but don’t forget to enable it in the BIOS as well.
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# sudo apt-get powernowd
Configure xorg.conf for proper modes to benefit from auto refresh
This is not an easy part and can differ from display to display. For myself, I include 3 custom modelines to my xorg.conf for my FullHD plazma screen.
If you have a FullHD display, and want to play with my xorg.conf you can replace your xorg.conf with mine:
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# sudo cp /etc/X11.xorg.conf /etc/X11.xorg.conf.backup
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# sudo wget -P/etc/X11 http://217.20.138.65/xorg.conf
Install Splash
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# sudo apt-get –y install usplash libusplash-dev
NEXT STEP - CHOICE 1 - Downloading spinner-blue
NEXT STEP - CHOICE 2 - Downloading pulsating-logo
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# unzip spinner-blue.zip (or pulsating-logo)
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# cd spinner-blue (or pulsating-logo)
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# make -j2 (Please note: use only „make”, if you don’t have a dualcore CPU)
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# sudo cp xbmc-splash.so /usr/lib/usplash/usplash-theme-ubuntu.so
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# sudo nano /etc/usplash.conf
and set your desired splash resolution, so inserting the following to here:
xres=1920
yres=1080
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# sudo update-initramfs -u
Enable thermal monitoring
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# sudo apt-get install -y lm-sensors
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# sudo sensors-detect
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# sudo reboot
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# sensors -u
Enable eject button of your ODD
# sudo nano /etc/sysctl.conf
and uncomment (by deleting # from the begining of the line) the last line, so it will look like this:
dev.cdrom.lock=0
Reduce boot time
reduce GRUB waiting (~2 sec)
# sudo nano /boot/grub/menu.lst
Find the timeout (currently set to 3) and change this to 0
reduce the number of loaded vts (virtual terminal service)
By default, there're F1 through F7, we don't need that much for a HTPC, so we can remove most of them.
# sudo nano /etc/event.d/tty3
and comment out all the lines, using #. Repeat the above command for tty4-tty6, so at the end you've deactivated 3 vts's.
Enable concurrent booting (if you own a dual-core CPU)
# sudo nano /etc/init.d/rc
Find the line "CONCURRENCY=none" and change it to "CONCURRENCY=shell"
Disable unneccessary services
# sudo apt-get install sysv-rc-conf
# sudo sysv-rc-conf
- Profile your boot.
When you have the Grub menu to start your system, hit the “e” for edit the kernel line you normally start with. Then move to the end of the Kernel line and edit quiet splash to quiet splash profile. Don’t save this line just let it boot up “b” once with this profile parameter. This boot will go very slow because it is profiling (read putting all read disk blocks behind each other) the normal boot to optimize performance. All subsequent boots will then go faster. If all boots go very slow afterwards make sure that the profile parameter was not saved as a boot option.
- Note**
For all of those that having HAL failure problem, try this: 1. change acpi-support from S to 2,3,4,5 2. change acpid from S to 2,3,4,5 3. change dbus from S to 2,3,4,5 4. Reboot. Go to the console and do Code:
ps -aef|grep hald
. If hald service is up, then your dbus subsystem is running fine now. Try it.
Wake On Lan
sudo apt-get install wakeonlan
- ksudo gedit /etc/init.d/wol.sh
- paste this and save the file:
- !/bin/bash
ethtool -s eth0 wol g exit
- give execute permission to this new file and add it to startup scripts:
sudo chmod a+x /etc/init.d/WOL.sh sudo update-rc.d WOL.sh defaults
Sound configuration in XBMC
After booted into XBMC switch to „digital” audio output, than choose the AC3 and DTS capabilities according to your receiver. For SPDIF: leave audio output device: default and passthrough on IEC958 For HDMI: change both audio output device and passthrough to hdmi (you will loose analog sound eg. navigation sound in case of hdmi)
MythTV
You may want to have a look at here: