Devices not created in /dev

[nic]

Hi,

I performed the installation of the drivers in linux and I got no error messages. When I run /opt/bin/mediaclient -e it gave the same result as it should according to the installation instruction.

However no dvb directory containing the devices was created in /dev. I suspected it had something to do with the udev deamons so I stopped udev deamons (i.e. udev and udev-finish) and ran the installation again then the divices wascreated. But when restarting the udev deamons again the dvb devices dissapered from /dev.

I am running linuxmce (kubuntu 8.10 32 bit and myth-tv) kernel version 2.6.27. I know that myth-tv is not yet a supported application, but I was trying to install the drivers and test with a supported player.

Any help/ideas in this matter is much appreciated.

BR //nic

[Sundtek]

We are adding more compatibility to the driver by time. The nodes of the devices are virtual nodes, they currently don't show up but can be opened by several applications.
We expect to be finished with a driverupdate to show up the devicenodes within the first week of August.
The next update will add support for kaffeine in order to be able to use DVB-T, DVB-C more comfortable.
MythTV is also on our list.

[nic]

Thanks for the information.
When do you expect to have support available for MythTV ?

[Sundtek]

We will start to work on MythTV from 6th/7th August on, it should work within a week then.
It might work earlier already, but we'll officially support it when it is tested.

[Sundtek]

Please note that Linux 2.6.27 is a faulty kernel, you either have to consider patching your kernel or downgrade to Linux 2.6.26 or upgrade to Linux 2.6.29. With 2.6.27, 2.6.28 your computer will run out of memory after a while when using USB devices!

[lajuette]

I'm still having trouble using your card in some cases. I'm running Ubuntu 9.04 with a 2.6.28-15-generic Kernel on a Zotac ION-B.

I followed your installation guide (downloading and running a script isn't that hard...) and gut Radio running. I can also scan for channels (DVB-C) using scan and Kaffeine. Using Kaffeine i can watch TV.

I'm still having trouble using mplayer to watch tv because the device node could not be found (file not found). I haven't even tried to use Myth-TV yet. If it works without the nodes everything is fine. If not, i have to return the device. I hope i can figure this stuff out within 14 days =)

I haven't tested analog and DVB-T because i don't intend to use it.

[Sundtek]

Did you use the latest driver? The ones which we sent out by mail when we first shipped the devices didn't support MythTV or VDR.

You might retry with:

(latest driver when posting this message - 22. August 09, added ALSA emulation support for FM Transeiver).

http://www.sundtek.de/support/empia_installer.sh

This always links to the latest version of the driver.

Code: [Auswählen]

Removing the driver:
./empia_installer.sh -u
-- reboot --
./empia_installer.sh

MythTV is supported properly, it supports DVB-T, DVB-C, also AnalogTV (but we do not recommend analog TV with it right now)

We posted some MythTV screenshots in the German Board earlier already

http://support.sundtek.de/index.php/topic,18.0.html

Note right now you cannot switch between DVB-C and DVB-T in MythTV, the MythTV developers are currently working on this, in order to stay compatible you have to switch the device to DVB-T or DVB-C using the mediaclient commands which are also documented in the VDR howto.
A MythTV Howto will follow soon.

Howto's in general are available in following board:
http://support.sundtek.de/index.php/board,10.0.html

[lajuette]

Okay: I can't get it to work now. Here is what i did:

• I removed the drivers (which i got from here btw: http://www.sundtek.de/support/empia_installer_090820.sh)
• reboot
• i downloaded and installed the driver from http://www.sundtek.de/support/empia_installer.sh and installed it. Everything went fine
• reboot

Now there are no device nodes either. mediaclient -e just quits and shows no output. /opt/bin/getinput.sh won't find an event-device node either.

dmesg output (after unplugging it and plugging it back in)

Code: [Auswählen]

[  505.054602] usb 1-2: USB disconnect, address 2
[  506.928045] usb 1-2: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 3
[  507.063204] usb 1-2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
The last two lines can be find earlier in the log, about the time when the machine was booting. No other signs of the USB-Stick whatsoever.

After doing a reboot without the Stick this is what i get when i plug it back in:
usb 2-4: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2
[   92.950917] usb 2-4: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice


I then manually inserted the em28xx module, afterwards em28xx-dvb & em28xx-alsa

[  170.614022] Linux video capture interface: v2.00
[  170.673267] em28xx v4l2 driver version 0.1.0 loaded
[  170.673361] usbcore: registered new interface driver em28xx
[  225.931814] Em28xx: Initialized (Em28xx dvb Extension) extension
[  240.909078] Em28xx: Initialized (Em28xx Audio Extension) extension


NOW i can find my card again by calling mediaclient -c.
It looks like my machine did not load the modules automatically. Adding the modules to /etc/modules won't help. I can't find the card after a reboot. dmesg says:

Code: [Auswählen]

[   12.095553] Linux video capture interface: v2.00
[   12.154847] em28xx v4l2 driver version 0.1.0 loaded
[   12.154917] usbcore: registered new interface driver em28xx
[   12.179628] Em28xx: Initialized (Em28xx dvb Extension) extension
[   12.188753] Em28xx: Initialized (Em28xx Audio Extension) extension

OS: Ubuntu 9.04
Kernel: 2.6.28-15-generic
Mods: MythTV / MPlayer compiled for VDPAU playback. I don't start a login-manager. I spawn a new tty that starts a X-session plus Gnome and a VNC-Server. On another tty i start another X-Session & MythTV. Almost everything else should be configured like on a clean system.



Do you need any further logs/info?

[Sundtek]

This is ok, although you're doing too much already!
Since the driver is in userspace you do not need to load the em28xx driver.

As soon as /opt/bin/mediaclient -e shows up the devices everything is fine, if it does not show up
try to replug the device (this will tell the driver to search the USB bus again)

Try to install mythtv, and run mythtv-setup, after the configuration is done mythfrontend.

Everything really just works like how it is documented (the development was done with Ubuntu 8.10, but it was also tested with several other distributions, also Ubuntu 9.04).

[lajuette]

The problem is: mediaclient -e won't show anything without unplugging the device and (re-)loading the kernel modules.


If that's ok - fine. I'll try to setup mythtv now. If i succeed (my keyboard or the PS/2 port is broken...) i'll make a post here.

[lajuette]

Update: I just need to unplug the stick and plug it back in. Then the drivers will load.
I'll start with the MythTV setup now.

[lajuette]

Oook.

MythTV works fine. I just watched some ridiculous magazines on ARD HD (i HAVE to stop paying the GEZ) and a even more ridiculous Linkin Park video on Kerrang!. My Tuner found 181 channels (no scrambled and no audio-only).

MythTV crashes some times when changing channels, but that may be my own issue and shouldn't be discussed in this thread.

My main problem still persists: i have to unplug the tuner card and plug it in again to be able to detect it with mediaclient -e or use it with any application. Bug or feature? =)
Seriously: Is this a known issue or expected behaviour?

Off Topic: After re-plugging the sticki still can't use the remote. the event-device node won't appear, another candidate for a new thread.

[Sundtek]

Did the remote ever work for you? If not and if you have a custom kernel you need uinput support.
uinput allows the driver to register the remote control as a "keyboard". Although since we do not expect everyone having this module installed we'll provide an alternative solution through /dev/mediainput0 soon.

MythTV itself is not bugfree, crashes can be caused due a bad signal, and graphic problems. Although if you experience some bugs feel free to post them in this forum.

My main problem still persists: i have to unplug the tuner card and plug it in again to be able to detect it with mediaclient -e or use it with any application. Bug or feature? =)

what system do you have? (distribution and version).

This is mainly a problem of udev telling the driver if a device got attached or detached, instead of reconnecting you can manually trigger an update by running following command:

Code: [Auswählen]

/opt/bin/udevsrv ATTACH
or
/opt/bin/udevsrv DETACH

this should normally be executed by the udev script, although the scripts depend on udev version 124 and greater.
What udev version do you use?

Code: [Auswählen]

$ udevd --version
124

The current udev ruleset we deliver can be found in:

Code: [Auswählen]

/etc/udev/rules.d/80-mediasrv.rules


[lajuette]

Did the remote ever work for you? If not and if you have a custom kernel you need uinput support.

No, it didn't work at any time. I don't have a custom kernel.

what system do you have? (distribution and version).

I'll quote myself:

OS: Ubuntu 9.04
Kernel: 2.6.28-15-generic

There are no other USB-Devices attached. I removed my good old Hauppauge PVR 150 before installing new new Stick.

What udev version do you use?

141

The current udev ruleset we deliver can be found in:

Code: [Auswählen]

/etc/udev/rules.d/80-mediasrv.rules


Well, there are a lot of rules. But i must admit that i don't have a clue what all that means. I think i have to read some manuals...

[Sundtek]

Did you follow the LIRC installation guide?

Without this no keys will be reported to the system.

http://support.sundtek.de/index.php/topic,54.0.html

Although there's a trouble ticket now, the next installer version will ask if the remote control shall be set up for LIRC or just work as keyboard input device.

In order to make it work as a keyboard input device you need to remove:
/etc/hal/fdi/preprobe/input.fdi

Code: [Auswählen]

sudo rm /etc/hal/fdi/preprobe/input.fdi

and reboot the system.

When used as a keyboard input, some buttons, for example the colored ones, are not recognized by the Xorg input system (this is why we set the default to use LIRC).

We want to make everything as easy as possible for endusers.