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Arvald
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Re: New to Linux - HTPC/Plex server

Thu May 30, 2019 10:34 am

TheEmrys wrote:
So, I need some advice on making the switch. After fighting shared folders over the network from Windows 7 to 10, I am giving up. I believe I will go to a linux distro and just no longer fight the fight. <snip>

I think using Ubuntu would be the simplest distro to work with. I also want to configure it to run headless. What all do I need to do to get ready for the transition? I know I need to find drivers and what not. Should I burn them to DVD? USB? DVD for the distro? Several? Any recommendations welcome (within reason).

Why not consider a preconfigured OS like FreeNAS?
Especially if looking at headless.
 
Veerappan
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Re: New to Linux - HTPC/Plex server

Thu May 30, 2019 2:52 pm

Arvald wrote:
TheEmrys wrote:
So, I need some advice on making the switch. After fighting shared folders over the network from Windows 7 to 10, I am giving up. I believe I will go to a linux distro and just no longer fight the fight. <snip>

I think using Ubuntu would be the simplest distro to work with. I also want to configure it to run headless. What all do I need to do to get ready for the transition? I know I need to find drivers and what not. Should I burn them to DVD? USB? DVD for the distro? Several? Any recommendations welcome (within reason).

Why not consider a preconfigured OS like FreeNAS?
Especially if looking at headless.


I think in the OP's case, it's because they want to use the Plex DVR capabilities. FreeNAS supports a Plex jail/plugin out of the box, but I don't know that it supports the TV tuner that the OP wants to run.

I've been using FreeNAS as a storage server for years now, but still stick to a separate HTPC box for recording/playback with long-term video/music/photo storage getting offloaded to the NAS.
 
Waco
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Re: New to Linux - HTPC/Plex server

Thu May 30, 2019 2:59 pm

Veerappan wrote:
I think in the OP's case, it's because they want to use the Plex DVR capabilities. FreeNAS supports a Plex jail/plugin out of the box, but I don't know that it supports the TV tuner that the OP wants to run.

I've been using FreeNAS as a storage server for years now, but still stick to a separate HTPC box for recording/playback with long-term video/music/photo storage getting offloaded to the NAS.

Agreed, I do the same. While support has gotten better on FreeNAS, it's still hit and miss for device support for things like TV tuners.
Victory requires no explanation. Defeat allows none.
 
Veerappan
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Re: New to Linux - HTPC/Plex server

Thu May 30, 2019 3:26 pm

Oh, speaking of... you mentioned that your TV tuner wasn't working. I'd scan through the output of 'dmesg | grep saa' and look for information about your tuner card. The Happauge HVR2250 is based on an SAA7164 chip which requires you to install some firmware on the filesystem.

Mine looks similar to:
[   20.496172] saa7164 driver loaded
[   20.496386] CORE saa7164[0]: subsystem: 0070:8851, board: Hauppauge WinTV-HVR2250 [card=7,autodetected]
[   20.496389] saa7164[0]/0: found at 0000:01:00.0, rev: 129, irq: 18, latency: 0, mmio: 0xfe400000
[   20.704597] saa7164_downloadfirmware() no first image
[   20.706683] saa7164_downloadfirmware() Waiting for firmware upload (NXP7164-2010-03-10.1.fw)
[   21.257708] saa7164_downloadfirmware() firmware read 4019072 bytes.
[   21.257711] saa7164_downloadfirmware() firmware loaded.
[   21.257712] Firmware file header part 1:
[   21.257713]  .FirmwareSize = 0x0
[   21.257713]  .BSLSize = 0x0
[   21.257714]  .Reserved = 0x3d538
[   21.257714]  .Version = 0x3
[   21.257715] saa7164_downloadfirmware() SecBootLoader.FileSize = 4019072
[   21.257719] saa7164_downloadfirmware() FirmwareSize = 0x1fd6
[   21.257720] saa7164_downloadfirmware() BSLSize = 0x0
[   21.257720] saa7164_downloadfirmware() Reserved = 0x0
[   21.257721] saa7164_downloadfirmware() Version = 0x1661c00


If your output indicates the firmware isn't present, give this a shot:
https://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/ ... ng_it_work

If that doesn't work, Happauge has a linux support page that is worth checking:
http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/support/ ... linux.html
Long story-short on that page is that you'd add a PPA that includes access to an installable package which includes the right firmware:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:b-rad/kernel+mediatree+hauppauge
sudo apt update
sudo apt install linux-firmware-hauppauge
 
TheEmrys
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Re: New to Linux - HTPC/Plex server

Thu May 30, 2019 5:26 pm

A couple of things:

I am most definitely on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.

And yes, I chose Ubuntu so I could use the DVR (and OTA) functions of the TV card. I am just home from work and will be catching up with the responses as I can, as well as running some of the many commands I need to run.

Also, there is something definitely wrong with the graphics. They constantly are not displaying fully until I hover a cursor over the entire area that should be displayed.

Thanks, all, btw.
Sony a7II 55/1.8 Minolta 100/2, 17-35D, Tamron 28-75/2.8
 
notfred
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Re: New to Linux - HTPC/Plex server

Fri May 31, 2019 8:51 am

Sounds like you don't have the graphics drivers sorted out properly.
 
DragonDaddyBear
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Re: New to Linux - HTPC/Plex server

Fri May 31, 2019 9:00 am

FreeNAS is awesome. I love it. That said, I'm going to be going to Ubuntu soon for my next Plex server. Ubuntu does ZFS and it's a lot easier to configure Plex for transcoding.
 
TheEmrys
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Re: New to Linux - HTPC/Plex server

Fri May 31, 2019 1:49 pm

Ended up reformatting. Fresh install of Linux. GPU is working as it should. whew.

Okay, then. Now, I am having trouble setting up Plex Media Server. It is the permissions thingy even though the drive is mounted.
Sony a7II 55/1.8 Minolta 100/2, 17-35D, Tamron 28-75/2.8
 
Glorious
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Re: New to Linux - HTPC/Plex server

Fri May 31, 2019 2:39 pm

if you take the *.deb from them directly to install it, plex media server runs itself under a system user it makes called "plex".

"plex" doesn't automatically have the rights to read your files, but what is most likely causing you a problem here is that either the mount's root or some other parent of the directories/files you correctly have permissions set for, isn't set to let plex read it.

That's the thing, usually, it's not just the directory you added to plex and all the files in it, but how in linux the permissions of the parent directories supersede the children.

In other words:

if /mnt/plexdrive/ is owned by root:root and is set to 750 (or what looks like drwxr-x--- in ls), it doesn't matter that /mnt/plexdrive/media folder is 755 and owned by TheEmrys:TheEmrys. You'll still have a problem.

Anyway, here is guide for this:

https://support.plex.tv/articles/200288 ... ons-guide/
 
TheEmrys
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Re: New to Linux - HTPC/Plex server

Fri May 31, 2019 5:20 pm

Oooooh. I have actually read all of that, but that is the first time it made sense. I have been trying to figure out how to make a Plex user. But it should be done. Got it. Will work more later.
Sony a7II 55/1.8 Minolta 100/2, 17-35D, Tamron 28-75/2.8
 
cheesyking
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Re: New to Linux - HTPC/Plex server

Tue Jun 04, 2019 11:00 am

It really might be worth giving the plex snap install a try rather than using the deb from plex's website. The snap is what you get if you just search the software centre for "plex". It's an official release from plex themselves and should be the safest, least trouble way of installing and updating plex.

I usually avoid snaps as they are often the work of "some guy on the internet" rather than the original developer but as this is an official one I'd give it a try. Installing from a snap should allow plex to automatically install updates and allow you to roll back to an earlier version if something breaks. It should also help isolate plex from an ubuntu update breaking something.

It's also possible you might run into some other random problem relate to it having been installed from a snap but in theory the snap should be the best way to install plex on ubuntu.

If you've already got it working with the deb then it's not worth ripping it all out again ;)
Fernando!
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pauldavis
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Re: New to Linux - HTPC/Plex server

Tue Jun 18, 2019 8:14 am

DragonDaddyBear wrote:
FreeNAS is awesome. I love it. That said, I'm going to be going to Ubuntu soon for my next Plex server. Ubuntu does ZFS and it's a lot easier to configure Plex for transcoding.

I've been using plex on ubuntu for quite some time now. Cannot complain, everything works just fine :)

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