DLNA Tahr64 Pup – released 26th Nov 2015

[Sylvander]

@ETP

1. "...please avoid making any further changes to the Pup or
adding anything extra so that we are dealing with a known quantity."
I've already installed Xfe from the PPM; Do you want me to uninstall it?
By-the-way, the menus in Palemoon aren't working, and this Puppy doesn't auto-connect to the internet.
[Each time I get to the desktop, I must tell it to connect using the previously saved profile].

2. "If you have any devices plugged into the TV such as USB sticks, drives or gizmos can you power off the TV, remove them and try again?"
I have connected:
Google Chromecast dongle [to HDMI, with USB power from TV]
Virgin box [to HDMI]
I powered-off, disconnected these, and powered-on.
The TV is still unable to see any PC->DLNA Tahr64 video files.

3. "On the TV there should be a NETWORK INFORMATION option. Does that show that you are definitely
using ethernet rather than wireless"
Went to: "Home->Settings->Network->Network setup->View network status->Check connection->Connection method" where it says:
Connection method = wired
Cable connection = OK
IP address setting = auto
...IP address = ***.***.*.***
...Subnet mask = ***.***.***.*
...Fault gateway = ***.***.*.*
...Primary DNS = ***.***.*.*
...Secondary DNS = *.*.*.*
MAC address = **:**:**:**:**:**
Proxy server = not used
[I replaced numbers with **'s just in case. do you need these?]

4. "have you on the TV turned wireless off?"
a. I believe it is set to "Auto", and it is saying that no wireless device is connected, and therefore I cannot re-configure it.
I guess it is automatically "not enabled" if there is no wireless dongle connected.
It has been a long time [years] since I last connected the TV wirelessly; the Powerline Adapters are much more reliable.
b. Wired connection is set to "Auto" also, and I CAN change that if I choose.
I could instead choose "Custom", but haven't.

5. "In a previous post you mentioned an old DLNA experiment that on the TV had left a media server called "puppypc:root" showing.
The menu where that showed should have an option to delete all media servers (Including ETPs DLNA) and the ability to then refresh them so that only mine appears.
I suggest you try that then reboot the TV again. "
Oh dear, do I really need to do that?
There are a number of these of varying usefulness.
If I eliminate all but yours, how easy difficult would it be to set them up once again?

6. "...You cannot be alone in experiencing this problem..."
This problem has been happening since I got the TV.
"Solutions" I found so far:
a. Chromecast dongle:
This allows me to "Cast" stuff [videos streamed from the web, and files held locally on the PC->storage devices] to the TV.
b. The small multimedia player [that accepts sd/mmc and USB storage] connected to the TV HDMI input, that plays any file type invented up to the time of its manufacture.

[Sylvander]

@Sylvander, is your Sony a GoogleTV or simply a smartTV? Sony makes both versions of their TVs?

See:
Sony Bravia KDL-32EX503
Technical Specifications
Showing:
"DLNAYES
DLNA RendererPhoto (jpeg)/Music(LPCM/MP3)/Video(MPEG2/AVCHD)
DLNA ClientPhoto (jpeg)/Music(LPCM/MP3)/Video(MPEG2/AVCHD)"
I believe this is a "Smart TV", not a "GoogleTV".

[ETP]

Hi Sylvander,

Thanks for your detailed replies which give a fuller picture.
I am currently posting from one of my copies of DLNA Tahr64 Pup and have no problems with Palemoon menus or automatic
Internet connection. Given that the installation of Xfe has caused problems with both of the DLNA Pups that you have
tried, I can only conclude that it is incompatible with the later kernels upon which these Pups are based or with Rox Filer.

That fact is valuable to know and a number of issues have come to light as a result of your posts which have highlighted omissions
in my instructions which have now been rectified. Thanks for that. It cannot be said that we have not tried.

Given that your TV has been problematic from the outset together with the fact that you have 2 existing working solutions I
propose that we do not push our luck any further. In other words just reconnect your Chromecast & Player and make no changes to
your working TV setup.

There will be older TVs that DLNA simply will not work with as the DLNA specification continues to evolve.
If you agree, I suggest that we abandon your valiant attempt to get a DLNA Pup working with your particular set.

At the end of the original post in the DLNA Quirky Werewolf thread I wrote:

Setup:
The idea is that having gone through the usual quicksetup & network settings DLNA should work OOTB.
Just reboot then head off to the TV. If the DLNA does not work with your TV you will need to look elsewhere.

You have already done that with your two solutions.

[Sylvander]

I suggest that we abandon your valiant attempt to get a DLNA Pup working with your particular set.

OK.
It was very worth the effort.
I LIKE DLNA Tahr64 Pup regardless of the unsuccessful outcome in this particular aspect.

p.s.
Palemoon menus are working...haven't so far run Xfe.
Still needed to manually start Networking.

[Sylvander]

Still needed to manually start Networking.

So how do I get this to automatically connect at startup?
As of now, I'm forced to right-click on the networking icon at bottom right, then choose "Setup networking", SNS runs displaying a saved profile, then click "Connect now".
Only then does it connect.

[ETP]

Hi Sylvander,
Please follow the advice I gave in this post:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 480#874480

[Sylvander]

Did you mean...
"Much seems to depend on what route is taken to set up the connection. (Lan Icon on desktop (Puppy Network Wizard), right click
on status tray icon or the "Internet Connection Wizard" which gives access to SNS/Frisbee & Dougal's Network Wizard.
My own preference when a problem arises is to go for "Dougal's Network Wizard" which never seems to fail."?
I've tried them ALL [except Frisbee].
Seemed to me they were just different routes leading to the same place/choices.
The "Classic" Network Wizard failed to connect...
Or at least "appeared" to connect, but then the web-browsers reported failure.
SNS was the one that successfully connected [web-browsers succeeding], but then it doesn't auto-connect at boot-time.

[ETP]

Hi Sylvander,
Try the "Lan" icon on the desktop which launches "Dougal"
Edit:
Once you have established & tested the connection click on the desktop "save icon"

[Sylvander]

Try the "Lan" icon on the desktop which launches "Dougal"
...Once you have established & tested the connection click on the desktop "save icon"

Done.
That fixed it.
Strange that it did the trick, because I'm sure I did those steps previously.

[BJF]

All: My adventures with the thumb install have absorbed quite a bit of spare time since last we chatted. Unfortunately as yet without success.
I have tried all the permutations of usb sockets on the server, and tried plugging it into my Significant Other's 64Bit lappy, all to no avail. The server is as we speak still trying to write the OS to the stick after 3 hours of activity. This is the second attempt. On the server machine the install never completes, on my old laptop it does, after about an hour. The first, as the previous 5 attempts using my laptop, registers an Unknown format single partition via GParted instead of the expected ones. Each trip has been after a successful reformat with a working ext2 or ext3 or NTFS system followed by a format to FAT32. It will accept and return files as one might expect a portable drive should following any of this. Just won't install Tahr! I'm beginning to believe that the thumb has gone feral in some way. The .img has been recreated and the operations repeated, but not since that first episode where the thumb contained the expected stuff but wouldn't boot has it registered other than the Unknown single-partition format on an install attempt. Time for a new thumb or.....
We are going away on holiday for this next week and will not be testing further until return. But if anyone has any ideas they are welcomed.

Thank you for your patience,
BJ.

[ETP]

Hi BJ,

Strange the good write to the stick did not boot on another PC. Did you confirm the md5 of the download?
It is also weird that the laptop can write the image to the stick but the server cannot.

The stick might have problems & you need to return it to its virgin state. Simply re-formatting it will not
do that. Use GParted to create a new MBR partition table on the disk, then create a single fat32 partition that fills
the stick. Do NOT use a GPT table & just accept the GParted defaults.

Do nothing else to it, just target it with the extracted image. Make absolutely certain that you have enough
free space to extract the complete image.
Try booting it first on something other than the server.

Finally what is the answer to my previous question?
"Has that server ever booted before from any OS placed on a stick? If so which OS? "

[BJF]

ETP: Just had a bit of a play. Formatted the whole stick again with a new partition set at ext2, and set it as bootable. Old ground. Grabbed the top .iso disk from the spindle stack, a quasi-random choice, and did an install to the stick of coincidentally the same OS as is on the server, LXPrecise 14.10 Retro. Done on the laptop, BTW. Took said stick to the server and plugged it into the front port(s) of the thing and it booted up straight off. I think we might conclude that the original DNLA download was flawed, and no, partly lazy but mainly ignorance of how, I didn't do the checksum test. Can you set me right on that please?
I will now proceed to another download and verify it before going further. Hopefully before heading off to the airport on Monday. Do I still need to do things to the stick other than formatting FAT32? And what is the GTP table and how is it avoided please.

Cheers.

[ETP]

Hi BJF,

That is good progress in that you have eliminated the server as a possible problem.

Given that the stick may still have corrupt stuff on it I would recommend returning it
to its "out of the packet state" before targeting again with a downloaded image who's
checksum you have first confirmed.

In Linux use Gparted to do that:

1. Start by clicking on “device

[gcmartin]

Hi BJF,
Checksum
Open a terminal and do

Code: Select all

md5sum /path-to-your-downloaded-file

The md5 checksum value will display. You can match it against the one in the prior post from @ETP; namely:
dd1fd567df3a0d35ded80d4693e4c45b

And, after your image download and checksum compare, be sure to expand that image to the file that is used to build the bootable USB stick following the step-by-step instruction for taking the image and making a "bootable PUP on a stick".

Hope this helps

[BJF]

All:
Steps today are... -
New fresh download.
-Checksummed.
-New extraction on server machine (first one failed at the 75.2% mark where it hung, and failed.) -the second also hung at that point but "got over it" and progressed to the 99% point where it paused for around 20 seconds then concluded. Successfully? as the window closed indicating so.
-did:

Code: Select all

dd if=/root/Downloads/dlnatahr64.img of=/dev/sdb1 && sync 

-Thumbdrive blinking, I went out to do stuff.
-Returned 6 hours later, thumbdrive still writing and blinking. This behaviour typical of all write attempts for maybe a week now?
-Stop process by Reboot. Machine hangs at the black screen and cursor. Hard restart, pull stick at post screen, check stick with GParted on successful boot to LXPrecise-Retro OS and find a single Unknown format partition.

-Conclusion has to be that the stick has gone silly and another, a 'Good Brand' one, should be purchased. Next week.

Thank you all,
BJ.

[ETP]

Hi BJ,

If you in fact used the code above you were in error.
Please read the installation instructions

If the stick is seen as sdb1 you would target the device sdb

[BJF]

Oops! Yes. If all else fails, RT*M.
(Will give that a go around packing for trip)

Cheers.

[Sylvander]

@BJF

1. Are you sure the file dlnatahr64.img is held in the folder /root/Downloads ?

2. I altered the method slightly as follows, and it worked OK:
a. Downloaded the file to a folder on an external HDD.
b. Used Xfe to navigate to the folder holding the file, opened a console in that folder, by clicking the console icon up top...
You may instead use "ROX->navigate to folder/directory->right click->Window->Terminal Here".
c. Copied and pasted to the command prompt dd if=...
d. Typed the 1st few characters of the filename, then hit <tab> to complete the filename to give dd if=dlnatahr64.img...
e. Typed a space on the end to give dd if=dlnatahr64.img ...
f. Copied and pasted of=/dev/sdb onto the end to give dd if=dlnatahr64.img of=/dev/sdb...
g. Typed a space on the end to give dd if=dlnatahr64.img of=/dev/sdb ...
h. Copied and pasted && sync onto the end to give dd if=dlnatahr64.img of=/dev/sdb && sync...
Hit <Enter>
Took about 45min to complete.

May seem complicated, but it's easy to do, and it reduces the possibility of typing mistakes.
Has the advantage that it can be done ANYWHERE the file happens to reside.

[BJF]

All:

One last time... Redid every step of the USB creation. Every step except replacing the stick that is. Set the writing of that stick going at 07:33 yesterday and checked on it regularly through the day, and the LED just kept twinkling and the Terminal kept silent with just the command visible and the cursor parked at the start of the next line. Nothing had changed by 23:00 so I had a peek at HTop and found my Terminal command shuttling up and down the top five lines or so of the hierarchy but using 0% processor. Left it to it and went to bed.
This morning at 06:30 I rechecked. No change. Deciding to 'pull the plug' I checked PCManFM to see if the stick was mounted (wasn't) then tried Session Control>Powerdown. That showed solid processor activity on the Taskbar but no reaction from the machinery. So I did Terminal>reboot and the computer shut down. Waited 5 minutes and powered up, the stick still in the front port. And against all expectation I now have a seemingly complete live DLNATahr-on-a-stick desktop looking back at me inviting a first-run setup! Having joined you in a collective sigh of relief and written this I'm off to play.
Thank you all for your advice and patience. I can't fully decide the mechanism in this case but despite some uniquely weird behaviour my install has done exactly what it says on the tin.

Thanks again,
BJ.

[gcmartin]

This topic should probably be on its own thread because more and more users over the coming few years will have PCs which benefit from hybrid ISOs or IMGs that can burn directly to USBs via the dd... command.

Writing to USB with one of these files could benefit from a dialogue with at progress bar.

Unlike HDDs/SSDs where performance exceeds USBs, the USB marketplace is all over the map in performance we would see on the PCs. DVDs/CDs deliver "expected" performance when writing images, but, unfortunately the expectations in USB will be markedly different from stick to stick.

I discovered this last year when I was surprised when I wrote a PUP distro using dd to a HDD connected via USB. In a single case, the old ata-HDD was written more than 10 times faster than a USB stick on the exact same laptop channel (there is a big difference between writing an IMG in less than 10 minutes versus USB at over 2 hours.)

A "progress bar" script or GUI will NOT improve performance, but it will provide a level of expectation for users.

This problem is NOT limited to this distro. It exist for all developers who offer the ability to create bootable USB distros by writing/rewriting USB media OR who produce hybrid ISOs for users.

AS I remember, @ETP has already taken a step to address this need on another thread, IIRC.

BTW: The flashing USB light on sticks is a useful indicator, but an on-screen progress bar would benefit ...maybe better.