Multiple XBMC outputs on one PC
#16
(2012-06-21, 22:32)dougdeep Wrote: The other route on Linux is virtualization. I've poked around on this before. In KVM, there's a low chance you'll get PCI passthrough to work for your video cards because of some VGA bios problems. I've found few successes, and those who did got lucky with very specific video cards. If it worked, this would be my preference.

Using a motherboard and CPU with IOMMU virtualization extensions, I gave this a shot. I passed through the video and audio PCI devices from my NVidia G210 to the KVM Linux Guest. Unfortunately, the NVidia driver refused to load, saying the adapter is not supported. Using lspci, the devices looked like NVidia devices. Unfortunately, I think the nvidia driver may be making some bad assumptions about the PCI cooardinate, the bus #s, slot #s, etc. I was able to modify the kernel module to load, but the binary blob threw out a not supported error when Xorg started. Oh well. I can try to talk to the NVidia guys at nvnews.net, but I doubt Nvidia will make any meaningful changes.

You could try other manufacturers, but I believe nvidia still has the most comprehensive hardware accelerated video playback support on Linux.

My next attempt will be to use multiple Xorg displays/screens.

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#17
I´m trying to do the same, I already tried VM and none of them worked (VMW and VB), I will install win xp to test your option, tell me, how do you do on xbmc to set different outputs of a sound card for different xbmc users?, do you need an amplifier in orden to listen at good volumen on the order rooms?
Thanks from Uruguay¡¡¡
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#18
i'm using different windows xp users NOT different xbmc profiles

I've slightly updated my install so here's a run down;

Install windows and add desired number of users matching number of copies of XBMC required
Then set up the mysql library (optional I guess but highly recommended);
http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=HOW...g_up_MySQL
Create a shortcut to xbmc and edit the target to; ".........\XBMC.exe -p" this enables portable mode which makes creates a folder in the install directory to handle user files.
Then configured one install of xbmc and scanned in my media.
Make 5 installs of xbmc on the pc in 5 separate folders (copy and paste if you like) and create 5 shortcuts for portable mode <I put mine on an external drive to allow for change of main PC>
Test each install by running (using XBMC.exe -p shortcut) as one of the users (right click-run as...)

Now you have a way to run multiple instances. In each instance you can change configurations independently so for you audio go to; System-Settings-System-Audio output and select you device.
For two outputs see;
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=86038
For more than two you could consider virtual audio cable but it ran too slowly for me

To help hasten starting the programs I used;
http://www.joeware.net/freetools/tools/cpau/
and created a .bat file;

CPAU -u DAVE-SERVER\xbmc1 -p xbmc1 logon -ex "T:\XBMC1\xbmc.exe -p" -lwp
PING -n 10 127.0.0.1>nul
CPAU -u DAVE-SERVER\xbmc2 -p xbmc2 logon -ex "T:\XBMC2\xbmc.exe -p" -lwp
PING -n 10 127.0.0.1>nul
CPAU -u DAVE-SERVER\xbmc3 -p xbmc3 logon -ex "T:\XBMC3\xbmc.exe -p" -lwp
PING -n 10 127.0.0.1>nul
CPAU -u DAVE-SERVER\xbmc4 -p xbmc4 logon -ex "T:\XBMC4\xbmc.exe -p" -lwp

This starts each instance as different user with a 9 second delay between start-ups (delay prevents crashes)

If you have an android phone and want to control each one individually you need to change the event server port in guisettings.xml (search for esport and edit the value; <esport>9834</esport>) - this is needed to control volume and player, you can connect without changing this as long as you assign different ports in System-Network-Services ( and enable etc.)
For added automation you can install eventghost on pc and phone; this will allow you to run each batch file on the pc from your phone thus starting the xbmc for the desired room (even start xbmc remote on your phone too)

Let me know how you get on

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