Linux HOW-TO: Automated efficient XBMC install - Ubuntu 12.10/13.04 mini based

@Lacrosse1991

If I see this correct then this can get complicated.

Your motherboard is able to provide video and audio through it's own HDMI. And this is Intel.
But you have an "extra" graphic card which is NVIDIA.

My first step would be to make 100% sure that the Intel video and audio (as you like to us the graphic card ) is disabled in the BIOS.
So that you can be sure that Linux only see's the devices you like to use.

Because when all are active I can imagine it will be hard to direct video / audio to the right output.

When you disable something in BIOS you have tow ways to go (in my opinion)

1) Look for help in the NVIDIA threats you posted
2) Start from scratch (install ubuntu 13.04 / install XBMC with script), if it is not working then, go to point 1

Hope this help a little bit.

Nvidia support of HDMI audio starts at 6xx series, at least out of the box HDMI out.
You older Nvidia card will have a Audio connector which you can connect ot the SPID/IF connector on your motherboard.
I tried that setup and failed as my motherboard and video card audio connection were not compatible.
So i bought a GL610SL, pluged the card in and got HDMI audio.
Without that cable from your motherboard to your videocard you will not get audio, and if you, like me, don't get it to work you are better off with a 35 euro 610 card.

@Lacrosse1991

I just ran into a similar issue. On my Nvidia GT210 I could not get the audio to appear in xbmc no matter what I did in Ubuntu 13.04. I decided to upgrade the kernel to 3.9 because of some bugs I read about in the stock 13.04 kernel. These are the steps I followed to upgrade. When done I rebooted and audio appeared right away. No other bugs found so far with the new kernel.



For 32 bit

For 64 bit



Reboot

Also: make sure you follow @Morrtin suggestion to disable the onboard audio and video in the bios

@Lacrosse1991

If you go the route of updating your kernel to 3.9 then you should update your firmware first. I got this tip from fritsch in an other thread:

(2013-05-10 12:39)Morrtin Wrote:  @Lacrosse1991

If I see this correct then this can get complicated.

Your motherboard is able to provide video and audio through it's own HDMI. And this is Intel.
But you have an "extra" graphic card which is NVIDIA.

My first step would be to make 100% sure that the Intel video and audio (as you like to us the graphic card ) is disabled in the BIOS.
So that you can be sure that Linux only see's the devices you like to use.

Because when all are active I can imagine it will be hard to direct video / audio to the right output.

When you disable something in BIOS you have tow ways to go (in my opinion)

1) Look for help in the NVIDIA threats you posted
2) Start from scratch (install ubuntu 13.04 / install XBMC with script), if it is not working then, go to point 1

Hope this help a little bit.

(2013-05-11 06:46)Morrtin Wrote:  @Lacrosse1991

If you go the route of updating your kernel to 3.9 then you should update your firmware first. I got this tip from fritsch in an other thread:

Code:

cd ~/
wget http://ubuntu.mirror.cambrium.nl/ubuntu//pool/main/l/linux-firmware/linux-firmware_1.106_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i linux-firmware_1.106_all.deb

Thanks for the info! Audio worked without any modifications for xbmcbuntu so at least I know its possible haha, although unfortunately xbmcbuntu would not behave with mdadm (at least for me) which made it sort of a no-go for me. The audio and video originally had not worked with xbmcbuntu until I had removed a cable card (wintv-hvr-1800), not sure what is keeping it from working with this setup though as it did not seem to make a difference. With the firmware, would that apply to both x86 and x64?

---

(2013-05-10 22:04)Brewster Wrote:  @Lacrosse1991

I just ran into a similar issue. On my Nvidia GT210 I could not get the audio to appear in xbmc no matter what I did in Ubuntu 13.04. I decided to upgrade the kernel to 3.9 because of some bugs I read about in the stock 13.04 kernel. These are the steps I followed to upgrade. When done I rebooted and audio appeared right away. No other bugs found so far with the new kernel.

Code:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade && sudo apt-get autoremove

Code:

cd /tmp

For 32 bit

Code:

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.9-rc8-raring/linux-headers-3.9.0-030900rc8-generic_3.9.0-030900rc8.201304211835_i386.deb http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.9-rc8-raring/linux-headers-3.9.0-030900rc8_3.9.0-030900rc8.201304211835_all.deb http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.9-rc8-raring/linux-image-3.9.0-030900rc8-generic_3.9.0-030900rc8.201304211835_i386.deb

For 64 bit

Code:

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.9-rc8-raring/linux-headers-3.9.0-030900rc8-generic_3.9.0-030900rc8.201304211835_amd64.deb http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.9-rc8-raring/linux-headers-3.9.0-030900rc8_3.9.0-030900rc8.201304211835_all.deb http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.9-rc8-raring/linux-image-3.9.0-030900rc8-generic_3.9.0-030900rc8.201304211835_amd64.deb

Code:

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Code:

sudo update-grub2

Reboot

Also: make sure you follow @Morrtin suggestion to disable the onboard audio and video in the bios

will give this a try, thanks! had you done this before or after running the automated installer? Also with the automated installer, had you used the stable or untested version?

I did the following

1. Updated firmware
2. Updated kernel
3. Run script
   

Firmware is architecture independed, as far as I know.

(2013-05-09 17:36)uNiversal Wrote:  Feel free to visit my fork on github https://github.com/uNiversaI/xbmc-ubuntu-minimal I kept it for 12.04lts so it works with all ATI GPU's including legacy but again idk as I cant test it.

you have a pull request :-)

(2013-05-16 12:14)Morrtin Wrote:  

(2013-05-09 17:36)uNiversal Wrote:  Feel free to visit my fork on github https://github.com/uNiversaI/xbmc-ubuntu-minimal I kept it for 12.04lts so it works with all ATI GPU's including legacy but again idk as I cant test it.

you have a pull request :-)

but not with Trinity (C/A)PUS, as they need a newer kernel

I am not sure if your answer is for uNiversal or for me? *ggg*

Anyway: two new questions. A common linux question and one for XBMC.

1) As you know I upgraded to kernel 3.9 so HD audio is working. Now my Linux tells me it has three new packages for me. And yes you guess right.
They are kernel packages, which I normally install with dist-upgrade but would this ruin my current kernel?

2) When I exit XBMC because I have to work in the shell (can't use ssh) I see a lot of text (starting/stopping things) and the last row is "Stopping System V runlevel compatibility", but I never get a prompt to enter user and password for the shell. Is this normal with our script setup or to I have a problem?


BTW: What is Trinity (C/A)PUS anyway?

Thank you so much for this. Been trying all weekend to get 1080p to work without lag and nothing has been working except this and being completely new to Linux has been challenging. This was my last effort before purchasing Windows so pretty happy to find a solution. I've built a HTPC on the ASROCK E350M1 and made sure it would be able to play 1080p. Didn't look into the Ubuntu part too much though, hehe.

Now I just need to figure out a way to setup a torrent client to be remotely controlled and how to set up a working network group between the HTPC and other computers at home. I'll look around. A related question to this is whether it is possible or not to upgrade to include a simple desktop gui? I noticed some people debating it previously in the thread so not sure if this is the place for such a question.

Once again, thanks!!