[kin242]

I found it quite complicated to get everything working properly with XBMC and my Asrock 330HT. I thought I would write a quick guide which might help others and provide a focal point for problem solving. *edited to reflect switch to 32-bit Ubuntu*

Here's my attempt at a walkthrough!

My Set-up:

Asrock 330 HT 2nd edition (the one with the IR remote)
Onkyo SR-660 Amp (via HDMI - then via HDMI to LG HD-TV)
BT Router (black one- wifi-n capable)
Desktop with media library (win 7 64-bit, connected to router via ethernet)

Walkthrough:

1. Install Ubuntu 32-bit (download it from the main ubuntu site and burn to CD)

2. Let it install and run through everything. When it has finished take CD out and let it reboot.

3. First thing you may notice is that the picture doesnt fill the whole screen of your TV. That'll be sorted when you upgrade the drivers.

4. Ubuntu will boot up and ask you for your password and then to set another password for your keyring. I left this blank as it gets annoying having to put it in constantly to connect to WIFI.

5. Top right of the screen click on the antenna, pick your wifi group and stick the password in. Hey presto you should be connected. I don't think this is using wifi-n. Not sure how to get that working? For the moment I am connecting via ethernet cable as wifi-g does not have enough bandwidth to handle large media files stably

6. Open a terminal (in the applications menu) and type in the following:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

This will take a while but it will update all your files to the latest versions. Be patient, let it run because otherwise you wont be able to get latest drivers etc.

7. Time to upgrade the graphics driver. Go to system settings and click on Hardware - restricted drivers. It will search for a bit and then come up with the latest nvidia one (185 at time of writing). Install it. Again this will download and apply it and might take a while.

8. Lets sort the HDMI out: Open the terminal again and type in alsamixer. Press your right key until you get further across the screen and you'll see three iXXX channels (cant remember exact name) go across to the one which is iXXX-1 and press 'm' to unmute the spdif channel. Press ESC to exit.

9. You may have to go to the system sound setting and and change the hardware device output to HDMI. I did, then hey presto working sound!

10. Restart Ubuntu- now you should have full screen ubuntu and working sound. I personally have a problem in that the screen is larger than my TV screen so I am missing all the edges. To solve this I had to go into my TV settings and change from 16:9 to 'Just Scan'

11. Install XBMC: in the terminal type the following:

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install xbmc
$ sudo apt-get update

Once you start XBMC you may have to change the settings to use HDMI for both the audio settings, and you may also have to tweak the resolution.

12. Get the remote working. Download the linux drivers from the main asrock site. Make sure you have the ubuntu ones- they have a good readme file which explains the whole process and is quite simple.

13. Enable wifi-n (WIP- not done yet and the wifi connection seems unstable when connecting to desktop shares- media often will not play and even the file browser hangs sometimes. Can ping fine, connect to net fine, just shares seem dodgy).


I'm still working on step 13.

You may also want to enable VDPAU in the XMBC settings. I've had a few problems- when updating ubuntu sometimes the HDMI sound goes- A simple check in alsamixer or most often a reboot seems to sort this out. I also had to re-install the nuvotron remote drivers after and update- not quite sure why.

I now have a fully functional asrock with XBMC running in my lounge. Works great, still need to get the wifi working properly though as I have a big ethernet cable running through my house I want to get rid of!

[pletopia]

vdpau is easy to setup .. as long as your running the nvidia drivers

in xbmc .. go to settings -> video and in one of the submenu's you need to change "Render Method" to VDPAU

[Rimtu]

I personally have a problem in that the screen is larger than my TV screen so I am missing all the edges. I think this is an overscan issue with the TV though and am trying to fix it using that route. Changing res does not help.

This is corrected thru tv settings...

Have a look at picture/screen settings. If you have a Sony LCD, I can tell you what to change.

It has nothing to do with ion330

[kin242]

This is corrected thru tv settings...

Have a look at picture/screen settings. If you have a Sony LCD, I can tell you what to change.

It has nothing to do with ion330

Nah its a big LG TV- thanks for the offer though! I think the Amp might have a role to play in it too.

[MrKuenning]

Yeah, my Samsung has a "Just Scan" screen setting.

[kin242]

OK well to be honest I got fed up trying to make the 64-bit version work so I switched to 32-bit ubuntu. Steps are the same as above. I'll edit that post to reflect what I did to get it all to work.

[jdandc]

Yes, I gave up with the 64 Bit and installed the 32 bit.
All working well, including my Dinovo Mini bluetooth keyboard.

Only issue I have is that I am unable to install SVN Repo Installer, as I am unable to locate the \Plugin\Program folder to install it in.

Any suggestions ?

Running Ubuntu 9.10 with Camelot 9.11 on Asrock ION300HT

[nilzen]

Only issue I have is that I am unable to install SVN Repo Installer, as I am unable to locate the \Plugin\Program folder to install it in.

Go to your home directory and press crtl+h to show hidden files and folders, then you will see a folder called .xbmc and inside it you have the plugins folder.

[beha99]

Thanks for this guide, very usefull to me, i just used it to install.
I have few more questions:
How to make xbmc automaticly start after system boot?
How to setup MCE remote control so i could use some key as it is right mouse key?
What is best setup for logitech harmony 555, i would like to customize some keys?
Also, i can't find file manager with this default skin?? Am i blind or something??

Thanks.

[calmdown]

Thanks for this guide, very usefull to me, i just used it to install.
I have few more questions:
How to make xbmc automaticly start after system boot?
How to setup MCE remote control so i could use some key as it is right mouse key?
What is best setup for logitech harmony 555, i would like to customize some keys?
Also, i can't find file manager with this default skin?? Am i blind or something??

Thanks.

I had some headache getting my harmony 1100 to work properly, what i eventually had to do:
(i will try and explain it as simpe as possible, cause to be honest, i dont fully remember all steps i did)

In Logitech Harmony Software:
Add New Unit: Computer > Media-Center PC > Microsoft > Microsoft MCE Keyboard

Setup an activity with your TV the remote and other stuff you might want.

Now go to your dir for keymaps. That is atleast on xbmclive under:
~/.xbmc/userdata/keymaps/
full dir something like: /home/xbmc/.xbmc/userdata/keymaps/

right, in there create a file called kmap.xml
open it up and edit it something like this:

Code:

<keymap>
  <global>
    <gamepad>
    </gamepad>

    <remote>
    </remote>

    <keyboard>
      <z>UpdateLibrary(video)</z>
      <o>CodecInfo</o>
    </keyboard>

    <universalremote>
    </universalremote>
  </global>

  <Home>
  </Home>
</keymap>

now you see in between the <keyboard> </keyboard> you can add your own preferred binds, and then just bind corresponding stuff on your remote (in harmony software)

the <z>UpdateLibrary(video)</z> and <o>CodecInfo</o> is just examples, those 2 lines you can delete..

hopefully my post made any sense at all, and i'm not quite sure that this is the best way to do it, but for me it works, and thats all that matters.

[stinkupuss]

When connected through wi-fi, the remote locks up, not XBMC. It's a driver issue. When you connect to samba share or sftp over wireless, the remote starts acting up.

Pain in the you know wotz.

[jdandc]

Go to your home directory and press crtl+h to show hidden files and folders, then you will see a folder called .xbmc and inside it you have the plugins folder.

Just wanted to say Thanks, bit delayed but did appreciate advice.

[MdMa]

I personally have a problem in that the screen is larger than my TV screen so I am missing all the edges. To solve this I had to go into my TV settings and change from 16:9 to 'Just Scan'

I too have the same problem, however my TV (Sony SXRD) does not have this option.

My problem is that I can adjust the overscan in the Nvidia X Server settings, but it won't allow me to save it, although the setting remains for my entire session.

Once I restart though the overscan is back to how it was originally, which I then have to simply open the Nvidia X Server settings.. and that's it... I don't have to adjust the overscan again.. just simply open the settings then quit right out of it....

What to do?!?

[brkptr]

Just wanted to say thanks for the guide - I used this to get XMBC up and running on my Asrock 330HT

[Laundro]

Hi -

Did you manage to get wifi n working properly? I have been trying the ath9k drivers, madwifi and ndiswrapper, and I can never get more than about 11Mb/sec, while wlan0 supposedly should accept 150Mb/sec...