2010-01-09, 16:20
I have written a dummyproof installation guide for XBMC Live on the ASRock ION-330HT for my own blog. All the information in this installation guide was gathered right here on the XBMC forums but it's scattered in various topics and/or written without keeping in mind that a lot of us are technically challenged. This installation guide puts it all together with detailed step by step instructions ment for those who are inexperienced with Linux. Perhaps it's also useful to members of this community.
If you have anything to contribute please let me know by replying. I'd be glad to make this guide as complete as possible.
Setup
This guide will create the following setup:
Installation of XBMC
Out of the box the internal IR receiver does not work because the drivers are not included within the underlaying operating system of XBMC Live version 9.11, this OS is a Linux distribution called Ubuntu version 9.10. If you want the remote to work without the use of an external USB receiver you will need to install these drivers by hand. This however can be tricky for inexperienced users so beware. This step requires the ION-330HT to be connected to your home network so it can be accessed using your computer.
Fixing audio over HDMI for playback
Out of the box the audio playback does not work over HDMI. For this to work we need to change the audio settings in XBMC. Go the the settings menu and the audio settings and set these to the following:
With the settings above the audio is being output through HDMI. If you use an audio-video receiver you might want to check to test with the checkbox a little but the settings above should be your starting point.
Fixing navigation sound in XBMC
The fix described above will ensure audio playback over HDMI for movies, music, etc. but there still aren’t any navigation sounds in XBMC. For this to work a configuration file has to be added to the installation of XBMC. Again open an SSH session as described in step 1 and 2 of installing the driver for the IR receiver. Once connected enter the following commands:
Enter your password and continue with the following commands:
This will open a text editor where you need to type in the following text:
Then hit ctrl + x and confirm saving the file. Once done you should reboot for the changes to take effect. You can do this by typing the command: Your connection will be broken as the system reboots. After reboot the navigation sounds in XBMC should be working.
Your ASrock ION-330HT with XBMC is now ready to be used. There is still a lot to configure within XBMC itself. Please refer the XBMC Wiki for more information. If you have any questions about this guide please use the comment system. I'll do my best to help you out.
If you have anything to contribute please let me know by replying. I'd be glad to make this guide as complete as possible.
Setup
This guide will create the following setup:
- Yes: ASRock ION330-HT with XBMC Live 9.11 Camelot installed on the HDD
- Yes: Driver for internal IR receiver installed and the remote is working.
- Yes: Wake up from power-down by remote
- Yes: Video and audio through HDMI
- Yes: Navigation sounds within XBMC
- No: Wake up from suspend by remote, this is a common issue
- Uncertain: Wireless internet, I don't use it myself and havent tested it
Installation of XBMC
- Download the XBMC Live version, extract the iso file from the archive and burn the image to a CD-RW or DVD.
- Insert the burned disc in the disc drive and boot from CD. You might need to change the boot order in the BIOS and select the disc drive as first boot device. You can enter the BIOS by pressing F2 at startup.
- After booting the XBMC Live CD select the option 'Install XBMC Live to the hard drive'
- Follow the installation steps. There is no real need to change any of the default installation settings. I decided to create a separate /home partition in the harddisk manager but this is not really needed if you don't know what you are doing. As username and password set them both to: xbmc (even though the installer thinks this password is to short).
- After the installation is finished remove the disc and restart the system. XBMC will be started up automatically. Once started up you can walk through the configuration settings menu of XBMC using your keyboard to configure everything to your own preferences. Best is to jump ahead and install the drivers for the internal IR receiver so you can use the remote to configure everything from your couch.
Out of the box the internal IR receiver does not work because the drivers are not included within the underlaying operating system of XBMC Live version 9.11, this OS is a Linux distribution called Ubuntu version 9.10. If you want the remote to work without the use of an external USB receiver you will need to install these drivers by hand. This however can be tricky for inexperienced users so beware. This step requires the ION-330HT to be connected to your home network so it can be accessed using your computer.
- To install the driver we need to access the underlaying operating system. This is done using a protocol called SSH. A good and free SSH client is called Putty and can be found here. Download and install it.
- In Putty you will need to create a new session using the host address (IP address) and the username and password you entered during installation (both xbmc if you followed this guide). If you don't know the IP address of your ION-330HT, it can be found within XBMC. Press right when standing on the system settings and select system information. Under network you will see your IP address.
- When you open the connection you will need to enter your username and password again. When logged in enter the following commands to download and install the driver:
Enter your password again and continue with the following commands.Code:sudo –s
Code:apt-get install wget
Code:wget http://tinyurl.com/cir-driver-ion330ht
Code:dpkg -i ir-driver-ion330ht.deb
- Agree with the installation of the new package. On the first screen of the installer select the option 'Nuvoton Transceivers/Remotes' and on the second screen keep the setting on 'None'.
- After the installation is finished you must reboot your ION-330HT to load the driver. You can do this by typing the command: Code:
reboot
Fixing audio over HDMI for playback
Out of the box the audio playback does not work over HDMI. For this to work we need to change the audio settings in XBMC. Go the the settings menu and the audio settings and set these to the following:
Code:
Audio output = Digital
AC3 compatible receiver = Unchecked
DTS compatibe receiver = Unchecked
Audio output device = hdmi
Passthrough output device = hdmi
Downmix multichannel audio to stereo = Checked
Fixing navigation sound in XBMC
The fix described above will ensure audio playback over HDMI for movies, music, etc. but there still aren’t any navigation sounds in XBMC. For this to work a configuration file has to be added to the installation of XBMC. Again open an SSH session as described in step 1 and 2 of installing the driver for the IR receiver. Once connected enter the following commands:
Code:
sudo -s
Code:
nano /etc/asound.conf
Code:
pcm.!default {
type plug
slave {
pcm "hdmi"
}
}
Code:
reboot
Your ASrock ION-330HT with XBMC is now ready to be used. There is still a lot to configure within XBMC itself. Please refer the XBMC Wiki for more information. If you have any questions about this guide please use the comment system. I'll do my best to help you out.