Shuttle XS35

But wait ... if you don't have an internal hard drive, it's no need to disable it? Are you saying XBMC does not boot from USB if you don't have a hard drive? That cannot be ...

If you do have an internal hard drive .. why bother disabling it ... But without any hard dive you cannot save any settings, can you? What you should check is if there's a way for saving data back to USB key - like Knoppix did (I don't know if it still exists. )

Okay - we're slightly at cross-purposes ... I have a hard drive in the Shuttle. I'd like to just run from the usb - drive off (reduce wear & tear, heat, mistakes where the drive gets wiped!, etc.).

Now - you CAN get xbmcbuntu running with persistence - saves the settings on the stick!

Use unetbootin - select the iso file - set the persistence size - write to usb.

Start xbmc from usb - I chose Try without install. Exit out of xbmc to ubuntu login screen - start the desktop - set the wireless up. Shut down ubuntu.

Restart the usb - I chose Default this time. XBMC starts and bingo! the wifi is connected!

This could be useful for you to test and messa round with the hdmi audio because you won't have to keep resetting any settings on restarrts.

I tested all this on my Acer netbook - not messing with Shuttle just yet!

Now - how to switch off the drive - I've noticed this before with Linux that the drive is always running + fans!!! It must be possible to shut the drive off for usb live systems.

A second task - maybe later - is to get openVPN running by default.

Hope the above helps.

May have spoken too soon - can retain wifi BUT none of the other settings seem to stick.

I also can't discover how to login in to the desktop to be able to get sudo access.

Thiink I may just give up until somebody figures this all out!

Life's too short to spend hours fuzting with obscure linux quirks!

Good luck.

The desktop works fine, that HDMI audio is the only thing that worries me ... Well, I'll most probably install XBMCbuntu today, render my Shuttle temporarily useless for any multimedia ... In the evening I'll be probably back here with my problem(s) ....

Desktop?

So what's the password to get sudo as guest user?

It's the only login which works - the so-called hidden user xbmc and password xbmc just fails every time ...

I didn't use sudo, login was possible without any password. For version 10.1 the default password for xbmc user was xbmc - does that not work?

Well ... I'll soon find out as I still have to copy some things from internal hard drive ...

With Eden Beta´s I´ve had to unmute hdmi-output in alsamixer on my XS35GT after install. That may be the cure for your soundproblems aswell.

If you exit to the desktop login - guest account get in without a password.

To run a command in terminal I think you need sudo - and it asks for a password.

xbmc doesn't work for login.

Bah ... I couldn't do anything; tried to install XBMCbuntu using my LCD TV for display (I don't have a computer LCD - other computers are laptops). Well - those fonts are so small that it's completely impossible for anyone to read. I literally didn't know what I would have approved/canceled ...
I'll have to install this thing using a real computer LCD.

Oh - regarding the bios version you wanted to know - TV does not show anything untill the X windows is started. It probably does not support that small resolution.
But you'll be happy to know that ethernet and wireless interfaces were working somewhat, I could figure out that much ...

I really didn't expect the difference between a computer LCD and a TV LCD would be so huge.

I'll give it a go later tonight or tomorrow to see what the display does on my TV.