System configuration:
Matsonic MS7188D motherboard, VIA Chipset PLE133T
Celeron 1.1GHz
Memory 512MB
20GB HDD
onboard Trident video
generic (CompUSA) ATI RADEON 7000 PCI w/32MB RAM, DVI, VGA, composite video

Installed KnoppMyth via Automatic Install.

After reboot, during kernel init, I get message:
KnoppMyth found no multimedia cards!

Then, it tries to load Gnome:
Starting Gnome display manager: gdm

The screen flickers three times, then I get a dialog that says:
I cannot start the X server

With a link to the X server output. The errors in the log say:
(WW) TRIDENT: No matching Device section for instance (BusID PCI:1:0:0)
(EE) NO DEVICES DETECTED.
Fatal server error:
No screens found

So, X can't see my Radeon card, and I cannot disable the Trident in the BIOS.
I seriously suck at configuring X. Can anyone help me tell it where the Radeon is and to ignore the Trident?
TIA.

There is a script to install the Radeon drivers. I don't know how this is going to help if you cannot disable the onboard adapter (man that sucks).

_________________
cesman

When the source is open, the possibilities are endless!

Doublecheck your BIOS. There is often a priority setting for the video between onboard, AGP, or PCI. Also with PCI cards it's important to find the correct bus ID (use lspci), and add that to your XF86Config file. Last time I visited the folks I sorted out a nasty problem dad was having with his X setup because he was missing that for his PCI based video card.

I forgot about lspci!

_________________
cesman

When the source is open, the possibilities are endless!

Hi PhyrePhox,

I took a quick look for your motherboard but was not able to locate it. I was going to see if there might be a jumper on the board to disable the onboard video. If you have the book for it, look close as that may be the option needed.

Worth the thought any way.
Mike

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
The BIOS does not offer an option to disable the AGP adapter.
The option for "Init Display First" in the BIOS was already set to "PCI"; switching it to AGP disabled all output to the Radeon. This is the weird part: Both the VGA and DVI connectors on the Radeon are active, and displaying identical information, including the console output from KnoppMyth. But, X only sees the Trident! AARRGGGHH!
The idea of a jumper setting to disable the AGP adapter was one I hadn't thought of either, and that led me on a merry chase, which I will describe here for others in the same boat:
Matsonic only offers driver downloads for this board (Windows, natch), but not the motherboard manual. I have the CD that came with it, but there's no manual there either. On the back of the PC case, there is a sticker from Behavior Tech Corp, with a model number of 12-SS-M786. Googling this led me to BTC's website, and they linked me to allsupport.net, where I found a pdf of a Xerox copy of the motherboard manual (with handwritten notes from someone all over) under "Downloads->Complete System->12-SS-M786" (my wife purchased this POS before we met).
After all that, I learned that there is no jumper to disable the AGP trident adapter.

I decided to reinstall the whole thing at this point, since while I was inside the PC looking at the jumpers, I moved the Radeon to the first PCI slot (remebering the old days when motherboards of this generation only allowed bus master on certain slots), desperately hoping this might have an effect. Also, I added a WinTV-GO-Plus.
Somehow, at one point during reinstall (I think I was trying Manual Install), Knoppix took me into a menu-driven X config tool, and I simply manually changed the driver for the Trident to ATI. I am not too clear on what I did, but when the install was complete, X started successfully!
Now, the resolution was set to 800x600, and badly overscanned, so I tried to change those settings. I also played with the TV tuner and watched a DVD (DVD didn't seem quite as overscanned as the desktop, but I don't know if it was forcing a different resolution or not). I managed to get it to download the news and weather too, but I never got any channels on the TV card (and how do I sign up for TV listings, anyway? I use Titan TV with my EyeTV...).
I tried tweaking the XF86Config-4 several times, and never got anywhere. I finally decided to reinstall KnoppMyth again, and try different resolutions during the X setup again. However, I never got it again (I reinstalled two more times). Even worse, Knoppix no longer saw my Ethernet card, which was a real bummer because I was doing most of the config from ssh on my iBook, since it was killing my back to sit on the floor in in front of the entertainment center.
So, last night I downloaded the net install of Debian, and set it up. At this point, I've got X coming up in 1280x720, and have improved (but not fixed) the overscan. I will next try installing the lirc drivers for the remote, and them move on to myth, but considering my general lack of knowledge, it may make the KnoppMyth install look like a piece of cake.

Regardless of whether you use KnoppMyth or install MythTV yourself, you will need to sign up for a zap2it.com account and configure your channels before you run MythTV.

http://www.mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO-5.html#ss5.3

If you don't, you won't be able to complete the mythtv-setup step (assigning a tuner to a set of channels), your program guide won't be filled, and you basically won't be able to do anything.

Don't hesitate to just start from scratch and reinstall again. You get used to it after a while.

Hi,
I have done installs without internet with no problem. More work maybe. I make two sources, RF for the tuner and Video for the composite. In the editor, just add a channel one (1) for video and channel three or four (3 or 4) for the RF. with the RF you add your choice of 3 or 4 to the freq id. It works, just no guide information but you can manually schedule recordings. Leave the freq id blank for the video.

I would also suggest, if you have problems, go back to a basic hardware setup to start with. Make it all work (and learn as you go along). Then you can make changes and have a better handle on whats where and how it is happening. I would not want to try counting how many auto upgrades I have done but with the R5A16 it is a cake walk.

Just some ideas.
Mike

Well, you both make good points.
Even though the Debian install had working net and video, I went back to KnoppMyth (also may have had something to do with the fact that whenever I started the audio server, Debian only ever made a rhytmic farting sound).
I copied my Debian ModeLine settings into KnoppMyth's /etc/X11/XF86Config-4, and changed the device settings to load the ati drivers, and got X working(still badly shifted to the left, but I'm working on it). Once myth-setup ran, the inet came up as well, so I'm able to do the configuring more easily.
I also got set up on Zap2It (thanks ceenvee703), and was able to download the channel listings.

The latest problem is that when I view the TV, all I see is a green screen with static on the top quarter of the screen. The GUI shows the channel and program info, so the problem's with the WinTV-GO setup. I am searching the forums for details.

lastly, I've got a bunch of media (mp3, Divx, DVD rips) stored on my Mac, which has a large external drive (much bigger than the KnoppMyth box). Should I just create a mount point (fstab, right?) for a share on the Mac where these files live, or is there a better way?

Thanks so much for everyone's help. I am getting excited now, and this could actually be a setup the wife can figure out too!

Oh, for reference, the working (but not perfect) ModeLine settings for a CompUSA Radeon 7000 32MB and a Samsung TXP2675WHF 26" 16:9 High Definition Television are:
HorizSync 31-81
VertRefresh 59-61
ModeLine "1280x720" 74.25 1280 1312 1592 1624 720 735 742 757 +hsync +vsync
ModeLine "1240x700" 74.812 1240 1360 1416 1656 700 714 720 750 +hsync +vsync
I'm not too sure about the HorizSync, but there isn't any smoke coming out yet...

Progress has been made.
The tuner card is now working, using this information:
http://mysettopbox.tv/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3450&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=wintvgo
My WinTV-GO-Plus card has a BT878, and I am using card=10 tuner=39 in /etc/mythtv/modules/bttv

The remote (A415HPG) is working, and I definitely agree with everyone who says that the connector where the remote receiver plugs into the card is flaky. I had to physically pull the PC out of the entertainment center, and force the connector in all the way, after visually checking it twice.
http://mysettopbox.tv/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4609&

What remains are stupid things: the channel guide I selected on Zap2It was incorrect, and the channel line up doesn't include all channels and doesn't agree with the guide. I have changed the line up on Zap2It, and then re-run mythfilldatabase many times and rebooted, but it still shows the wrong channels.
Lastly, the TV video and audio stutters badly. I have turned off interlacing, and I am going to re-run setup to set the buffer larger to see if that helps.
Thanks again everyone for your help.
Also, does anyone know how to get the alsa volume settings to "stick"? I have used these instructions to set the volume
http://www.mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO-7.html#ss7.2, but it seems to go away after a reboot.

Hi PhyrePhox,
Good going, you have made a lot of progress! Just as a hint, you may want to make a storage place to keep some of these small tid bits you gather along the way. I make a directory in the /myth called tools and store information as I go along. Memory sort of sucks (senior moments ya know) so when you find something just open a term window and do nano <filename> and you can copy / paste those notes for later reference. Then after all the dust settles you filter out the junk, and copy those files off to a floppy for future use, like the next install.

Anyway, the stuttering may be the processor is close to the limits as it has to do a lot of work to give you a picture plus the rest of the house keeping. Try making a recording then play the recording back. It is about half of the work for the cpu from watching real time tv.

Tv guide, is it just off position (time) or wrong shows on wrong channels? Check your time, (at prompt $ date) check your zip code when in the mythtv-setup. To clear the database, try mythtv-setup, answer no to first question and yes to second question. Then esc out and at a prompt run mythfilldatabase, any corrections and changes should now be come updated.

Sound, as root, try at a prompt # alsamixer then you can make settings, mute / unmute and when done esc. That should save your new settings. You can run it as mythtv also, but not sure it "sticks"

As a side note, rarely will you have to reboot unless you make deep system changes. You should be able to ssh into your knoppmyth box, even from windows. There is a simple, works very well windows tool called "putty". Don't know about apple tools.

A 20 gig drive doesn't allow much for recordings, a few hours about all, however great for testing / learning Be sure to try ripping an audio cd and playback to test things out. A lot of little tricks and pointers are available just sometimes hard to find them.

When you get things fine tuned, you could add a second (larger ?) hard drive for storage or now that you have the steps and tricks, install to the larger drive.

Great job!
Mike

hi phyrephox,

i'm wondering if you were ever able to get the video on the wintv go-plus card to stop the stuttering. i have the same card and the same issue. i also had the same problem you described with the green screen. thanks to your post, it's now fixed

i have yet to mess with the remote

The stuttering is probably due to the processor. Your hardware details are?

_________________
cesman

When the source is open, the possibilities are endless!

celeron 1.3ghz
256mb pc133 sdram
40gb hdd
ati radeon 7000
winttv go-plus capture card

it plays back a little bit smoother when it's a recording, but still choppy.

DMA on? XV? A PVR is always recording. If you record a show and playback later (VCR style), how does it perform?

_________________
cesman

When the source is open, the possibilities are endless!