I am having a problem trying to get r5f1 installed so that I can use it on my appletv. The problem is I can't skip partitioning the hard drive.

The appletv disk already has partitions created and formatted so I just want to skip the partitioning and install knoppmyth.

The 30gb drive is partitioned like this:

1. 84mb gpt partition that contains bootloader
2. 50mb ext2 partition mounted as /boot
3. 1gb swap
4. ~29gb ext3 partition for /

The /boot partition is required by the appletv bootloader because it will only load a kernel on a ext2 partition.

Due to the gpt partition table on the disk, the partitioner dies during the manual install. I realize that I might have to change fstab after the install so that it mounts the partitions correctly, but I can't get that far.

So, is it possible to skip the partitioner step?

Thanks!

Have you tried a manual install?

Yep. The only choices I get are run partitioner and quit when I choose manual install.

I think that is a symptom of the Knoppix setup not knowing about the hard disk interface hardware. Happens for me on HP servers with SCSI RAID hardware. I can usually do some convoluted scripting steps to get it starting to install, but never all the way through.

Have you tried an external USB hard drive to install to?

I'm afraid KnoppMyth on an AppleTV is fairly bleeding edge.

_________________
| Nigel Pearson, nigel.pearson.au@gmail.com
| "Things you own end up owning you" - Tyler, Fight Club

Thanks Nigel,

A usb to 2.5" hdd adapter is actually what I'm using to try install knoppmyth on another system.

I tried auto installing knoppmyth to another hard disk and allowed it to create the normal partitions and copy all of the files. I then tared up this disk and copied it to the appletv disk. Finally I modified the fstab to correctly mount the different partitions and copied over the appletv kernel.

When I put this disk in the appletv, it booted and mounted the partitions correctly, however /proc didn't get copied correctly and pretty much nothing works. I can log into it, though.

I have been using mythbuntu on the appletv, but it is a memory hog which is why I really want to run knoppmyth. The appletv only has 256mb of ram, and mythbuntu uses about 250mb. However my knoppmyth backend only uses about 150mb.

Any ideas on how I can correctly populate /proc on the appletv disk?

Thanks again!

/proc is a virtual filesystem, so is only created on boot.
If you tried to copy a live filesystem, that's where you ran into problems.
The solution is to do the initial install as you did before, but instead of copying your existing live filesystem off of the disk, is to reboot with the Knoppmyth or Ubuntu CD, and then do your HDD to HDD copy.

Bruce S.

_________________
Updated 2019/10/26: AthlonII X2 265 Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P
16Gb PC 1866 DDR3, 500GB+2TB+4TB SATA HDD,
SATA DVD-RW Asus DRW-24D5MT , NVIDIA GeForce GT1080
Hauppauage Nova-T 500, Nova-T LinHes R8.6.1

Here are the steps I currently take to install mythbuntu on my appletv. This will give you an idea of what I'm trying to do.

1. I create and format 4 partitions on the appletv disk using a patched version of parted that understands gpt, hfs+ and the appletv recovery boot flag. The finished 30gb disk looks like this:

partition 1: 85mb appletv boot hfs+ partition
partition 2: 50mb ext2 /boot partition
partition 3: 1gb swap partition
partition 4: ~29gb ext3 / partition

I could also create a /myth partition, but because this is just a frontend, I don't see it as really necessary. The ext2 boot partition is required by the special appletv boot loader (no grub or lilo here).

2. I copy the appletv boot loader onto the hfs+ partition.

3. I plug the appletv disk into a usb to 2.5" hdd adapter and boot the mythubuntu install cd on regular pentium 4 based pc (actually my myth backend). The live cd boots and I run the installation program. I answer all of the normal install questions. When it comes time to partition the disk, I leave the partitions alone manually set the /boot and /, and swap mount points to the correct partition. I believe Mythubuntu uses the parted library for its partitioner, because it can correctly read the partition table on the appletv.

After configuring the partitions, mythubuntu installs itself on the appletv disk. At the end of the installation, it tries to install grub and fails, but that is ok.

4. I copy a temporary appletv kernel and modules and the boot loader config onto the appletv disk. I configure the boot loader so it can find the correct vmlinuz image. Even though I don't touch the partitions, something in the mythbunutu installer screws up the partition table so I have to run my special parted again to fix it. At this point the disk is ready to go.

5. I install the appletv disk into the appletv and boot it. Since the appletv kernel doesn't match the kernel the nvidia driver was built against, I need to rebuild it. I have found that it is easier to just build a new kernel on the appletv, so I download the source (in this case, 2.6.21.5), apply the appletv and mactel patches and build it with an appletv-specific config file. I copy the new kernel to /boot and change a link to point to the new kernel and reboot.

6. I reinstall the latest nvidia driver, configure the xorg.conf file for 1080i component output and reboot.

7. Mythbuntu automatically starts the frontend, so if everything was done correctly, the mythtv frontend should now be running.

There you go, the (almost) perfect hd mythtv frontend in seven easy steps!

Due to the limited memory in the appletv, I think knoppmyth will be a much better fit. I just need to figure out the partitioner/installation issues so that it can be the perfect hd mythtv frontend!

Are you saying that since I tared up the freshly installed knoppmyth disk that had never been booted, there was nothing in /proc? I haven't had a chance to look at it much since I initially tried it.

Should I just copy /proc from my knoppmyth backend to the appletv disk?

Sorry, I thought you had copied the disk from the running system, so it would have all the current entries for it.

You really do not want to do that.

Is there a /proc entry in the /etc/fstab on the new appletv disk?

BTW have you seen this and the manual install instructions near the bottom of the page?

Bruce S.

_________________
Updated 2019/10/26: AthlonII X2 265 Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P
16Gb PC 1866 DDR3, 500GB+2TB+4TB SATA HDD,
SATA DVD-RW Asus DRW-24D5MT , NVIDIA GeForce GT1080
Hauppauage Nova-T 500, Nova-T LinHes R8.6.1

I believe there is. I'll double check tonight. The fstab I'm using is from the knoppmyth installer, so it should be there. The only thing I changed in fstab was the / and /boot mount options. I also seem to remember the kernel saying that /proc was successfully mounted but was empty.



of course! that was where I started. However like I said above, I only see two choices: partition the disk and quit. I can't get past the partitioner because it doesn't understand gpt partitions and I can't let it change the partitions that are already on the disk. That's why I'm stuck.

fstab looks like this:

# /etc/fstab: filesystem table.
#
# filesystem mountpoint type options dump pass
/dev/sda4 / ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 1
/dev/sda2 /boot ext2 defaults 0 2

proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
#/dev/fd0 /floppy vfat defaults,user,noauto,showexec,umask=022 0 0
usbfs /proc/bus/usb usbfs devmode=0666 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs defaults 0 0
tmpfs /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0
#/dev/cdrom /cdrom auto defaults,ro,user,noexec,noauto 0 0
# Added by KNOPPIX
#/dev/hda1 /media/hda1 ext3 noauto,users,exec 0 0
# Added by KNOPPIX
#/dev/hda2 none swap defaults 0 0
# Added by KNOPPIX
#/dev/hda3 /media/hda3 ext3 noauto,users,exec 0 0
# Added by KNOPPIX
/dev/sda3 none swap defaults 0 0

there is a /proc, but it is empty.

Right, I get it now.
I don't know if you are willing to wait, but Cecil is supposed to be releasing a new version of KM in August, the partitioner may recognise the partitions on your disk.
But as it appears your AppleTV requires a specific kernel version, I don't think the kernel being supplied with even the new version KM will work with the AppleTV unless you do your patches that are in stage 5 of your description.

BTW in stage 4, you mention Does that mean an Apple kernel or a Linux kernel?

Bruce S.

_________________
Updated 2019/10/26: AthlonII X2 265 Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P
16Gb PC 1866 DDR3, 500GB+2TB+4TB SATA HDD,
SATA DVD-RW Asus DRW-24D5MT , NVIDIA GeForce GT1080
Hauppauage Nova-T 500, Nova-T LinHes R8.6.1

Hi Bruce,

The temporary appletv specific kernel I copy in step four is a patched version of linux kernel 2.6.20.6 that is already tared up. I use it to boot the appletv the first time because it is ready to go. I could just as well tar up a 2.6.22.1 kernel that I have built, but this is a known working kernel I can use as a backup.

I also doubt that the standard kernel supplied by km will work. That is no problem. I patch and build a new kernel on the appletv once it is up and running. As long as all the necessary tools are installed to build the kernel, nvidia driver and the lirc modules, I'm all set.

I'd be happy to test the new partitioner to see if it can handle the appletv's gpt disk, if needed.

If your using parted, I'd recommend incorporating this patch specifically for the appletv:

http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermai ... 01732.html

Thanks again!

so is there any way to edit the configuration script so that I can get this installed?

You want to edit the installation scripts to install a new kernel?