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If you know how to do it, most things are simple. Figuring out how to make my Asrock ION 330HT-BD (running Ubuntu Karmic) a wireless access point  took me a couple of hours. For my own reference and maybe to save you some time I wrote down all steps.

How-to

• Check wireless adapter type
  • lspci -v | grep Network
    
    • Should be AR9285
• Enable IP forwarding
  • sudo gedit /etc/sysctl.conf
    • Uncomment
      • net.ipv4.ip_forward = 1
  • Live change
    • sudo echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
  • Check
    • cat /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
• Give wireless adapter a static address
  • sudo gedit /etc/network/interfaces
    • Add code below
  • Live change
    • sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart
  • Check
    • ifconfig wlan0
      

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet static
    address 192.168.0.1
    netmask 255.255.255.0
    broadcast 192.168.0.255

• Download latest Linux wireless drivers (currently version 2.6)
  • Extract archive
  • Build/install
    • cd compat-wireless-*
    • ./scripts/driver-select ath9k
    • make
    • sudo make unload
    • sudo make install
    • Redo when new kernel
  • Live change
    • sudo modprobe ath9k
      
  • Check
    • grep ath9k /var/log/syslog
      
• Install hostapd
  • sudo apt-get install hostapd
  • sudo gedit /etc/default/hostapd
    • Uncomment
      • RUN_DAEMON="yes"
      • DAEMON_CONF="/etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf"
  • sudo gedit /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf
    • Add
      • driver=nl80211
    • Change
      • ssid=<name>
      • hw_mode=g
      • auth_algs=1
      • wpa=2
      • wpa_passphrase=<password>
      • wpa_pairwise=TKIP
  • Live change
    • sudo /etc/init.d/hostapd restart
  • Check
    • grep hostapd /var/log/syslog
      
• Install dnsmasq
  • sudo apt-get install dnsmasq
  • sudo gedit /etc/default/dnsmasq
    • Uncomment
      • DNSMASQ_OPTS="--conf-file=/etc/dnsmasq.conf"
    • Comment
      • #CONFIG_DIR=/etc/dnsmasq.d
  • sudo gedit /etc/dnsmasq.conf
    • Add
      • interface=wlan0
      • dhcp-range=192.168.0.2,192.168.0.127,12h
  • Live change
    • sudo /etc/init.d/dnsmasq restart
      
  • Check
    • grep dnsmasq /var/log/syslog
      
• Routing
  • Give the Asrock a static IP 192.168.1.x
    • Preferable by your local DHCP server (based on MAC address)
  • Add a static route 192.168.0.0/255.255.255.0 > 192.168.1.x
    • In your modem/router
• Now you should be able to connect

Links

• Linux Network Configuration
• CategoryWireless

This how-to describes which hardware and software components I used to build my Home Theater PC, with the ability to watch satellite television too. It includes a step-by-step guide for installing and configuring the required software, which appeared to be quite an adventure if you want to use a softcam, because the information was scattered around the internet.

Some people consider the use of a softcam illegal. My opinion is that a softcam can be used illegally, but if you use it in combination with a valid subscription on one PC only it is perfectly legal. In fact I see no difference with a real CAM, which contains the same kind of software (firmware).

For installing the software at least some experience using the Linux CLI is required.

Comments, corrections and additions are as always very welcome!

Hardware

Goal

• Small size
• Low power
• Low noise
• HD ready
• Satellite reception
• Softcam
• Linux compatible
• Affordable

Guide

• Asrock ION 330HT (shops nl ±€300),  -BD with Blu-ray (shops nl ±€380)
  • Manuals
  • Downloads
  • Power consumption
  • Silencing (nl)
  • Temperature sensors
    • nvidia-settings -c :0 -tq GPUCoreTemp
  • Wake-on-LAN using a Zyxel P-2602H(W)-D1A (nl)
• Optional: (cordless) keyboard/mouse
• TeVii S660 DVB-S2 USB (shop nl 1, shop nl 2 ±€80)
  • IR problem,  using the Asrock IR
• Satellite dish, LNB, cable, connectors, etc
• Smargo Smartreader+ (shop nl ±€35)
• Netherlands:
  • Canaal Digitaal startpakket (shop nl ±€65)
  • Set Top Box-pakket or other deal (shop nl €5,83 p/m)

Power usage

Asrock ION 330HT-BD + TeVii S660

Assuming an average of 21,1 cent per kWh

Software

Goal

• Open source
• Repositories, only compilation when really necessary
• User friendly
• Recent, stable, supported, actively developed software
  • Kaffeine: not actively developed currently
  • XBMC/PVR-testing: not stable yet
  • Tvheadend: nice, but no smartcard updates
  • VDR+streamdev+XBMC: hang when no data (no signal or encrypted)
  • VDR+streamdev+My Media System: not tried yet, but will hang when no data
  • VDR standalone, using the built-in media player
    • Stable
    • Actively developped
    • Active community
    • Lots of plugins available

Guide

• Install Ubuntu Karmic Koala 32 bit (use CD or unetbootin)
  • Preferably ext3
• Pin kernel 2.6.31-14 (see issues)
  • sudo gedit /etc/apt/preferences
    • Package: linux-generic linux-headers-generic linux-image-generic
    • Pin: version 2.6.31-14
    • Pin-Priority: 1001
• Setup network (wireless or wired)
• Install NVIDIA driver
  • System | Administration | Hardware Drivers: Activate
• To prevent tearing
  • System | Preferences | Appearance: Visual Effects: None
• Install TeVii S660 driver
  • sudo apt-get install unrar
  • Download and extract to home folder
  • cd linux_tevii_ds3000
  • sudo -s
  • cp *.fw /lib/firmware
  • tar xjvf linux-tevii-ds3000.tar.bz2
  • cd linux-tevii-ds3000
  • make -j2
  • make install
  • Cycle power
  • dmesg | grep dvb
    • Check TEVII S660 DVBS2 USB2.0 successfully initialized and connected
  • The V4L-DVB device drivers contain almost the same code
  • Redo when new kernel
• Install newcs card server newcs
  • Download version 1.67rc1 (alternate)
  • sudo -s
  • cp newcs.i686 /usr/bin
  • mkdir /etc/sc
  • cp newcs.xml /etc/sc
• Install softcam sasc-ng
  • sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r` build-essential mercurial openssl libssl-dev gettext
  • cd ~
  • hg clone http://85.17.209.13:6100/sc (bleeding edge!)
  • cd sc
  • gedit Makefile
    • Find and remove -O3 from CSAFLAGS
  • cd ~/sc/contrib/sasc-ng
  • chmod +x configure
  • chmod +x ./dvbloopback/module/config_dvb.pl
  • ./configure --dvb-dir=~/linux_tevii_ds3000/linux-tevii-ds3000
  • make
  • make module
  • sudo -s
  • cp sasc-ng /usr/bin
  • mkdir /lib/modules/`uname -r`/misc
  • /usr/bin/install dvbloopback.ko /lib/modules/`uname -r`/misc/
  • depmod
  • modprobe dvbloopback
  • ls /dev/dvb
    • Check adapter1 (assuming one tuner)
  • mkdir /etc/sc
  • cp cardclient.conf /etc/sc
  • When FTDI bug is fixed: cp cardslot.conf /etc/sc
  • Redo when new kernel
• Create card server / softcam startup script
  • Download script
  • sudo -s
  • cp sc /etc/init.d
  • update-rc.d sc defaults 19
  • /etc/init.d/sc start
    • Check /var/log/newcs.log
    • Check /var/log/sasc-ng.log
    • Check http://localhost:8080/
• Install CIR receiver driver
  • Download and install
  • Remote control configuration
    • 1st config: None, None
    • 2nd config: Nuvotron Transceivers/Remotes, None
  • Redo when new kernel (because it is a patch actually)
• Install VDR
  • deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/the-vdr-team/vdr-ubuntu-karmic/ubuntu karmic main
    • System | Administration | Software Sources, Other
  • sudo -s
  • apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 6CF20474
  • apt-get install vdr vdr-plugin-xineliboutput xineliboutput-sxfe
  • gedit /etc/default/vdr
    • OPTIONS="-w 60 -D 1 --lirc=/dev/null"
  • More than one LNB
    • gedit /etc/vdr/diseqc.conf  (Astra 19E2/23E5)
    • gedit /var/lib/vdr/setup.conf (create file)
      • DiSEqC = 1
  • gedit /var/lib/vdr/setup.conf (create file)
    • UpdateChannels = 0
  • Download channels.conf (syntax)
    • grep -v ':-' channels.conf | grep 'CANALDIGITAAL' >/var/lib/vdr/channels.conf
    • grep -v ':-' channels.conf | grep -v 'CANALDIGITAAL' >>/var/lib/vdr/channels.conf
  • Or scan channels
    • sudo apt-get install w-scan
    • sudo /etc/init.d/sc stop
    • w_scan -fs -sS19E2 -o7 -D0c >channels.conf
    • w_scan -fs -sS23E5 -o7 -D1c >>channels.conf
    • sudo /etc/init.d/sc start
    • Make channels FTA:
      • awk -F: '{if ($1 == "" ) print $0 ; else \
      • print $1":"$2":"$3":"$4":"$5":"$6":"$7":"$8":0:"$10":"$11":"$12":"$13}'  \
      • channels.conf >>/var/lib/vdr/channels.conf
  • cp remote.conf /var/lib/vdr (info)
  • sudo /etc/init.d/vdr start
    • Check /var/log/user.log
  • Optional: apt-get install vdr-plugin-femon vdr-plugin-eepg
• Update Ubuntu
  • System | Administration | Update Manager
• Watch
  • Disable screen saver
    • System | Preferences | Screensaver: Active ...: Never
    • System | Preferences | Power Management -> Display: Never
  • Dowload vdr-sxfe.sh to home folder
    • System | Preferences | Startup Applications: Add
    • Command: browse to vdr-sxfe.sh
  • Alternative
    • Put .lircrc in the home folder
    • Add irexec -d to startup applications
    • Start/stop vdr-sxfe using Enter/Clear on the remote control
    • Easy when vdr-sxfe crashes

Issues

• FTDI bug
  • Linux kernel must be pinned
  • newcs is needed to read smartcard, which it sometimes fails to do at startup
• Communication sasc-ng/newcs sometimes fails
• Zap time encrypted channels >= 5 sec
• The German FTA HD channels work, but NederlandHD has only sound sofar
• No official repositories, some compilation necessary
• I have to set the listed frequencies about 25 MHz lower to get signal. This is annoying, because scanning channels does not work properly. The cause is most probably the TeVii S660 device, since using Windows doesn't make any difference (assuming the drivers are different) and because my LNB has been replaced in the meantime. My local supplier will replace the device when it is restocked (probably within a week).
• The fans of the Asrock are little noisy, however the high pitch can be canceled:

To remove the heatsinks the motherboard has to be removed (four screws and some cables).

Questions

• Does anybody know how to compile vdr-plugin-sc without compiling vdr too?
  • Without getting the message below when starting vdr
    • WARNING: The following plugins have been left out due to really binary incompatibility: sc.

Links

• My Asrock 330 ION HT * Tweaks, Tips, fixes & tricks!! *
• [Nvidia Ion] Nieuws & Discussie Topic - Deel 3 (Dutch)

Als je alleen FTA zenders (Nederland 1, 2 en 3 en regionale zenders) via de ether (Digitenne) wilt ontvangen, is televisie kijken en opnemen met Ubuntu heel eenvoudig. Hiervoor heb je nodig:

• Een Linux compatible DVB-T tuner, bijvoorbeeld de Asus My Cinema-U3100 DVB-T Plus (ca. 35 euro)
• Geschikte software, bijvoorbeeld Me TV (installatie via het Ubuntu Software center)
• Informatie om de kanalen te kunnen vinden, zie hier

Bijna overal in Nederland is er dekking. Afhankelijk van je woonplaats en -situatie kan het nodig zijn om een buitenantenne te gebruiken. Ik heb bijvoorbeeld op zolder net voldoende signaal, maar op andere plaatsen in mijn huis niet. Ik heb een USB-verlengkabel gebruikt om de antenne op een gunstige plaats te zetten.

Zelfs op mijn Asus Eee PC 701 werkt het goed. De beeldkwaliteit is aardig, maar niet zo goed als via de satelliet.

I tried the Ubuntu Netbook Remix (Karmic Koala 9.10 version) on my desktop by installing the meta package ubuntu-netbook-remix and by adding the Go Home and Window Picker applets to the upper panel. Because the Desktop Switcher application has been dropped from the Karmic Koala release, I was searching for a documented way to remove the netbook remix. I couldn't find one, so I determined on another desktop which packages are being installed and came up with the following:

• Remove the Go Home and Window Picker applets
• Using System | Preferences | Startup Applications disable and remove:
  • Maximus Windows Management
  • Netbook Launcher
• Issue the following commands in the terminal:
  • sudo apt-get remove go-home-applet libclutk-0.2-0 libfakekey0 liblauncher-0.1-0 libnetbook-launcher-0 maximus netbook-launcher ubuntu-netbook-remix-default-settings webfav window-picker-applet ubuntu-netbook-remix
  • sudo apt-get cheese (if you hadn't Cheese installed before)
  • sudo apt-get autoremove
• Reboot

If you know a simpler way, please let me know.