Skip to content

Hardware

iRiver H10 on Ubuntu Linux Howto

I’m pleased to announce that after looking into it off and on for the last 6 months, I’ve got my iRiver H10 5GB fully working in Linux for the first time.

The H10 comes in MTP mode – Microsoft Transfer Protocol, insead of being a UMS – USB Media Storage device. MTP is needed for Plays for Sure compatibility, so it will work with Napster-To-Go or Yahoo, for example. A UMS device, when plugged in, just shows up as a drive letter on your PC, so you can drag and drop files on to it. Sacrificing Napster-to-go (which I haven’t used in 6 months) is a small price to pay to use this on Linux – especially as no modern online music store has a Linux client yet.

The steps needed update your firmware, convert your iRiver to UMS mode, and then you need to install EasyH10 to rebuild your music database. Do this at your own risk!

How I did it, and be prepared to lose any music on your H10:

  1. I updated my firmware from 2.03 to 2.51 MTP, [version 2.51 at iRiver.com][1].
  2. Go to the [Misticriver.net H10 Wiki][2]
  3. Follow the [instructions to convert your H10 from MTP to UMS][3].
  4. Download EasyH10: [Windows or Linux tarball][4] or [Debian / Ubuntu package][5]. (I used the [i386 Debian package][6] on Ubuntu 5.10 with no problems).

  5. If installing on Ubuntu or Debian, at a terminal, type: sudo dpkg -i easyh10_1.2.1-1_i386.deb

    • Plug in your H10 to your Ubuntu box. It should mount in /media/H10 (if it didn’t, for the purpose of this, I’m going to use that going forward).

    • At a command line type:

      cd /usr/share/easyh10/model (On Ubuntu, could be /usr/local/share/easyh10/model on other distributions) and then ls

      Find your model in the list, I have a H10UMS_5GB_FW2.04-2.51.model so we’ll use that in the next step.

    • From a terminal, type in the following: cp /usr/share/easyh10/model/H10UMS_5GB_FW2.04-2.51.model /media/H10/easyh10.model (Or whichever corresponding version you have, copy it over as easyh10.model in the root directory of the H10).

      • Unmount your H10 (right click and click unmount), unplug the USB cable, let it reboot and install, and then plug it back in to your PC.
      • Copy some music in to your H10/Media/Music directory. Not Music the directory!
      • From a terminal type easyh10 -Un -on /media/H10 to rebuild your database. That should be it! However, if you run in easyh10 and see this, like I did:

      `EasyH10 [CUI] 1.2.1 Copyright (c) 2005 by Nyaochi

H10 model template: /media/H10/easyh10.model
Path to database: /media/H10/System\DATA/
Path to music: /media/H10/Media\Music/
Path to playlist: /media/H10/Media\Playlist/
Playlist extension: .plp

Enumerating music files:
236 files found.

Reading H10 model template:
H10 (UMS) 5GB firmware 2.04 - 2.51

Obtaining media information from 236 files:
236 files obtained.

Updating database

Writing H10 media database:
Failed to write the H10 database (code = 8). (That smiley face should be an 8 )
ERROR: Database update.` Per [this thread on the EasyH10 forums][7], delete all your files in the H10/System/DATA folder. Run it again, and you should see: `silwenae@shaftoe:/usr/share/easyh10/model$ easyh10 -Un -on /media/H10
EasyH10 [CUI] 1.2.1 Copyright (c) 2005 by Nyaochi

H10 model template: /media/H10/easyh10.model
Path to database: /media/H10/System\DATA/
Path to music: /media/H10/Media\Music/

Enumerating music files:
236 files found.

Reading H10 model template:
H10 (UMS) 5GB firmware 2.04 - 2.51

Obtaining media information from 236 files:
236 files obtained.

Updating database

Writing H10 media database:
100%: (H10DB.hdr)
` It’s my understanding that after every time you add music files to your H10, you need to run EasyH10 to update your database to let your H10 know that the music is there. You could choose to play songs through the Browser on the H10, but it’s easiest in Music. Unfortunately, the H10 isn’t recognized in [Banshee][8], but with how the database needs to be updated each time, I doubt it will ever work. Though this is a great start for using in Linux, as this was the last thing that required me to have a Windows box. [1]: http://iriver.com/html/support/download/sudw_view.asp?searchProductIdx=&searchCategoryIdx=&searchString=&page=1&idx=739&tmpSearchProductIdx=&tmpSearchCategoryIdx=&tmpSearchString= [2]: http://www.misticriver.net/wiki/index.php/H10 [3]: http://www.misticriver.net/wiki/index.php/H10_Firmware_Conversion:_MTP/UMS [4]: http://easyh10.sourceforge.net/download.html [5]: http://webb.ens-cachan.fr/debian/pool/main/e/easyh10/ [6]: http://webb.ens-cachan.fr/debian/pool/main/e/easyh10/easyh10_1.2.1-1_i386.deb [7]: http://easyh10.sourceforge.net/forum/index.php?topic=39.0 [8]: http://www.banshee-project.org

Dell 2405 Modelines

As I mentioned in my last post, I needed to use different modeline setting on my Nvidia xorg.conf file than when I had my ATI card installed.

I have no idea why, but it worked. For posterity’s sake, I thought I’d just document ’em here in case I ever needed again.

For my Nvidia card, in the Monitor section of my xorg.conf:

Section "Monitor"<br /> Identifier "DELL 2405FPW"<br /> HorizSync 30-82<br /> VertRefresh 60-60<br /> Option "DPMS"<br /> Modeline "1920x1200" 92.473920 1920 1992 2192 2464 1200 1209 1217 1251 -HSync +VSync interlace<br /> EndSection

And from my ATI x800 xorg.conf:

Section "Monitor"<br /> Identifier "Monitor0"<br /> HorizSync 30-82<br /> VertRefresh 60-60<br /> Option "DPMS"<br /> Modeline "1920x1200" 193.16 1920 2048 2256 2592 1200 1201 1204 1242 -Hsync +Vsync

EndSection

They both worked for 1920×1200, the monitor’s native resolution, flawlessly. There’s a big difference in going from 1920×1200 to any other resolution, especially 1600×1200 or below. This monitor is definitely most crisp and bright when running in 1920×1200 like it should be.

OS Installation Headaches

I thought I was done with installing my operating system, but I ran into another glitch today. I installed, or more appropriately, tried to install Quake IV and Doom 3. Quake IV I had working previously before the reformat, and I kept meaning to get around to installing Doom 3 on Linux to try out some of the mods.

Fixing my Doom 3 problem was easy – for whatever reason, my DVD-rom drive wouldn’t read the first disc, so I couldn’t transfer the .pak file over I needed. Put it on the NAS, and fixed it.

Quake IV is driving me nuts. All of the menu’s have the wrong text, such as #str_000000 or different numbers. Searching on Google turned up one hit on the SUSE mailing lists – and the guy reinstalled and it was fine. I’ve re-installed 3 times with no luck, including trying the 1.05 installer instead of 1.06.

I even thought the above problems were a video card driver problem, that my ATI card wasn’t working right. So I swapped it out for a Nvidia 6800 and spent a good hour reconfiguring my X server (that was fun). Turns out I needed different mode lines for my Dell 2405 (more on that later).

The net result is I’m running a Nvidia 6800 instead of my ATI x800, so the net result is about equal. It took a while to get my 1920×1200 resolution back, but it’s working. Doom3 is working, but no Quake IV yet (and I even backed up my save games!).

One Nokia 770, please

I’d like a Nokia 770 please.

The era of handheld, internet browsing tablets is finally here. With an impressive 800×440 resolution, running a customized version of GNOME, this would be perfect for me. I currently keep a laptop in the living room, but rarely use it – and when I do, it’s to browse the net while watching TV, and that’s about it. This is truly what I need. Well, not need, but want. A lot.

Here’s a fairly decent review of the 770, by a former editor at OSNews.com.

HTPC Case

I had picked out the Silverstone LC16M (in black) case for my upcoming Home Theater PC.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn, via a blog on Planet GNOME yesterday, that the Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD) on the Silverstone case is Linux compatible. Linux drivers, linked from Silverstone, take you here: to the Imon page that has integrated Lirc support for the remote, and the VFD.

Bonus!

More X-Box Fun

Playing around with the hacked X-Box, I figured out how to edit the XML configuration file to have My Music & My Movies on the XBMC point directly to my Buffalo Terrastation that houses all my movies and music – no more network browsing to get there, nice and easy.

Then I did something which I haven’t done in forever, which was hop on IRC. Got the link to download some emulators, and threw up MameOX and a Sega Genesis emulator. Threw some roms on the X-Box, and I was playing Elevator Action. I had upped Vanguard as well – I don’t think my wife is happy with me now as that was one of her favorite games growing up and she knows it’s there just to distract her. 🙂

Modding my X-box

I soft-modded my X-Box tonight and am currently listening to an album in MP3 located on a network share on an external hard drive in my den from the comfort of my living room as I type this.

I used the Mech Assault hack to get the Evolution X dashboard installed, and then just FTP’d over the software for X-Box Media Center.

Reading the instructions X-Box Scene seemed daunting. 30 steps, downloading this file and that file, modifying files, etc. In reality, it was just a few steps:

  1. Plug in the memory card into a controller and turn the X-Box on
  2. Copy the MechAssault save file from the controller to the hard drive
  3. Reboot the X-Box with MechAssault and load the savegame which starts the softmod installer
  4. Follow the instructions, including backup your files, and Evolution X is installed
  5. Go to a PC and download the X-Box Media Center file and extract it
  6. Edit one file and follow the instructions in the notes of the file
  7. Look at your IP address on the X-Box dashboard and go to a PC. FTP in to your X-Box
  8. FTP all the XBMC files to your apps directory on your modded X-Box
  9. Reboot the X-Box. From the Evolution X dashboard, choose Applications and choose X-Box Media Center

Voila – you’re running XBMC. I went in to Music, chose look over the network, chose my Buffalo Terrastation’s workgroup, and 30 seconds later was listening to Liz Phair – and it automatically uploads the songs you’re listening to Last.fm, which I mentioned in the blog a week or two ago.

It’s pretty slick – the UI is fantastic, the applications and formats XBMC supports is impressive, and the performance is blowing away the experience I had using Microsoft’s Media Center Extender for X-Box.

I have some research to do to see if I can automount samba shares (which could be really slick when I have MythTV working later) but for now automounting music and photo’s would make me very happy.

TerraStation

I recently received a Buffalo 600gig Terrastation to test from work.

I’ve been looking for a NAS / SAN storage solution for a while, but most USB NAS solutions I’ve looked at don’t support Linux. The Terrastation is a work of art. Full support for every OS, including Windows, Mac & Linux, easy setup, multiple RAID options, and a very easy setup.

It has default Samba settings, and in Windows shows up as a network share, unlike SAN’s which will show up as a drive letter. (Mirra only supports backing up from a drive letter, but oh well, wasn’t happy with Mirra as it was a Windows only solution).

It’s pretty slick – a very basic setup from Windows, but like routers on the market today, a full-fledged web page for setting it up on the box itself. It’s basically a Linux box, running off a PPC processor. Full support for users and groups, Raid 0, 1 and 5 (5 default out of the box!), FTP access, drive spanning and user secured shares.

I’ve had it about two weeks, and lo and behold, I see on Planet Gnome this morning, a Gnome developer blogged his experiences with it, including hacking at it. He has the upgrade from mine, the 1 Terrabyte (I have the 600 gig), and points to a nice hacker’s Wiki at terastation.org all about adding customized firmware to the Terrastation, including SSH and NFS support. I’m looking forward to getting SSH up so I can use SCP as well.

Overall, the machine is pretty cool. Pretty quiet, but 4 drives and their vibrations make some noise, and the lights on the front, including 4 seperate places for each drive to show status is very cool.

MythTV

I’ve been researching this for years, and waiting for the right moment, and that moment is quickly coming in to focus. That moment will entail buying all of the parts for a Home Theater PC and installing MythTV said HTPC.

What is MythTV, you ask? It’s a software program for Linux distributions, that manages all the media – TV recording, DVD playback, DVD ripping, burn TV to DVD, music, weather and more.

Here is one man’s way to build a $500 MythTV PC. I’m thinking mine will be a bit beefier, with a better processor, home theater looking case, more memory and much more storage.

More to come in the coming months.