please allow for xbmc to launch as an 'application' properly

[phill1978]

bit of background: when playing with xbmc you usually have to swap between the desktop and google quite a lot to get updates , programs, skins, plugins and shares working. XBMC is a highly configurable and personal setup to get your home media interface just how you want it.

everytime i launch XBMC not matter what (even when i tried the standalone icon) it takes me completley out of my login / desktop (music stops playing, web sessions gone) shares to files gone as network is not mapped) then i have to manually select XBMC profile.

Surley given that openelec and xbmcbuntu already exist for the ones who want straight to application on boot, please give me the option to run xbmc in the manner i always did previously, i feel like ive had this right taken away from me since going from m11 to m12

also if anyone can explain why its been done in this manner id be happy to hear the answer

perhaps there is a way of it not doing it but being noobs and windows refugees i think many normal folk need a simple option / way to select to just launch like a normal application.

please change / assist

[phill1978]

seen as there has been no reply i thought id ask..Should I ask on the XBMC forum about this feature am i in the wrong place?

its just i assumed if anything was going to create a new login option (like cinnamon) then it would of been handled by the Mint Team ?

any updates on this appreciated, having the 'option' to launch as a program normally would be excellent, when i come build my HTPC i do want mint on it and not xbmcbuntu but i guess if its the difference between straight to xbmc or login and launch to log out to log in again (with a keyboard when i would be using a remote) ! then il choose 'buntu

[Adler]

phill1978,

I am running XBMC 11.0 (EDEN) with great success on Mint 12. From your post I am not sure if you are running the latest version of XBMC (EDEN) or have properly installed the add-ons.

I will try to help you along if I can. This is one killer app!

[phill1978]

thanks for the reply Adler

i use xbmc on win7 and have spent many hours researching and customizing it. I actually just use the windows version for the test build but i intend to go live on a linux platform.

everyone likes to use their htpc in different ways. I want something quite specific though:

Boot straight to desktop with auto launch full screen first to XBMC (workspace 1)
as that is happening I want auto lauch the following applications Linux-Steam (workspace 2) Chromium (workspace 3) 4th Workspace with icons, performance applets when cinnamon allows for fixed applets and named workspaces

this feature isnt avaliable yet ((or it should be a button on Hotcorner options)) but the use of a function key e.g CTRL + / (then left right arrows to scroll through workspaces)
the aim is that i have a upto date, secure full o/s so the internet browser is always current and plays the latest formats, a games.
so the first piece in the puzzle is to be able to run xbmc in a workspace and not log out to run it !



any help appreciated (and i still think there should be an easy way to setup but i expect you will tell me to type lots of things and edit conf files )

[Adler]

so the first piece in the puzzle is to be able to run xbmc in a workspace and not log out to run it !

phill1978,

Let's start with XBMC. You should be able to add the path to XBMC to your start-up menu so that when you boot your system XBMC will auto-launch. To launch XBMC on my Mint 12 (LISA) set-up I just click an icon that I have placed in my taskbar. There is no need to log-in.

I should mention that I am using the Cinammon desktop. I know what you mean about the multiple desktops that you want to launch on boot, but as far as I can tell I don't have the option to jump to another workspace. You might just add what you want to auto-launch on boot to your start-up menu then see what other options that you have in terms of a desktop manager other than Cinammon.

Hope this helps. BTW, I'm in the Phoenix Valley, and watching CBS This Morning live from the east coast 3 hours ahead of when it will get out here. I just port the feed from my notebook via HDMI cable to my flat screen HDTV. Cool!

[phill1978]

Thanks for the reply Adler,

To launch XBMC on my Mint 12 (LISA) set-up I just click an icon that I have placed in my taskbar

clicking on the xbmc icon in menu or desktop or taskbar logs me out of the desktop and dumps me at the main screen where by i have to choose XBMC (it used to launch xbmc after logging out but with the addition of cinnamon i think some part of the script was changed and its entry is now lower?? , not sure tbh)

so firstly i need to change that behaviour ^ any ideas? without endless scripting. Im keen that as an application unless explicitly told so by the operator that xbmc should not log you out of the desktop thus removing networking and services from the equation ( wireless for example isn't connected)

hence opening the request


if you really think about how important xbmc is becoming (and obviously the mint team have!) then you have to give the option to run desktop or logout

[Adler]

phill1978,

I understand what you mean when you log out. You should use the Cinammon option, not XMBC. XBMC does appear as an option, but go with Cinammon. Then you should be able to access XBMC normally either from the menu or taskbar, if you have placed XMBC in the taskbar.

BTW, are you dual booting with M$ 7? I've read that M$ 7 plays dirty tricks with the boot loader.

[phill1978]

Hi Adler,

I reinstalled xbmc

like so below:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xbmc

Then.. added XBMC to the panel (and to desktop) I can confirm it now launches as a program and doesnt log me out

this is a great start, so now im thinking from playing around i might actually allow mint desktop for my HTPC with a large Docky / Cairo-Dock or Huge Icons and multiple desktops as il probably run an air-keyboard with integrated mouse/ball ((that should be fun trying to get bluetooth and the board working properly ))

hmm now to try solve the 3.1 audio issue why no 5.1 mint ! (and i dont even want to think about any potencial problems with Dolby True-HD or DTS via HDMi) still i just cant live with windows anymore for anything other than work

btw i am running a windows 7 menu via easyBCD so my current setup is just a test rig it goes to menu linux , windows -> then choosing linux takes me to Grub2 so 2 boot menus still works though and my this platform is also running on a ocz SSD with 500mbps reads, i tell no lie it boots from grub in under 3 seconds with no extra loading straight to desktop ! on the real install i wont have dual boot hence needing to get it all right

[Adler]

Then.. added XBMC to the panel (and to desktop) I can confirm it now launches as a program and doesnt log me out

phill1978,

Looks like you are well on your way. Let the customization begin!

(and i dont even want to think about any potencial problems with Dolby True-HD or DTS via HDMi)

Oh, I forgot about the HTMI sound issues. I just attached a pair of external speakers to my machines "audio out" port and not to my HDTV. Works for me.

Good luck!

[Adler]

phill1978,

I forgot to ask if you have addressed the issue of buffering? Some say that nothing can be done because the problem lies on the network and not on your machine. Others say that you can add an advancedsettings.xml file to - in my case - /home/jjm/.xbmc/userdata.

Any ideas from your end?

[phill1978]

phill1978,

I forgot to ask if you have addressed the issue of buffering? Some say that nothing can be done because the problem lies on the network and not on your machine. Others say that you can add an advancedsettings.xml file to - in my case - /home/jjm/.xbmc/userdata.

Any ideas from your end?

good question. Iam trying to get an answer for you but i cant get my laptop to stop logging out and putting me at the desktop my desktop works ok now but the laptop logs me out ((i have a blueray to stream to the laptop within xbmc to test))

i did the same thing, un-installed xbmc and xbmc-bin re-installed and then immediately pinned to panel but nope didnt work.. this is really frustrating adler

anyway i will test on the desktop instead but it wont be a network stream like intended. Will simply playing a film in xbmc from a local disc replicate the issue your having ?

[phill1978]

decided to launch xbmc (logged out) on the laptop, connected via cable so settings were intact.
The video does indeed not play smooth at all, it speed fluctuates,

last week i tried an 1080p MKV rip (VC1 inside the container) with lossless audio to my laptop from my desktop pc (both on ethernet) it worked fine in VLC and movie-player today it doesnt so im not sure its specifically xbmc? nothing else has changed on my setup

how annoying ! i really dont want to have to use windows side by side with linux and its not too slick to have a grub boot menu between openelec / mint on a home theatre system, still it might be the easier option. I think i will try xbmcbuntu and try getting the login bit sorted so on exit to desktop not ideal and not what i actually wanted to do (i like mint sob )

it just seems to get a converged media,internet gaming setup there isn't anything that works too slick on the market (including games consoles or liveboxs, appletv) as i said being able to workspace between XBMC/ STEAM (logged in with invites and friend chat) / Browser / system workspace is out of the question until

a. XBMC can stream/play properly in mint
b. Cinnamon or someother tool is able to allow for XBMC to be switched whilst inside the application to workspace view
c. Audio issues around lossless are sorted
d. Steam is on linux

is it too much to ask, i feel like all of those above should be readily possible but actually making it work seems to be about just a few small tweaks to software


*edit copying file to laptops desktop going to take a while 16.6gb file hehe (smallest BD rip i have) but the rate is 8.9MB per sec over 100mb ethernet so easily enough transfer for streaming, still i shall test it ,perhaps the last movie i tried wasnt VC1 perhaps H264 but then again thats why they are in containers.


from the original request i still would like the option to choose between desktop launch and logout launch as my laptop is logging out even though i followed the same steps as the desktop.. needs to be clearer for users

[phill1978]

copied the file directly to desktop. same file, MKV 1080p with VC1 inside

doesnt play smooth:? perhaps its the VC1 thats no supported fully? but it does play it just buffers about 4-10 seconds then stutters as it buffers and slowly plays from the buffer, then speeds up, then slows down etc...

anyone else with this problem? i know a lot of people wont of tried 1080p MKV, perhaps with easy stuff like a compressed 540p DVD its not a problem

the laptop is a 2 core cpu when it pauses one or the other cpu core is 100% when playing

btw tried it the other way round, opened same file from laptop to windows desktop based XBMC and it played out fine

Any this stuff isnt really what i was originally asking so i wont post anymore about XBMC in here

thanks for the responses Adler much appreicated

[Adler]

phill1978,

As I mentioned before -- Good Luck! At least you picked Linux Mint. Good choice.

[phill1978]

phill1978,

As I mentioned before -- Good Luck! At least you picked Linux Mint. Good choice.

of course, its the best distro

[xenopeek]

Moved here by moderator

This topic seems to have shifted from a suggestion to a support request. phill1978, you write one part of the original suggestion is still on your wish list. Can you resubmit that as a new suggestion?