DLNA Quirky Werewolf64 Pup V3 – released 23rd March 2016

[Sylvander]

@gcmartin

I'll do as you say ASAP [tomorrow].

[gcmartin]

Rebuilt the USB, booted, FirstRUN is a requirement in my local. All is well.

Insure you launch FirstRUN and set your locales BEFORE proceeding.

As is the case for all of @ETP's distros, this is swift and smooth.

Thanks
Update1: 1 nagging issue I find is that upon each desktop restart, the firewall is started. This is not a requirement on my network as I have hardware firewall solution. Is this an inadvertent remnant?

Update2: Bad report from Update 1. The problem appears to be a FirstRUN issue where EACH time it is run, the Firewall and date-time boxes are checked. Is this limited to FirstRUN or does it mean these subsytems are currently active?

Update3: Noticed missing icons on this screen.

[ETP]

Issues:

@Sylvander,

Thanks for your first post which has brought out some salient points.
As stated previously, GParted still does not include anything like full f2fs support.
It gets confused with GPT and can offer to fix what is not broken.
Your screenshot clearly shows that accepting the spurious offer to fix GPT has
broken the install in a number of respects including removal of 2 flags & renaming of
partitions!

You will not however be alone when having used dd to write the image you took a curious peek
with GParted at what had been produced and was greeted with the spurious fix offer.

It is the intention that GParted be used for creating a 3rd partition in any unallocated space
so the misleading message may pop up at that stage and cause confusion.
I will therefore amend the release post with a warning that any such offer should be refused.

@gcmartin,

In Quick Setup/First-Run the firewall tick box defaulting to on whenever it is launched is a new
feature introduced in Quirky by BK. I can understand why Barry did it but like you find it annoying
as I have no need of the Puppy Firewall. All DSL routers issued in the UK run their own firewalls
and IMHO that is sufficient for Linux. If you were to launch Qsetup just to check that the numlock
was on and then clicked on "O/K" rather than using the X to close the window you could inadvertently
engage those 2 setting.

The "FlatOrange" icon issue was logged as a bug in the Quirky thread some time back so i did not
bother fixing it. (BK may just decide to remove that icon-set with a SP)

[Sylvander]

Did as instructed above, and...

Now typing this from DLNA Quirky Werewolf64 Pup (V1)->Seamonkey

This is REALLY FAST!

How do I get a "Save..." icon on the desktop, and how to be given the choice at shutdown/reboot "to save or not to save"?

How/where to get that wonderful cityscape desktop wallpaper image?

Updated to 7.3.3, then to 7.4, and will now reboot.

Back after rebooting.
Drive icons: sdb were on top of sda, moved them manually, erase and redraw, and restarted xserver, and they are now sequentially all in a bottom row.
How should I set coarse/medium/fine spacing?

My little story:
Some time back, I came across something [this thread?], and thought "I need to get a 32GB Flash Drive".
Eventually I bought the 32GB Flash Drive, but couldn't remember what it was for.
I thought "eventually it will turn up", "only hope I'll recognize it when I see it".
So it did turn up, and I did recognize it , and here I am.

So how do I use my Sony Bravia smart TV with this OS?
I'll begin reading through the thread to see if I can find any helpful info.

[ETP]

Hi Sylvander,

Good to hear that you have DLNA Quirky Werewolf64 Pup (V1) working.
Please note that BK's service pack to upgrade from 7.3.3 to 7.4 will remove vlc but that
I have put it back in in V2.

How do I get a "Save..." icon on the desktop, and how to be given the choice at shutdown/reboot "to save or not to save"?

DLNA Wolf64 is a full install so changes are saved on the fly. No such option is possible.

If you require that feature you need to look instead at:
DLNA Tahr64Pup which does offer that feature.
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=101756

How should I set coarse/medium/fine spacing?

If you mean in Rox Pinboard set it to medium but that does not affect drive icons.
If you mean the spacing between drive icons there is no option to adjust it in this Pup.
There is an option to adjust the height of the tray beneath the drive icons.

So how do I use my Sony Bravia smart TV with this OS?

Once you have the OS running access the menu with the "Home" button on the remote and then
select MEDIA SERVER or MOVIES. "ETPs DLNA Server" should appear on the MEDIA SERVER menu and
you can try the included test trailers. I cannot be more specifc as it will depend on your
particular model and type of remote.
Edit:

How/where to get that wonderful cityscape desktop wallpaper image?

The new themes and wallpaper are in V2. In V1 I stuck with Barry's themes and did not alter the cosmetics apart from adding wbar.

[Sylvander]

@ETP

1. "DLNA Wolf64 is a full install so changes are saved on the fly. No such option is possible.
If you require that feature you need to look instead at:
DLNA Tahr64Pup which does offer that feature.
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=101756"
I'll do this as soon as is sensible.
Now that I have this version working, I'll try to first learn how this works.
Do you see them as both equally good?
Or is this one better than that regarding this feature or that?
e.g. Which is fastest?
What are their strengths and weaknesses?

2. "...access the menu with the "Home" button on the remote and then
select MEDIA SERVER or MOVIES. "ETPs DLNA Server" should appear on the MEDIA SERVER menu and
you can try the included test trailers."
I assume you refer to using the Sony TV remote "Home" button.
I'm well accustomed to using that, but...
I see no "MEDIA SERVER" item in the menus.
There are "Video", and "Music", and "Photo" headings, and under these I see various "devices" [puppypc:root (another Puppy with minidlna that I had working with the TV); specific: smartphone, smart-tablet] listed beneath each of these headings, but...
Nothing I'd recognize as "ETPs DLNA Server".
I cannot now remember if there was a method for adding a NEW server.
Perhaps I'll need to phone Sony's technical service...YET AGAIN!
At ENORMOUS EXPENSE! [I have 24/7 un-metered phone access to all UK landlines, but they use non-geographic numbers]

3. "The new themes and wallpaper are in V2."
I assume this is the version explained in THIS POST?

[ETP]

Hi Sylvander,

Do you see them as both equally good?
Or is this one better than that regarding this feature or that?
e.g. Which is fastest?
What are their strengths and weaknesses?

The main objective of the V2 release was to give it the same improved DLNA Repository selection method used in DLNA Tahr64.
Wolf which is a full install is slightly quicker. (Blowfish 2.94 running off SSD)
DLNA Tahr64 has the very desirable feature of being able to save or not at the end of the session, does not use GPT and
has support for tricky bioses.
Unless you have a strong preference try both then decide, but first establish that Wolf works with your TV.

Bravia menus & settings are a bit of a trial with options in unexpected places!
Sony TV user manuals are available for free here:

https://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/serie ... vhc-tv-lcd

"The new themes and wallpaper are in V2."
I assume this is the version explained in THIS POST?

Yes.

[Sylvander]

1. Sony manual: Support for KDL-32EX503
The manuals are generally not detailed enough.
I may try to yet afain read every word, but after a speed-read, I need to find info on the "Home Network Function".

2. See THIS POST reporting success with minidlna after DISABLING THE PUPPY FIREWALL.
I believe I enabled the werewolf64 firewall.
Has doing this caused the TV to be unable to see the werewolf64 content?

3. I'm guessing that if I disable the werewolf64 firewall, then go to the TV, and navigate to video->puppypc:root I'll see the content.
Wish me luck.
Hmm, I've just now rebooted into werewolf64, but how to disable the firewall?
No firewall icon displayed down at bottom right, that I can right-click and disable.
Or would it be better to complete a "Custom Installation", and specify that the TV should not be blocked?

[ETP]

Hi Sylvander,

The Puppy firewall should not be enabled when running a DLNA server.
I think I put that in a PM to someone but have failed to include that fact in the notes for either DLNA Pup.
I will rectify that!

To ensure that the firewall is off launch Quicksetup and remove the tick.
Click on O/K then reboot. (That toggles the executable permission on /etc/rc.d/rc.firewall)

When you have rebooted also check the following:

1. In HTOP (blue part of composite screenshot) you should see 2 instances of DLNA running.

2. Open up /var/log/minidlna.log in a text editor (Top part of screenshot). In V1 you
should see that(6 files) have been parsed (i.e. read)

If all of the above are O/K the problem is with the TV settings.

[Sylvander]

@ETP

1. "To ensure that the firewall is off launch Quicksetup and remove the tick.
Click on O/K..."
Done.

2. "...then reboot."
Will do ASAP.
Doing now.
Done.

3. "In HTOP (blue part of composite screenshot) you should see 2 instances of DLNA running."
I see them not; they are not there.
Whoa, something amiss with the scroll-bar; it's filling the space [no gap] and yet I've managed to display more lines.
Hitting the down arrow to move the highlight/select.
1 of them [in the middle] ends minidlnad.conf, and there's a 2nd at the very bottom.
Ran HTOP a 2nd time, and they're both at the bottom.

4. "Open up /var/log/minidlna.log in a text editor (Top part of screenshot). In V1 you
should see that(6 files) have been parsed (i.e. read)"
Done.
I get exactly what you have shown.

5. Will now attempt to connect using the TV and its remote.
That FAILED to connect!
a. I went to the TV and used the remote to go to:
Home->Settings->Network->Server Display Settings
There was displayed:
Server = puppypc:root
Display = yes, so that setting was OK/enabled.
b. My TV connects to my router using a pair of "Powerline Adapters".
c. I tested those were connecting OK by going out onto the web [via a Sony website] to BBC iPlayer, and that worked OK.
d. At "Video->puppypc:root" I hit OK, and it tried and failed to connect to the server.

6. PROGRESS!
a. Went back to the TV and tried:
Home->Settings->Network->Server Display Settings
There was displayed:
Server = ETPs DLNA Server [failed to look for that previously]
Display = yes, so...
Went back to "Video->ETPs DLNA Server and chose that.
Tried browsing "Folders" and got nothing.
Tried browsing "All" and got nothing.
Couldn't display any content.
Any ideas?
Does the content need to be shared using Samba?

[ETP]

Hi again Sylvander,

TVs remember and display servers that they have connected to in the past. So unless the server
named "puppypc:root" happened to still be running it would not connect.

The server you are looking for on the TV will be named "ETPs DLNA Server".
Explore some more menus on the TV it should pop up on one of them possibly
with any trailers on Sony Playstation. Another possibility is that you have a
filter engaged on the TV which is only allowing jpegs or audio to be seen rather than video.

Does the content need to be shared using Samba?

Definitely NOT.

[Sylvander]

Did you read the updates I made to my last post?
e.g.
"Went back to "Video->ETPs DLNA Server and chose that.
Tried browsing "Folders" and got nothing.
Tried browsing "All" and got nothing.
Couldn't display any content.
Any ideas? "

[ETP]

Good Morning Sylvander,

Our posts crossed but I did then see that you had found ETPs DLNA server.
You now seem very close to success. The Puppy side of things seems fine and it is now a
matter of TV menu navigation/settings. They are all different.

Try pressing your HOME button on the remote. Across the top of the screen there will
probably be multiple choices. (Ignore the Media Servers choice for the time being)

Select MOVIES which may display trailers with the title of the screen being something
like "Playstation USB/HomeNetwork"

Use your down arrow to select one of the trailers then keep pressing your right arrow
until you scroll right to the next screen which should be USB/Home Network.

If the above does not work return to the TV picture and start again by pressing the
HOME button. Move across to MEDIA SERVERS then down to just highlight ETPs DLNA server
then press the OPTIONS button on the remote to see what if any choices it offers.

[Sylvander]

1. SUCCESS! [of a kind]

The TV sees, and can display, the jpg image files, BUT...
It CANNOT see/play the mp4/mov files.
I think that is because my Sony Smart TV is very choosy about the form taken by such files.
I've had this problem in the past.
e.g. mp4 files MUST be in their original form.
i.e. They MUST-NOT have been converted from some other form to mp4, AND...
They MUST be mp4, and no other form.
Hence, I need to find mp4 files that have NOT been converted to that form, and copy them to the /mnt/pool folder.
Why is it, that I cannot just mount /mnt/sdb3 and view the files?
/mnt/sdb3 shows empty, whilst /mnt/pool displays the photo and video files.

2. It was for the above reason that I bought a low-cost "mini media player", that connected to the TV's hdmi socket [if I remember right], and was capable of playing any file type ever invented up to that time.
The files had to be on an sd/mmc memory card or USB Flash Drive, and plugged into 1 of the 2 input slots on the small unit/player.
Came with a remote that controlled it.

3. But I figure it's better to be able to display the stuff that the desktop PC can see.
Hence why I'm attempting to do this here.

4. Having some trouble here: attempting to connect and mount the 2 partitions on my external USB2-connected external HDD.
When I power-on the external HDD, the 2 partitions show on the desktop as sdd1 & sdd2, and then disappear, and then re-appear.
They are showing right now.
If I then click [say sdd1] to mount, it doesn't just mount, instead Pmount appears, and [if I'm lucky, which I am right now] sdd1 & sdd2 are displayed under "usbdrv".
If I click [say sdd1] to mount it, [this time] it has mounted OK.
I then clicked sdd2, and it too mounted OK.
Seems to have settled now, and be doing what it aught.
Now to search for mp4 files on there.
OK, none of the mp4 files I found and tried are seen by the Sony TV.

[ETP]

Hi Sylvander,

I will spare you a long essay on mount points.
In your case where the stick is seen as device sdb, sdb3 in effect becomes /mnt/pool.

If you click on the drive icon sdb3 (the one with the red cross)the contents should display
in a Rox window but the name of the window at the top will be /mnt/pool.
Please check that it does that.

I think there is still a problem with the TV settings. AFAIK the TV should display all
media files and only display an error when you attempt to play one that it cannot handle.

At the very least it should display the test mp4 file.
Under what menu did the TV display the 3 jpeg image files?
What if anything happens when you highlight one of them and then press enter on the remote?

[Sylvander]

@ETP

1. "If you click on the drive icon sdb3 (the one with the red cross)the contents should display
in a Rox window but the name of the window at the top will be /mnt/pool.
Please check that it does that."
Here's what happens:
a. When I click on the sdb3 icon, Pmount appears with sdb3 shown mounted [no ROX window appears].
b. I click sdb3 [within Pmount] to dis-mount it, and it dis-mounts.
c. I then click sdb3 to mount it; it mounts, and a ROX window named /mnt/sdb3 appears displaying the multimedia files.
d. If I then run a file browser [tried both ROX & Xfe], the multimedia files are located at /mnt/sdb3, NOT /mnt/pool.
e. Prior to doing all of this, the files were at /mnt/pool NOT /mnt/sdb3.
Understand that if you can, I cannot.

2. "I think there is still a problem with the TV settings. AFAIK the TV should display all
media files and only display an error when you attempt to play one that it cannot handle."
I see the good sense of what you are saying, but it just isn't behaving that way.

3. "At the very least it should display the test mp4 file."
I agree, but it just is NOT doing it.
No doubt there will be a good reason; we've just got to find that reason.
Moments_of_Everyday_Life.mp4 is surely the original/unconverted and aught to work OK.

4. "Under what menu did the TV display the 3 jpeg image files?"
a. "Photo->ETPs DLNA Server->Pictures->All pictures->Making the Google Chrome Speed Tests" [jpg in a little box].
Choose that and I get...
"File could not be found".
It isn't working now, whereas it DID work at 1st attempt.
I think this is because the files are not now available [at this time], because they do not show at /mnt/pool...
But instead are seen at /mnt/sdb3.
b. I'll reboot to clear this, and try again, and report back.

5. I'm back after rebooting, and...
a. It worked!
3 photos were seen, and would each display when chosen.
b. I tried going to:
"Video->ETPs DLNA Server->Video->All Video" chose that and got "There are no items to display". [= failure]
Compare that to:
"Photo->ETPs DLNA Server->Pictures->All pictures"
...And you can see that it is an address/location of the same form.

[gcmartin]

Hello all. This post is, merely, a very informal view of this distro's advantages it offers to users.

This distro, as reported by its author, run FAST!!! And, as I have found boots to desktop in about 10sec using a USB2 stick on a USB2 path to an old sub-par P4 (circa 2007).

Unlike version 2 offers Maintenance from @BarryK's 7.3x to 7.4 along with some increases to resolve a couple problem which surfaced from V1 to V2.

VERY, Very nice home system and a great addition to anyone's home network which has smartTVs because any local PC programming which is captured to this PC, will be shared directly to smartTVs (or any device that has DLNA playback ability; namely smartPhones/smartTablets/smart...

Version 1 to Version 2 Difference

• In Version 1, which still works, it created a 3 partition USB (16GB requirement). In that USB it has a FAT partition for bootmanager needs ONLY, a F2FS partition for system's operation, and an EXTx partition for OOTB DLNA multimedia storage use. Chrome is enabled so that a user could THROW his running desktop to another smartDevice on the LAN (or vice-versa).
  
  I found in V1 use, that without increasing the Multimedia partition's size, I needed to merely add links to my multimedia folders spread across many LAN devices I have and at my TV, I would see ALL of the media. Thus by adding EITHER files, folders, or links to the multimedia partition, all media would be served to DLNA enabled device across the wide range of smartDevices one has within their home.
  
  Thus a home network is now afforded a Central DLNA location for all home's needs using V1.
  
  And, those with Chromecast dongles, well, this, V1, is right at home with it.
  
  Observing Version 2, this too has the FAT and F2FS of V1, BUT does NOT create the 3rd Multimedia partition for user and OOTB multimedia storage. Instead, the author has chosen to provide a sample OOTB storage location within the F2FS files-system as well as providing a Menu>Utility guide for users to "point" the system to their own, personal, multimedia locations of their own choosing.

Steps to follow

• Either version; FirstRUN should be run by everyone as soon as you boot the very first time. Pay attention to your local setup in that screen. Do NOT enable the firewall under any circumstance, until you verify that your distro is adequately serving files to your LAN devices. Once you have assured yourself that the distro is providing all of the services you need, then restart the FirstRUN utility, and enable the Firewall should you need so OR click the Firewall icon on your taskbar to enable.
  
  For Version 2, I recommend that one opens Menu>Utility to instruct it to use your local (or SAMBA mounted) multimedia folders so that your smartDevices with DLNA support can playback media it sees coming from this distro.

Needs for the Version 2 distro, IMHO

• FirstRUN should be the very 1st thing the user sees when the system arrives at desktop. This localization is a VERY important user feature for any number of very good reasons. It poses NO system penalty and allows the user to have a good successful system launch without the need to scurry.
  
  2: I can understand the author would want the user to have or gain knowledge in the multimedia needs for DLNA, so if would be nice if, instead of the "Guide" that is posted, a user-friendly window app would make it both apparent and easy to follow where drag and drop could be useful to know what folders currently exist, and to increase/decrease/change the multimedia needs that DLNA provides to the LAN users.
  
  3: Wondering if a DLNA Management GUI in Menu or Taskbar would be a good user feature for starting, stopping, restarting or add'l tailoring. (something along the lines of the Samba Simple Management, for example.)

Summary

• Again, I really like the approach that the author provides us in delivering a very useful "Home LAN PUP" for DLNA media management. With its SAMBA component along side, this distro uniquely positions a user's home for media and information serving, no matter what other devices exist on your home's LAN.
  
  Hope there is some clarity in this post. And a hearty THANKS goes to @ETP for this contribution

This distro opens our eyes as to the many things a PUP can do in home assistance!

[ETP]

Hi Sylvander,

From your last post I can see that your mount points are out of sync.

To correct that simply restart X ---- nothing more, and then try the TV again.

If the videos fail to appear I can only speculate that either the install is corrupt or
something extra that you have installed such as Xfe has had an adverse effect.
Where did you get that package? (Forum or QPM)

If restarting X fails to fix matters it is probably best to abandon V1 and do a fresh
install of either V2 or DNLA Tahr64 which you might prefer anyway. I cannot however
rule out the possibility of a TV setting issue.

[Sylvander]

@ETP

1. "From your last post I can see that your mount points are out of sync.
To correct that simply restart X ---- nothing more, and then try the TV again."
Thanks, that'll save me some time.

2. "If the videos fail to appear I can only speculate that either the install is corrupt or
something extra that you have installed such as Xfe has had an adverse effect."
Interesting you should say that.
At one point when composing a reply, and using Xfe to copy the names of multimedia files [using right-click begin-rename-but-not, copy and paste]...
Xfe FROZE...
Couldn't close it, or anything else.
It was on top of everything else on the desktop, so couldn't work.
Had to restart-X-server to get rid of it.

3. "Where did you get that package? (Forum or QPM)"
QPM.
It has xfe_1.40-4.
I've now uninstalled it, and I see at least 1 immediate elimination of a problem as follows:
When composing a post [in Seamonkey-2.39], I copy and paste the necessary to make text blue.
When I was pasting it, it was jumping down to the line below where the cursor had been placed.
With Xfe uninstalled->reboot, this is no longer happening.

4. "If restarting X fails to fix matters it is probably best to abandon V1 and do a fresh
install of either V2 or DNLA Tahr64 which you might prefer anyway."
I'll be switching to "DNLA Tahr64" ASAP.
Will just give this a last try before doing so.
Tried it again, still no fix, so...

[gcmartin]

DLNA sources on one of my TVs