Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.

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ebag4

Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #620 on: 21 Jun 2011, 07:23 pm »
I am currently running a PI Audio BatteryBuss and I would say 95% of the noise is eliminated.  If I stop the music and turn my Dodd Buffer to full volume I can hear the noise, but that is the only way.  At listening volume, whether the music is stopped or playing, nothing ;)

It is great!

Next question, has anyone tried putting the Alix in another case? (either case in a case, or move the board over)

I am thinking of making a case for the Alix to match the rest of my 2-channel set-up...
That is good to hear, thanks for the update!

Best,
Ed

Alexdad54

Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #621 on: 21 Jun 2011, 07:56 pm »
I am currently running a PI Audio BatteryBuss and I would say 95% of the noise is eliminated.  If I stop the music and turn my Dodd Buffer to full volume I can hear the noise, but that is the only way.  At listening volume, whether the music is stopped or playing, nothing ;)

It is great!

Next question, has anyone tried putting the Alix in another case? (either case in a case, or move the board over)

I am thinking of making a case for the Alix to match the rest of my 2-channel set-up...
I'm currently using a Keces DC-115 to power the Alix and it made a substantial difference in reducing noise and improving clarity. My pre, amp and DCX all run through a Majik Buss. I've also switched cases but I used a black case I ordered from PC Engines so it was a pretty simple move.

jrebman

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Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #622 on: 21 Jun 2011, 08:16 pm »
Ted,

Good to hear about the Pi B buss.  I have a Rev B for my source, amps, etc. and it made a huge difference in the system, though I won't be running the alix on batteries, I'm contemplating the B-buss for the mini and Dodd buffer in my main system when I decide to jump in (and when funds are available).

I will be reboxing one of my alix boards though, and for noise shielding reasons, will probably keep it in the original box, so a box in a box approach, but the box will also have a welborne power supply, a felix, and a bybee music rail, though I'm not going to pursue the internal hard drive music storage at this time.  That will have to be yet another project at some point when I have time and money to buy the necessary hardware and do the testing.

Good luck,

Jim

praedet

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Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #623 on: 22 Jun 2011, 12:32 am »
^^^^Sounds great, thanks!

dBe

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Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #624 on: 27 Jun 2011, 05:55 pm »
I am currently running a PI Audio BatteryBuss and I would say 95% of the noise is eliminated.  If I stop the music and turn my Dodd Buffer to full volume I can hear the noise, but that is the only way.  At listening volume, whether the music is stopped or playing, nothing ;)

It is great!

Next question, has anyone tried putting the Alix in another case? (either case in a case, or move the board over)

I am thinking of making a case for the Alix to match the rest of my 2-channel set-up...
Ted, as soon as I get all of the current batch shipped out, I will be making some B-BUSS to computer cables and B-BUSS to Dodd Buffer cables to kill the rest of the crosstalk noise.  Those switchers are just N A S T Y and don't like other switchers on the same power source.  We can just trade the cables at your leisure.  I'll let you know when they are done.

Dave
« Last Edit: 28 Jun 2011, 03:47 am by dBe »

praedet

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Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #625 on: 27 Jun 2011, 06:16 pm »
Awesome Dave!  I need to call you or talk because I am getting weird stuff and I need someone like you (smarter than me) to ask about it ;)

TJHUB

Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #626 on: 12 Jul 2011, 05:03 pm »
I have an Alix computer with a CF card that has Voyage pre-installed on it.  I have many computers and laptops with various Windows operating systems.  I have an old PC in my basement running Windows XP that I use to run Squeezebox Server and share files as well as store my FLAC music directory.

Is anyone willing to help me get this Alix up and running?  I'm a Linux noob, but I used to be very good with computers, even back to the DOS days.  I want to learn Linux and I do have a friend out of state that will help me this weekend.  I'm just interested in getting started as soon as possible.

I have used Putty in the past to access a previous Linux NAS I used to run some years ago.  Would I still use that to access the Alix?  Can the Alix access my FLAC directory on my Windows XP machine?

Thanks.

ted_b

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Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #627 on: 12 Jul 2011, 05:16 pm »
Terry,
Hey.  That's Jason's Alix you bought, right?  Cool.

Get WinSCP too.  It will allow you to access the file/folder structures from your Windows XP desktop.  And yes, putty will allow you to  talk to Alix (terminal/console stuff).  That's what I do.  And yes, you can access the Windows XP folders for your music..but for me that was the trickiest part, to get the network drive mapped, get the permissions right, and know the name to give Alix in the config files.

I'm a Linux newbie too, so my direction is 100% from memory, not from any real expertise.  PM me your email and I'll send you a a couple Windows screen shots to show you what I have.  But Mike (MGalusha), Tom (TomS) and especially Nick (nyc_paramedic) will be your best hope here; at least they were for me.  :)  There may be more experience on the forum now, though.

TJHUB

Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #628 on: 12 Jul 2011, 05:24 pm »
Terry,
Hey.  That's Jason's Alix you bought, right?  Cool.

Get WinSCP too.  It will allow you to access the file/folder structures from your Windows XP desktop.  And yes, putty will allow you to  talk to Alix (terminal/console stuff).  That's what I do.  And yes, you can access the Windows XP folders for your music..but for me that was the trickiest part, to get the network drive mapped, get the permissions right, and know the name to give Alix in the config files.

I'm a Linux newbie too, so my direction is 100% from memory, not from any real expertise.  PM me your email and I'll send you a a couple Windows screen shots to show you what I have.  But Mike (MGalusha), Tom (TomS) and especially Nick (nyc_paramedic) will be your best hope here; at least they were for me.  :)  There may be more experience on the forum now, though.

Thanks Ted.  And yes, this is Jason's Alix as we briefly discussed via PM.  I was VERY hesitant to try this, but Jason gave a great deal, and I really want to start playing with Linux.  More so, I hope this Alix setup works out as I really need a "better" source and DAC.

I don't want to be a pain to anyone, but some help would be appreciated.  Having Voyage pre-installed should make this whole thing a lot easier.

PM'ing you my email address...

jtwrace

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Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #629 on: 12 Jul 2011, 05:31 pm »
Just as an FYI Voyage was installed at the same time as Ted's card was by mgalusha.   :thumb:


TJHUB

Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #630 on: 12 Jul 2011, 05:46 pm »
Just as an FYI Voyage was installed at the same time as Ted's card was by mgalusha.   :thumb:

Thanks Jason. :)

TomS

Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #631 on: 12 Jul 2011, 06:01 pm »
Jim,

Yes, there is plenty of help here. As Ted said, you need Putty and WinSCP and you're good to go for configuration since your card is already built for you. The basics are that you'll need to edit "mpd.conf" on Alix with WinSCP to adjust any settings and point the Alix to the source of music files. You'll also need to edit "fstab" to ensure the file connection to your music that "mpd.conf" references is established when Alix boots. The rest depends on the other end where your files are actually stored. If it's Linux then the "exports" file can be used there to expose the correct directory path from the Linux file store to the Alix MPD player.

Tom

TJHUB

Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #632 on: 12 Jul 2011, 07:12 pm »
Jim,

Yes, there is plenty of help here. As Ted said, you need Putty and WinSCP and you're good to go for configuration since your card is already built for you. The basics are that you'll need to edit "mpd.conf" on Alix with WinSCP to adjust any settings and point the Alix to the source of music files. You'll also need to edit "fstab" to ensure the file connection to your music that "mpd.conf" references is established when Alix boots. The rest depends on the other end where your files are actually stored. If it's Linux then the "exports" file can be used there to expose the correct directory path from the Linux file store to the Alix MPD player.

Tom

Tom,

I think you meant "Terry" and not "Jim".

I know there is a lot of help here, I really appreciate this forum for that.  It's just tough sometimes to help the complete noob.  I've been there, I know.  I still try to do it because of the help I get too. 

One thing to consider is that I realize this stuff is VERY simple.  That is *IF* you've done it before.  I have not played with Linux for years, and I'm disappointed that I remember so little.  I didn't even remember that I used to use Putty until I googled SSH and telnet.  As soon as I saw Putty, I remembered that's what I used to use.

I know I use Putty to communicate to the Alix, but what does WinSCP do exactly?

My FLAC files are located on a partition (M:) in a directory called "Music".  That partition is ONLY for my FLAC files and nothing else. 


TomS

Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #633 on: 12 Jul 2011, 07:51 pm »
 :oops: sorry about that Terry. My apologies.

WinSCP is a Windows based tool that lets you view the Voyage Linux files on the Alix in a familiar Windows like tree structure, see properties, etc. The main thing is that you can simply double click on a Linux file such as "mpd.conf" or "fstab", edit it in place, and then write it back to Voyage Linux on the Alix in place. You need Putty to do things at the Linux command line such as add a user (for MPD to run as), change the CF card to mount it as read/write (since default is read only), etc. You can do the same things from a command line with Putty as WinSCP, except WinSCP makes it much quicker. It also allows you to drag and drop files if necessary.

In terms of Windows as the music server, I'm using Linux and OSX here, so I'll defer to Mike and Ted on how to get that working. I'd assume you can just mount an SMB share (Windows) and be good to go though.

Tom

TJHUB

Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #634 on: 12 Jul 2011, 08:06 pm »
:oops: sorry about that Terry. My apologies.

WinSCP is a Windows based tool that lets you view the Voyage Linux files on the Alix in a familiar Windows like tree structure, see properties, etc. The main thing is that you can simply double click on a Linux file such as "mpd.conf" or "fstab", edit it in place, and then write it back to Voyage Linux on the Alix in place. You need Putty to do things at the Linux command line such as add a user (for MPD to run as), change the CF card to mount it as read/write (since default is read only), etc. You can do the same things from a command line with Putty as WinSCP, except WinSCP makes it much quicker. It also allows you to drag and drop files if necessary.

In terms of Windows as the music server, I'm using Linux and OSX here, so I'll defer to Mike and Ted on how to get that working. I'd assume you can just mount an SMB share (Windows) and be good to go though.

Tom

Absolutely no apologies necessary!  Thanks though.

I appreciate the information.  Things are MUCH clearer now. 

I'm in the process of booting the Alix and figuring out what its IP address is.  Then I want to make it static. 

As far as my server goes, I'm only running Windows because it was easy.  The machine is running very slowly as it's been running for about 2 years with only the occasional reboot after power outages and manual reboots.  It could very well be switched over to Linux as part of my learning process. 

Thanks for the help thus far!

TomS

Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #635 on: 12 Jul 2011, 08:23 pm »
Absolutely no apologies necessary!  Thanks though.

I appreciate the information.  Things are MUCH clearer now. 

I'm in the process of booting the Alix and figuring out what its IP address is.  Then I want to make it static. 

As far as my server goes, I'm only running Windows because it was easy.  The machine is running very slowly as it's been running for about 2 years with only the occasional reboot after power outages and manual reboots.  It could very well be switched over to Linux as part of my learning process. 

Thanks for the help thus far!
I'd say if the server works reliably don't mess with it.

In terms of the IP address sometimes it's easier to just set up the router to pass a specific address to it, based on MAC address of the device. It just depends on what the router lets you do. That way major upgrades on the device that walk on the configuring you've done in a prior version won't affect it. I actually have 3 CF cards, one with my "baseline" Voyage MPD, another with 0.7 and a new one now with 7.5 which I haven't tested. I just plug them in and the router knows to give it the same address.

TJHUB

Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #636 on: 12 Jul 2011, 10:20 pm »
I'd say if the server works reliably don't mess with it.

In terms of the IP address sometimes it's easier to just set up the router to pass a specific address to it, based on MAC address of the device. It just depends on what the router lets you do. That way major upgrades on the device that walk on the configuring you've done in a prior version won't affect it. I actually have 3 CF cards, one with my "baseline" Voyage MPD, another with 0.7 and a new one now with 7.5 which I haven't tested. I just plug them in and the router knows to give it the same address.

I will take your advise and leave well enough alone for now regarding the server.

I powered up the Alix and I have a heartbeat flashing LED, so I assume it's working properly.  I couldn't get Putty to work, so I don't know what I'm doing wrong there, and I have a bunch of router issues as well.  I don't seem capable of even doing the things I thought I knew how to do. 

Not a good day thus far...


TomS

Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #637 on: 12 Jul 2011, 11:38 pm »
I will take your advise and leave well enough alone for now regarding the server.

I powered up the Alix and I have a heartbeat flashing LED, so I assume it's working properly.  I couldn't get Putty to work, so I don't know what I'm doing wrong there, and I have a bunch of router issues as well.  I don't seem capable of even doing the things I thought I knew how to do. 

Not a good day thus far...
That's ok, baby steps will still get it done. With Putty you want to open an SSH session on port 22 with "root" as user and "voyage" as password. That should get you in.

Not sure about the router. By default it likely uses DHCP to pass out an available IP address such as 192.168.1.xxx to the Alix. That will work fine, at least until the next time you add/delete devices on the router and reboot Alix for some reason.

TJHUB

Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #638 on: 12 Jul 2011, 11:54 pm »
That's ok, baby steps will still get it done. With Putty you want to open an SSH session on port 22 with "root" as user and "voyage" as password. That should get you in.

Not sure about the router. By default it likely uses DHCP to pass out an available IP address such as 192.168.1.xxx to the Alix. That will work fine, at least until the next time you add/delete devices on the router and reboot Alix for some reason.

Thanks for the info.

When I launch Putty, I get a setup screen.  It is set to SSH on port 22 and all I can enter is the host name or IP address.  I assume this is the IP address assigned to the Alix (192.168.1.100).  When I enter that IP address, I get an error that states "network error, connection refused".


TJHUB

Re: Dead silent dedicated Linux music server for USB DAC's.
« Reply #639 on: 13 Jul 2011, 12:41 am »
Ok, I recovered.  I've logged into the Alix with Putty.  I had to use my desktop to do it.  No big deal.

Now I don't know what to do next...

Baby steps it is.  :lol: