Vortexbox software

mcgsxr · « **Reply #40 on:** 22 Dec 2010, 09:03 pm »

I was just describing that the PC is busted - no s/w can be loaded onto it, either XP or otherwise.

As for the GUI, I am actually wanting a GUI ON the PC where the Vortexbox s/w lives - I have a full size monitor, and wireless keyboard and mouse, so it is great to pick songs directly on that PC, rather than introduce another into the environment.

In fact, I have bought a used iTouch that can also access the GUI you are referring to, via the IP address with a browser - but only once I figure out what PC to next use for this application, my existing one died - must be motherboard, cause I swapped HD, but it won't work.

lcrim · « **Reply #41 on:** 22 Dec 2010, 10:07 pm »

Mark:
Sorry to hear that the PC died but a refurb desktop should be less than $100 The concept was good.

TomS · « **Reply #42 on:** 22 Dec 2010, 10:10 pm »

Quote from: mcgsxr on 22 Dec 2010, 09:03 pm

I was just describing that the PC is busted - no s/w can be loaded onto it, either XP or otherwise.

As for the GUI, I am actually wanting a GUI ON the PC where the Vortexbox s/w lives - I have a full size monitor, and wireless keyboard and mouse, so it is great to pick songs directly on that PC, rather than introduce another into the environment.

In fact, I have bought a used iTouch that can also access the GUI you are referring to, via the IP address with a browser - but only once I figure out what PC to next use for this application, my existing one died - must be motherboard, cause I swapped HD, but it won't work.

Sorry I misunderstood. On to a new plan... Just let me know if I can be of help somehow in getting you going.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #43 on:** 22 Dec 2010, 10:55 pm »

Thanks guys, I will keep at it.

I will comb Craigslist as I did 2 years ago, and invest $80 or so again, and see what I can get.

It would be cool this time around to pick one up with SATA drive, as I have a couple of those HD lying around, including a 500G that would hold most of my tunes.

Once VB is installed, can you load music onto the drive over your home network, or some other way, or do you have to rip music to get it on your server?

ashok · « **Reply #44 on:** 23 Dec 2010, 12:20 am »

Quote from: mcgsxr on 22 Dec 2010, 10:55 pm

It would be cool this time around to pick one up with SATA drive, as I have a couple of those HD lying around, including a 500G that would hold most of my tunes.

Once VB is installed, can you load music onto the drive over your home network, or some other way, or do you have to rip music to get it on your server?

Vortexbox should be visible under Network Neighborhood under Windows File Explorer, like so:

If you now copy your music (FLAC) files (also, I presume, visible in your network neighborhood) into the flac folder shown above, the squeezebox server will build its database properly (or you can make it rescan).

The actual path for that directory is /storage/music/flac. You can use putty to login via the command line. Then "cd /storage/music/flac" followed by "ls -al" will show you all the files you copied earlier.

Depending on the number of files, the actual copying can take a while.

Please see corrected image, 3 posts down. Destination folder shown above is not quite correct.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #45 on:** 23 Dec 2010, 03:37 am »

Nice, thanks.

Once I pick up a suitable SATA friendly PC, I will toss my usb 1TB drive directly into it. Then load up the s/w, and then use my backup drive to load it all on.

ashok · « **Reply #46 on:** 23 Dec 2010, 11:24 am »

Quote from: mcgsxr on 23 Dec 2010, 03:37 am

Once I pick up a suitable SATA friendly PC, I will toss my usb 1TB drive directly into it. Then load up the s/w, and then use my backup drive to load it all on.

Even if the mother board does not have SATA connectors, you can use a daughter-card like the one linked below. The SATA-side of the card plugs into the drive, while the IDE-side connects to the IDE cable from the mother board, and a 4-pin power molex. Drive should be recognized straightaway on powering up.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZLM9IA/ref=oss_product

I do realize this adapter might end up costing 20-25% of the refurbished computer you are buying. It might be preferable to get one with SATA connections on the main board.

ashok · « **Reply #47 on:** 24 Dec 2010, 07:26 pm »

Quote from: mcgsxr on 23 Dec 2010, 03:37 am

Once I pick up a suitable SATA friendly PC, I will toss my usb 1TB drive directly into it. Then load up the s/w, and then use my backup drive to load it all on.

Important correction to my earlier post; you need to drop files into the \\vortexbox\files\music\flac folder instead of the \\vortexbox\music\flac folder. The latter is a "Read-Only" folder. If you try to copy files here, you will get a message about the disk being full. My apologies for the wrong information.

See here: Copying music files to Vortexbox

eclein · « **Reply #48 on:** 2 Jan 2011, 05:35 pm »

This thread go me started thinking, which is probably a really bad thing!!!
I put together a list of stuff from Newegg that will run me $250ish shipped, basically a small barebones unit adding a 1TB Hard drive, a DVD burner and some memory. So before I pull the trigger I wanted to ask you guys a couple questions:

1) So I put it all together, insert a disk in the drive with the latest Vortexbox iso (got it already) and boot it up? Thats it?
2) I realize I'll need a keyboard and monitor for setup and have some old ones here, is it that easy??

Any tips as this will be my first build of any kind as far as PC's go, I'm not totally clueless just lacking a bit of confidence in doing this. I figure worst case scenario is I can add a video card with HDMI port and have a HTPC if this idea blows up. Thanks!! Ed

AVnerdguy · « **Reply #49 on:** 2 Jan 2011, 05:48 pm »

Quote from: eclein on 2 Jan 2011, 05:35 pm

This thread go me started thinking, which is probably a really bad thing!!!
I put together a list of stuff from Newegg that will run me $250ish shipped, basically a small barebones unit adding a 1TB Hard drive, a DVD burner and some memory. So before I pull the trigger I wanted to ask you guys a couple questions:

1) So I put it all together, insert a disk in the drive with the latest Vortexbox iso (got it already) and boot it up? Thats it?
2) I realize I'll need a keyboard and monitor for setup and have some old ones here, is it that easy??

Any tips as this will be my first build of any kind as far as PC's go, I'm not totally clueless just lacking a bit of confidence in doing this. I figure worst case scenario is I can add a video card with HDMI port and have a HTPC if this idea blows up. Thanks!! Ed

Should work as expected. It won't blow up. I looked at that option as well but I have so many other projects going on that ordering a completed unit saved some time.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #50 on:** 3 Jan 2011, 02:24 pm »

As an update to my situation, I have located a used HP SFF to replace my dead Dell SFF. Hard to argue with a $50 solution. I will run XP initially, but may again explore Vortexbox.

This new PC can house 2 sata drives, so I could park the Vortexbox s/w on one, and install my 1TB sata drive inside the PC rather than use USB.

One question I have is around Vortexbox and iPeng (which I intend to use as the remote for the system on my iTouch). I think iPeng needs to be installed inside a specific folder on the server, and I bet my lack of Linux skills would inhibit me there...

I will run XP with the latest version of Squeezecenter (or whatever they are calling it now) and see how it runs.

TomS · « **Reply #51 on:** 3 Jan 2011, 02:40 pm »

It's been awhile, but I think I just installed iPeng on my iPod Touch and pointed it to the Squeezecenter server and was good to go.

eclein · « **Reply #52 on:** 3 Jan 2011, 03:36 pm »

ipeng just looks automatically at the server software and looks for your player, ipeng is the easiest part no programming skills needed. You install ipeng, start ipeng and it will just look for your player on your network. You just need to make sure your ipod has wifi turned on so it can see your network and your good to go. In my setup now I didn't have to configure anything unique for ipeng to work, it just does its thing and thats the beauty of it.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #53 on:** 4 Jan 2011, 01:38 am »

I just bought iPeng, and it does auto find the server. Very slick, thanks for the coaching guys. Awesome app.

Looking forward to picking up the PC tomorrow, and getting Vortexbox up and running. One of the young guys at work will help me mount my 1TB music drive, and I will be all set.

eclein · « **Reply #54 on:** 4 Jan 2011, 02:08 am »

mcgsxr · « **Reply #55 on:** 4 Jan 2011, 10:34 pm »

I have picked up the PC, and have it running in XP Home SP3 at the moment. Installed Firefox and 7.5.2 Squeeze Server, and attached the 1TB drive, all is good. Took it all apart and added more RAM to get it up to 2GB, and have it back together again.

I can see where the 1TB drive could be installed internally, but am not sure if I should - researching if 2 HD in an SFF cause heat problems with associated drive failure concerns.

Also waffling on Vortexbox - since the system works, the only benefit I can think of via the s/w is stability.

iPeng immediately found the new server, continues to impress.

eclein · « **Reply #56 on:** 4 Jan 2011, 10:41 pm »

Thats what is holding me back...I keep thinking I would be so close to a Home Theater PC with just a better video card and an Operating system that doing the Vortexbox would be a sideways step. I don't need to have automatic implementation of ripping and all, I just need to get this music off my laptop and have it on something other than my 1TB USB drive as it is just too slow to implement in squeeze server....
decisions, decisions....

etcarroll · « **Reply #57 on:** 4 Jan 2011, 11:35 pm »

Well, I have a media server with Windows Home Server, WHS.

I loaded MyMovies, a free dvd ripping and cataloging program that integrates into my htpc running Win 7. Put the server version on the WHS, along with Squeezecenter.

With a recent upgrade to MyMovies, it now rips on my server automaticly, even rips music CDs to flac, I just load a disk in the server and walk away.

http://www.mymovies.dk/

eclein · « **Reply #58 on:** 5 Jan 2011, 12:28 am »

Thanks Gene, I'm firmly on the fence...I think I need more JBL's..stay tuned...

etcarroll · « **Reply #59 on:** 5 Jan 2011, 12:45 am »

Of course you do.