[mythtv-users] Hauppauge 1950, was: (no subject)

Brian Wood beww at beww.org
Thu Sep 30 23:29:28 UTC 2010


On Thursday, September 30, 2010 05:20:54 pm Simon Hobson wrote:
> Rafic Gho wrote:
> >so if I get the supported tuner,  then does it recocognize the tuner
> >without loading the driver?
> 
> I'm guessing you've come from a Windows background and Linux is new
> to you. It takes a fair bit of adjustment to the many significant
> differences.
> 
> Generalising and simplifying somewhat ...
> 
> In the Windows world, many common devices are supported by Windows
> "out of the box" - they still have a driver, it's just that Microsoft
> supply one and it's installed by default. When you buy new hardware,
> it typically comes with a disk for you to install a driver from -
> either because the manufacturer has a better one than Microsoft
> supply (eg it supports all the hardware features rather than just a
> selection of generic ones) or because Microsoft don't supply one at
> all.
> Because Windows is such a dominant OS, no hardware manufacturer would
> consider shipping hardware without a Windows driver.
> 
> Now, over in the Linux world things are different. We still need
> device drivers, but the difference is that (in general) you don't get
> a disk with a Linux driver with your new hardware. Things are
> improving, but with a few notable exceptions, most vendors just
> haven't realised that there is any other OS than Windows. Those of us
> that use Macs have a similar problem.
> 
> As a result, in the Linux world, it's a case of the "Linux
> Developers"* who have to supply all the device drivers. Thus, instead
> of installing the driver that came on a disk from your hardware
> vendor, you are reliant on a driver for that device being part of the
> Linux you installed. If you have something that's mature enough to
> have a driver, then it may well already be supported by your current
> installation and you have nothing to install. If it's something new,
> then you may have to upgrade and/or reconfigure your kernel to get a
> driver - the latter is, I would suggest, not something for a complete
> newcomer to tackle.
> 
> In your case, http://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/ATSC_USB_Devices
> shows that the device is supported from kernel version 2.6.26
> onwards. That means plug it in, and the system should recognise it -
> as long as you have a kernel no earlier than that. Most things are
> "plug and play" these days, when you plug in the tuner, the USB
> subsystem will detect the device being plugged in, interrogate it to
> find out what it is, and load the correct driver to operate it. When
> the driver loads, a device file will be created for it in /dev, and
> the device is then 'visible' to any software you run.
> 
> That is only half the story - you then have to configure Myth to use
> it. The driver merely makes the device visible to software running on
> your system, you need applications (of which Myth is just one) to
> actually use it.
> Someone posted a link to the Wiki earlier where there are step by
> step instructions to install and configure Myth.
> 
> 
> * I use the term fairly widely as referring to the very large group
> of developers who contribute to the overall "package". In fact there
> is a group running the Video for Linux section, who look after video
> devices.


A very good preliminary explanation, better than I would have done (I think you have more patience).

I added a subject line, anyone wanting to use this card is unlikely to search for "no subject" :-)

MythTV is a poor choice for a first exposure to Linux, though many people have been successful taking that route.

To the OP: Welcome to the Myth list, and good luck with your new and vastly superior DVR.



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