[mythtv-users] A test for anyone using vdpau on 32-bit x86, especially with 30.0

[Tom Dexter]

On 5/25/19, faginbagin <mythtv at hbuus.com> wrote:
> On 5/23/2019 2:29 PM, Tom Dexter wrote:
>> On 5/23/19, Peter Bennett <pb.mythtv at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Is x86 still a viable platform? I see from that web page that ION is a
>>> 64-bit box. Ubuntu only supports 64-bit now, although Xubuntu is still
>>> available in 32-bit version. I recommend installing a 64-bit version on
>>> that ION.
>>>
>>> I can look into this problem if there is a consensus that i386 still
>>> needs to be supported.
>>>
>>> Peter
>>
>> Thanks Peter. I'm certainly still using a 32bit (i686) frontend...an
>> old small form factor system. Since I'm using Gentoo it's very much
>> still supported. I'm running a 4.19.27 kernel actually. The only real
>> catch right now is that the nVidia drivers past the 390 version are
>> now 64bit only...but they still support the 390.xx as legacy drivers.
>>
>> I know x86 is getting old in the tooth and all, and sure I could build
>> a new 64bit frontend...but here's the main reason I've yet to do that:
>> I've been able to get redundant hardware on the cheap used, so my
>> frontend can die and I can be back in business within about an hour by
>> swapping out a hard drive. That's really hard to give up, and I'd
>> basically have to spring for two new systems to have that.
>>
>> It's certainly a perplexing issue especially given the various ffmpeg
>> tests I've noted in that bug. Certainly no rush for me on any of that,
>> but if you get a chance to look into it it'd be greatly appreciated.
>>
>> Tom
>
> I've got a couple of 32 bit laptops (an ibm thinkpad and a dell
> inspiron) dating back to 2004 running mythfrontend with the Slim
> profile. They have lubuntu 18.04 and mythtv 29.1 installed.
>
> Although Canonical isn't providing current Ubuntu desktop or server
> versions for i386, they are providing a netboot installer for 18.04 and
> they're supporting 18.04 flavors of Lubuntu and Xubuntu. They're also
> providing mainline kernels for i386. My inspiron is running 4.19.31
> because it fixes a problem I had on that laptop. Yes, a linux developer
> (an Intel employee) took interest and worked with me to fix the problem:
> https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=107600
>
> I do think the time is approaching when I'll either have to retire my 32
> bit computers or accept the fact they're too old to upgrade. I've
> already hit some problems running mythfrontend on both laptops. They're
> unstable on 18.04 (kernel panics and soft cpu lockups). It might be a
> hardware problem, but they both pass memory, cpu and gpu stress tests.
> So I've gone back to 14.04 with a 29.1 mythfrontend. So far, that seems
> to be a stable configuration.

Interesting. Obviously the issue I've described here is much more
narrow, as the h264 playback is fine using everything else, including
MythTV 29.1.

My 32bit systems (both the frontend and backend actally), as old as
they are, are stable as a rock actually...always have been. Maybe
using Gentoo and the fact that I'm compiling everything myself helps
that. I've also managed to get rid of the few things where compile
times where insane, including llvm, and QtWebkit, so ongoing updates
are pretty painless.

Tom