[mythtv-users] Failure loading firmware on reboot - Please help

[Justin The Cynical]

Praveen Shenoy wrote:
> Followed Jarod's guide and everything went well untill I rebooted the  
> system after the completing all the steps and the setup. Had audio/ 
> video on TV and X working thru the PVR-350's out. Once I rebooted the  
> system, I saw a bunch of messages on screen before the routine  
> startup messages showup which indicated failure to load the firmware  
> etc. Here is the log section. Also, how do I capture the initial  
> messages that show up on the screen that are not in /var/log/ 
> messages. The few lines that I saw on the screen that also showed up / 
> var/log/messages were:

> Mar 22 11:58:32 localhost kernel: ivtv0: unable to open firmware v4l- 
> cx2341x-enc.fw
> Mar 22 11:58:32 localhost kernel: ivtv0: did you put the firmware in  
> the hotplug firmware directory?
> Mar 22 11:58:32 localhost kernel: ivtv0 warning: failed loading  
> encoder firmware
> Mar 22 11:58:32 localhost kernel: ivtv0 warning: Error loading  
> firmware -3!
> Mar 22 11:58:32 localhost kernel: ivtv0: Error -3 initializing firmware.
> Mar 22 11:58:32 localhost kernel: ivtv0: Error -12 on initialization

You are missing your firmware for the card.  The version of IVTV you 
have installed will look in /lib/firmware/ by default.

If you used Jarod's guide, you are probably using FC4.  I *think* the 
firmware files used to be installed in /lib/modules.

If you can't find the file, try this as root:
updatedb
locate v4l-cx2341x-enc.fw

If I run that locate command on my FC4 system, it returns 
/lib/firmware/v4l-cx2341x-enc.fw, which is the correct place for the 
IVTV version installed on my machine.

If you find it, move/copy it to the /lib/firmware directory, reboot, and 
then check the output of dmesg (which answers your other question as 
well.  dmesg | less will show the boot output and place it in a nice 
shiny easy to move around and search format).

And honestly, referring to your follow-up email:

"I don't know much about linux and I am thinking of giving up at this
point and just go with a commercial solution:-("

Not to sound like I'm trying to be a arse or anything, but if you feel 
that way, you might want to go that route.

Linux is a UNIX work-a-like, which means, like other *NIX variants, it's 
user-friendly, but it's /very/ picky about who it makes friends with.  ;-)

The MythTV project is that, a project.  It's not a finished 'product', 
nor is it plug and play.  It is not ready for everyone yet.  There are 
some sharp edges and daemons running around in here.  :-)

Just my 2p/2c, YMMV, take it with a grain of salt, everyone has their 
opinions, etc. etc. etc....

(Personally, I love to tinker and play with the sharp shinys!)