[APKG HD_Engine] ADD Netflix, PlexHomeTheater , etc.

[father.mande]

Hi,

I am please to announce the BETA version of the HD_Engine APKG

HD_Engine is a full chroot Debian with all tools (like apt to install any packages) ... able to interact with Xorg and ASPORTAL package provide by ASUSTOR
... you can install application and manage to add them as icon inside the ASPORTAL menu screen ...

FIRST Applications are :
Netflix (using an up to date version of Chrome (48) versus (31 for actual version in ASPORTAL)
PlexHomeTheater ... to connect and play videos and music from an existing Plex Server (in your network or local)

... new topics ... explain you (later) how to add your application in this "engine" ... only a minimum of Linux skills are required.

Video to show you (please enlarge the video ... to have a better visibility) :


REQUIREMENTS :
Xorg 10.14 (just because is the version I use on my unique model
Asustor 1.0.2
A mouse and a keyboard

NO ICONS HERE DUE TO : Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached. ?????

[Name]
HD_Engine

[Version / Changelog]
1.0
initial beta version

[Models Supported]
Normally ALL x86_64 (64 bits) Intel models with HDMI output (tested ONLY on my AS5002T

[Remote Control]
NO IDEA
... no informations (seems not managed through lirc default device ... so ??? )
... no (I don't have) remote control to tests or search ...

[Prerequisites]
Xorg
Asportal
Mouse and keyboard

[Usage]
Enable / Disable through App. Central
Install (manual) through App. Central
Remove through App. Central
Command line to manage :

Code: Select all

Usage :
/usr/local/bin/hd_manage list_user ... list Actual user name use in chroot to launch application
/usr/local/bin/hd_manage change_user user_name ... this change the user name in chroot MUST be created in chroot before
/usr/local/bin/hd_manage kill_all ... This kill all programm always running under the user
/usr/local/bin/hd_manage enter ... switch to chroot (as root) up you enter "exit" without the quote
/usr/local/bin/hd_manage list_running ... list residual (or not) application running under the actual user in chroot)
/usr/local/bin/hd_manage my_share ... List all shared ressource also mounted in chroot
/usr/local/bin/hd_manage add_my_share ... Add a shared resource to the list of shared (in /share) folder to mount in chroot
/usr/local/bin/hd_manage rm_my_share ... remove a shared resource of the list to be mounted in chroot
 ......... DON'T DO THIS if HD_Engine is active (App. Central) if NOT a mount will not be dismounted
 ......... In this case do it manually (umount -l PATH_get_in_mount_list)
/usr/local/bin/hd_manage list_mount ... List ALL mount in the chroot Internal or done in ASUSTOR before ...

[Technical Information]
MUST BE COMPLETE LATER
HD_Engine is a chroot (Debian strech)
In this chroot you can use :
apt to update and keep updated your chroot
apt to install any applications
/etc/init.d ; rcn.d (n from 0 to 6) etc. are replaced (and not use) by /etc/ASUSTOR/init.d and rcS.d and rcK.d
... so if you install a new application that need to start services ... you can or move to /etc/ASUSTOR or simply link in rcS.d and rcK.d to the furnished script

===== PLEASE KEEP as possible the chroot up to date (frequent update it's a rolling linux =========
How-to do :
enter in chroot (in a ssh or telnet console) :
hd_manage enter
then update list and upgrade
apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
... accept : Y the upgrade
If a line in GREEN is displayed ... a service is restarted (NOT a problem) ... a new service is started ... think to stop it, then if you want to use it add it in /etc/ASUSTOR/rcS.d and rcK.d as link ...

[Know problems and bugs]
Intel Graphics Driver and Video Acceleration supply by ASUSTOR are 3800
... the chroot "hold" (stop (temporary) availability to update ) ... this package to prevent install of new (3801 for ex. not compatible with kernel modules delivered with 3800)
... ... the "nnormal" update need to update at same time the drm, libva and graphic driver
PlexHomeTheater NEED (MANDATORY) to have vsync positioned at "Enbale only for video playback" ... if not the menu can teared ...
... this can be done in the screen (be patient and go slowly) OR by changing the vsync parameters to "1" in guisettings.xml of P.H.T. (P.H.T. is a Xbmc frodo skin ... )
... guisettings.xml is in userdata ... so in the chroot in : /home/astuser/.plexht/userdata and in ASUSTOR (BUT it's the same) /usr/local/AppCentral/hd-engine/my_home/astuser/.plexht/userdata/
... ... chroot home is accessible ONLY if HD_Engine is enable ... ASUSTOR way is available all the time ...
NORMALLY this problem don't exist with furnished user : astuser ... BUT if you add your own user ...

Apt upgrade : be attention if new services are started ... to stop it and modify the /etc/ASUSTOR/ link ...

[Download]

Hd_Engine 1.0 : https://mega.nz/#!4hsCBDwA!z5Ga18rnlOft ... EaI2vUWs7M
Size : 482054490 Bytes MD5SUM : b05813e859da0bd003f2ad8a3451d87c

Have Fun
Philippe.

[itdaboyz]

Wow ! That seems really nice, good job Philippe

I won't use it because I don't use Asustor Portal, but I'm happy to see this kind of projects.

[damien599901]

incredible job.
Father-Mande is strong and nice
thanks for the Community

[hane73]

Amazing job !!
I love to have PHT on the NAS!

Thank you!

[damien599901]

HD_Engine could work on the 32bits devices ?

[father.mande]

Hi,

HD_Engine could work on the 32bits devices ?

For the moment NOT ... because libraries to manage the Intel graphics are not free and not updated ...
Intel in some ATOM processor (unfortunately used by Asustor and other brand)use in fact a PowrVR graphics adapter ... WITHOUT any up to date graphics driver ...

I will search if it's possible to run partially using some GMA500 old driver (same PowerVR family) BUT it's a hard work and consuming lot of time ...
AND I am only a user and do some job on my free time ... and Asustor is NOT my only point of interest ...

So I work (when I have time) ... on it but clearly without any good chance to win ... BUT ... so just wait or
If you are in urgency ... try doing the job by yourself ... chroot is easy and run as well on x32 models ... ... absolutely no SECRET on do it ...

Philippe.

[hane73]

Thank you Philippe for à fantastic work.
Some of my movies takes à very long time for PHT to start and sometimes it will not start the movie at all. I have asustor 5102 with 8 gb ram. Do you have any idea what can be wrong?

Hans

[MikeG.6.5]

Philippe might not, but I might...

What file container is the movie in and what codec is the movie encoded with that causes you the error? I'm betting that most of the problem videos are actually requiring transcoding in order for them to be played, and the device (AS510X) hasn't got the power to handle transcoding of 1080p video. That CPU only has about 1500 passmarks and a 10Mbps 1080p movie in the that requires transcoding requires at least 2000 passmarks to be transcoded in real time.

Since the PMS is also the player in this instance and it's underpowered to begin with, it can't do the job at either end of the client/server environment. Hence starting slowly, or not starting at all. (The ones not starting at all are likely to be higher bitrate rips.) The slower starting ones are probably lower bitrate or are 720p.

There is a fix for this, though.... But it's not real time or even close... It involves converting the media over to a more streaming friendly file and codec set than what you have it in now. You can use HandBrake to test this theory out on a known problem media with these steps:

Make a new folder with File Manager in the ADM in your Media folder, but not in a folder monitored by any Plex Libraries. (You have /media and should have /media/movies and /media/TV Shows already, so you are going to make a /media/test to put this new "test" media into.)

Make a new library that points to the newly created test directory in Plex. (It won't have anything in it yet.)

Take a known BAD movie, one that fails for you, copy it to a PC or Mac and then use HandBrake to convert the file to an MP4 with H264 video codec and AAC stereo audio codec. Make sure you use levels of 4.0 for the H264 levels, and make sure that you have the Web Optimized bit turned on in HandBrake's main page settings. Write the file to the PC's HDD for faster conversions.

Once the file is converted, copy it to the /Media/Test folder and Plex should find it right away. After it does so, open PHT on your NAS and try to play it. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it starts fairly quickly and plays almost perfectly after this conversion.

If this is the case, then you have to rethink how you store and play your media.... Converting the media to a different file container and codec is a time consuming process for even one movie. Multiply that by the numbers of movies and TV shows you have and you get the idea of how long it could take to do this conversion.... There are some automated ways to do this, though. Look at the post I made in the Tips and Tricks forum for a script set I talked about here: http://forum.asustor.com/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=7231

If you want the scripts that run on your NAS send me a PM and I'll send you an FTP link to download them. From there it's just a couple of small edits and you should be up and running. These scripts REQUIRE you to be running WinSCP or some other shell or terminal application. There is no other way to do it...

MKV's are a great container for storing media, as you can have everything for that media in a single file. But they actually SUCK for streaming, even if the codec used is H264. The reason for this are the same reasons you may like the MKV container to begin with.... There's too much crap in the file and it creates a lot of extra work for the PMS machine to figure out what it can and can't use.

The H265 codec looks great on paper, as it's a lot smaller of a file for the same bitrates, but there needs to be some significant hardware to do a good job of transcoding. Which means that even the i3 CPU in the 7004T is going to be taxed trying to transcode H265 media at times.

[hane73]

Thank you! I have sent you a PM.

Hans

[damien599901]

I have some forced closures on my AS7xxx with PHT
I don't why...