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By the_one2003a at 2005-03-15 20:21
This is how you can make SkyStar 2 work in Fedora core 3 distribution (with the Kernel 2.6.10)

By: Michael Lopez (the_one2003a)

Special Thanks To: Augusto(augusto@carhil.net)

This tutorial is based on the:

LaKing post at www.linuxquestions.org and

TomS2 post in www.fedoraforum.org

Some Checks First:

First you should be sure that your current Kernel version supports SkyStar2 DVB card (by default 2.6.x supports just for sake of being sure) :

type the command:

dmesg

and now look for :

drivers/media/dvb/b2c2/skystar2.c: FlexCopII(rev.130) chip found
drivers/media/dvb/b2c2/skystar2.c: the chip has 6 hardware filters
DVB: registering new adapter (Technisat SkyStar2 driver).


type the command:

lsmod

and now look for :

skystar2 and some module names like that

---------------------------------------

if you couldn't find them, just get the new kernel version from www.kernel.org and "recompile/if RPM install it" your kernel"

if you are going to recompile your kernel be sure to check that in Digital Broadcasting option the B2C2 is checked as module (by default it is but check to become sure). and follow the compiling instructions from the README file.

if you are sure you have B2C2 support in your kernel version but have some problems in its loading just see the ending section of this tutorial (Laking and TomS2 post)

START Here:

Just execute the following .sh file :

with the command:

sh filename.sh

Just for security reasons Use User and Groups from the System settings menu of the Fedora Core 3 Menu, to create a group named "video". Add all users who should have access to the DVB-card to this group or you can skip it (you will only get some errors in the next step the you can ignore it)

Code:
#!/bin/sh
# Create device nodes for the Linux DVB API with DVB_API_VERSION 2.
# The devices created are suitable for most current PC DVB cards,
# i.e. cards having one frontend, one demux and optionally one
# MPEG decoder.
# The script creates devices for four cards by default.

if [ -e /dev/.devfsd ]; then
echo "It seems you are using devfs. Good!"
exit 0
fi

# get rid of old DVB API devices; do it twice for good measure...
rm -rf /dev/ost
rm -rf /dev/ost
rm -rf /dev/dvb
rm -rf /dev/dvb

mkdir /dev/dvb
chmod 755 /dev/dvb

for i in `seq 0 3`; do
echo "Creating DVB devices in /dev/dvb/adapter$i"
mkdir /dev/dvb/adapter$i
chmod 755 /dev/dvb/adapter$i
mknod -m 0600 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/video0 c 212 `expr 64 \* $i + 0`
mknod -m 0600 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/audio0 c 212 `expr 64 \* $i + 1`
mknod -m 0600 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/frontend0 c 212 `expr 64 \* $i + 3`
mknod -m 0600 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/demux0 c 212 `expr 64 \* $i + 4`
mknod -m 0600 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/dvr0 c 212 `expr 64 \* $i + 5`
mknod -m 0600 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/ca0 c 212 `expr 64 \* $i + 6`
mknod -m 0600 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/net0 c 212 `expr 64 \* $i + 7`
mknod -m 0600 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/osd0 c 212 `expr 64 \* $i + 8`
chown root.video /dev/dvb/adapter$i/*
done
now you should have a directory with the name "dvb" in your /dev/ directory and "adaptor0,adaptor1,adaptor2,adaptor3" and each of them contain the following:

audio0
ca0
demux0
dvr0
frontend0
net0
osd0
video0


now it is time to test if your dvb card is working or not so:

get the linux-dvb-apps from www.linuxtv.org or the following url:

http://www.linuxtv.org/downloads/li...s-1.1.0.tar.bz2(this is the newest version in time of writing this stuff)

now just open it and make them

with the command:

make

In here I will explain how to work with "szap" and "scan" utils:

with szap you can tune your DVB card to a specific frequency make sure if your driver works or not.

a basic usage of it is like below:

./szap -c channels.conf-dvbs-astra n24

-c switch tells the szap to read the channels information from a file (in here channels.conf-dvbs-astra)

and "n24" is the name of the channel for tuning.

now if you can't receive this satellite signals save below information to a file with the name channels.conf-dvbs-Hotbird:

Code:
Mediatel:10949:v:0:27500:5001:5011:7401
Tele Lumiere:10949:v:0:27500:5101:5111:7402
Adjara TV:10949:v:0:27500:5401:5411:7405
Suryan Radio:10949:v:0:27500:0:5711:7448
IRN:10949:v:0:27500:0:5811:7449
Sun KTV:10949:v:0:27500:5901:5911:7450
ANB:10949:v:0:27500:6101:6111:7452
Sun TV +442083356780:10949:v:0:27500:6401:6411:7455
Al Mustakillah:10949:v:0:27500:6501:6511:7456
Cartoon Network:10949:v:0:27500:6601:6611:7457
DMC TV:10949:v:0:27500:6801:6811:7459
Prime TV:10949:v:0:27500:7001:7011:7461
Tapesh 2:10949:v:0:27500:7101:7111:7462
NOTE:if you are using a DISEQc change the zero (0) number after 10949:v:0 to the number of your HotBird DISEQc number starting from zero. so if my Hotbird be configured on my second number of DISEQc I should change it to 1.

Mediatel:10949:v:1:27500:5001:5011:7401




Hint: this is how the channels-information (channels.conf-dvbs-astra) file format should be:

Mediatel:10949:v:0:27500:5001:5011:7401
channel name:frequency:h/vISEQc # :symbol rate:vpid:apid:sid


the command looks like:

./szap -c channels.conf-dvbs-Hotbird Mediatel

if you received something like this(pay attention to FE_HAS_LOCK):

status 03 | signal b05c | snr 72d5 | ber 0000fff0 | unc 00000000 |
status 1f | signal b890 | snr ada6 | ber 000021a5 | unc 00000000 | FE_HAS_LOCK
status 1f | signal b833 | snr ad73 | ber 00000039 | unc 00000000 | FE_HAS_LOCK
status 1f | signal b917 | snr accb | ber 00000044 | unc 00000000 | FE_HAS_LOCK
status 1f | signal b908 | snr ad43 | ber 00000025 | unc 00000000 | FE_HAS_LOCK
status 1f | signal b89d | snr adfd | ber 00000034 | unc 00000000 | FE_HAS_LOCK
status 1f | signal ba10 | snr ada6 | ber 00000022 | unc 00000000 | FE_HAS_LOCK


your driver is working correctly.

HINT:IF you are interested in knowing what the other parts of this message mean:

status 0x1f --- The demodulator status bits.
0x1f means all bits set, everything ok.

signal [0x0000...0xffff] --- Signal Strength. Values above 0x8000 should be ok.

snr [0x0000...0xffff] --- Signal/Noise Ratio. Values above 0x8000 are ok.

ber [0...0xffffffff] --- Bit Error Rate. The less the better.

unc [0...0xffffffff] --- Number of Uncorrectable Blocks.
Small numbers are Preferable.

If everything is alright and all frontend circuits are working stable
(are locked) you should see a FE_HAS_LOCK in the rightmost line.



now you can get one of the dvb softwares for linux:

Mythtv: http://www.mythtv.org for source code OR its RPM for Fedora Core 3 from http://atrpms.net/dist/fc3/mythtv/

HINT: this is a way to play a satellite channel with a simple player:

"-r" switch will route the satellite stream to the DVR Device(in the Hard Disk so you can record it).

so in the command type:

./czap -c channels.conf-dvbs-Hotbird Mediatel -r
[keep it running in one console]
[open another console]

cat /dev/dvb/adapter0/dvr0 > /tmp/recording.ts
[in a second console, will dump the MPEG transport stream to /tmp/recording.ts]



How to automate running of sh file for making dvb directory in startup:

...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SCANNING FOR CHANNELS BY SCAN UTIL

scan util: scans satellite transponders and make a list of their channels (I made channels.conf-dvbs-Hotbird by this util).

for example we want to scan transponder 10949000kHz on Hotbird with this util first I should make a file like its template in "scan/Hotbird-13.0E":

# EUTELSAT SkyPlex, Hotbird 13E

# freq pol sr fec

S 12539000 H 27500000 3/4

I only add the following code to the end of this file

S 10949000 V 27500000 3/4

and save the file.

Hint: this file format is like below

S 10949000 V 27500000 3/4

S Frequency H/V SR(Symbol Rate) FEC

Hint: you can use www.satcodx.com to find information about channels and their transponder frequency.

now type the following command :

./scan dvb-s/ Hotbird-13.0E>channels.conf

Note:If you are using a DISEQc you should use "-s NUMBER" (in the following example HotBird is located in my Second DISEQc Number)

./scan -s 1 dvb-s/ Hotbird-13.0E>channels.conf

and will get a beautiful channel information file (channels.conf)

Some of the programs like Xine player use this file to play satellite streams (you should copy this file in : "~/.xine" directory with the name channels.conf)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Laking AND Toms2 posts (if you are sure you have B2C2 support in your kernel version but have some problems in their loading) :

HOWTO view free to air Sat-TV with Fedora Core 2 and the SkyStar2 from Technisat. (B2C2 Flexcop chip)

Install and Update Fedora with yum or apt.
You will need Xine as the mediaplayer.
( install the midnight commander as well )

The Kernel in fedora supports the card built in, you just need this:

//-------------------------( TomS2 Wrote )---------------------------------
http://www.fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3081

Ok - here a complete HOWTO to "aktivate" the SkyStar 2 DVB board under Fedora Core 2:

Installation SkyStar II under Fedora Core 2

Prerequisites:
Fedora Core 2 with Kernel 2.6.3-1.358.

Please use the root account to work through the following steps.

To load the card drivers automatically insert the following lines into your /etc/modprobe.conf file:
alias skystar skystar2
alias frontend stv0299

Currently Fedora Core 2 does not create the devices under /dev/dvb automatically. Thus execute the following ShellScript, which is part of the DVB Driver Package from http://www.linuxtv.org/ :

Code:
#!/bin/sh
# Create device nodes for the Linux DVB API with DVB_API_VERSION 2.
# The devices created are suitable for most current PC DVB cards,
# i.e. cards having one frontend, one demux and optionally one
# MPEG decoder.
# The script creates devices for four cards by default.

if [ -e /dev/.devfsd ]; then
echo "It seems you are using devfs. Good!"
exit 0
fi

# get rid of old DVB API devices; do it twice for good measure...
rm -rf /dev/ost
rm -rf /dev/ost
rm -rf /dev/dvb
rm -rf /dev/dvb

mkdir /dev/dvb
chmod 755 /dev/dvb

for i in `seq 0 3`; do
echo "Creating DVB devices in /dev/dvb/adapter$i"
mkdir /dev/dvb/adapter$i
chmod 755 /dev/dvb/adapter$i
mknod -m 0660 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/video0 c 250 `expr 64 \* $i + 0`
mknod -m 0660 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/audio0 c 250 `expr 64 \* $i + 1`
mknod -m 0660 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/frontend0 c 250 `expr 64 \* $i + 3`
mknod -m 0660 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/demux0 c 250 `expr 64 \* $i + 4`
mknod -m 0660 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/dvr0 c 250 `expr 64 \* $i + 5`
mknod -m 0660 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/ca0 c 250 `expr 64 \* $i + 6`
mknod -m 0660 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/net0 c 250 `expr 64 \* $i + 7`
mknod -m 0660 /dev/dvb/adapter$i/osd0 c 250 `expr 64 \* $i + 8`
chown root.video /dev/dvb/adapter$i/*
done
Use User and Groups from the System settings menu of the Red Hat Menu, to create a group named "video". Add all users who should have access to the DVB-card to this group.

Insert the following lines to /etc/rc.local
modprobe skystar and
modprobe frontend


The dmesg command should print the following lines:
drivers/media/dvb/b2c2/skystar2.c: FlexCopII(rev.130) chip found
drivers/media/dvb/b2c2/skystar2.c: the chip has 6 hardware filters
DVB: registering new adapter (Technisat SkyStar2 driver).
probe_tuner: try to attach to Technisat SkyStar2 driver
drivers/media/dvb/frontends/stv0299.c: setup for tuner Samsung TBMU24112IMB
DVB: registering frontend 0:0 (STV0299/TSA5059/SL1935 based)...

In the case that stv0299 could not bound a different frontend will be needed. Use alias frontend mt312 in modprobe.conf in this case.

That's it.
Good luck
Tom.
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For me the mt312 works. (Older Skytar2 from EOL)

After that, dmesg prints the following lines + more ...

drivers/media/dvb/b2c2/skystar2.c: FlexCopII(rev.130) chip found
drivers/media/dvb/b2c2/skystar2.c: the chip has 6 hardware filters
driver_initialize MAC address = ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:00:00
DVB: registering new adapter (Technisat SkyStar2 driver).
DVB: registering frontend 0:0 (Zarlink MT312)...

Download from linuxTV the linuxtv-dvb-apps-x.x.x, uncompress and make.
in there is a util/szap dir with a README and some conf files.
For DVB-S, Astra Channel config file:

$ ./szap -c channels.conf-dvbs-astra n24

will tune to N24. if you get FE_HAS_LOCK messages, then the Card is installed.

Copy the channels.conf-dvbs-astra to the hidden ./xine directory in your user's home directory and rename it to channels.conf

If i start Xine i get sound but no video.

$ xine -V xshm dvb://25

fixes that problem, you should get video and audio and see Pro7.
Xine should keep that "xshm" thing in his config file.
Don't forget to turn DeInterlaceing on.

Thats All Folks ....
LaKing

by andrade on Sun, 2005-08-07 22:14
Fine article. Just a question: it is possibly to see the (i don't know if this is the right term) "encoded" (scrambled perhaps) channels?

In my country, Portugal, most channels are scrambled so i put here a screenshot of mplayer playing some Spanish Channel (in Hispasat):

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/3343/snapshot14qj.jpg

by the_one2003a on Tue, 2005-08-09 15:20
Hi

In windows there are some plugins for players that do this job like S2emu,Emunation or Yankse these plugins are called Softcams
I didn't see any equivalent of them for linux yet(I haven' searched recently)

But google it perhaps you found something

Sincerely
the_one2003a

by andrade on Tue, 2005-08-09 19:00
Yes i know. I use s2emu.
I've seen a program like that for linux, but for dvbcable, called cc2y4m
To use it you just have to do cc2y4m | mplayer dvb://Channel or cc2y4m Channel, but it just works for dvbc... i've tryed it with my skystar 2 and it didn't work.

If you find anything that can help please tell me... i'm just missing this to have my hardware fully functional under linux

(i have searched in google but so far i found nothing but your tutorial)

by small_boy22 on Thu, 2005-09-22 05:33
For Windows (sic) there is a lot of support from a program called progDVB and you can watch with plugins as much scrambled channels as with Dreambox i guess...more or less...

I was going to buy a SS2 but plugins for Linux don't exist...

So the next best thing if you have SS2 is emulation to run Windows Programs..

Have you tried Wine or even better VMWare ?

by andrade on Thu, 2005-09-22 19:24
Possibly vmware can work, almost surely wine don't. But that's not my goal. My goal is to have the skystar 2 working natively on linux. And in fact that is possible. I've seen (googling) a tutorial, but in polish. The problem i had were that they were necessary some xine plugins, the vdr software, and other little things, and the links for the versions of some software, in these tutorial don't were active, so i've tryed with recent versions, and i was not able to compile. I've never tryed it again, cause i'm moving to University and i will not have Sattellite there... anyway... the fact is that it is possible. If you download vdr source you can see there same folder of softcam plugins... and i'm sure that is possible. I don't have the tutorial but perhaps you can find it over the web.

If anyone can get this to work (scrambled channels, natively, on linux) tell me something, in the way that i try when i went home, and i can build a tutorial in my native language, and distribute it, in my country... (there are much people with dvb-s here in Portugal)



by small_boy22 on Mon, 2005-09-26 08:16
Quote:
Originally posted by andrade
Possibly vmware can work, almost surely wine don't. But that's not my goal. My goal is to have the skystar 2 working natively on linux. And in fact that is possible. I've seen (googling) a tutorial, but in polish. The problem i had were that they were necessary some xine plugins, the vdr software, and other little things, and the links for the versions of some software, in these tutorial don't were active, so i've tryed with recent versions, and i was not able to compile. I've never tryed it again, cause i'm moving to University and i will not have Sattellite there... anyway... the fact is that it is possible. If you download vdr source you can see there same folder of softcam plugins... and i'm sure that is possible. I don't have the tutorial but perhaps you can find it over the web.

If anyone can get this to work (scrambled channels, natively, on linux) tell me something, in the way that i try when i went home, and i can build a tutorial in my native language, and distribute it, in my country... (there are much people with dvb-s here in Portugal)


You are right.
If I buy a SS2 card i want it to run natively on linux.

check this site here:
http://dvbn.happysat.org/

especially the forums:
http://dvbn.happysat.org/index.php
http://dvbn.happysat.org/viewforum.php?f=17 (linux section)
http://dvbn.happysat.org/viewforum.php?f=26 (SS2 section)

Please let us know of your results in this efford
I hope those links will help you
I actually myself want to buy a SS2 but i want to be sure that i can watch scrambled channels on Linux , because for Windows there are a lot of plugins for this job.

by Mike045 on Fri, 2005-10-28 13:57
I just installed a new Skystar 2 rev. 2.6D and the card is recognized. I build the channels for Nimiq91 using the scan utility:
...
DvEPG:12224:h:0:20000:0:0:50
Vu-F:12224:h:0:20000:5922:5923:122
RIS:12224:h:0:20000:0:0:124
CPACF:12224:h:0:20000:0:0:149
VuCOM:12224:h:0:20000:0:0:155
...
and I can tune to a specitif channel via szap:
./szap -l DBS -c Nimiq91Channels actif
reading channels from file 'Nimiq91Channels'
zapping to 123 'ACTIF':
sat 0, frequency = 12559 MHz H, symbolrate 20000000, vpid = 0x0000, apid = 0x0000
using '/dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0' and '/dev/dvb/adapter0/demux0'
status 03 | signal a123 | snr 716a | ber 00000000 | unc 00000000 |
status 1f | signal cb9a | snr b57d | ber 000008fc | unc 00000000 | FE_HAS_LOCK
status 1f | signal cbc1 | snr b4b4 | ber 00000869 | unc 00000000 | FE_HAS_LOCK
...
Now with the -r switch I try to make a recording of the stream
with the command cat /dev/dvb/adapter0/dvr0 > /tmp/recording.ts
as explained in http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/answers/426.
But when I want to use mplayer to view the recording:
mplayer /dev/dvb/adapter0/dvr0, nothing happens. Moreover, when I stop the recording, the recording.ts gives me always 0 byte!
What is the problem?


Also, I have been unable to use dvbtune to get a specific channel,
[xxxx@localhost dvbtune-0.5]$ ./dvbtune -c 0 -D 0 -x -f 12224000 -p H -s 5
Using DVB card "ST STV0299 DVB-S"
tuning DVB-S to L-Band:0, Pol:H Srate=5000, 22kHz=off
polling....
Getting frontend event
FE_STATUS:
polling....
Getting frontend event
FE_STATUS: FE_HAS_SIGNAL FE_HAS_CARRIER
polling....
polling....
...

Mike

by Guerillero on Sat, 2005-11-12 12:44
Mike045
As far as I c ur card is tuning well, but there is a syntax error in ur command. Try :
mplayer - < /dev/dvb/adapter0/dvr0

and try different channels with szap. Curiously some worked for me and some didn't.

by renus on Thu, 2005-12-15 08:52
Hi,

Has anyone tried it with the Dreambox ?
In Windows Media Player I can see the same channels as on the TV and would like to know if I can apply S2EMU to this or if there is another way to do this ?

Cuz I cannot run or apply S2EMU to a Dreambox.

Thanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by small_boy22
For Windows (sic) there is a lot of support from a program called progDVB and you can watch with plugins as much scrambled channels as with Dreambox i guess...more or less...

I was going to buy a SS2 but plugins for Linux don't exist...

So the next best thing if you have SS2 is emulation to run Windows Programs..

Have you tried Wine or even better VMWare ?

by DBX_5 on Fri, 2005-12-16 04:24
were could i find counter strike for linix any segestions


  



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