LinuxQuestions.org - This is a tutorial (HOWTO) on how you can install your skystar2 in linux

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)

#!/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/lin...-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:

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:freqency:h/v:DISEQc # :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 trasponders 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 (channnels.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 â€žrootâ€œ 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/ :

#!/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.
Dont forget to turn DeInterlaceing on.

Thats All Folks ....
LaKing