Category Archives: Linux

VMware Disconnection Caused by Network Manager Connectivity Check

Posted on by
Reply

A Windows virtual machine running under VMware 17 Pro was freezing several times a day, seemingly due to a brief network outage. The cause was found to be a Network Manager setting on the host computer, a laptop running Linux Mint 21.2. As explained below, the fix was to disable connectivity checking in the NM configuration, which is on by default, while noting the side effect of disabling captive portals.

Continue reading →

Connect a Second Monitor to Linux Mint with a USB to HDMI Adapter

Posted on by
21

Having a second or even a third monitor attached to your PC gives a helpful increase in screen space. Being able to have more windows and applications visible at once improves productivity and can reduce the stress of computer usage.

Generally, the number of screens is limited by the number of PC interfaces. Especially for laptops, which often have fewer ports than desktop/tower systems. Fortunately, the number of monitor ports can be increased by the addition of a simple adapter. For Windows users it’s easy. For Linux users, well it is quite easy too, as this article explains.

Continue reading →

Install Docker on Raspberry Pi

Posted on by
7

This article explains how to install Docker on a Raspberry Pi, how to build a simple image, and how to run a container based on it.

Update 20/9/22: This procedure has been updated and tested successfully on RaspiOS “Bullseye”, release date 2022-09-06 (lite version).

Docker provides a mobile execution environment in which to run software. It is a very popular container technology. Docker is useful in the rapid deployment of applications and in application isolation. It is a valuable tool for developers, users and systems administrators. In this procedure, it will be used to install a simple video processing application called “comskip“.

Although the article is entitled Install Docker on Raspberry Pi, this procedure will work unaltered on most Linux distros, which is one of the advantages of Docker.

Besides acting as a demonstration for those wanting to learn about Docker, this article is aimed at readers of my previous articles How to Watch and Record Live TV with a Raspberry Pi and How to Install Comskip on a Rasperry Pi (without Docker).

Continue reading →

Interrupted System Call with CIFS Mount on Kernel 5.3.0

Posted on by
1

The above kernel causes previously working CIFS mounts to fail with an “interrupted system call” error. A Linux system which had been using a NAS share for years acquired the new kernel on 17th March 2020 and the mount became unstable thereafter.

Update. Resolved 13th June 2020. The issue was not seen again after an update to kernel version 5.3.0-53.

Continue reading →

How to Install Comskip on a Raspberry Pi

Posted on by
14

The raspberry Pi makes a good platform for watching Live TV. Software packages like TVHeadend, OSMC/Kodi, NextPVR and Plex allow you to turn a normal Pi into a powerful media centre.

Recording your favourite TV shows is great, as is being able to skip through commercial breaks on playback. Every time an ad break arrives, just press “fast forward” a few times and hey presto, you are watching the next part of the show. You still have to actually press the button though, and sometimes rewind too, if the break is overshot. However, there are software tools that will skip the breaks for you, and one of these is Comskip.

This procedure explains how to install Comskip on a Raspberry Pi, with examples pertaining to TVHeadend. You might have come here from my earlier article “How to Watch and Record Live TV on a Raspberry Pi“, to which this article is an effective continuation. Or you might have some other existing system to which you want to add comskip. Even if you are using a different backend, like Plex, this article should still be useful.

Continue reading →

How to Enlarge Kodi Fonts

Posted on by
1

Kodi is one of the most popular media centre solutions. However, unless you like to sit very close to the TV, the font sizes are a bit small. This article describes a simple procedure to improve legibility. It’s assumed that you are using the default Kodi skin, called “Estuary“. This article was updated 6th April 2020 and tested for Kodi 18.6.

The Kodi user interface is highly customizable, and there are many Internet pages explaining how it all works. But in this procedure, we will just make a few small changes. These instructions were originally written for OSMC running on a Raspberry Pi, but they work for stand alone Kodi too, and should also work for other hardware platforms.

Continue reading →

How to Watch and Record Live TV with a Raspberry Pi

Posted on by
32

This procedure explains how to turn a Raspberry Pi into a DVR, or “digital video recorder”. A DVR is a box that sits under your television, allowing you to watch digital television and record it to a hard disk. TV and recordings can also be “streamed” to other devices on your network, such as phones, tablets and PCs.

Procedure last updated 8th Jan 2022 for OSMC 19 / Kodi “Matrix” / Pi 4.

Commercial examples of DVRs are available from manufacturers like Humax and Panasonic, providing access to free digital TV services, which in the UK are called Freeview and Freesat. Other brand names are used in other countries, but the underlying technology is the same. By following the article, you will be able to view, record and stream free digital TV. (You won’t be able to watch encrypted services, like those broadcast by Sky and BT).

Why turn a Pi into a DVR? You might be just curious about the possibilities. You might be looking to move from a paid-for service (eg. BT or Sky) to a free one. You might want to replace older equipment or just get access to more modern services, such as HDTV (high definition TV). I was looking to replace my old Topfield DVR, and the procedure below worked for me.

Continue reading →

Raspberry Pi 4 Real World Tests

Posted on by
50

The Raspberry Pi 4 was launched on 24th June and has been well received, to say the least. The spec is a big step up on previous models. It has 4 CPU cores like the Pi 2, a gigabit port like the Pi 3, plus USB 3, a better SoC, a separated bus architecture, faster memory and more of it.

Over the years, many “home” devices have been launched with Gigabit Ethernet, promising lightning fast network speeds, only to disappoint due to their lack of overall grunt. The Linkstation Live, the Sheevaplug and, to a lesser extent the Pi 3 are all on that category, unable to push their gigabit ports to more than about 14, 8 and 12 megabytes/sec respectively, due to the limitations of the CPU and the board. Is the Pi 4 the same, or can it operate as a serious NAS ?

Short answer: Yes. The Pi 4 is a *serious* NAS contender. Sustained write speeds of over 68 MB/s were obtained, and over 105 MB/s for reading, including saturation of the Gigabit network. Yes, the Pi 4 can push even a 1000 MB/s network to 100%.

Continue reading →

Create a Recovery USB Stick in Linux

Posted on by
2

A recovery USB stick is a bootable USB drive that can be used to rescue a system or perform critical maintenance. It’s a useful tool to have around. Typically, a system of interest is booted from the USB stick, maintenance is performed, then the repaired system is rebooted from its own disk. Below is a simple guide to creating a number of rescue USB sticks.

A Rescue stick can help fix many system problems, such as a system that won’t boot, a broken GRUB configuration, a disk or other hardware problem. By allowing the whole operating system to be taken offline, a rescue USB allows maintenance of a kind that cannot be performed any other way.

It is easy to create a bootable USB stick in Linux. In these examples, I used a Raspberry Pi, but any Linux PC would do equally well.

Continue reading →