[linux-dvb] ANNOUNCE: PCTVsat driver (experimental)

[peter.hettkamp@t-online.de (Peter Hettkamp)]

Hello everyone,

the first public release of my experimental driver for the Pinnacle Systems
PCTVsat dvb card for linux is now (and in fact has been for a few days)
available in the linux-dvb cvs.
For the time being, I will be the maintainer/coordinator for it.
Patches/improvements are welcome.
My eMail address is <peter.hettkamp@t-online.de>

To access it:
cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@linuxtv.org:/cvs/linuxtv login
cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@linuxtv.org:/cvs/linuxtv \
      co -r experimental-pinnacle DVB

To build it:
cd DVB/driver
make

To use it:
(as root) ./ins
(if /dev/ost/... don't exist) ./makedev.napi
use any known program to access the dvb devices. I use dvbstream/mplayer.

Note: this software is still in a very experimental state. It works for me,
on my system and my pctv card, YMMV. 
It may not work, it may crash/lock your machine, it might even
damage your hardware or filesystems (although I don't expect it).
In short, try and use at your own risk, then tell me if it works, or
why/how it does not work.

Troubleshooting:
- Compile problems in any bttv-*.c file: these files come from a 2.4.2
  kernel. Replace these files with those from your kernel/bttv driver:
  audiochip.h, bt848.h, bttv-cards.c, bttv-driver.c, bttv-if.c, bttv.h,
  bttvp.h, and tuner.h as tuner-bttv.h. Apply
  patch < pctv/pctv-bttv.diff
  (or patch by hand. There are only 2 small changes)
- Other compile problems: mail me, attach error msgs
- Problems with ./ins: mail me, attach output and syslog
- Problems tuning/using: in ./ins, change
  insmod dvb_frontend.o -> insmod dvb_frontend.o debug=1
  insmod cx24110.o      -> insmod cx24110.o debug=1
  insmod pctv.o         -> insmod pctv.o debug=1
  Do (as root) ./unins; ./ins
  Beware, your syslog will fill up pretty quickly now.
  Mail the relevant pieces of the syslog to me (gzip/bzip2)

To Do List: (very incomplete, no particular order)
- find and fix all the bugs :-)
- obviate the need to patch the bttv driver, work with the stock version
- test on different hardware/linux kernels
- fill in a few fixmes
- fill in code for the unhandled interrupts (bt878.h)
- clean up
- handling of BER/FER, SNR and signal level are inaccurate at best
- integrate with NEWSTRUCT branch of linux-dvb
- APCI and the like are still completely unhandled
-...

Finally, I am interested in all success and failure stories and experiences.

Best regards

Peter Hettkamp

P.S.: I will not be reachable by eMail until May 15th, so please be patient
if you mail me.
-- 
"Only wimps use tape backup: _real_ men just upload their important stuff
on ftp, and let the rest of the world mirror it ;)"
(Linus Torvalds, about his failing hard drive on linux.cs.helsinki.fi)


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