Package wishlist.

[bedge]

I'm sure everyone has their own view as far as what should be included on the standard release, but I think there are some apps that would benefit everyone. here's my vote for the latter:

1) smplayer - better than mplayer, even though it's just a wrapper, because it remembers where you were in each video, also has easy soundtrack and caption selection.

2) openssh-server - Well, this just belongs on everything. I'd put it on my toaster if I could

3) tightvncserver - See #2. This would allow you to pull up the UI from anywhere and show everyone how cool it is. Seriously though, remote GUI access is never a bad thing.

4) xbmc - the svn version. OK a bit more work for the svn version, I'd settle for the .deb package too. This is where the Link shines. You can't stream full HD from the `net, but you can play 1080p from your local media server.

5) nfs client/server - I played with SATA drive in my Link and decided it made it too noisy, so I went back to booting off the stick and using and nfs server to export a /usr/local dir of packages that wouldn't fit on the Link. Also this allows simple mounting of media servers too.

6) netbook-remix - yes, form the blog post. That is a very cool setup. Ideal for a 15' GUI.

-Bruce

[infrared]

bedge,
When I am standing 15' away from my hdtv I do not want to feel like I am staring at a net book. No offense I might be misunderstanding you. The Netbook-Remix is designed and optimized for atom processors and the small screens that come with them. They can do very good with larger screens connected to them but the desktop experiance would still be far from ideal IMHO.


If Silverlight worked well enough we could watch more content on the internet as well. I tried Moonlight/mono but some sites that are DRM'd will fail to load completely or not at all. It looks like more HD content is going towards silverlight which is a bummer because it is MS plarform specific and they will release the updates to their platform first before they hand out the scraps to us *nix boys.

[bedge]

bedge,
When I am standing 15' away from my hdtv I do not want to feel like I am staring at a net book. No offense I might be misunderstanding you. The Netbook-Remix is designed and optimized for atom processors and the small screens that come with them. They can do very good with larger screens connected to them but the desktop experiance would still be far from ideal IMHO.

OK, nix the netbook UI. I felt it was easier than a desktop UI for a TV. That was last on the list anyway. That is a personal preference. Don't know how that snuck in there :-)

If Silverlight worked well enough we could watch more content on the internet as well. I tried Moonlight/mono but some sites that are DRM'd will fail to load completely or not at all. It looks like more HD content is going towards silverlight which is a bummer because it is MS plarform specific and they will release the updates to their platform first before they hand out the scraps to us *nix boys.

All the more reason to make local media playback more polished. Let the user get contents through whatever means available, then provide a clean front ent for it all in the set top box.
Maybe if Shuttleworth can get the promised DRM playback for Ubuntu working, but I'm not holding my breath.

-Bruce

[infrared]

Bedge,
The LINK as a front end media playback server is not a bad concept. I have a browser on my cell phone called skyfire that allows me to surf the real web and play pretty much any content available out there right on my cell phone. This is accomplished because the content is sent through skyfire servers wrapping it into a nice object that is sent to the phone. It would be cool if there could be a similar server that could "wrap" the content from non compatible sources and send it to the LINK.

[acarr]

2) openssh-server - Well, this just belongs on everything. I'd put it on my toaster if I could

So is the Link a Cylon? Can we get the sweeping red light?

[HDRaptor]

2) openssh-server - Well, this just belongs on everything. I'd put it on my toaster if I could

So is the Link a Cylon? Can we get the sweeping red light?

FRACKIN' TOASTERS!!!  :>>>

[HDRaptor]

I'm sure everyone has their own view as far as what should be included on the standard release, but I think there are some apps that would benefit everyone. here's my vote for the latter:
[...]

I strongly have to agree with you about ssh & vnc; I put these on the link about 5 minutes after powering it up & getting internet access squared away.     I'd like to recommend x11vnc, as well.  It replicates the existing desktop, as opposed to creates a new one.  There are of course reasons you might want to do the latter, but I figure they might be rare on a device like the Link, which is generally a single-user appliance-type thing.  I use it for checking on updates, etc. when I'm away from the box.  Also, a great many times I get an error about "could not start gnome-settings-daemon" every time I start an independent VNC X desktop...

The rest, though - what exactly does xbmc give me that I don't already have?  I keep hearing about this, but...  Bear in mind I play almost no streaming media/flash stuff, so, maybe that's why I haven't needed to look up much about it...  Also, anything dealing with svn is gonna be a pretty hard sell for Joe Sixpack, and the link is already just about outside his ballgame.   

[arnor]

I'm missing OpenOffice.org in 1.2 firmware release. Being able to handle office documents once in a while makes the device more complete to me.
I guess thats something other media devices won't offer, that makes the LINK a more complete device.

[cfranzen]

OpenOffice is an "Office" solution. Use gedit.

[JoeBorn]

This is a great list, Crweb, care to chime in?

1) smplayer - better than mplayer, even though it's just a wrapper, because it remembers where you were in each video, also has easy soundtrack and caption selection.

Not familiar with that, but if it doesn't break anything from mplayer, I'm in favor.  Anyone know why ubuntu defaults to totem?

2) openssh-server - Well, this just belongs on everything. I'd put it on my toaster if I could

what about the security issues?  you mean just have it installed, but not enabled?

3) tightvncserver - See #2. This would allow you to pull up the UI from anywhere and show everyone how cool it is. Seriously though, remote GUI access is never a bad thing.

yeah, I'd love this, particuliarly for the audio applications, pandora, etc.

4) xbmc - the svn version. OK a bit more work for the svn version, I'd settle for the .deb package too. This is where the Link shines. You can't stream full HD from the `net, but you can play 1080p from your local media server.

xbmc is a no brainer and coming, but why svn?

5) nfs client/server - I played with SATA drive in my Link and decided it made it too noisy, so I went back to booting off the stick and using and nfs server to export a /usr/local dir of packages that wouldn't fit on the Link. Also this allows simple mounting of media servers too.

makes sense to me, I assume there are no big security issues there, right?

[bedge]

This is a great list, Crweb, care to chime in?

1) smplayer - better than mplayer, even though it's just a wrapper, because it remembers where you were in each video, also has easy soundtrack and caption selection.

Not familiar with that, but if it doesn't break anything from mplayer, I'm in favor.  Anyone know why ubuntu defaults to totem?

[bedge] It's a wrapper for mplayer. It handles the command line option generation through it's UI that's easier to deal with then the mplayer man page. It also picks up where you left off.

2) openssh-server - Well, this just belongs on everything. I'd put it on my toaster if I could

what about the security issues?  you mean just have it installed, but not enabled?

[bedge] Perhaps as part of the initial account creation, set the default neurostv password to the same as the user picks for the neuros.tv account.

3) tightvncserver - See #2. This would allow you to pull up the UI from anywhere and show everyone how cool it is. Seriously though, remote GUI access is never a bad thing.

yeah, I'd love this, particuliarly for the audio applications, pandora, etc.

4) xbmc - the svn version. OK a bit more work for the svn version, I'd settle for the .deb package too. This is where the Link shines. You can't stream full HD from the `net, but you can play 1080p from your local media server.

xbmc is a no brainer and coming, but why svn?

[bedge] Initially the svn version had some fixes that weren't in the intrepid version. Not so anymore. The intrepid release works fine now.

5) nfs client/server - I played with SATA drive in my Link and decided it made it too noisy, so I went back to booting off the stick and using and nfs server to export a /usr/local dir of packages that wouldn't fit on the Link. Also this allows simple mounting of media servers too.

makes sense to me, I assume there are no big security issues there, right?

[bedge] Not really, the user still needs to setup the exports file to expose anything. Having the client installed makes it easier to pick up other local storage.

[crweb]

I'm sure everyone has their own view as far as what should be included on the standard release, but I think there are some apps that would benefit everyone. here's my vote for the latter:

1) smplayer - better than mplayer, even though it's just a wrapper, because it remembers where you were in each video, also has easy soundtrack and caption selection.

never heard of this. Very cool.

2) openssh-server - Well, this just belongs on everything. I'd put it on my toaster if I could

The NeurosLink ships with a default password. Having openssh-server installed is a *very* bad idea.  Installing it without enabling is pointless since installing it would simply enable it.  I don't see how we could ship a Internet based NeurosLink with a default password & shell access by default.

3) tightvncserver - See #2. This would allow you to pull up the UI from anywhere and show everyone how cool it is. Seriously though, remote GUI access is never a bad thing.

 See above, same reasons.  nothing stopping someone from installing the vncserver and running an instance though.

5) nfs client/server - I played with SATA drive in my Link and decided it made it too noisy, so I went back to booting off the stick and using and nfs server to export a /usr/local dir of packages that wouldn't fit on the Link. Also this allows simple mounting of media servers too.

The Link already has nfs client installed.  NeurosLink nfs server can't be enabled by default for security reasons (and the Link would have to know each persons network topology).  However, simply install nfs-kernel-server and you'll be up and runnign with an nfs server.

[HDRaptor]

2) openssh-server - Well, this just belongs on everything. I'd put it on my toaster if I could

The NeurosLink ships with a default password. Having openssh-server installed is a *very* bad idea.  Installing it without enabling is pointless since installing it would simply enable it.  I don't see how we could ship a Internet based NeurosLink with a default password & shell access by default.

Just force the user to set a password the first time they fire the thing up.  Just about every other distro does that, and it still needn't interfere with the autologon business, if they still want that.

If that's too much, then it should also be trivial to set up a desktop icon to run a script that makes the user change their password, then enables various remote access mechanisms.  If you don't like a desktop icon, then bury it under a couple of layers of menus under an "advanced features" area.

To me, these things are so vital that I'd send the Link right back and build my own mythbuntu (or similar) media box if they didn't work.

The bottom line is, if you guys approach this right, it's a selling point, not a security risk.  The Tivo, last I checked (we've had a hacked one for so long I'm not even sure what features they retail with ), had Windows desktop software for remote access, then there are devices like the Slingbox...  I think remote access to a media device is going to become more standard, not less...i.e., your competitors are going to be doing it...

Also, as long as we're on the subject, why is nobody talking about samba?  I have no idea how to mount an nfs share on a windows machine, but samba makes it trivial.  In the end, the Link has to appeal to a wider audience than linux gearheads (no offense, I am one  ).  Heck, because it's in a front-central area of the room, we're going to be sharing a printer off the Link fairly soon.

[HDRaptor]

OpenOffice is an "Office" solution. Use gedit.

Cfranzen, I think you really need to re-examine your words and attitude here, regardless of your actual intent.

Neuros is interested in hearing ALL users' opinions and feedback, and frankly so am I.  There are plenty of good reasons for a media PC to be a bit of a "workstation" as well; we occasionally use ours for recreational surfing, and I seem to recall another user mentioning they use it to look up destinations on Google Maps before they leave the house, due to the box's location and conveniently being attached to a large display (which frankly is rather clever; we may start doing this - we usually end up clustered around someone's laptop.)

The point I'm trying to make is that you sound (even if you didn't mean to), in that quote, borderline condescending and denigratory.  In the very least it sounds like you're telling arnor his ideas have no place here.  I really used to think attitudes like this were a part of the "stereotypical linux geek" of the past - condescending, exclusive, and elitist, and it's the reason linux has a somewhat tarnished reputation even to this day.  It's only by getting past those types of attitudes, and providing vibrant, welcoming support communities, that various new linux distros like Ubuntu have really popularized the OS.  We all benefit when new users are embraced, not run off.  The guy had only made 2 posts (heck, still has) at that time.  I note that arnor has not logged back on to the forum since he made that post.  I really hope the Neuros community didn't lose a user that day. 

And on that note, the reasons I waited a while to make this post were a) trying to make sure I did so in a level-headed mood using expressive, but neutral language - my goal here is to highlight a very important point, not be inflammatory - I apologize if I have failed.  But more importantly, b) ... give Neuros staffers a chance to say something.  I'm surprised nobody did.  Guys...maybe I'm being a little too much of a net.nanny here - I freely admit that, but...I also really want Neuros, and the Link, to succeed, and to do that, we all have to make sure newbies, as well as experts & old hands, feel welcome here.

[JoeBorn]

Just force the user to set a password the first time they fire the thing up.  Just about every other distro does that, and it still needn't interfere with the autologon business, if they still want that.

This seems like a good idea, I'm personally very interested in a part of the setup process that sets up neuros.tv http, xmpp, os, etc  and puts a cookie in the browser, sets up pidgin/gaijm etc.  what say you, crweb?