[GLLUG] Looking for some open source projects (local) to aid in

vanek vanek at acd.net
Fri Jan 1 14:53:52 EST 2010


Richard Houser wrote:
> The only really obvious question I see: "Is XBMC the right tool for
> the job?"  You may be better off either using another software (ex.
> MythTV)
Yes, I was planning on using MythTV for PVR duties, and XBMC for the 10' 
front-end interface. MythTV's interface is not as refined as XBMC's, and 
the two programs compliment one another (you can integrate MythTV into 
XBMC, or at least that's what I've read).



> adding a translation layer (batch conversion process, fuse
> decompression layer, etc.)  Aside from that, if the project is written
> in Python, you should stick to that unless there is an explicit reason
> that prevents that (ex. performance issues or hardware acceleration
> require C libraries, etc.).  It's easier for a semi-decent programmer
> to learn a new language than it is to try to bolt something that
> doesn't fit on via a known language.
>    
Agreed. At one time I was planning on writing this purely for my own 
benefit, in which case the choice of language was not a constraint.



> On Fri, Jan 1, 2010 at 8:00 AM, vanek<vanek at acd.net>  wrote:
>    
>> Steven Sayers wrote:
>>      
>>> I've been studying programming quite a lot lately and I was wondering if
>>> there were any programming projects any of you were engaged in that I could
>>> assist with, I'm most familiar with java.
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> linux-user mailing list
>>> linux-user at egr.msu.edu
>>> http://mailman.egr.msu.edu/mailman/listinfo/linux-user
>>>
>>>        
>> Hi Steven,
>>
>> My name is Lou and I was wondering whether you found another open-source
>> commitment, and whether you are still available. If you haven't found
>> anything interesting yet, please give the following all the consideration
>> you think it deserves. I know that I may have caught you at a bad time, and
>> you may still be pukin' your guts out over the porcelain alter, but after
>> you get done doing that, if you still feel up to it, I may have the second
>> most fun thing to do. OK, maybe not the second-most, but the 11th-most: an
>> open-source patch to XBMC! Yes, that's right, one of the coolest open-source
>> projects on the planet is in need of a patch, and you have been chosen to
>> partake in this wondrous experience, to be remembered by legions, revered by
>> all, and hailed by 10 or so geeks.
>>
>> Have I got your attention? Good. But if you need to take a moment and go
>> look to see if you still have that bottle of Pepto-Bismol, I can wait.
>>
>> Here's teh skinny: right now XBMC recognizes about 10% of my TV and movie
>> files, and I'd like that to be closer to 100%. I know there are stupid
>> work-arounds to get XBMC to recognize them all, but, like I said, they're
>> stupid. As far as I know, you have to organize your files carefully in
>> separate, carefully-labeled directories in order to give the scraper enough
>> information to do its job. People shouldn't have to expend effort that a
>> computer should be able to manage itself. I think you should be able to
>> place all your video files in one directory and let XBMC figure out what
>> they are. I'm trying to simplify life, not just for me but for anybody who
>> uses the program. It appears to be the one sticking point for new users when
>> they first install XBMC.
>>
>> I've found a program called 'TVRenamer' that mitigates a small portion of
>> the problem, but it is by no means a total solution. The program renames
>> video files so that the scraper recognizes their corresponding
>> meta-information better.
>>
>> I'm estimating this patch/project will take somewhere between 0-1000 lines
>> of code. The reason why I say "0" lines of code is because I haven't fully
>> researched the problem and I may not understand it. I'm new to XBMC so I may
>> be overlooking something. (If you've used XBMC before maybe you can clue me
>> in.) It's better to solve a problem with no code if that option is
>> available.
>>
>> The reason why I know this project has legs is because Boxee is able to do
>> this, and Boxee is built on top of XBMC.
>>
>> You mention you know Java. The languages I was planning on using were either
>> Ruby or Python. I know Ruby better than Python, but XBMC is written in
>> Python so that's the "native" language that should probably be used. I've
>> also considered Java, but I ranked Java as the 92nd best language to use on
>> a project of this type. (It's not surprising that Java consistently ranks
>> near the bottom of my lists.) If you're up to learning something new, you
>> can contribute. I'm not a code purist; I just like to get something done. I
>> suck at Python myself but I've never let that stop me. What's the worse that
>> could happen?
>>
>> The database you would be interacting with is sqlite3 (that's what XBMC
>> uses). It's a very simple, undemanding database. I've found a description of
>> all the tables that XBMC uses. Some database spelunking would be required.
>> You would also be required to install the coolest open-source program on
>> your computer and watch movies to test the program. It's just one of the
>> burdens of being an open-source developer. We learn to live with it.
>>
>> BTW, if anybody here thinks I'm overlooking something obvious, please speak
>> up. Like I said, I'm new to XBMC, but I have to scratch this itch.
>>
>> Thanks for listening and I hope to hear back,
>> Lou Vanek
>>
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>> linux-user at egr.msu.edu
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>>
>>      
>    



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