Xbmc As A Alternative To Minimenu

[HackModford]

Me and sebt3 are trying to get XBMC to launch PNDs

I was just curious though... how many people would seriously be interested in using xbmc as a frontend similar to how minimenu is?

 

[mindlord]

I would want to do this. Especially after DSP video decoding is working.

 

[Caine]

Yes, I would like to see this happen, but would not use this as my main option.

 

[HackModford]

I would want to do this. Especially after DSP video decoding is working.

Yes... do we have an ETA for DSP video decoding?

 

[CPUnltd]

I'm interested in this as well... I think DSP deserves it's own thread, so I'd ask that question separately, HackModford....

 

[sebt3]

Yes... do we have an ETA for DSP video decoding?

Until someone start working on it, no.

BTW, I'm not sure xbmc in its current state (alpha status code, no plugins, rendering bugs, froze the pandora if you close the lid and so on) worth all the pimping you're doing lately.

You have to remember I'm just doing quick ports to fill the gap until someone took over my works (Process I will happily support, see deadbeef).
Xbmc isn't something I use. It was just something that matched my "3 hours until release" rules.
So while I'm supportive (else you wouldnt had this PM nor would I update it), you wont see me as involved in this as in th thing I want to bring to quality release (and even for thoses, the zeldas' homwebrew players had to wait over 3 months until they got enjoyable...)

 

[HackModford]

Hey that's fine... I'm just betting if enough people are interested someone will take the mantle, so to speak.

But for me personally if I can use the launcher plugin I'm sure it would work fine for me. I personally don't use my pandora to watch movies or play music so I can wait on DSP Video decoding (I really can't believe no one has got that working yet)

So no pressure sebt3 just get the addons working and I can deal with the rest

And I might throw you a donation!

 

[sebt3]

I really can't believe no one has got that working yet

Decoding video on CPU work well enough for files with a resolution lower than the pandora screen and a medium profile, so the reals motivations for this is saving batteries and getting video downscalled on the fly.

And I might throw you a donation!

Use the devel fund

 

[mindlord]

DSP video decoding relies on a newer kernel than what the Pandora is currently using and should magically appear for decoders that support it when the newer kernel is used. Or at least that's how I understand it. So, as soon as The revision 2 "Y" firmware comes out, DSP decoding should become available.

 

[skeezix]

It should be easy to build in support for pnds, maybe no work at all; keep me in the loop If it honours .desktop for execution/listing, it should work out of the box. Otherwise, oyu might want to add _that_ into it, rather than anything pnd-specific. But if you want to be pnd-specific, libpnd should have all you need and more, so it shoudl be just API calls.

But let me know if Ican help out..

jeff

 

[HackModford]

You can help!

xbmc doesn't launch any programs except .xbe natively.

That's why someone made a python addon that will actually launch applications. You can even use it to select roms and launch the correct emulator.

Only problem is xbmc for the pandora ATM doesn't support addons. I can install the addon but it fails to launch.

It would be great if we could simply add the code to launch .pnd's instead of .xbe's

So hopefully someone can figure this out...

 

[dewc]

I think it would be a neat idea.

 

[skeezix]

libpnd does all the magic for you ..

- you can ask it to give you a linkd list of pnds back (the directory listing essentially.. it does all the searchpath voodoo for you etc)
- you can ask libpnd to launch an app for you (based on that auto-discovered directory listing stuff)

Its not hard to use at all .. half dozen lines of code to set up libpnd, a half dozen to get the auto discovery list, and one to launch.

Very easy .. the hard part is xbmc

 

[sebt3]

just get the addons working and I can deal with the rest

Done

Shootcast is working fine, I've buffering problem with youtube, but otherwise it works too.

 

[skeezix]

ie: get a list of all pnd's, from the 'desktop' path:

516 // desktop apps?

517 if ( pnd_conf_get_as_int_d ( g_conf, "minimenu.desktop_apps", 1 ) ) {

518 pnd_log ( pndn_debug, "Looking for pnd applications here: %s\n",

519 pnd_conf_get_as_char ( g_desktopconf, "desktop.searchpath" ) );

520 g_active_apps = pnd_disco_search ( pnd_conf_get_as_char ( g_desktopconf, "desktop.searchpath" ), NULL );

521 }

(swiped from mmenu.c, which is part of minimenu, which is in the libpnd git)

look in applications_scan() for how mmenu gets its listing.

Then you can use pnd_apps_exec_disco() to run the disco_t struct from above list.

jeff

 

[HackModford]

Maybe the best way to do this would be to edit one of the xbmc addons (they're just python scripts)

 

[DaveC]

I wouldn't think it would work to well if you have allot of stuff. You would have a huge wall of text to scroll through especially if you do it by picking on a ROM etc. While it may be OK if you only have a few things I can see that getting unweildy real fast.

It seems stuck on the scroll one by one thing too much. If you want to get to your stuff quickly it is much faster with an icon grid and the ability to catagorize emus, games etc.

 

[HackModford]

You can easily set the view mode to be a grid...

 

[Pleng]

I would 100% use this. The Pandora is crying out for an interface worthy of its form-factor!

 

[johnmy]

I'd be interested in this - I used to love XBMC on my Xbox!