Installing DMG or PKG from command-line on Mac, Apple TV

• mounting dmg

hdid package.dmg

or, hdiutil attach package.dmg

or, hdiutil mount package.dmg

• change directory

cd /Volumes/package/

• install pkg

sudo installer -verbose -pkg package.pkg -target /

or, sudo /usr/sbin/installer -verbose -pkg package.pkg -target /

• unmounting dmg

hdiutil detach /Volumes/package

or, hdiutil detach /Volumes/package -force

Getting Broadcom CrystalHD into AppleTV [[ A 2 Z ;-) ]]

If you don't happen to know much about "crystalHD" yet, you will find the gist of the story here: http://xbmc.org/davilla/2009/12/29/broadcom-crystal-hd-its-magic/. In short, it's a mini pci-e card which lets you decode "H264" in hardware.

Can't wait to see the proper driver and XBMC version which will leave everyone with the possibility to have a kick-ass media center for the living room:

Which card to buy: BCM970012 or BCM970015 ?

Answer:  BCM970015.
Why: http://www.logicsupply.com/blog/2010/08/09/next-gen-broadcom-hardware-decoder-one-chip-many-advantages/

1. Installing hardware 
   http://rufn.it/aTV/
   http://patchstick.wikispaces.com/Broadcom+Installation
2. Installing driver
   http://todayguesswhat.blogspot.com/2010/01/thanks-davilla-and-xbmc-team-apple-tv.html
3. Installing XBMC
   
   (manual process)
   replace "latest.dmg" with the version you want. You can get a list of version on this website: http://mirrors.xbmc.org/
   

------------------------------------------------------------------------------SSH into ATV (username: frontrow, password: frontrow)
 
cd Downloads 
 
wget http://mirrors.xbmc.org/nightlies/osx/latest.dmg
or, curl http://mirrors.xbmc.org/nightlies/osx/latest.dmg

sudo hdutil mount latest.dmg
cp -r /Volumes/XBMC/XBMC.app /Users/frontrow/Applications/
sudo reboot
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(automatic process)

Installing XBMC and CrystalHD drivers by "Launcher":

• DON'T RUN THE "DEFAULTS" COMMANDS WITH SUDO.
  

• defaults write com.teamxbmc.xbmclauncher XBMCAdditionalDownloadPlistURLs -array-add http://mirrors.xbmc.org/nightlies/osx/update_urls.plist

• defaults write com.teamxbmc.xbmclauncher XBMCAdditionalDownloadPlistURLs -array-add http://crystalhd.sartori.at/files/crystalhd.plist
• defaults write com.teamxbmc.xbmclauncher XBMCAdditionalDownloadPlistURLs -array-add http://www.sshcs.com/xbmc/Info.asp
  
• REBOOT. THERE SHOULD BE TWO NEW ENTRIES UNDER "LAUNCHER" MENU NAMELY - NIGHTLIES, CRYSTAL-HD.

Checking Crystal-HD:

• grep -i crystal /Users/frontrow/Library/Logs/xbmc.log
• dmesg | grep -i crystal 

Getting Other log files:

• xbmc.log: /Users/frontorw/Library/Logs/xbmc.log
• Console log: /Library/Logs/Console/501/console.log
• Crashreporter log: /Users/frontrow/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/CrashReporter.log

More Info:

• http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/Broadcom_HD_Decoder 

CrystalHD-UBUNTU:This is a live ubuntu with crystalHD driver and xbmc, bootable from USB stick.

• Source: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=74992
• Download:
  
  • http://www.surfanddestroy.org/resources/xbmc-r28256-crystalHD-1.0.3-alsa-1.019-nvidia100.14.19-hardy-cust_machkernel-2.6.24.27.rar
  • http://stmlabs.com/resources/xbmc-r28256-crystalHD-1.0.3-alsa-1.019-nvidia100.14.19-hardy-cust_machkernel-2.6.24.27.rar
    
    MD5 hash: d4cb24bca0042e84425ab23454a5bab4
    

Installing Ubuntu on AppleTV:

There is a very nicely written wiki located here:

• http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=HOW-TO_install_a_Miminal_Ubuntu_and_XBMC_with_sound_over_HDMI_on_the_AppleTV

Related Threads on XBMC Forum:

1. http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=81209
   
   Quotes:
   
   

   atv(osx) has a quirk that limits display to 720p, it's been discussed about a million times and here's a trac ticket for it.
   
   atv(linux) has no such limit, xorg controls display resolutions that are available.
   --
   davilla
   Team-XBMC Developer
   2010-09-20, 10:21

Rename AppleTV plugins

vim /Volumes/OSBoot/System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/PlugIns/nitoTV.frappliance/Contents/Resources/English.lproj/InfoPlist.strings

replace nitoTV.frappliance with the plugin name you want to replace ;)

AC3 demystified for AppleTV (Fsck You Apple !!)

Anywayz, it just didn't have to be this complicated. "Apple" could easily make this box do a lot more than what it does now without keeping this superb-lame intention of leaving this box half crippled and restricted.

Back to the point ...

[»] AC3 works only through optical output, should also work through hdmi, but I have not tested it myself since I have only 1 hdmi cable at home.

[»] change the following keys in apple.tv by logging in as frontrow :

(1) defaults write com.cod3r.a52codec attemptPassthrough 1

if you have ATV-files installed ::
(2) defaults write net.ericiii.ATVFiles EnableAC3Passthrough 1

if you have nitoTV installed ::
(3) defaults write com.apple.frontrow.appliance.nitoTV passthru 1

[»] nitoTV automatically installs ffmpeg at this location :: /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/PlugIns/nitoTV.frappliance/Contents/Resources/ffmpeg

[»] to check if a video has ac3 :: ffmpeg -i video.avi ... it will print the audio/video informations for the input video.

[»] after changing the keys, restart frontrow or reboot appleTV and play the video with AC3, it should give you 5.1 sound output now.

Fsck you Apple, for making it so complicated, if I knew it before, I would have just bought a cheap media-center pc and would happily run mythTV on it. FSCK you again ... Either make a proper iTunes for linux or leave the damn thing out of the way, so that I can store and play my files on the device without any intervention of the fscking itunes ...

[ sorry guys, just couldn't stop myself. I kind of spent the whole last night digging into this ac3 problem, went to bed at 7am in the morning. now you tell me, who would know those correct key names to change, if you dont digg this much ... sorry once again for not being able to control my rage on Apple for making so unnecessarily complicated ]

AppleTV - airtunes from linux with amarok

1. Fix the "Shouter" plugin for Amarok in "/home/babil/.kde/share/apps/amarok/scripts/shouter/"

Playlist.py ::

if current > total : current = total
if float(total) == 0:
raise ShouterExceptions.amarok_not_playing_error

Globals.py ::

# coding=Latin-1

Bash ::

• ln -s /usr/share/apps/amarok/scripts/common/Zeroconf.py /home/babil/.kde/share/apps/amarok/scripts/shouter/Zeroconf.py
  
  
• ln -s /usr/share/apps/amarok/scripts/common/Publisher.py /home/babil/.kde/share/apps/amarok/scripts/shouter/Publisher.py
  

2. Run the "Shouter" plugin in Amarok "Tools/Script Manager"

3. Create a Playlist in nito with a entry like "http://192.168.0.5:8000/amarok" . Nito playlists are saved in "/Users/frontrow/Library/Application Support/nito/playlists"

4. Or run mplayer from ssh command line like this:

"/System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/PlugIns/nitoTV.frappliance/Contents/Resources/mplayer http://192.168.0.5:8000/amarok -autosync 30"