Freevo

Freevo is a PVR program that you can use to record TV shows, watch DVDs, and listen to music. It is similar to MythTV but not as complex. It is very flexible because it relies on existing external programs to do various tasks. This guide assumes you want to setup Freevo to run on X (X11) not DirectFB or SDL or the hardware framebuffer.

Freevo also uses MEncoder (part of MPlayer) for its backend to record and watch media.

Freevo Official Wiki
Freevo maintains its own Wiki which covers everything you need to do to setup a Freevo system.

Installing Mplayer
Emerge mplayer with suitable use flags to your needs.

Use flag available for mplayer

Choose your suitable desired useflag and put them in /etc/portage/package.use.

You can use this method :

Emerge Mplayer
Check if your useflag is correctly setup and do :

When emerging done, make sure mplayer is working and able to play your video or audio file.

If you're setting your freevo box up remotely (via ssh or whatever), you'll need to tell mplayer what display to use:

Make sure you have media-libs/svgalib installed, if you don't have it please emerge it

and load the kernel module.

Installing Freevo
Its in your best interest to make sure portage tree is up to date.

Freevo Useflag
Choose your suitable desired useflag and put them in /etc/portage/package.use.

You can use this method :

Emerging freevo
After choosing the suitable useflag do :

Configuring Freevo
Freevo have 3 configuration files that you need to tweak to your needs. You can edit this file with your favorite text editor.

Configuring freevo to load at boot time
Normally, freevo in gentoo is already capable to load at boot time using init script. You just need to add it to default runlevel.

But for those who feels that booting freevo as root is a security risk, you can use the alternative method to boot freevo as user.

Loading freevo as user the auto login way
Create this file with your favorite text editor

Compile autologin.c

Change the newly compiled file permission

Move the file to /usr/local/sbin

edit /etc/init.tab and comment out this line

add new line to /etc/inittab

Make sure the default runlevel in /etc/inittab is init 1 or 3

Now edit the /home/YOUR_USERNAME/.bash_profile to load freevo upon login.

Finally, Test it. go to tty1 and logout, see if freevo is loading or not upon auto relogin.

Loading freevo as user the init.d way
This method is much simpler and cleaner rather than the autologin way.

You will need to create these 2 files using your favorite text editor and save it to /etc/conf.d/freevo-user and /etc/init.d/freevo-user.

This script can load freevo, encoding server, recording server and web server but except freevo,it cannot stop the other service using init.d method. maybe somebody can solve it?.

FIXED: The current script can stop the other freevo services.

Next change the permission of the script

Then make sure the script is loading on boot

You can test this script by running

Installing Synergy
You must install synergy in both the freevo box (client side or synergyc) and in your controlling laptop (the computer that uses its keyboard to control freevo box or the server side or synergys).

Client side or the freevo box
Emerge synergy package by :

Create this file /etc/conf.d/synergy

Create this init.d script to load synergy on boot

Make the init.d script executable

Add the init.d script to default runlevel

run the script

Server side or the controlling laptop
Install synergy by :

edit /etc/synergy.conf

Create this file /etc/conf.d/synergy

Create this init.d script to load synergy on boot

Make the init.d script executable

Add the init.d script to default runlevel

run the script

To test if the script is running well, point your mouse in your laptop to top edge of screen and see if the mouse cursor change to the freevo box. if it changes then you can start use your keyboard to monitor it.