Updates to TivoWeb / TivoWebPlus

[spitfires]

More haste, less speed

Indeedy I was rushing to go out and look what happens!

[spitfires]

any chance of making available full tar files of your latest patched versions of TW & TWP?

Too big to upload so here you are Graham.
Geoff

Edit: I haven't done TWP 1.3 because I don't think we should be using that version - it contains many bugs / deficiencies and I think people would be better off with 2.1.

[spitfires]

Reason:
- Fix bug in 110722 where under certain circumstances the wrong episode number would be displayed

Versions:
- TivoWebPlus 2.1.b3 (oztivo-091208)

Baseline:
- Patch 110723-2

Patch:
- 110725

Installation:
- 1) Replace the files on your TiVo with the files attached. Restart TW/TWP with a "Quick" Restart.

.

[drgeoff]

Reason:
- Fix bug in 110722 where under certain circumstances the wrong episode number would be displayed

Versions:
- TivoWebPlus 2.1.b3 (oztivo-091208)

Baseline:
- Patch 110723-2

Patch:
- 110725

Installation:
- 1) Replace the files on your TiVo with the files attached. Restart TW/TWP with a "Quick" Restart.

.

Not clear if this bug -fix is needed for TivoWeb 1.9.4 version.

[Pete77]

Whilst I'm sure that its clearly unintentional I found the procedures required to install these patches or improvements to be more than a little confusing. I also find that the very mention of the word tar is usually inclined to usually bring me out in a rash as most common file extraction utilities don't seem to support this Linux specific file compression format and in my experience most Tivoweb files can be housed quite satisfactory in a standard zip file with no need for all this tar based Linux cliqueyness.

Of course I realise that I am quite clearly being totally ungrateful for spitfires sterling unpaid tivoweb development work and that if I am not able to work out how to deal with things like Tars then I should obviously be contenting myself with a PVR aimed only at the dumbed down end users like a Sky+ or Virgin Tivo box..................

[Rachel]

most Tivoweb files can be housed quite satisfactory in a standard zip file with no need for all this tar based Linux cliqueyness

Winzip will open tar files very happily. http://kb.winzip.com/kb/entry/254

Actually tar is the only format which will work consistently across all 3 operating systems: Windows, Mac & Linux.

[spitfires]

Reason:
- In TWP 2.1.b3 the "Series" display doesn't play very nicely with data which is currently missing from the alpha stage AltEPG. The "Now Playing" section wrongly displays all those with no TMSid as being part of the series being displayed. Also it ignores orphan recordings (by which I mean recordings made with Tribune EPG data). This patch attempts to fix both of those issues.
- On my Tivo I noticed that the "Upcoming Showings" list sometimes lists the same showing (i.e. matching time & station) more than once. The patch to search.itcl should fix that.

Versions:
- TivoWebPlus 2.1.b3 (oztivo-091208)

Baseline:
- Patch 110725

Patch:
- 110726

Installation:
- 1) Replace the files on your TiVo with the files attached. Restart TWP with a "Quick" Restart.

[spitfires]

@Pete77
What time is convenient for you, for me to come round to your house and copy these files across to your TiVo for you?

[SolidTechie]

@Pete77
What time is convenient for you, for me to come round to your house and copy these files across to your TiVo for you?

Priceless.

For anything else, there's MasterCrud.

[Pete77]

@Pete77 What time is convenient for you, for me to come round to your house and copy these files across to your TiVo for you?

I'm quite happy to copy them over myself thank you as long as [abuse removed by Moderator. This will NOT be tolerated]

[Rachel]

You really are a troll aren't you.

Tar is a Unix file format (not Linux) and was invented in the early 1970s. Zip was licensed by Microsoft in 1989 (i.e. 19 years later) because they deliberately wanted to use something proprietary so their files could only be read on Windows machines. Zip files are not universal. Tar files are.

There is no need to "chmod" anything - assuming you even know what that means.

I think the instruction to
"Replace the files on your TiVo with the files attached. Restart TWP with a "Quick" Restart."
seems pretty "clear and unambiguous". If you can't follow that then you really shouldn't be doing it and would be better off not "poking" around inside your tivo or you will surely break it.

Do you really want instructions which say
Step 1. Right click on the file and save it to a directory on your computer. Remember what the directory and file name was. Write it down on a piece of paper.
Step 2. Open Windows Explorer (right click on Start and then click on Explore) and navigate to the file you wrote down in stage 1. Double-click the file to open it.
.
.
Step 345. To restart tivoweb open the tivoweb program in a browser and then click on "System" then "Restart" then "Quick" if using tivowebplus or....


I think you would be complaining that you were being treated like a numpty if it was done that way.


p.s.

unnecessarily having to chmod files that could perfectly well have been chmodded in to the right state for the end user by their author

No that's the whole point, the zip format (and WIndows specifically) does not understand Unix file permissions as used by your Tivo so this is impossible.

p.p.s. Since your Tivo runs Linux and not Windows (shock horror!) I think you should just be grateful that you are getting something which you CAN run in Windows and aren't being forced to buy a Linux laptop to play with your tivo.

p.p.p.s. I really think you should be complaining about Tivo using a "cliquey" mfs file format, or complaining to BillGates about why Windows using a "cliquey" compression format ("zip"!), rather than making an issue out of nothing about a tar file which you CAN open on your Windows machine but you are just choosing to be annoying about for the sake of starting an argument.



Yep you really are a troll. And I've just fallen for it. Shan't happen again. *plop*

[mrtickle]

Is it any wonder that Sky+ or Virgin Tivo boxes continue to prosper in the mass market place when some members of the forum seem not to want to make their hacks accessible to every single possible level of potential Tivo hacker from Beginner to Grand Master.

Confirmed (again) troll.

[Pete77]

Tar is a Unix file format (not Linux) and was invented in the early 1970s.

So popular on large ancient main frames that no one uses any more running programs written in COBOL or FORTRAN that no one uses any more.

Zip was licensed by Microsoft in 1989 (i.e. 19 years later) because they deliberately wanted to use something proprietary so their files could only be read on Windows machines. Zip files are not universal. Tar files are.

Well the fact is that even though you clearly wish for some form of divine retribution to be wrought on Microsoft (are you sure you aren't just an alter ego of Spitfires as this love of Unix and dislike of Microsoft doesn't sound like a very typical mid 20 something thing and much more like a tired grumpy old programmer who learned their trade in the 1970s and also you were responding to a post about one of Spitfires new hacks) most home users currently run a Windows operating system and Window operating systems do not understand tar files by default So the non IT expert is immediately left at sixes and sevens. If simple and one click is not what most Tivo users want then how come mikerr of Tivo Central who runs the fastest expanding Tivo upgrading business has gone to such pains to go more and more down this particular route with the installation of his hacks.

There is no need to "chmod" anything - assuming you even know what that means.

chmod 755 or chmod +x -x etc. Of course we can spend hours reading up on it all and hope not to screw it up when we run these obscure commands at those black and white dos prompts that old programmers from the 1970s so deeply rue the passing of but what's the need when most people just want to add more features to their PVR for recording tv rather than to become card carrying members of a dieing set of computer protocols for mainframes.

I think the instruction to
"Replace the files on your TiVo with the files attached. Restart TWP with a "Quick" Restart."
seems pretty "clear and unambiguous". If you can't follow that then you really shouldn't be doing it and would be better off not "poking" around inside your tivo or you will surely break it.

Ah the old "if you are not one of us techies then you are not entitled to add functionality to your Tivo thing again".

Do you really want instructions which say
Step 1. Right click on the file and save it to a directory on your computer. Remember what the directory and file name was. Write it down on a piece of paper.
Step 2. Open Windows Explorer (right click on Start and then click on Explore) and navigate to the file you wrote down in stage 1. Double-click the file to open it.
.
.
Step 345. To restart tivoweb open the tivoweb program in a browser and then click on "System" then "Restart" then "Quick" if using tivowebplus or....

Yes because actually it doesn't take 345 steps but say 15 steps instead of 3 steps.

p.s.

unnecessarily having to chmod files that could perfectly well have been chmodded in to the right state for the end user by their author

No that's the whole point, the zip format (and WIndows specifically) does not understand Unix file permissions as used by your Tivo so this is impossible.

Wrong. I have installed numerous zip files with Tivo hacks written by Mikerr on to my Tivo but unzipped them on my Windows laptop first before FTP'ng them over and the file permissions do always stay just how they were when he created them. I have also backed up my whole Tivo hack directory on to my PC and put it back on my Tivo from there when var has been wiped with no ill effects whatsoever and no changes in file permissions when back on the Tivo. But of course I know that a cliquey old Tarball that only a few programming experts understand is really much more fun.

p.p.s. Since your Tivo runs Linux and not Windows (shock horror!) I think you should just be grateful that you are getting something which you CAN run in Windows and aren't being forced to buy a Linux laptop to play with your tivo.

I thought Linux was just a free operating system (in its non proprietary versions) that I could dual boot my existing lap top on to if I wanted to. But now you say that a Linux laptop apparently can't run Windows too and that dual boot software to enable just this does not exist. You miss the point that people just want more features on their PVR. They don't want to become experts on Linux or Unix. Mikerr recognises this. Sadly you don't seem to.

p.p.p.s. I really think you should be complaining about Tivo using a "cliquey" mfs file format, or complaining to BillGates about why Windows using a "cliquey" compression format ("zip"!), rather than making an issue out of nothing about a tar file which you CAN open on your Windows machine but you are just choosing to be annoying about for the sake of starting an argument.

You clearly are an alter ego of spitfires. Surely no real female would be keen to admit to having been in Holloway Prison and put in there for prostitution and extortion and would take such pleasure in knowing the intricacies of some outdated mainframe operating system language developed in the 1970s and its more recent spinoff for PCs.

[Brother52]

...stuff...

ODFO

[positor1]

Do you really want instructions which say
Step 1. Right click on the file and save it to a directory on your computer. Remember what the directory and file name was. Write it down on a piece of paper.
Step 2. Open Windows Explorer (right click on Start and then click on Explore) and navigate to the file you wrote down in stage 1. Double-click the file to open it.
.
.

I know it is not the point but I would, then I am a bit thick