Monthly Archive for October, 2011

New Crystalbuntu Update: October 2011

Published on October 26, 2011 in General, News and Tech. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

This update shortly follows the September update. The upcoming version of XBMC 11.0, named Eden, has now hit a soft feature freeze. This means that no new features will be added to this version of XBMC and will be deferred to the next release. However, Crystalbuntu will still be getting new features as a Linux distribution. This update is in fact the sixth consecutive update for Crystalbuntu, marking six months of solid updates so far with so much more to come.

  • New PVR build
  • Native AirTunes support
  • AFP support
  • New and speedier JPEG library
  • CrystalHD green dot bug fixed (again)
  • Fix DBus bug
  • Fix hostname bug
  • Fix JSON bug
  • Rollback option added to plugins
  • Improved HDD installer
    • Windows and Linux installers can now reinstall original Apple OS
  • 24 hour nightly builds of XBMC

Now AFP, NFS and SMB support is offered there is a network protocol for everyone. AFP is particularly useful for OSX Lion users as now NFS does not need to be configured as a server.

For a full list of changes, see the changelog at the bottom of the page here

Just restart your Apple TV to get this update immediately. Let me know how it goes, and consider making a donation to help fund future enhancements such as the aforementioned.

Crystalbuntu: behind the scenes

Published on October 2, 2011 in General and Tech. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

It surprises me that a lot of users have little idea how Crystalbuntu works or how much effort is put in behind the scenes. A lot of users seem to think they are installing a pre-configured image which has XBMC, but this is far from the case. I thought I’d let you guys know about some development behind the scenes and what’s up and coming in the next couple of months.

  • Crystalbuntu is a dynamic system. Some users ask to downgrade to older versions such as “The July image” when the August update broke the addon system slightly. While a build downgrade was possible, reverting to the previous month’s state in its entirety was not. Crystalbuntu’s image is a core (that has significantly changed now I might add) and it fetches the new components in the form of ‘updates’. These updates are scripted changes rather than static images.
  • Crystalbuntu is not just an image and go system. When you install Crystalbuntu, the following is happening behind the scenes:
    • The system connects to an update server (which I have to maintain).
    • The system downloads new versions of XBMC (which I compile) and new versions of the CrystalHD driver (which I put in compilable form).
    • The system downloads new dependencies for XBMC (which I have to compile, because XBMC is no longer supported on Ubuntu 8.0.4, the best OS for AppleTV).
    • The system installs new features and updates (such as AirPlay, AirTunes, automounting, a new kernel, IO tweaks). These features are all configured for deployment by me.
  • As you can see, the system is not a static image with this pre-configured, it has to be maintained and work is constantly being put into it.

Updates I say, so what’s next?

  • AFP support
  • Native AirTunes integration
  • New JPEG library offering faster UI
  • Eden beta testing soon.