[mythtvnz] Mythfrontends using CF

Duncan Kennington mythtvnz@lists.linuxnut.co.nz
Fri, 17 Feb 2006 16:57:20 +1300


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I run a Smoothwall firewall off CF - to minimise the writes to CF (I believe
they are usually limited to ~1,000,000 writes) I have /var/log and /tmp
mounted on a ram disk which is copied back to the CF once a day.  There's a
risk in power out that I lose up to a day's logs, but I'm not too concerned
on that front.  If I was very keen, I could have the firewall monitor the
UPS and execute a copy to the CF before shutting itself down, but that's all
too much like organised for me.
 
I plan to use a mixture of NFS and CF for my bedroom frontend - I have not
had the sort of reliability I want from wireless networking to date so
haven't got it going yet though.
 
Basically I want the machine to boot itself without needing the server
present, but mount the usable stuff over NFS.  Especially /usr/share/mythtv
- I hate upgrading the menus or themes and finding them not done on the
other machine!

  _____  

From: mythtvnz-admin@lists.linuxnut.co.nz
[mailto:mythtvnz-admin@lists.linuxnut.co.nz] On Behalf Of Toby Mills
Sent: Tuesday, 14 February 2006 2:27 p.m.
To: mythtvnz@lists.linuxnut.co.nz
Subject: RE: [mythtvnz] Mythfrontends using CF


yes i was a bit worried about CF dying, but both frontends have been going
for 6 months now with no sign of any CF problems,
i made sure I turned off anything thats not really needed to reduce the
amount of disk access so it only really hits the CF on boot or when you load
something new in myth.
 
i believe that its writes that kill CF so if you minimise writes and are
generally only reading then it should last fairly well.
my frontends shut themselves down every night as an additional precaution.

Cheers
Toby

-----Original Message-----
From: mythtvnz-admin@lists.linuxnut.co.nz
[mailto:mythtvnz-admin@lists.linuxnut.co.nz] On Behalf Of Sam Banks
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2006 2:17 PM
To: mythtvnz@lists.linuxnut.co.nz
Subject: Re: [mythtvnz] Mythfrontends using CF


I tried that but the CF card didn't last long so I am back on IDE till I
find a cost effective solution


On 2/14/06, Toby Mills < toby@np.co.nz <mailto:toby@np.co.nz> > wrote: 

Hi

I'm using 2Gb CF cards with IDE converters in my frontends, I'd be 
interested to know if anyone else is doing something like this in order
to achieve silence.

I have my big grunty noisy backend box out in the garage with near
silent frontends in the house that don't need any spinning disk or much 
horsepower to generate heat.
Seeing as the frontends only need enough space for the OS and myth I
found this was the cleanest and cheapest way of getting a silent system
(anyone else have any better ideas). I just use NFS to mount MP3 and 
Video directories off the backend server.

The only time the case fan spins up is when I'm ripping a DVD so it's a
practically silent solution that doesn't involve spending bucketloads of
money.

Cheers 
Toby



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<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D593494903-17022006><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff>I run a Smoothwall firewall off CF - to minimise the =
writes to CF=20
(I believe they are usually limited to ~1,000,000 writes) I have =
/var/log and=20
/tmp mounted on a ram disk which is copied back to the CF once a =
day.&nbsp;=20
There's a risk in power out that I lose up to a day's logs, but I'm not =
too=20
concerned on that front.&nbsp; If I was very keen, I could have the =
firewall=20
monitor the UPS and execute a copy to the CF before shutting itself =
down, but=20
that's all too much like organised for me.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D593494903-17022006><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D593494903-17022006><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff>I plan to use a mixture of NFS and CF for my=20
bedroom&nbsp;frontend&nbsp;- I have not had the sort of reliability I =
want from=20
wireless networking to date so haven't got it going yet=20
though.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D593494903-17022006><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D593494903-17022006><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff>Basically I want the machine to boot itself without =
needing the=20
server present, but mount the usable stuff over NFS.&nbsp; Especially=20
/usr/share/mythtv - I hate upgrading the menus or themes and finding =
them not=20
done on the other machine!</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader lang=3Den-us dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft>
<HR tabIndex=3D-1>
<FONT face=3DTahoma size=3D2><B>From:</B> =
mythtvnz-admin@lists.linuxnut.co.nz=20
[mailto:mythtvnz-admin@lists.linuxnut.co.nz] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Toby=20
Mills<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, 14 February 2006 2:27 p.m.<BR><B>To:</B>=20
mythtvnz@lists.linuxnut.co.nz<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: [mythtvnz] =
Mythfrontends=20
using CF<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D114162201-14022006><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>yes i=20
was a bit worried about CF dying, but both frontends have been going for =
6=20
months now with no sign of any CF problems,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D114162201-14022006><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>i made=20
sure I turned off anything thats not really needed to reduce the amount =
of disk=20
access so it only really hits the CF on boot or when you load something =
new in=20
myth.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D114162201-14022006><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =

size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D114162201-14022006><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>i=20
believe that its writes that kill CF so if you minimise writes and are =
generally=20
only reading then it should last fairly well.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D114162201-14022006><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>my=20
frontends shut themselves down every night as an additional=20
precaution.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D114162201-14022006><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =

size=3D2><BR>Cheers<BR>Toby</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV></DIV>
  <DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader lang=3Den-us dir=3Dltr =
align=3Dleft><FONT=20
  face=3DTahoma size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>=20
  mythtvnz-admin@lists.linuxnut.co.nz=20
  [mailto:mythtvnz-admin@lists.linuxnut.co.nz] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Sam=20
  Banks<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, February 14, 2006 2:17 PM<BR><B>To:</B> =

  mythtvnz@lists.linuxnut.co.nz<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [mythtvnz] =
Mythfrontends=20
  using CF<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>I tried that but the CF card didn't last =
long so=20
  I am back on IDE till I find a cost effective solution<BR><BR>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3Dgmail_quote>On 2/14/06, <B =
class=3Dgmail_sendername>Toby=20
  Mills</B> &lt;<A href=3D"mailto:toby@np.co.nz"> toby@np.co.nz</A>&gt;=20
  wrote:</SPAN>=20
  <BLOCKQUOTE class=3Dgmail_quote=20
  style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: =
rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid">Hi<BR><BR>I'm=20
    using 2Gb CF cards with IDE converters in my frontends, I'd be=20
    <BR>interested to know if anyone else is doing something like this =
in=20
    order<BR>to achieve silence.<BR><BR>I have my big grunty noisy =
backend box=20
    out in the garage with near<BR>silent frontends in the house that =
don't need=20
    any spinning disk or much <BR>horsepower to generate heat.<BR>Seeing =
as the=20
    frontends only need enough space for the OS and myth I<BR>found this =
was the=20
    cleanest and cheapest way of getting a silent system<BR>(anyone else =
have=20
    any better ideas). I just use NFS to mount MP3 and <BR>Video =
directories off=20
    the backend server.<BR><BR>The only time the case fan spins up is =
when I'm=20
    ripping a DVD so it's a<BR>practically silent solution that doesn't =
involve=20
    spending bucketloads of<BR>money.<BR><BR>Cheers=20
    =
<BR>Toby<BR><BR><BR><BR>_______________________________________________<B=
R>mythtvnz=20
    mailing list<BR><A=20
    =
href=3D"mailto:mythtvnz@lists.linuxnut.co.nz">mythtvnz@lists.linuxnut.co.=
nz</A><BR><A=20
    =
href=3D"http://lists.ourshack.com/mailman/listinfo/mythtvnz">http://lists=
.ourshack.com/mailman/listinfo/mythtvnz</A><BR>Archives=20
    <A=20
    =
href=3D"http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/mythtvnz/">http://ww=
w.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/mythtvnz/</A><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><=
BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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