AltEPG

I have managed to switch my TiVo's over to the altEPG service which is truly fantastic but on a couple of the machines I have since noticed that the hack folder /var/hack and all the corresponding files and sub directories have been deleted, the method I used was to chose the 'Clear Programme Data & To Do List' so I can't see why the hack folder has been zapped, I'm pretty sure it can't be resurrected but if I am to reload TivoWeb and all of it's modules etc. I could do with a reminder of how to do it? can anyone help?? is there a telnet script that can take the hard work out of it

BTW... would I be better off reinstalling a later version of TiVoWeb rather than the 1.9.4 that I have been using? what's the benefits, if any??

Just had a thought.... would it be possible to copy the hack folder from another fully functioning TiVo with Tivoweb to the PC via FTP and then copy back to the var folder by FTP would this work?

I am under the impression that 1.9.4 is the latest version of TivoWeb. Maybe you were thinking of using TivoWebplus. I don't use that so can't comment.

Copying the /var/hack directory from another TiVo should work though if going via a Windows PC you should should check the files have the appropriate execute attributes when they are in the destination Tivo. Depending on what you have in /var/hack you may need to ensure that any which you expect to start automatically on boot (eg TivoWeb) still have the appropriate calling lines elsewhere (eg in /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit.author).

drgeoff wrote:I am under the impression that 1.9.4 is the latest version of TivoWeb. Maybe you were thinking of using TivoWebplus. I don't use that so can't comment.

Copying the /var/hack directory from another TiVo should work though if going via a Windows PC you should should check the files have the appropriate execute attributes when they are in the destination Tivo. Depending on what you have in /var/hack you may need to ensure that any which you expect to start automatically on boot have the appropriate calling lines elsewhere (eg in /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit.author).

Yes I was referring to TiVoWebPlus as the later version to the bog standard TiVoWeb, will I need to set the tivo drive to read/write first or will it copy the files over anyway?

If I also copy the rc.sysinit.author file from the host machine, assuming they are all pretty much using the same startup programs will that work as I know you can screw things up big time if you corrupt the rc.sysinit.author file

If you're going to copy the whole of /var/hack then it's far easier to zip the whole directory tree up first. That way you only have to copy one file using ftp, and all the file permissions will be preserved.
On source tivo:

Code: Select all

cd /var
tar cvfz /var/tmp/hack.gz hack


Then use ftp to copy /var/tmp/hack.gz from source tivo to same directory on target tivo.

On target tivo:

Code: Select all

cd /var
tar xvfz /var/tmp/hack.gz


Of course that assumes you have tar installed on both machines.

pemills wrote:...... will I need to set the tivo drive to read/write first or will it copy the files over anyway?

If I also copy the rc.sysinit.author file from the host machine, assuming they are all pretty much using the same startup programs will that work as I know you can screw things up big time if you corrupt the rc.sysinit.author file

/var should already be r/w. You will need to set / to rw to copy in or modify rc.sysinit.author. Don't forget to set it back to ro when done.

I also lost /var and hence all of my hacks recently . Fortunately I came across mikerr's excelent install utility just before I was about to try to re-install everything manually. All the hacks were back in minutes .

You no longer have to ftp anything to the tivo, untar it etc, you just do an http_get to install the utility in your hack directory, chmod it and then installing say tivoweb is just a case of typing (in your hack directory)

Code: Select all

./install tivoweb

It supports tivoweb, sortnp, endpad, tivobin, bufferhack etc. I tried mfs_ftp and it installed that too even though it is not mentioned in the post.

It does not touch your rc.sysinit* which I think is good, I don't want some of the hacks running all the time (like mfs_ftp). So if you want them to load at startup you must add them manually.

Read all about it here http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=454458

Even better, if you were running the AltEPG image, a simple reboot would have rebuilt your /var and /hack partition

I have a dream,one day hopefully all remaining Tivo's will be AltEPG Tivo's, hehe.

Yes Dave, this was a few months ago when I was still on the standard image. My two TiVos are now on the altEPG image so there are no worries about losing /var and all the hacks anymore. Also the AltEPG image comes with all the major hacks already installed (and multiple versions of tivoweb/plus) so there is not any hacking effort required (thanks!) .

Your dream has come true in my household at least (both the TiVos here are AltEPG) but I do look after other TiVos for friends and family some of which I could not upgrade to the AltEPG image because they had recordings they did not want to lose. I am now encouraging them to watch everything they really want and delete anything that is not irreplaceable so that I can do the AltEPG upgrade. If you have a disk full of recordings and delete it all, the disk will be full of new recordings before you know it. Takes a bit of convincing though to get some people to delete all the junk they will never watch anyway.

Anyway, I am very impressed with the AltEPG image and also how easy it is to re-image using the AltEPG ISO and its GUI.

millsb wrote:If you're going to copy the whole of /var/hack then it's far easier to zip the whole directory tree up first. That way you only have to copy one file using ftp, and all the file permissions will be preserved.
On source tivo:

Code: Select all

cd /var
tar cvfz /var/tmp/hack.gz hack


Then use ftp to copy /var/tmp/hack.gz from source tivo to same directory on target tivo.

On target tivo:

Code: Select all

cd /var
tar xvfz /var/tmp/hack.gz


Of course that assumes you have tar installed on both machines.

Those options sound far easier than what I was going to do but I am not sure if I have tar installed on the machines, what's the best way to check to be sure?

drgeoff wrote:

pemills wrote:...... will I need to set the tivo drive to read/write first or will it copy the files over anyway?

If I also copy the rc.sysinit.author file from the host machine, assuming they are all pretty much using the same startup programs will that work as I know you can screw things up big time if you corrupt the rc.sysinit.author file

/var should already be r/w. You will need to set / to rw to copy in or modify rc.sysinit.author. Don't forget to set it back to ro when done.

Thanks for the info, I now have to options to try, if one fails I can try the other, spoilt for choice, what a nice helpful bunch of enthusiasts we have on the forum

Use this command:

Code: Select all

type tar


If tar's installed, you'll get a response back something like:

Code: Select all

tar is /devbin/tar


And if you haven't already got it installed, installing just involves copying that one file onto your tivo.

healeydave wrote:I have a dream,one day hopefully all remaining Tivo's will be AltEPG Tivo's, hehe.

I wouldn't want to lose all my customisations with a new ISO image. But I'd be interested in a tarball so that I can compare it with my image and see what's changed. Do you have any plans on releasing a tarball? An ISO is a bit too "sledgehammer to crack a nut" for me

Not so much of a sledgehammer if added your customisations to the next revision.

millsb wrote:Use this command:

Code: Select all

type tar


If tar's installed, you'll get a response back something like:

Code: Select all

tar is /devbin/tar


And if you haven't already got it installed, installing just involves copying that one file onto your tivo.

It would appear I do not have tar on the receiving TiVo but I have found it on another TiVo so I have copied it across and give what you suggested a go

That's weird, the file on the host machine was created no problem, I ftp'd it across to the receiving TiVo and then tried to uncompress using 'tar xvfz /var/tmp/hack.gz' as you said and it failed because it say's tar is not installed even though I can see the file in the /var directory!! curiouser and curiouser

You need to make it executable

Code: Select all

chmod +x tar

and then (because it's not installed into the PATH) you should run it with a dot as the directory

Code: Select all

./tar

(p.s. also make sure it's FTP'd in "binary" mode and not "ascii").