Thanks Simon for a detailed explanation. Yes I am a window guy, although I have taken some Linux classes in the past, I have forgotten the how to environment. I will try to learn more as I dig in to it.<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">
On Thu, Sep 30, 2010 at 4:20 PM, Simon Hobson <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:linux@thehobsons.co.uk">linux@thehobsons.co.uk</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
<div class="im">Rafic Gho wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
so if I get the supported tuner, then does it recocognize the tuner without loading the driver?<br>
</blockquote>
<br></div>
I'm guessing you've come from a Windows background and Linux is new to you. It takes a fair bit of adjustment to the many significant differences.<br>
<br>
Generalising and simplifying somewhat ...<br>
<br>
In the Windows world, many common devices are supported by Windows "out of the box" - they still have a driver, it's just that Microsoft supply one and it's installed by default. When you buy new hardware, it typically comes with a disk for you to install a driver from - either because the manufacturer has a better one than Microsoft supply (eg it supports all the hardware features rather than just a selection of generic ones) or because Microsoft don't supply one at all.<br>
Because Windows is such a dominant OS, no hardware manufacturer would consider shipping hardware without a Windows driver.<br>
<br>
Now, over in the Linux world things are different. We still need device drivers, but the difference is that (in general) you don't get a disk with a Linux driver with your new hardware. Things are improving, but with a few notable exceptions, most vendors just haven't realised that there is any other OS than Windows. Those of us that use Macs have a similar problem.<br>
<br>
As a result, in the Linux world, it's a case of the "Linux Developers"* who have to supply all the device drivers. Thus, instead of installing the driver that came on a disk from your hardware vendor, you are reliant on a driver for that device being part of the Linux you installed. If you have something that's mature enough to have a driver, then it may well already be supported by your current installation and you have nothing to install. If it's something new, then you may have to upgrade and/or reconfigure your kernel to get a driver - the latter is, I would suggest, not something for a complete newcomer to tackle.<br>
<br>
In your case, <a href="http://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/ATSC_USB_Devices" target="_blank">http://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/ATSC_USB_Devices</a> shows that the device is supported from kernel version 2.6.26 onwards. That means plug it in, and the system should recognise it - as long as you have a kernel no earlier than that. Most things are "plug and play" these days, when you plug in the tuner, the USB subsystem will detect the device being plugged in, interrogate it to find out what it is, and load the correct driver to operate it. When the driver loads, a device file will be created for it in /dev, and the device is then 'visible' to any software you run.<br>
<br>
That is only half the story - you then have to configure Myth to use it. The driver merely makes the device visible to software running on your system, you need applications (of which Myth is just one) to actually use it.<br>
Someone posted a link to the Wiki earlier where there are step by step instructions to install and configure Myth.<br>
<br>
<br>
* I use the term fairly widely as referring to the very large group of developers who contribute to the overall "package". In fact there is a group running the Video for Linux section, who look after video devices.<br>
<font color="#888888">
-- <br>
Simon Hobson<br>
<br>
Visit <a href="http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/</a> for books by acclaimed<br>
author Gladys Hobson. Novels - poetry - short stories - ideal as<br>
Christmas stocking fillers. Some available as e-books.</font><div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
_______________________________________________<br>
mythtv-users mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:mythtv-users@mythtv.org" target="_blank">mythtv-users@mythtv.org</a><br>
<a href="http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users" target="_blank">http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users</a><br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br>