OpenATV 6.4 setup guide by KiddaC

What am I up to today.

Reinstalling the very latest openatv 6.3 after I bricked my box :)

It always amazes me the number of people who rely on pre made backup builds to use their enigma2 boxes.

Use one to learn the basics. Then learn to do it yourself. The best thing you will learn to do.

One of the very first things I learnt to do with my box was set up a fresh image of how I wanted it.

So as I am bored. And maybe it will help people in fear of doing this themselves and actually highlight how easy it is from start to finish.

This is I how I set up my box with openatv for 28.2e single satellite.

Once you have done this a few times, it should only take about 15-20mins to reflash and setup your box with barebones plugins and the settings how you personally like them. No unneeded plugins and settings you will find in pre made backup images that are trying to cater for everyone rather than just YOU.

*note before you start a new flash - a reflash clears most things off your box. Make sure you have copies of all important information before continueing.

clines, nlines, iptv details, config files, crons, even picons if you don't want to download them all again. etc. Never rely on the box backing things up. Copy them to a computer first. You have been warned.

I recommend you have 2 newly formatted USB flash sticks for this process.

Flash online - latest openatv 6.3

Menu > Setup > Software management > flash online.

Flash - ignore settings and plugin (clean)

Red Button - Change language to English (UK)
Select HDMI

Select Automatic Detection

View Mode: 1080p

Refresh rate: Auto

English (UK)

Restore Settings: No (the number of failed restore settings issues I have had over the times, i would rather set them all again manually. )

Use the wizard to set up basic features: OK

Timezone: GMT

Tuners...

Tuner A:

Config Mode: simple

Mode: Einzeln (Single)

Sat: 28.2e

Diseqc: Nein (No)

Force Legacy: Nein (No)
OK

Setup Tuner B if you got one.

Channel list: Scan new
Yes, do a manual scan now. (just so you can watch tv straight away before the rest of the setup. It can be slow, so can be skipped if you are in a hurry.)
Single Sat
Network: Yes

Clear: yes
Only Free: No
(Wait 10 mins ... ZZzzz...)

Network Wizard:

OK
Lan Connection
Use Interface: Yes
Use DHCP: Yes

Use Manual DNS: Yes

Primary: 8.8.8.8

Secondary: 8.8.8.4
Activte: Yes

Part 2: REMOVE PLUGINS

Remove unused plugins. I tend to delete 2 at a time and reboot GUI. The box can crash if you do to many at once. Then you got to flash all over again :)

Menu... plugins... Remove Plugins (red)

EXTENSIONS

atilehd (No use for my skins - so no use on my box)

autotimer (Never used it - but I presume most do - I always leave that on my box. Seems too embedded in everything to remove)

cutlisteditor (I rarely record - never mind edit or crop adverts out of recordings - That can go)

dvdplayer (never found a use for that, that can go)

enhancedmoviecenter (I skin normal movie player and not EMC - so that goes for my skins)

filecommander... hmmm, to me this is hackers paradise (been there and done that with dreambox edit ;) )-
I know openatv have changed a lot of modules just to cater for this bloaty plugin. All that effort and its one of the first things getting deleted. Bye.

Pictureplayer - (Its a sat box, not a bloody tablet gallery. That goes)

Programmlistenupdater - (Ich bin kein Deutscher - No use for me in the UK - that goes)

volume-adjust - Never seen the need for it. If I turn a channel over and its louder than previous, then just change volume. lazy ass plugin )

LANGUAGES

I delete them all except my English (UK), and English (US)

SKINS

Well as a skinner, it would be a crime to use anyone elses skins other than my own, so now I delete metrix skin and all the bulk that comes with it.

You don't have to. Just my preference. Metrix is a very good customisable skin.

SYSTEM PLUGINS

positionersetup - only have static dish. that can go.

videoenhancement - useless and once activated is a pain to get rid of. that can go.

At this point I usually put on a familar skin. In my case I always use my Onyx skin before I start tweaking the settings.

So I ftp into my box, copy over the IPK to tmp folder.

Blue button (quick launch)
Plugins ... IPK Installer.

Select my skin IPK.

Reboot GUI

Menu...setup...usage & gui...skin setup...

Part 3: ADD PLUGINS

menu..plugins...download..plugins..

EXTENSIONS

cacheflush - old school attitude. Don't know whether my powerful box needs it now. Always still install it. Does me no harm.

e2iplayer - not for me, maybe good for others

e2m3ubouquet - my Jedi rival, supposedly good, wouldn't know not tried it for years

e2piconzer is in the feeds yeah. I will manually install this though.

e2speedtest - i use this sporadically if my internet speeds are slow. Just as a quick speed check

epg import - my main epg downloader. Although I am now considering crossepg now it seems to run smoothly again on openatv.

Jedi Maker Xtream - already out of date. Always best to download from my main Jedi thread.

SYSTEM PLUGINS
Autobouquets Maker

Crossepg - I am experimenting between epg import and crossepg so both live on my box. But making sure only one is active at any one time.

That's pretty much all I ever install. I like my box barebones. No bulky media plugins, no plugins I am never going to use.

But obviously this is the whole point of you setting up your own box. Install the plugins relevant to how you use your box.

If you don't know what a plugin does. Google it. Download it. Try it. Remove it. (You will rarely crash your box by just experimenting with plugins in the feeds)

Part 4: Setup my external USB (or hard drive)

You only need to do this once. Future reflashes no need to setup USB again.

Plugin a good quality legit USB in your usb port (no ebay cheap clones). I personally use a Kingston 32gb Datatraveller. Because its tiny and discrete.

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Menu Setup... system..storage devices...Initialisation

Select your newly inserted USB (make sure you select this drive)

Setup Swap Manager

Menu...Info Panel...Plugins... Swapmanager...

Green Create.... Select USB.... 512mb...wait

Yellow AutoStart

Red Activate

Restart GUI. (important so USB is picked up in EPG settings)

Make sure EPG.dat file is being saved to this new external media device and not internal media.

Menu...setup...EPG...Setup...

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you can leave the rest of the settings as default.

I always setup cache flush here and then the main bulk of background processes are all setup.

Menu...plugins...CacheFlush

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:)
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Part 5: Setup up Bouquets

Menu...setup...service searching...AutoBouquetsMaker

*Update config files first.

Configure

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Providers (this section is entirely based on your personal setup)

An example shown below.

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Hide Sections

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Start scan

Your now good to watch all the freesat channels.

We will tweak all the settings next.

Part 6: SETTINGS.

Enough settings to scare the living daylights out of anyone. Even myself there are lots of new options since I last paid any real attention to them.

So what do I personally change and why.

menu...setup...Video...Basic settings

Default all look good.

menu...setup...Audio..Basic settings

Default except

Hide mute notification...no (If muted I like to see the mute icon)

menu...setup...Audio..Subtitle settings

Default except.

Use original teletext position. Yes/No. (this depends on what channel you are watching. news/channels that have scrolling tickers usually best to have this set to yes.)

New option - Automatically turn on external subtitles - Default yes???? Why is this set to yes. I was wondering why people keep asking me how do you turn off subtitles for VOD. Never had that problem. I now see why. This can be set to "No" surely.

menu...setup...Audio..Auto language selection

The dreaded voice over problem that used to plague everyone. I see there are new options in here now specific to this. But I am still go to change these settings to how we used to overcome this problem. Can't teach on old dog new tricks.

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menu...setup...Recordings & Timeshift..Recording settings

preferred tuner for recordings...Disabled (If you got a dual tuner best to set this to your primary tuner)

Margin before recording (minutes): 0

Margin after recordings (minutes): 0

Allow quit movieplayer with exit: Yes (This has always puzzled me why this is set to No. Exit means exit.)

Remove completed times after (days): 1

Use trash can in movielist: No (delete means delete)

Remove items from trash can after (days): 1

menu...setup...Recordings & Timeshift..Timeshift settings

Stop timeshift while recordings? Well this all depends how many tuners you have. Only 1 for me for sat. So set to YES.

Part 6.1: SETTINGS - Usage & GUI

menu...setup...Usage & GUI... OSD settings (on screen display)

1st Infobar timeout: 3 seconds (5 is too long)

2nd infobar: For my skins, its "2nd Infobar INFO"

2nd Infobar timeout: No timeout. (If I have brought up this extra info. I probably want to read it. So I close it with OK button not timeout.)

Enable infobar fade-out: Yes

Infobar fade-out speed: 3 secs. (looks better)

Alternative radio mode. No (personal preference)

Show infobar on event change: Yes (I like to see quickly what is coming on without having to go in guide)

Show channel number in infobar: Yes

Show screensaver: 30 Seconds. (I skin this with a nice transparent logo - so I have this turned on)

Show crypto info in infobar: All my skins use two lines. So I keep it at Two Lines.

Show PVR status in MoviePlayer Infobar: Yes

menu...setup...Usage & GUI...Button Setup (not to be confused with Hotkey which allows you to assign a function to a remote button)

All good for me. I like to keep these all default as all other images are very similar to the defaults.

menu...setup...Usage & GUI...Channel selection settings

Channel list preview: Yes (I prefer to preview rather than instant zap)

Enable unlinked bouquets: Yes

Show crypto icons: Left from servicename

Show record indicator: Right from servicename

Show columns: Depends on what skin I am using, easier to read in columns, but more room needed. Not really good for IPTV.

Number of rows: For my skins I give a recommended setting for this depending on the skin. 18 is far to many though. Everything is just bunched up.

menu...setup...Usage & GUI... Customise

All default

menu...setup...Usage & GUI... Skin Setup

Select your skin

menu...setup...Usage & GUI... STB Display

These are your settings for your boxes LED panel or front display. My dinobot doesn't really get effected by these settings, so no need for me to mess with these.

menu...setup...Usage & GUI... Hotkey Setup (called button setup on most other images)

Even if skinned correctly this screen is confusing. But just press the button you wish to assign. Select which plugin, script, function you wish to use. Press OK

Very useful to customise quick launching of scripts, test modules or other custom plugins.

menu...setup...Usage & GUI... Extended GUI...OSD Position

If your screen is not fully in view or offset, change it here. I personally prefer to set my actual TV to screen fit though, because any changes in this OSD position also then get shown in the Mini TV creating ugly offset black borders. A bug thats been around forever.

menu...setup...Usage & GUI... Language selection

Change Language or delete any unneeded languages that you never removed on initial setup.

Part 6.2: SETTINGS - EPGs

menu...setup...Usage & GUI... EPG

menu...setup...Usage & GUI... EPG.. Epg-Importer

Automatic import EPG: Enable

Automatic start time: Any time you choose. Pick a random number not on the hour.

Clearing current EPG before import: Yes (I always like to start a fresh - if it's then empty I know there is a network issue somewhere)

Load long description up to X days: 7

Sources - select your Rytec Sky/Virgin sources. (and/or your IPTV sources depending on the IPTV plugin you are using)

menu...setup...Usage & GUI... EPG.. Multi EPG Settings

Most people have probably never even come across this EPG ;) Long press your EPG button and select Mutli EPG.

Basic settings here, I never use this EPG, so no need to change anything.

Note some skins will override the number of rows.

menu...setup...Usage & GUI... EPG.. Single EPG Settings

Again another screen most are probably not too familar with.

Can be got by Channel Select (TV button) then pressing EPG button on a channel. Or long press "Info" on main EPG.

Again not really used by me, so leave as default.

Note some skins will override the number of rows.

menu...setup...Usage & GUI... EPG.. InfobarEPG Settings.

Accessed via left or right on the dial pad.

View Mode: Multi EPG

Service Title mode: Service Name (picons still scale badly so just text for me.)

Service width: Increase for longer IPTV channels

Position of recording icons: middle

Time scale: 120 minutes (less is best for me - If I want more I scroll)

menu...setup...Usage & GUI... EPG.. GraphicalEPG Settings.

Your main EPG

View mode: Graphics

Show bouquet on launch: some people like to have this turned on. Personally I just use < or > to scroll through the bouquets

Service Title mode: Service Name (picons still scale badly so just text for me.)

Time scale: 120 minutes (less is best for me - If I want more I scroll)

menu...setup...Usage & GUI... EPG.. VerticalEPG

pfft - no comment

Part 6.2: SETTINGS - System

menu... setup... system.. Network.. samba Setup

This allows you to view your boxes files on your Windows PC Network folder. Therefore no need to use ftp software.

Should be downloaded by default. If not and if of use to you, click on samba setup

Nothing else I personally change in Network

menu... setup... system..Logs settings

Handle Python crashes... No, No, No, definetly NO. Stupid option. If your box has crashed its crashed for a reason. Don't try and pretend it never happened.

Enable debug log* : Yes (a must for me coding plugins and skins, also can be very useful for people to see a clearer idea of why something crashed and the order of events).

Warning though debug logs are more detailed than crash logs and may include things like your IPTV details. Always check any crash or debug log before posting in forums.

Show Log Manager in extensions List ?? : I like quick access to this. So yes for me.

Maximum no of days: 1

Crash at skin error for debug reasons? No, No, No, definetly No.

Why is it a stupid option, because image builders are getting completely reckless in changing skin components. Making nothing backwards compatible.

If you change to an incompatible skin. Try and load your box. Error in Infobar buttons or something simiilar and you are in a boot loop that requires manually deleting the skin to get out of it. Something the average user will struggle to do. Make sure you turn this option to NO.

Part 7: Softcams

Now the fun bit. OpenATVs new softcams. Google here we come....

so we need to download softcams feed so they appear in plugins.

As I believe we can no longer install softcams 2 or 3 or 6 ipks. (I maybe wrong)

So either via your openwebif terminal or if you use putty. Log in with your boxes ip address.

Username: root

telnet command

wget -O - -q http://updates.mynonpublic.com/oea/feed | bash

so far so good...

Go in plugins menu > download > and we should now have our softcams.

Yep. Softcam options in there.

CCcams is there.

Where has oscam-atv gone. Thats what I used to use.. Er.. Do I use EMU, Stable or TRUNK.

I will experiment.

select to download CCcams 2.3.2

Reboot GUI.

Go in Menu > Setup > Decryption and Parental control > Softcam Setup

Yep all good.

Except as already pointed out. New screens I need to skin. Grrr

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Blue button takes me to the old CCam Info pages. Good.

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So lets try some 24 trial cline I can find on the internet ;)

Supposedly CCcam now goes in /etc and not the old usr/keys

I presume I am just copying over my existing CCcam.cfg and nothing else. (or manually edit that file)

There is already one in there with a load of German readme.

Better save that somewhere safe and translate that first and see what it says.

I never knew all that stuff in that file. Anyway irrelevant for what I am trying to achieve. so lets jog on.

Enter basic cline info in my CCcam.cfg file.

Go in infopanel..softcams

Select CCcams if not already selected.

Restart cam (not required)

Go on channel.

All good. :thumbup:

Also just noticed this softcam panel still lives in infopanel. I was under the impression they had removed that with this new version.

I don't like change. I am glad it still lives there where I expect to find it.

*edit been told this is going soon. So new location is still - Menu > Setup > Decryption and Parental control > Softcam Setup

Right now for potluck on oscams.

Lets try EMU first.

Go in plugins

Download oscam-emu

Reboot Gui.

now go to new location

\etc\tuxbox\config\oscam-emu

copy over my existing oscam.server ( or manually edit file in that location)

reboot gui

Go in infopanel..softcams

Change to oscam-emu.

Restart cams. (not required)

Go on channel.

All good. :thumbup:

Reboot GUI to see if auto starts. Yep

Whats all the fuss about.

Part 8: backup image

As we have now perfectly setup our box with no surplus junk.

Time to to a full image back up in case of the dreaded bricking of your box or a bootloop you cannot get out of or if you just want to start a fresh again after faffing.

Enigma2 law. If it aint broke. Try and break it.

So get a good old trusted back up usb. (I will call this Usb 2.)

Not the one you have originally set up for all your epg and picons. (Usb 1.)

Remove your working usb 1 from your box.

In Windows open notepad or notepad++ create a blank file called backupstick.txt and save to usb 2

Place usb2 in your sat box.

Menu > Setup > Software management > backup image > start

when your box reboots, remove usb 2, replace with usb 1.

Store your usb 2 safely somewhere.

Be gone... you bloated pre-built back up image.

Long live my nice new clean image.

Enjoy.