How do you control XBMC inside a VM?

[smakovits]

Just a general question that while off-topic is still relevant.  My interest is recently peaked in the direction of xbmc and passthrough for its use.  My question though is not about xbmc specifically, but instead about how it is controlled.

 

What are people using to control xbmc to launch media, be it in a vm and passthrough or even with a standalone computer on the network.  Are folks using those computer specific remotes or something else like a smartphone/tablet via some sort of app?  I go back and forth between plex and xbmc and the biggest issue I see is controlling the two.  Plex I believe now supports remote playing via the application on a smart device to play of your player, but what is xbmc doing these days?  I know what used to be the official xbmc android application was no longer being developed the last I saw, so I thought to just ask what is being done these days especially since xbmc and plex are both popular.

[jbartlett]

There's an iOS app named "Constellation" that you can use to control your XBMC VM. Several others out there if you want to try a free version.

[ironicbadger]

iOS - XBMC remote

Android - yatse

 

end of discussion 

[smakovits]

Hmm,  gonna have to look.

 

Just finally paid for Plex because of the sale.  It is super nice,  but I am annoyed it doesn't like iso or bdmv folder with m2ts files

[prostuff1]

iOS - XBMC remote

Android - yatse

 

end of discussion 

Touch based remotes suck, there i said it, let the flaming begin...

 

 

Anything I have to look at to use fails as a remote in my mind.  I have used the above mentioned on occasion but I use a Harmony RF remote and flirc on my Openelec box.

[jamerson9]

USB extenders over ethernet to connect keyboard/mouse/remote?

 

Anyone with experience using these?

[smakovits]

Googling flirc...  I have a popcorn hour that does main duties,  Plex or Xbox would be secondary in the bedroom and such,  so not as critical

[ironicbadger]

Touch remotes have the advantage that you just select the movie or show directly on your phone / tablet instead of xbmc screen.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

 

[bkastner]

I am struggling with this as well.

 

I have built a Citrix XenServer 6.2 box and have XBMCbuntu installed in a VM. I get the video no problem via a Radeon 6450, but can't seem to pass the USB port over for the IR dongle.

 

Does anyone have any experience with this, or suggestions? I saw someone note they have this working on Xen under UnRAID, but I thought the Citrix XenServer is just a fancy interface on the same underlying xen components, so I would expect this to work as well.

 

This is driving me nuts, and I would appreciate any insight from anyone who knows what they are doing here.

 

For reference, I tried following this post, but without success:

 

http://gimpland.org/now/2013/12/citrix-xenserver-pci-passthrough/

 

 

[apgood]

You need to pass through the whole USB controller.  When I was passing through the USB stick to unraid if you have more than one controller listed then just passing through on first if it doesn't work try the next. Just remember all devices (I.e cards, USB controllers etc) need to be passed through in the same command.

 

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

 

[bkastner]

I've been trying to follow Grumpy's instructions in another post (I should have known he'd have this covered), and think I am getting close.

 

When I do lspci I see the following USB controllers:

 

00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB xHCI (rev 05)

00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB EHCI #2 (rev 05)

00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB EHCI #1 (rev 05)

 

Since I have USB 2 and USB 3 ports on the back panel I am guessing that is two of the above. I also had extra USB 3 ports available that I can install over a PCI slot, which I am guessing is the third controller. These are all guesses, but hopefully accurate.

 

I updated the /boot/extlinux.conf file to include all 3 controllers, so I now need to play around with my VM with each available controller to see which is which. I tried the first one, but after testing 2-3 USB ports the VM locks up, which confuses me, but I am hoping I am on the right path here.

 

One question comes to mind:

 

If I am using:

xe vm-param-set other-config:pci=0/0000:XX:XX.X uuid=YOUR UUID FOR YOUR VM HERE

to add the PCI device, how do I remove it from the VM if it's not the right controller?

 

Lastly, I have a completely unrelated question.

 

I am trying all this with XBMCbuntu. Does anyone know how to install Xen Tools into it? I figured out it's using Ubuntu 12.10, but I can't figure out how to install the XenTools into it. Also, is XBMCbuntu the best/easiest lightweight option for running XBMC, or should I be using another Linux flavour and straight XBMC. I am passing a Radeon 6450 into the VM if that matters.

 

Ultimately I am looking at having 2 XBMC VMs with dedicated GPU and USB/IR controller and want to get this as refined a solution as I can now while I am still playing around.

[arbitrary]

I use flirc so my denon avr remote can control xbmc

[ironicbadger]

I use flirc so my denon avr remote can control xbmc

 

I'd appreciate a little info on how to set that up...

 

Which OS? Which .xml files you use? etc...

[prostuff1]

I use flirc so my denon avr remote can control xbmc

I use the same thing, flirc, hooked up to my JetWay minitop box.  The Minitop has built in IR and it worked pretty well but I got the flirc as a gift so figured I would try it out with that box and my Harmony remote.  The profile they have for the harmony worked a treat and I got 95% of the functionality I wanted by using it so I stopped messing with it after that.  They may very well have updated the harmony profile since I last checked and it could be even better.

[arbitrary]

I use flirc so my denon avr remote can control xbmc

 

I'd appreciate a little info on how to set that up...

 

Which OS? Which .xml files you use? etc...

 

Right now I'm using it on an Openelec box but I've set it up on my windows laptop or my ubuntu desktop before as well. I didn't use any XML files, I just set my Denon Remote to a Panasonic Bluray player's code, then I used the flirc software to program all the keys in to the corresponding buttons on the remote, it's surprisingly easy and way better than any remote solution I've used previously.

[smakovits]

I did Quick install openelec on a regular computer just to test.  Fired up yatse,  awesome.  Either the last time I used it I was doing something wrong I or yatse has come a long way.  It was perfect,  now to get it to a vm.

 

[dmacias]

I have openelec on three raspberry pi's and zotac zbox.  I use radio shack ir receivers on 2 of the pi's and I have a couple of these http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-Receiver-for-Media-Center-RC6-MCE-/221324404694?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

For a remote I have a stock pile of Nevo Q50 ir/rf/zwave remotes but any MS media center remote would work.

I have yatse and other phone/tablet apps but I like remotes with buttons. Which is why I don't like the Q50's smaller version Q70

 

[PeterB]

I use the Pulse8 usb-cec adapter on my AMD450 boxes so that everything is controlled from the TV remote.  I guess that if you can pass-through a usb port as well as the hdmi video, this would work on a Xen VM.

 

My Raspberry Pi and TBS Matrix boards already include cec functionality.