I'm messing around with making streaming music server and one of the packages that gets installed is apache2. Once apache2 is installed, slim no longer finishes loading. I can start a default session with"startx" after a commandline login. If I remove apache2 then slim finishes loading as expected.

So any ideas?

OK, now that's really weird. I installed mpd on the same system, rebooted, and all of a sudden now slim starts. color me baffled.

dolphin_oracle wrote:I'm messing around with making streaming music server and one of the packages that gets installed is apache2. Once apache2 is installed, slim no longer finishes loading.

You didn't mention which server you're trialing so treat the following just as info about one you might investigate.

Edna is a Python script and Python 1.5.2 or higher is its only dependency. It includes its own web server which means it should avoid issues such as you mention above.

========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://edna.sourceforge.net/"
linktext was:"http://edna.sourceforge.net/"
====================================


========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://aerobushentertainment.com/index.php?cat=apps&id=5"
linktext was:"http://aerobushentertainment.com/index. ... =apps&id=5"
====================================


Despite its age, Edna works really well. It is extremely lightweight and runs fine on ancient kit. Over the years, I've set it up on various LANs to serve either or both audio and video. Generally, I've added it to a dedicated server machine that provides typical LAN services e.g. DHCP, DNS, file, print etc.

Because it is web based it can be acessed by any web browser running on a remote system. Its interface display is uncomplicated, which makes how to use it obvious even on first use.

My preferred web browser for this task is the ultra lightweight, Links2 running in graphical mode (-g parameter). Once it is configured to handle m3u, mp3, mp4 in partnership with a lightweight media player (e.g. Gnome-MPlayer), the result is a system that runs on both modern and the most ancient of kit, in a user friendly manner.

A screen shot of it in action.

Links2 viewing Edna Streaming Server and passing audio to play in Gnome-MPlayer

Links2 viewing Edna Streaming Server and passing audio to play in Gnome-MPlayer

Interesting, I'll have to check that out.

Media server isn't quite right for what I'm building.

the apache server was getting installed to use an app called spotcommander to control a spotify client. spotcommander provides a web browser accesible interface to control spotify on a remote machine, for instance an old netbook hooked up to a stereo.

so far I've got spotify, pandora/pianobar, and mpd/music all on an antiX install in virtualbox just testing things out. I can control the audio through my phone with a couple of different android apps. and in the case of spotify, a web browser as well. the only thing I'm lacking is volume control on pandora. Can't do it. does work with spotify and mpd though. pianobar just wasn't built with remote control in mind (and the audio is terrible in virtual box, lots of feedback. works ok on my netbook though).

the mpd and pandora/pianobar solutions work OK in an antiX core install as they don't need X. the spotify solution in fact needs X because it actually runs your actually desktop spotify client and controls the client through the web interface.

dolphin_oracle wrote:so far I've got spotify, pandora/pianobar, and mpd/music all on an antiX install in virtualbox just testing things out.
[...]
the mpd and pandora/pianobar solutions work OK in an antiX core install as they don't need X. the spotify solution in fact needs X because it actually runs your actually desktop spotify client and controls the client through the web interface.

Currently (and historically) there is little demand at this end for services such as Spotify or live radio streams, so nothing to add on those.

Links2 runs in graphical mode in both X and non-X environments. If you configure it to use a player that also works in both environments the Edna+Links2+Player partnership will also work as in the above screen shot. Note that in antiX-15, MPlayer is unlikely to replay video in the console as the version in the Debian Jessie repo has dropped framebuffer support (fbdev2). In my opinion that is a most unwelcome decision.

OK, this is frustrating...now if I install samba then slim won't start!

grrrr......

dolphin_oracle wrote:OK, this is frustrating...now if I install samba then slim won't start!

grrrr......

OK, disabled autologin , and slim in fact starts. my desktop never comes up though. now, I'm looking at what's new between 13 and 15, and I'm staring at you desktop-session.

setting desktop-session.conf to force-load doesn't help. increase the startup-delay times and number of times to check does nothing as well.

if I cntrl-alt-backspace and login manually, and use startx, desktop-session also doesn't launch. no wallpaper, no startup files processed.

removing samba resolves the issue, but that is not a solution (I need samba).

argh! now its fixed itself just like with apache!? Only took about a million reboots. However, I believe now maybe its my particular machine and that there is some kind of memory problem that didn't clear itself until a full shutdown and sitting off for a while.

OK, I'm back to blaming something in the boot order, and here is why.

1. slim starts way before dbus on my machine (eeepc904ha in sig)
2. there are a lot of service still loading after slim starts
3. if I log in before the services are done loading (I can monitor in tty1), then login from slim fails and the X session never starts. A little investigation reveals that the $DISPLAY variable is never set.
4. if I log in after the services are done loading (again monitoring in tty1 and then switching back to the"F7" virtual console for the waiting slim login prompt) then login completes as designed. $DISPLAY is set to 0:0 .
5. unfortunately, autologin is now useless on this machine, and I need it to work as this machine is intended now to be a standalone music server.

So oh guru's of the boot chain and the mysterious desktop-session, give me some options!

So oh guru's of the boot chain and the mysterious desktop-session, give me some options!

I would comment out startup stuff not needed in the window manager startup file since you say

there are a lot of service still loading after slim starts

Just to see if things improve or not. You can always uncomment them. Like conky and any others like bluetooth or cups.

Edit: or is that startup services in antixcc? There I would use pencil and paper to mark any changes I made since it is terminal based.

I'm not even getting to the startup files. They are not processed. These services are things like samba and mpd that are started during boot up. Incidentally those services all work.

Then you might be pushing that eeepc beyond it's limitations maybe? That single core atom can only load things so fast?

I probably should stay out of this. As where you are going is out of my league any ways. Good luck bro. __{{emoticon}}__

rokytnji wrote:Then you might be pushing that eeepc beyond it's limitations maybe? That single core atom can only load things so fast?

I probably should stay out of this. As where you are going is out of my league any ways. Good luck bro. __{{emoticon}}__

thanks.

I don't think I'm pushing it. its samba and mpd for crying out loud. maybe I'll try disabling some services in antix-full that I know I won't need on that box (cups, etc...)

however... I keep thinking about this thread: antix-15-core-lxde-on-a-problematic-netbook-t6034.html?hilit=eeepc

and how certain things just didn't work on his netbook. the lxde stuff obfuscates things a little, and maybe they are totally unrelated, but the 904ha is very similar to his netbook.

I hate to redo everything I've set up on that little netbook, but I may put antiX 13 back on it again and see if its any better.

Does this server setup work on a different machine? Maybe a different Atom machine? Do you have other (probably) hardware related issues on your netbook? Would you consider trying a OOTB solution for your task from Distrowatch, or does it have to be antiX? With a different distro you can at least test if it is a hardware limitation.
Questions are all I can help with, because I've never set up such a server thing yet. And Linux session is being yet a mystery for me.

eugen-b wrote:Does this server setup work on a different machine? Maybe a different Atom machine? Do you have other (probably) hardware related issues on your netbook? Would you consider trying a OOTB solution for your task from Distrowatch, or does it have to be antiX? With a different distro you can at least test if it is a hardware limitation.
Questions are all I can help with, because I've never set up such a server thing yet. And Linux session is being yet a mystery for me.

The exact setup works on antix 15 with my core is hp and in VirtualBox.

The eeepc is slow but the timing is the problem I think. If I wait to log in until all the boot services are done loading (until the text login prompt on tty1) then all works.