New vortexbox appliance owner- setup questions

[markrader]

Hi,


just received the vortexbox appliance in the mail today, fitted a plug for use in the UK, and switched it on...seems to work fine!


But am having some issues with very basic operation, and having looked at the documentation on the website, it seems that users are perhaps assumed to have quite an indepth knowledge of computers and networking to operate this device! I do not know much about this stuff. Just want a network storage system that plays my music! I hope you can help a mere novice.


My vortexbox is connected to my netgear router via ethernet cable


First problem: On my home PC, by going to START menu, RUN and typing \\vortexbox, I'm able to see the vortexbox appliance directories from my PC (which runs Windows XP). But I can't seem to copy any music files from my existing music collection on my PC, to the vortexbox. Every time I try, I get the message ACCESS IS DENIED. Is there an easy solution for this?


Second problem: I've ripped CDs ok by inserting discs into the drive. But I don't get why the vortexbox makes 3 copies of each track, in the MP3, FLAC and WAV directories. Could you explain if there's a way to change this? I've got quite a lot of music and will be happy to just have my tracks saved as MP3 files, at 320kbps. If I keep them all as WAVs, I'll be running out of space. I did look in the documention section under Changing how your vortexbox rips files...but it made absolutely no sense to me!!! Way above my technical level.


Am getting the feeling that this unit might require a bit more techie knowledge to operate than I have. I currently own a squeezebox boom, and if I get to grips with the vortexbox, I'm hoping to expand to a 3 squeezebox multi-room system with the vortexbox as the network storage.


Look forward to any assistance!


Mark

[andrew]

No problem. If you want to add files put them in //vortexbox/files/music/flac This has write access. //vortexbox/music/flac is read-only to protect your collection. This document covers this.


http://vortexbox.org/documenta.....-now-what/




The wav files should be automatically deleted after the rip. You will get much higher quality playback using FLAC files with your multi-room system and the mp3s don't take up that much space.

[jistirling]

Hi Mark,


As I am also no expert in Linux/Fedora I played around with the settings.


Follow the instructions on changing the ripit config file.


http://www.chiark.greenend.org.....nload.html


Using the preset=extreme will give 256 mp3 and the flac files are good for use with your hifi. Dont use the bitrate setting as it is ignored or set it to off (unless Andrew has fixed it&hellip.


preset=extreme


The following is optional as the players read the tags etc and dont care about the structure just happened I had this in place from other tools I had been using.



#Config the folder structure


dirtemplate=”$sufix/$artist/$album”


#use spaces and not underscores



underscore=0



May want to add a comment so you know how the music got there.



comment=Ripped on VortexBox 0.8-3 v1



Else the rest is all setup for you and in general does not need changing, oh check your timezone setting else the box may think it is in sunny LA.


Improvements do happen so keep an eye on the main page or do a yum update.


As Andrew mentioned the process of ripping is


1 Generate a rip file


2 Output a wav from the rip



3 Output/encode wav to FALC and MP3 (I assume you have 'coder=0,2' in the ripit settings file)


4 Delete wav file/folder (this can seem quite while after it finishes, watch out for duplicate folders, can happen during a reboot and forgot to take the cd out!).


5 Download artwork


6 Tell Squeezecenter to rescan library

There is a number of people who contribute in the same timezone as you if you get stuck. Just happens I am looking for a job so anit got a lot to do apart from mess about, cook etc!




Cheers,


James

[markrader]

thanks andrew and james - really appreciate your advice, i'll go through it all as soon as i get the chance




mark

[liffy99]

Mark is right on the button. I'm sure the VBA will be a great machine once I have it running but every corner I turn leads me to yet more complexity. James, with respect, just exemplifies this - as a non techie what the hell is telnet ? putty ? back ends . . . . . ?




Sure the links to the documentation are there but, especially for the putty stuff, it may as well be written in Greek (what download of the dozens that seem to be available do I need - IMac PC but this is going on the VBA isn't it). And I assume I need putty to be able to get a 'command line interface'.




What I need, and I realise my knowledge is limited, is a how to walk through for various things. What I've found are brief instructions that assume leaps of knowledge (eg "telnet to" - I wouldn't know where to start).




For example I don't seem to be able to rename files and folders in files/music/flac.


I now need to download yet more programmes to edit metadata (when I used MediaMonkey on Windows it did it all - media player, metadata editor . . . . . )


How do I run Subsonic - again there's info as to how to upgrade the package but then what ?




Ho hum . . . .




But many thanks for the considerable work that has gone into the creation of the VBA. I thought Squeezeboxes could be complicated at times but this is another level . . .

[andrew]

liffy99 said:

How do I run Subsonic - again there's info as to how to upgrade the package but then what ?




Ho hum . . . .




But many thanks for the considerable work that has gone into the creation of the VBA. I thought Squeezeboxes could be complicated at times but this is another level . . .




The VBA is desigend to be fairlly simple to operate. You should never need the command line unless you are "Hacking" or making extream changes to your VortexBox.




To install Subsonic use the Package manager. It's the icon the looks like a package in the VortexBox GUI. Click install next to subsonic.

[rudraksh2005]

Hi Mark,


I would absolutely second your thoughts on this.


Andrew has made a great piec of kit but it really needs folk with an indepth knowledge of linux and lots more to really use it.


Theres lots of very helpful people out here but all the advice given needs a decent basic level of knowledge which i certainly didnt have when i started (or even now).


Andrew if you really want this product to take off (which it completely deserves) do spend some time writing and making readily available a very basic guide for a level of people who would even struggle with windows level operations.


However many thanks for a great peice of kit.


Robbie

[Oook]

iffy says


How do I run Subsonic – again there's info as to how to upgrade the package but then what ?


and Andrew replied


To install Subsonic use the Package manager. It's the icon the looks like a package in the VortexBox GUI. Click install next to subsonic.


I would also like to know - the 'then what'.


I installed it - but have no idea what to next.

[andrew]

Oook said:

iffy says


I installed it - but have no idea what to next.





click on the SubSonic icon (looks like a yellow sub) and start using it.

[Oook]

AH


It was off the bottom of the screen and I didn't see it


Thanks