ntpdate for HD900

F

fortean

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Hi, everybody.

I just finished porting 'ntpdate' to the HD900. This (standard Unix) utility synchronizes the HD900's wall-clock with high precision timeservers on the Internet. This can provide a workaround for the problem that the HD900 does not set its clock after a hard reboot; by including this command in your bootscripts, and given you have an active Internet connection, the clock will be set correctly.

I gladly would have uploaded it here, but it seems I can't upload here (yet). Anyway, you can fetch the binary yourselves: log in to your hd990,as root and execute these commands:

Code: 
# cd /sbin
# wget http://www.imagineers.nl/hd900/ntpdate
# chmod +x /sbin/ntpdate

..done.

md5sum is: ae3dec3533b299713397fc23e7bf830c

Usage: /sbin/ntpdate -s name-of-ntp-server-on-the-Internet

For a list of available public ntp servers check out: http://support.ntp.org/bin/view/Servers/WebHome
--
HWK
 
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F

fortean

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Folks,

I have been e-mailing with a guy that works at DGS, to see if I could help them solve the issues w/regard to setting the clock after a cold reboot. No solution yet, but I thought I'd keep you posted.

Remember: if you restart your HD900 (switch it off an on again) it will boot and finally run the application 'sbox'. Now, sbox bluntly sets the time to 0.00 at 1.1.2008 - and then also sets the Linux clock to reflect this nonsense. This renders your recording schedules useless, until you MANUALLY set the time using the remote control.

Luckily, you can select 'auto' mode and then there is an 'update time' button, which fetches timestamps from the current stream and sets the clock correctly - and lo! it sets the Linux clock too. Now, then, WHY DON'T THEY SIMPLY CALL THIS MAGIC FUNCTION WHEN SBOX STARTS? Beats me..

Anyway, I have experimented a lot lately, and have been e-mailing my butt off with DGS. My conclusions are that either the hd900 does not have a RTC, or it has a RTC that currently only can be addressed by the sbox utility. Also, DGS refuses to open up their code and has been giving me vague, nonsensical input.

Note:ntpdate just works fine, but when started, sbox resets the date/time to nonsense. And if you run ntpdate after sbox has started, this can lead to discrepancies between the sbox and the linux time, which can lead to stuttering sound.

I will keep working on it.
 
F

fortean

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33
Folks,

this is an excerpt from a mailexchange I have with one of the DGS developers. It took me quite a while to verify this, but here are the long-awaited answers. The bold phrases are my words, the italic phrases are the answers from the developer:

Code: 
> [B] - there is a RTC on board the HD900 which only can be set by a[/b]
> [b]   call within the sbox application;[/B]
>[I] 	- YES [/I]
>[B] - that call is not part of the current SDK API of sbox[/B]
> 	 [I]- YES[/I]
> [B] - the RTC can not be set using for example 'hwclock'[/B]
> 	 [I]- YES[/I]
> [B] - you will make the call that sets the RTC part of the next release [/b]
>    [b]of the SDK API[/B]
> 	[I]- If you want, yes[/I].

Goes without saying that I wanted it :cool:
 
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S

StanMT

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i think this is stupid! something so basic as ntp! i cannot understand DGS and their tactics...how do they expect to sell this box if they don't give us this stuff !!

i think we should talk to their marketing team not the developers

YES YES YES what answer is that !?!?! no wonder DM made such progress over the years!!

:( :mad: :eek: :mecry:

i really appreciate guys like you who have written docs on your to cross compile! i think it is excellent

I am trying to get PPTP to work...I'm now stuck on a kernel issue :confused: :mecry:
 
F

fortean

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Hi, StanMT, thanks for your kind words w/regard to my efforts.

Note that my work is only possible because others in the Free Software / Open Source community have granted free access to their work. I am merely standing on the shoulders of giants.

Also, bear in mind that the short "yes, yes yes" reaction you saw was the conclusion of a rather elaborate e-mail exchange.

And yes, I hope they will realise how much they have to gain by opening up their sourcecode - I believe it to be a key factor in the failure or success of this box.
 
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