[pvrusb2] rebuild question

[Mike Isely]

On Wed, 18 May 2011, Lorne Shantz wrote:

> Mike, 
> 
> I must be getting old, or senile... When I did this about a year ago, I figured it out and got it working. I don't know if the docs have changed or not, but after a couple of days with this, the docs seem confusing. 
> 
> We know it works, since nothing has changed but the OS was re-installed. I have all the files, but not sure what ones I need and their locations. I guessed but fell short. 
> 
> So I went back to scratch pretending I was starting over. So reading:
> file:///mnt/E/ISO Images/Linux/pvrusb2-mci-20100708/doc/setup.html#Compilation
> 

> It goes into extreme detail on kernel version for all flavors it 
> seems. I went to Driver Compilation and found the export and make 
> information to be lacking for my limited knowledge. Since I use 
> Openuse, I do seem to have a /lib/firmware, so assume that is where I 
> want the .fw files. The compile fails, with my understanding, it says:

The firmware files don't factor into the compilation.  They only matter 
after you install the driver and try to make it run.


> make INSTALL_MOD_DIR=pvrusb2 -C /lib/modules/2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop/build M=/mnt/E/Applications/usbtv/pvrusb2-mci-20100708/ivtv modules
> make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.37.6-0.5-obj/x86_64/desktop'
> make -C ../../../linux-2.6.37.6-0.5 O=/usr/src/linux-2.6.37.6-0.5-obj/x86_64/desktop/. modules
>   CC [M]  /mnt/E/Applications/usbtv/pvrusb2-mci-20100708/ivtv/saa7115.o
> /mnt/E/Applications/usbtv/pvrusb2-mci-20100708/ivtv/saa7115.c:81:33: fatal error: linux/video_decoder.h: No such file or directory
> compilation terminated.
> make[4]: *** [/mnt/E/Applications/usbtv/pvrusb2-mci-20100708/ivtv/saa7115.o] Error 1
> make[3]: *** [_module_/mnt/E/Applications/usbtv/pvrusb2-mci-20100708/ivtv] Error 2
> make[2]: *** [sub-make] Error 2
> make[1]: *** [all] Error 2
> make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.37.6-0.5-obj/x86_64/desktop'
> make: *** [modules] Error 2

You're trying to build the ivtv modules in the snapshot.  That stuff is 
very VERY old and only needed if you're trying to run in a very old 
kernel (prior to roughly kernel 2.6.18).  The pvrusb2 web pages talk 
about when you need that stuff but in the "modern era" it isn't needed.

Instead you need to build in the "driver" area not the "ivtv" area.  
This might work for you (just guessing since I don't know your distro):

make INSTALL_MOD_DIR=pvrusb2 -C /lib/modules/2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop/build M=/mnt/E/Applications/usbtv/pvrusb2-mci-20100708/driver modules

This is interesting.  In the 7 years I've maintained this driver, you're 
the first person I've heard of getting tripped up by that!


> 
> I wonder if it is possible to break it out to a quick start for the 
> newer flavors or something. Like Chapters. I would even volunteer to 
> help with the lay out for Openuse... However, I'm not a programmer and 
> would be like a stupid grunt doing what is told to be done with little 
> understanding. :)
> 
> This message was not meant as confrontational or meant to get you 
> angry. This is just my observation from a lay persons point of view 
> that has just slightly beyond basic user status. Although I have been 
> working with linux exclusively for about 2 years now.

No, I understand your frustration completely.  And sorry I didn't reply 
right away.  You might have noticed a flurry of traffic today - that's 
me trying to catch back up.

The ironic thing is that those instructions are as detailed as they are 
BECAUSE of the need to make them work for everyone.  I built up those 
instructions over a long period of time as I kept encountering 
additional "corner cases" where people had run aground.  As I learned of 
each special case I added to the instructions to cover that.  And what 
resulted is what you see.

Admittedly those instructions originated from an earlier time when 
building the driver was messier because of dependencies that needed to 
be satisfied.  With the driver being in-kernel much of the complexity 
goes away.  But also with the driver being in-kernel most people don't 
need to bother compiling it anymore.

At the current moment, the stand-alone driver and the in-kernel driver 
for 2.6.39 are on-par with one another.

  -Mike

-- 

Mike Isely
isely @ isely (dot) net
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