Create Animated GIF from Video

Here is how I create an animated GIF from a video.

I use Ubuntu, a Debian-based Linux operating system.

Install ImageMagick

sudo apt-get install imagemagick

Convert video to images.

avconv -i 00111.MTS 1%5d.png

Delete half of the images to speed up and decrease the size of the GIF.

rm *[13579].png

Convert the images to an animated GIF.

convert -loop 0 -resize 800 -layers optimize %d.png[100130-100300] awesome.gif

Configuring YubiKey NEO in Ubuntu 14.04 for use as a Google Security Key

Here is what I did to get the YubiKey NEO working in Ubuntu 14.04 for use as a Google Security Key.

1. Ctrl-Alt-T
2. sudo su
3. echo 'KERNEL=="hidraw*", SUBSYSTEM=="hidraw", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev", ATTRS{idVendor}=="1050", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0113|0114|0115|0116|0120"' > /etc/udev/rules.d/70-u2f.rules
4. apt-add-repository ppa:yubico/stable
5. apt-get update
6. apt-get install yubikey-neo-manager
7. reboot 

1. Ctrl-Alt-T
2. neoman
3. Insert YubiKey NEO 
4. Change the connection mode to U2F

MythTV Web - Alternative web page for MythTV recordings

What

MythTV web frontend alternative. Uses AngularJS to display and act on the MythTV Services API.

Requirements

• MythTV server version 0.25 or better with services API enabled.
• Modern browser with Javascript enabled.

Features

• Table of your recordings.
• Download raw recordings.
• Start, stop, delete or view streams.
• Table of transcoded streams.
• Tables are sortable.
• Recordings table is filterable.

User Installation on a Debian based MythTV server

1. sudo apt-get install git
2. cd /usr/share/mythtv/html/ Check your server for the correct location. Perhaps search for file menu.qsp.
3. sudo git clone https://github.com/pla1/MythTVWeb.git

How to use on any client

Open a modern browser to http://YourMythTVBackendIPAddress:6544/MythTVWeb/

Consuming media on an Android client

• Watch raw recordings or transcoded streams on your favorite media player like MX Player
• Watch transcoded streams on Chrome for Android
• Throw raw recordings or transcoded streams to an XBMC frontend using Yatse

Consuming media on a Linux client

• Download recordings
• Watch raw recordings in mplayer, VLC, etc...
• Watch transcoded streams in VLC

Disclaimer

I created this to scratch an itch. It is not an official project of MythTV.

https://github.com/pla1/MythTVWeb

Adding a Podcast to XBMC

This video is a demonstration of adding a podcast to XBMC.

Demoed on Ubuntu 14.04 XBMC 14-ALPHA1 with AEON NOX theme.

Video constructed in Lightworks 11.5.1 on Ubuntu 14.04.

Install Ubuntu On a USB Stick

This video demonstrates how to install Ubuntu 14.04 on to a USB stick. DISCLAIMER: The dd command used in this video can destroy your hard drive. Proceed with great care.

Here are the specifications of the particulars:

• PC - Ubuntu 12.04, Intel i3, USB 3
• USB - Patriot Supersonic Rage 32GB USB 3
• QEMU emulator version 2.0.0 (Debian 2.0.0+dfsg-2ubuntu1)
• ISO - Ubuntu 14.04 http://releases.ubuntu.com/14.04/ubuntu-14.04-desktop-amd64.iso

Commands used:

• wget http://releases.ubuntu.com/14.04/ubuntu-14.04-desktop-amd64.iso
• sudo apt-get install qemu
• sudo umount /media/XXXXXXX
• sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/XXX bs=512 count=1 conv=notrunc (CAUTION!)
• sudo qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -cdrom ubuntu-14.04-desktop-amd64.iso -m 2G /dev/XXX (CAUTION!)

References:

• http://askubuntu.com/questions/16988/how-do-i-install-ubuntu-to-a-usb-key-without-using-startup-disk-creator
• http://serverfault.com/questions/250839/deleting-all-partitions-from-the-command-line

Video constructed in Lightworks 11.5.1 on Ubuntu 12.04.

Bash Script to View HDHomerun Channel

See updated version here

I wrote a bash script to view a HDHomerun channel. Here is the source code: https://github.com/pla1/utils/blob/master/tv

The first time you run the command it will perform a channel scan. The scan will take a few minutes. Subsequent runs will be as quick as typing tv and the station call letters.

You'll need the HDHomerun config utility. If you are running a Debian based system you can get the HDHomerun config utility with this command: sudo apt-get install hdhomerun-config.

To install and run this script do the following:

1. wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pla1/utils/master/tv -O tv
2. chmod +x tv
3. ./tv espn

Automatically Powering On XBMC Frontends When I Get Home

One of the first things I do when I get home is power-on my XBMC frontends. I decided to automate this ritual. I configured my DHCP server to send a wake-on-lan packet when my Nexus 5 obtains an IP address.

Below is the entry for my Nexus 5 in the ISC DHCP config file /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf:

host nexus5 {
 hardware ethernet bc:f5:ff:ff:ff:ff;
 fixed-address 192.168.1.29;
 execute("/usr/local/bin/poweron.sh");
}

Below is the power on script /usr/local/bin/poweron.sh:

#!/bin/bash
/usr/bin/wakeonlan bc:5f:ff:ff:ff:ff
/usr/bin/wakeonlan ec:a8:ff:ff:ff:ff

Server and XBMC frontends are running Ubuntu 12.04