Going headless (no TV "monitor") without internet

[HeadlessChicken]

Hi all,

Because of the location of my Humax it's not connected to the internet. It is however on a internet-less LAN, so I can access the webif.

My usual workflow is that I transfer programs I want to watch to my laptop via FTP. I only ever use the TV to change recording times or settings on the Humax, so I'd like to go "headless".

Is there anyway to update the "default authority database", via USB or something like that, so that the Humax doesn't have to be connected to the internet?

Is there a way to retune from the webif without losing the recording schedule?

Should I be considering anything else before I remove the TV?

Thanks!

 

[MymsMan]

This post was written when posted in the HDR FOX T2 forum, it is not applicable to the FoxSat Box

My usual workflow is that I transfer programs I want to watch to my laptop via FTP. I only ever use the TV to change recording times or settings on the Humax, so I'd like to go "headless".

You can set recording schedules via the webif and there is no need to FTP recordings to watch them, You can mount the Humax disk on your PC with Samba or you can use the Humax DLNA server to access recordings on other devices.
The boot-settings package can set most Humax settings

Is there anyway to update the "default authority database", via USB or something like that, so that the Humax doesn't have to be connected to the internet?

I don't know what you mean by "default authority database"
Wedif packages can be updated via USB stick though this is not as convenient as directly from the internet.

Is there a way to retune from the webif without losing the recording schedule?

The auto-schedule-restore package keeps the schedule after a retune.
The tunefix-update package keeps the channels up to date, but benefits from an internet connection since changes are annoyingly frequent but should be installable from USB

Humaxes occasionally revert to the Initial setup dialog for no obvious reason and you would need a TV should that occur

 

[Luke]

Is there anyway to update the "default authority database", via USB or something like that, so that the Humax doesn't have to be connected to the internet?

Do you own a freeview or a Satellite fox box? I'm probably mistaken but I thought that was just a foxsat old custom firmware thing.

 

[Black Hole]

Humaxes occasionally revert to the Initial setup dialog for no obvious reason and you would need a TV should that occur

I agree. There has to be some means to get video output from time to time.

 

[HeadlessChicken]

Do you own a freeview or a Satellite fox box? I'm probably mistaken but I thought that was just a foxsat old custom firmware thing.

Oh sorry, it's a Freesat box. I didn't know Humax did Freeview boxes. I think I might have posted in the wrong part of the forum?

You can set recording schedules via the webif and there is no need to FTP recordings to watch them, You can mount the Humax disk on your PC with Samba or you can use the Humax DLNA server to access recordings on other devices.
The boot-settings package can set most Humax settings

Thank you. I'll try these out.

I don't know what you mean by "default authority database"

I didn't know anything about it till this afternoon when I tried to set a recording via webif for the first time, and got the error message "No default authority data available for this channel". There's more info about it here: https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/no-default-authority-data-available-for-this-channel.5605/

Wedif packages can be updated via USB stick though this is not as convenient as directly from the internet.

The auto-schedule-restore package keeps the schedule after a retune.
The tunefix-update package keeps the channels up to date, but benefits from an internet connection since changes are annoyingly frequent but should be installable from USB

Thank you. Do you know where to find the webif updates? I can only find 1.4.4-10, but I see people talking about 2.89. I upgraded to the custom firmware in 2016 or early 2017 and my memory of what I did is a bit fussy, do I install packages from USB using telnet somehow?

Humaxes occasionally revert to the Initial setup dialog for no obvious reason and you would need a TV should that occur

I agree. There has to be some means to get video output from time to time.

I have a smaller TV which I'll plug in whenever video output from the Humax is really necessary. I just want to limit how often that is.

 

[Trev]

I think I might have posted in the wrong part of the forum?

Yep, but no matter, a mod might move it later.

Thank you. Do you know where to find the webif updates? I can only find 1.4.4-10, but I see people talking about 2.89. I upgraded to the custom firmware in 2016 or early 2017 and my memory of what I did is a bit fussy, do I install packages from USB using telnet somehow?

Be careful that you don't get 'confused' between the custom firmware for the Freeview box (HDR-Fox-T2) and the Freesat box (Foxsat).
Another 'trap' can be confusion between the Custom Firmware version and the Loader version which might be the 'problem' with 'the latest version number' (1.404-10 or 2.89) above. (I don't have my Foxsat available to check ATM.)

 

[Black Hole]

Update: this thread was originally opened in the HDR-FOX section of the forum, and has since been moved.

I think I might have posted in the wrong part of the forum?

You have.

I didn't know Humax did Freeview boxes.

The main index for this forum (I don't know how it could be clearer):

Thank you. I'll try these out.

You need to bear in mind that the FOXSAT custom firmware is less capable than the HDR-FOX custom firmware, due to technical limitations. The advice you have been given is in the context of HDR-FOX, not FOXSAT, due to your post being in the incorrect section of the forum.

There's more info about it here: https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/no-default-authority-data-available-for-this-channel.5605/

...which is on the FOXSAT section of the forum.

 

[MymsMan]

Thank you. I'll try these out.

My advice earlier was based on the assumption that you were talking about an HDR-FOX T2 Freeview box,
While the Foxsat does have some custom firmware it is not the same as that for the Freeview box so I am not sure what packages are available to you

Later Humax boxes have no custom firmware at all

 

[HeadlessChicken]

Sorry for posting in the wrong part of the forum. That was really stupid of me. Thank you for moving it.

Turns out I was also looking at the wrong package page on hpkg(dot)tv (for the Foxsat it's hpkg(dot)tv/foxsat), so I've now found webif 2.89.

I'll try installing it, and see if that fixes the "default authority database" issue.

Thanks again everyone for your support. This is a great forum!

 

[Trev]

There is an enormous (multiple parts) thread over on AVForums ( HERE) that is kept pretty much up to date on the Default Authority Database by "David500".
I suspect that installing the latest web interface will not fix it, but hey ho, it might.
I have a copy of the Foxsat Custom Firmware 4.1.3 and there is a difference between the Loader, Custom firmware and Web Interface, all of which probably have different version numbers.

For instance, on my HDR FoxT2 (Freeview) I have running:
Web interface version: 1.4.4-10
Custom firmware version: 3.12 (build 3965)
Humax Version: 1.03.12 (kernel HDR_CFW_3.12)
Loader Version: a7.34

So you can see, it's easy to get numbers mixed up.

Also, do you have Nowster's patch installed to prevent the box from encrypting HD recordings?

 

[HeadlessChicken]

I suspect that installing the latest web interface will not fix it, but hey ho, it might.

You were right. Didn't fix it.

There is an enormous (multiple parts) thread over on AVForums (HERE) that is kept pretty much up to date on the Default Authority Database by "David500".

Thanks for the link. I can't see any mention of downloading the database to a USB. Is updating the package list via the webif the only way?

I have a copy of the Foxsat Custom Firmware 4.1.3 and there is a difference between the Loader, Custom firmware and Web Interface, all of which probably have different version numbers.

For instance, on my HDR FoxT2 (Freeview) I have running:
Web interface version: 1.4.4-10
Custom firmware version: 3.12 (build 3965)
Humax Version: 1.03.12 (kernel HDR_CFW_3.12)
Loader Version: a7.34

So you can see, it's easy to get numbers mixed up.

Very easy! I'll try to be careful.

Also, do you have Nowster's patch installed to prevent the box from encrypting HD recordings?

I forgot this wasn't just part of the custom firmware, but I now remember installing it. Great patch.

 

[Brian]

Yep, but no matter, a mod might move it later.

I had already moved it more than 3 hours before you posted the above.

 

[Black Hole]

According to me, you moved it at about the same time as we posted above. That'a how it appeared on my browser, anyway.

 

[Brian]

According to me, you moved it at about the same time as we posted above. That'a how it appeared on my browser, anyway.

The moderator action log shows the thread moved at 5:05 am.

 

[Trev]

It wasn't in Foxsat when I posted. I checked before posting. Cache?

 

[Trev]

Thanks for the link. I can't see any mention of downloading the database to a USB. Is updating the package list via the webif the only way?

I can't remember how I did it now, but mine was connected to t'Internet.
Ask the question over at AVF in that thread.
Remember that you need the version of Nowster's patch with 'utc' in its filename else BST/GMT screws up at changeover.

 

[Brian]

It wasn't in Foxsat when I posted. I checked before posting. Cache?

It was certainly there a few seconds after I moved it, as I always check after moving anything. I also noted at the time that I was the only forum member online.

 

[Black Hole]

With both myself and Trev reporting the same thing, that's a mystery.

 

[Luke]

When I looked at 7 a.m. today it had been visibly moved and there were sill only posts #1 to #5.
Perhaps having new glasses put me at an advantage.

 

[Black Hole]

Weird. I think this is another for the "unexplainable" bin.