Windows Home Server Add-In

[bedrock]

I played with mt-daapd a long time ago on a slug (Linksys NSLU2) device, however i have just started playing with Windows Home Server.

I installed firefly yesterday and was very impressed at how far this project seems to have come along (or maybe it's just the windows implementation is a lot more polished than the slug package)

Anyway, here's the point, i would be interested in porting the current windows system tray application into a WHS Add-In that could be run directly in the WHS console.

Has anyone else thought about this?
Would anyone else like this support?

Thoughts?

[rpedde]

I played with mt-daapd a long time ago on a slug (Linksys NSLU2) device, however i have just started playing with Windows Home Server.

I installed firefly yesterday and was very impressed at how far this project seems to have come along (or maybe it's just the windows implementation is a lot more polished than the slug package)

Anyway, here's the point, i would be interested in porting the current windows system tray application into a WHS Add-In that could be run directly in the WHS console.

Has anyone else thought about this?
Would anyone else like this support?

Thoughts?

I'm a WHS fan, actually, despite being more of a linux guy than a windows guy.

So I'd be for it.

-- Ron

[bedrock]

Ok, thanks for the feedback Ron,

This isn't going to be massively functional (it's just going to be a WHS settings only add-in that does the same as the system tray applet)

Here's how things are looking, let me know what you think...







I might have something approaching useable by the weekend.

-
Nic

[rpedde]

Ok, thanks for the feedback Ron,

This isn't going to be massively functional (it's just going to be a WHS settings only add-in that does the same as the system tray applet)

Here's how things are looking, let me know what you think...

Dude, that looks great. The install should really go to d:\shares\music, though by default, shouldn't it?

What's the installer going to look like, and would you be interested in hosting it with the rest of the firefly stuff?

I'd like to make nightlies for it.

-- Ron

[bedrock]

Ron,

I wouldn't worry about any paths in the screen shots, they were directly read from my mt-daapd.conf file. (and this is just a VM i setup for testing WHS dev stuff)

Installer - MS WHS SDK shows an example of using WiX to create a .msi so i'll take a look at that. If you do it right, you should be able to copy the .msi to \\SERVER\Software\Add-ins and then the WHS Console Add-ins tab will pick the package up and let you install it directly from within the console.

I'd certainly be happy to host it with the rest of the firefly stuff, although i've never used SVN before...

-
Nic

[bedrock]

Hi again Ron (and everyone else reading this thread )

Ok, i've done a little more work on this add-in this morning and i am happy enough with it for you to have a play. I've uploaded a version here:

Code: Select all

http://www.nicbedford.co.uk/files/InstallFireflyWHS.msi

You should be able to copy this msi file to your WHS (\\SERVER\Software\Add-Ins) and then install it via the WHS console settings tab.



Like i said earlier i will be away over the weekend, so if there's some feedback for me Monday morning that would be great.

-
Nic

[rpedde]

Code: Select all

http://www.nicbedford.co.uk/files/InstallFireflyWHS.msi

shiny.

So this is just the plug-in, right? Doesn't actually have the full binary and everything.

The next obvious question would be how hard to a full install or upgrade of the app via an msi dropped in add-ins?

I've used wix before, and will probably (after the stable) migrate to wix/votive for an msi installer, and this is more justification to do so...

I'll install this over the weekend and let you know.

Anyone else with WHS?

-- Ron

[Ken Warren]

Yep. Though I haven't posted here before, I push Firefly as a solution to streaming iTunes over on the WHS forums. And I've been using it for years, first on a kuro-box, then on WHS.

I'd been thinking about doing this very thing, but lack of time has kept me from it. I think it's a great idea to get the whole package wrapped up as an add-in.

[rpedde]

Yep. Though I haven't posted here before, I push Firefly as a solution to streaming iTunes over on the WHS forums. And I've been using it for years, first on a kuro-box, then on WHS.

I'd been thinking about doing this very thing, but lack of time has kept me from it. I think it's a great idea to get the whole package wrapped up as an add-in.

Vociferously -- I've seen your posts on the connect forums. I should buy you a t-shirt.

There are lots of neat things that one could do from an add-in. But like you, I never really got the time to work on it. I toyed with the idea of a code2fame for it, but I'm not sure how far a not-wmp media streaming addin would have gone.

Just as well -- Nic seems to be doing a nice job of it.

-- Ron

[timd]

Hi again Ron (and everyone else reading this thread )

Ok, i've done a little more work on this add-in this morning and i am happy enough with it for you to have a play. I've uploaded a version here:

Like i said earlier i will be away over the weekend, so if there's some feedback for me Monday morning that would be great.

-
Nic

Hi Nic,
Thanks for taking the time out to do this, installed it earlier and it's all working great. First time I've successfully had firefly running from my WHS machine too.
No problems setting it up, already had firefly installed albeit not working.
Tim.

[bedrock]

So this is just the plug-in, right? Doesn't actually have the full binary and everything.

The next obvious question would be how hard to a full install or upgrade of the app via an msi dropped in add-ins?

I've used wix before, and will probably (after the stable) migrate to wix/votive for an msi installer, and this is more justification to do so...

I'll install this over the weekend and let you know.

Anyone else with WHS?

-- Ron

Yes Ron, this is just the plugin.

I don't know how hard it would be to do a full install or upgrade of the firefly package via an .msi dropped in, i haven't really played with WiX before, but i could take a look.

-
Nic

[bedrock]

Ron,

What's the best way to communicate, i tried to PM, but they've been disabled.

I did my initial development with VS2008 beta 2 and WiX 3 unstable, but i have ported back to current release versions VS2005 and WiX 2 stable)

I can drop you a zip with the code if you want to integrate it, i haven't used SVN before, so some pointers in the that direction would be good for me

I'm familiar with the likes of VSS, SourceOffSite and SurroundSCM in a corporate environment, so it shouldn't take too much to get familiar.

I've been reading about WiX this evening and i'm more than williing to give it a go (i.e. take on the whole package)

Do you have preferences on tool versions, i.e. stable vs. unstable, VS2005 vs. VS2008 etc...

-
Nic

[rpedde]

What's the best way to communicate, i tried to PM, but they've been disabled.

im or email works. you can email me at ron@pedde.com.

Do you have preferences on tool versions, i.e. stable vs. unstable, VS2005 vs. VS2008 etc...

I'm using 2005 here. Just drop me an email and we can figure the rest out. svn is really no biggie, particularly if you've used vss or something, so no real issues there.

I am going (soon?) to move it off sourceforge, so stuff is probably going to be in a little flux, but I can keep you up to date on whats up there.

-- Ron

[RodSpina]

hey, I don't mean to sound lazy or anything, but I have been reading about firefly for WHS back and forth and can't seem to figure exactly what needs to be done, and how.

there seem to be lots of good literature and explanations for the really savy guys, but nothing a slightly over the regular user can understand with confidence.

so here is my conclusions, which I haven't tested yet...

1) download the small MSI and install it using the WHS add-in interface;
2) install the actual file server of firefly, version 1498 is currently the safest choice for WHS;
3) install some Apple middle ware, called BonJour;
4) work out some firewall port forwarding issue, if necessary

I can do items 1 and 4, but items 2 & 3 are not MSI files, but EXE so I am not sure the proper way to install them in WHS. I did find another WHS add-in, the Any Service Installer, that could be the answer for items 2 & 3 but its directions are also above my comprehension....

So, can any gentle soul help out with an understandable 1-2-3 on this ? I mean it does not have to be a Dummy guide, but something almost everyone would be able to follow...

thanks and sorry if I sound abusive,

Cheers

[rpedde]

hey, I don't mean to sound lazy or anything, but I have been reading about firefly for WHS back and forth and can't seem to figure exactly what needs to be done, and how.

there seem to be lots of good literature and explanations for the really savy guys, but nothing a slightly over the regular user can understand with confidence.

so here is my conclusions, which I haven't tested yet...

1) download the small MSI and install it using the WHS add-in interface;
2) install the actual file server of firefly, version 1498 is currently the safest choice for WHS;
3) install some Apple middle ware, called BonJour;
4) work out some firewall port forwarding issue, if necessary

I can do items 1 and 4, but items 2 & 3 are not MSI files, but EXE so I am not sure the proper way to install them in WHS. I did find another WHS add-in, the Any Service Installer, that could be the answer for items 2 & 3 but its directions are also above my comprehension....

So, can any gentle soul help out with an understandable 1-2-3 on this ? I mean it does not have to be a Dummy guide, but something almost everyone would be able to follow...

thanks and sorry if I sound abusive,

Cheers

the whs is pretty much just a regular win2k3 server. If you fire up your windows terminal service client (start -> run -> mstsc), you can connect to your whs server and log in as administrator with your WHS password.

Then you'll be at the desktop of the server. Install bonjour and firefly like you would on a regular windows workstation, and you're done.

-- Ron