Genatech T230 DVB stick

[gcyoung]

[Moderator note: this post, and the first 3 responses, were originally attached to the 2 year old thread [topic=1089185]anyone uses a usb dvb-t2 and can recommand it?[/topic]. By request of [profile=133350]DaggyStyle[/profile], the original author of that thread, I split this thread to a separate topic. -Hu]

A warning! I have just updated to kernel 5.4.48-gentoo and find that although a search indicates the module dvb_usn_cxusb there seems to be no way to install it under 'menuconfig'.I assume it is missing from tthe modulle collection. Can anyone advise?

[DaggyStyle]

A warning! I have just updated to kernel 5.4.48-gentoo and find that although a search indicates the module dvb_usn_cxusb there seems to be no way to install it under 'menuconfig'.I assume it is missing from tthe modulle collection. Can anyone advise?

why resurrect old unrelated topic?

anyway, you need to enable DVB_USB.
for that you need to enable CONFIG_DVB_CORE && CONFIG_USB && CONFIG_I2C && CONFIG_RC_CORE
the rest you can do yourself

[gcyoung]

I can see a relationship,but then I am a poet, not a mathemetician. But thank you for your help.

[DaggyStyle]

I can see a relationship,but then I am a poet, not a mathemetician. But thank you for your help.

which config is not set?

[gcyoung]

They were all set apart from DVB-USB which I seemed prevously unable to activate.
.
The history of this is relevant. I have been using the module with two sticks and kernel 4.19.129
for some time. When kernel-5.4.28 appeared I upgraded my computer to it, and found then that I
could not get the module installed, so I decided to stay with the earlier kernel until such time as
another kernel became current.

On the arrival of kernel-5.4.48 I tried again, but could not get DVB_USB set and the module dvb_usb_cxusb
would not get created.

Since my inital post to the forum and the reply above, on the thought that the settings in kernel-5.4.28
may have had some influence on the current kernel configuration, (YES, I KNOW i SHULD HAVE DELETED
IT EARLIER) I have deleted all trace of it, reinstalled a clean source copy of kernel 5.4.48, and on the
theory of "if it works don't fix it" I have used the .config file from the 4.19.129 kernel, done a "make clean"
and compiled the kernel afresh.

The result is that all the necessarry variables are set, and the module is loading, but the /dev/dvb/adapters
are not being created. I'm not able to deal with this at the moment, so I am reverting to the earlier
working kernel until I can. I think though, that this failure to activate has something to do with the firmware.

[DaggyStyle]

They were all set apart from DVB-USB which I seemed prevously unable to activate.
.
The history of this is relevant. I have been using the module with two sticks and kernel 4.19.129
for some time. When kernel-5.4.28 appeared I upgraded my computer to it, and found then that I
could not get the module installed, so I decided to stay with the earlier kernel until such time as
another kernel became current.

On the arrival of kernel-5.4.48 I tried again, but could not get DVB_USB set and the module dvb_usb_cxusb
would not get created.

Since my inital post to the forum and the reply above, on the thought that the settings in kernel-5.4.28
may have had some influence on the current kernel configuration, (YES, I KNOW i SHULD HAVE DELETED
IT EARLIER) I have deleted all trace of it, reinstalled a clean source copy of kernel 5.4.48, and on the
theory of "if it works don't fix it" I have used the .config file from the 4.19.129 kernel, done a "make clean"
and compiled the kernal afresh.

The result is that all the necessarry variables are set, and the module is loading, but the /dev/dvb/adapters
are not being created. I'm not able to deal with this at the moment, so I am reverting to the earlier
working kernel until I can. I think though, that this failure to activate has something to do with the firmware.

you need a frontend too, try enabling CONFIG_DVB_SI2168

[DaggyStyle]

fw can be found at https://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Geniatech

[gcyoung]

I have had another try at this and, quite frankly, I'm baffled. I have found that a remote controller needs to be activated, by enabling RC_CORE, before
the module (dvb_usb_cxusb) shows itself, and enabling that, although I don't use a remote, solved one problem.

However, although everything works as it should with kernel-4.19.152-gentoo, I seem unable to get it to create the adapters with my current 5.4.80-gentoo
kernel. The module loads but does not create the adapter. I have no problem with a 292e stick which works exactly as it should on both kernels.

I should like to know if anyone is using a 'mygica' stick ( which shows up as "Geniatech_T230_DVB-T/T2/C") with a gentoo 5 kernel, so that I can at least
be reassured that the later kernel is able to handle this device.

[DaggyStyle]

I have had another try at this and, quite frankly, I'm baffled. I have found that a remote controller needs to be activated, by enabling RC_CORE, before
the module (dvb_usb_cxusb) shows itself, and enabling that, although I don't use a remote, solved one problem.

However, although everything works as it should with kernel-4.19.152-gentoo, I seem unable to get it to create the adapters with my current 5.4.80-gentoo
kernel. The module loads but does not create the adapter. I have no problem with a 292e stick which works exactly as it should on both kernels.

I should like to know if anyone is using a 'mygica' stick ( which shows up as "Geniatech_T230_DVB-T/T2/C") with a gentoo 5 kernel, so that I can at least
be reassured that the later kernel is able to handle this device.

what is the vid and did? I'll check mine.

[NeddySeagoon]

DaggyStyle,

It looks like one of these, but vendors keep changing the guts without changing the packaging, so it might not be.

[gcyoung]

Yes. That's the one MyGica T230. The module is dvb_usb_cxusb.

[DaggyStyle]

DaggyStyle,

It looks like one of these, but vendors keep changing the guts without changing the packaging, so it might not be.

that is why I asked for the vid and did, I "hope" that if the vendor indeed changed the dev's guts, he had the basic common sense to change the did.
but I might be delusional. that won't surprise me.

[NeddySeagoon]

DaggyStyle,

I can point you at some Belkin Wireless G dongles made in three different version, with different chipsets, needing different drivers all having the same device ID. It doesn't happen often.

[DaggyStyle]

DaggyStyle,

I can point you at some Belkin Wireless G dongles made in three different version, with different chipsets, needing different drivers all having the same device ID. It doesn't happen often.

as said, I can only hope, mine works with 5.7 vanilla I think

[gcyoung]

I suppose, actually, I might as well stay with the version 4** kernels, since they work, and I only use
the machine for the mythtv backend and backups. I have two of these sticks and and a 292e which I
stopped using because the aerial drops out just when the program you really wanted recording is running.

However, I suppose there will come a time when the software will be changed and no longer work
with the old kernel.

I have taped up the 292e now and am using an extension cable to the computer, so it can lie on
the floor and it seems reasonably stable so I suppose if I get another stick it would be best to get another of these
and deal with it in the same way.

What I really want though is a reasonably priced dual T2 pci express card, but
they don't seem to be available anywhere now. If you know of where one could be obtained, I'd like to hear
of it.

[gcyoung]

I think I have found the reason for the failure of these sticks with later kernels. The output of the "modinfo" command on dvb_usb_cxusb
produces a list of aliases which, amongst various info and mumbo jumbo is meaningless to me, but probably not to the more enlightened,
includes the idVendor and idProduct numbers. On my sticks they are 0572:c688. With the earlier kernel these numbers are included in the list
of aliases, but the later kernel does not include them.

Is there any way, possibly by including a udev rule, I can modify the module to include the idVendor and idProduct numbers of my sticks,
and if I did so would it actually work? I am assuming, of course, that they were left out of the list unwittingly.

Any help on this would be gratefully received.

[NeddySeagoon]

gcyoung,

There are two ways to do this.

a) modify the list of devices in the kernel.
Copy one of the existing lines then change the Vendor and Device ID in the copy.
Rebuild the kernel.

b) Look at modinfo for your module. The module may have parameters to pass Vendor and Device IDs at module load time.

There is a third possibility. You device has been moved to a different module.

Code: Select all

$ cd /usr/src/linux
roy@NeddySeagoon_Static /usr/src/linux $ grep -R -i c688 ./

gives two interesting results.

Code: Select all

./Documentation/admin-guide/media/dvb-usb-dvbsky-cardlist.rst:     - 0572:c688
./include/media/dvb-usb-ids.h:#define USB_PID_MYGICA_T230				0xc688

Both are probably worth reading.
The latter file is a list of device IDs that are included by other things.

Moving down the chain

Code: Select all

$ grep dvb-usb-ids drivers/media/usb/dvb-usb/*
drivers/media/usb/dvb-usb/dvb-usb.h:#include <media/dvb-usb-ids.h>
drivers/media/usb/dvb-usb/dw2102.c:#include <media/dvb-usb-ids.h>

That's the include file actually getting used by the code file dw2102.c:
At the botton of that file is

Code: Select all

MODULE_DESCRIPTION("Driver for DVBWorld DVB-S 2101, 2102, DVB-S2 2104, DVB-C 3101 USB2.0, TeVii S421, S480, S482, S600, S630, S632, S650, TeVii S660, S662, Prof 1100, 7500 USB2.0, Geniatech SU3000, T220, TechnoTrend S2-4600, Terratec Cinergy S2 devices");

Your device is not explictly listed. Thats not the same as saying it doesn't work.

Searching the kernel config for 2102 (just a lucky guess) shown that the drives is

Code: Select all

DvbWorld & TeVii DVB-S/S2 USB2.0 support (NEW)

Thats the only kernel module that uses the header where your device is defined.

Its possible go through the kernel history with git and find the commit that removed your device from dvb_usb_cxusb.
The commit message may say why and if it went somewhere else.

[gcyoung]

Many thanks Neddy. But I have just found the solution. After I wrote the above I loaded up an Ubuntu live dvd to
see if that would pick up my sticks. It did. Problem solved. This stick now uses the dvb_usb_dvbsky module!

I don't use sky so I never thought to try that module previously, but it works, so you were right, it has been moved to
a different module. I had been trying to solve this on and off for a long time, and never found any mention previously
about it having been moved.

So I think this post can be marked now as solved.

[NeddySeagoon]

gcyoung,

Edit the title of your first post. Special characters expand to 3 or so HTML characters.
You are allowed 80, after expansion.

[gcyoung]

Done.