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Tagged: Hints & Tips RSS

  • VennerCorp 15:23 on April 28, 2013 Permalink |
    Tags: , Hints & Tips,   

    How Do I Install Open Elec To My Raspberry PI?

    OpenELEC is an embedded version of the Open Source media center software XBMC that has been designed to run like any other set top box you connect to your TV like a DVD player or PVR.

    It is a great piece of software to get running on your PI, you will wonder how you ever lived with out it.

    Follow the below instruction to get Open Elec Running on your PI

    Wipe SD Card

    If you have  an SD card that has been used before you might have issues writing the OpenElec image file to it with out clearing out any partitions first, follow the instructions in out recent post below.

    How to wipe SD card before installing OS on raspberry PI

     

    Insert your SD card into your Pi and power up.

    That is it, Openelec should now be running on your PI.

    If you don’t get the green activity LED light flashing on your PI then it means there is an issue with the SD card or the image you have just written – try redoing it.

    Now your Pi is running you might want to do some of the following things.

     

    For more Tutorials and Hints & Tips on the Raspberry PI check out our Raspberry PI Blog Section

    If you would like to Buy a Raspberry PI, its accessories or software check out our –

    If you would like help with your Raspberry PI, computer or laptop then please contact us or visit our IT Support Page.

     

  • VennerCorp 18:59 on April 24, 2013 Permalink |
    Tags: CompactFlash Card, Hints & Tips, ,   

    How Do I Clone A CompactFlash Card?

    Below are some easy and straight forward instructions to clone your CompactFlash Card.

    The below instructions assume you are using a windows based machine and use a great little utility called HDD-Raw-

    Compact Flash

    Compact Flash

    Copy-Tool this can be used to create an exact low-level, sector-by-sector device duplication you can clone SATA, IDE, SAS, SCSI, SSD drives, USB sticks, SD, MMC and CompactFlash cards to an img file or to another device..

    Clone your CompactFlash Card

    • Download the utility from http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-Raw-Copy-Tool/.
      • We would recommend you get the standalone version as this means you don’t need to install the program and will run straight from the download.
    • Pop your CompactFlash card into your PC or laptop.
    • Start up the program.Clone
    • Highlight your CompactFlash Card and click continue (the card you want to copy).
    • Highlight the device you want to copy to, or select if you want to write to an image file.
      • If you want to write to an image file to copy to a CompactFlash Card at a later date –  Double click on the FILE option and choose the location and name for your image file.
    • Click Continue.
    • You will now get a display showing your previous choices, check them and then double check them – If you write to the wrong drive e.g. YoCompactFlash Card Cloneur main hard disk your computer will be very poorly!!
    • Click start.
    • The program will now clone your CompactFlash Card.

     

     

    That is it, you now have a clone or an img file of your CompactFlash card. If you created an image file this can now be used to make multiple clones.

    To go the opposite way e.g. Burn an image to CompactFlash Card, choose an image file in tCompactFlash Card Clonehe first window and then an CompactFlash Card in the second.

     

     

    If you would like to check out some of our useful Utilities please visit our Internet Utilities page.

     

    If you would like help with your computer or laptop then please contact us or visit our IT Support Page.

     

    • steve 17:30 on July 28, 2014 Permalink

      i dont understand,dont you need 2 or both cf cards to clone info to other cf card?i want to clone a cf card with a software on it,,the software is magic lantern,it is a hack for digital cameras,the software needs to be on every cf card to be used on camera,it doesnt load to camera,it stays on card,so it would be easier to clone each card with the software on it.so,i dont understand what your doing here,,dont you need to have both card on the pc?cloning from or to each other?i would like to clone my card to many other cf cards.can this do it???

    • VennerCorp 12:33 on July 29, 2014 Permalink

      You can use this software to create an ‘image’ of a CF card and then use that to burn multiple copies so you only need one to start with.

  • VennerCorp 18:36 on April 23, 2013 Permalink |
    Tags: , Hints & Tips,   

    How do i change the Skin on OpenElec for my Raspberry PI?

    Changing from the default Skin to a custom skin on your Raspberry Pi is actually fairly straight forward, just follow the instructions below.

    You should be aware that some skins are more resource intensive than others and as you are probably aware the PI is not designed to be particularly powerful, so you should if possible keep the skin as simple as possible.

    The Default skin is currently – Confluence.

    1. Plug in your leads and boot up your Pi.
    2. Navigate to SYSTEM > Settings > Appearance > Skin.Raspberry PI
    3. Highlight and select “skin” on the right hand pane.
    4. A window will appear showing all the currently installed Skins on your Box.
    5. Click Get “Get More”
    6. A new window will appear showing a list of all the skins currently available on the XMBC servers.
    7. Move up and down the list and you will see a small preview with a description and rating appear on the right hand side.
    8. Once you have found the New Skin you would like to try highlight it and press enter / click.
    9. A new window will appear with various options select install.
    10. It will drop you back to the original list of skins, but you will now see a download percentage counter “Downloading 20%” next to your new chosen skin.
    11. When it has finished you will see the  “Downloading 20%” become “enabled”.
    12. Drop back to the previous window or
          1. Navigate to SYSTEM > Settings > Appearance > Skin.
          2. Highlight and select “skin” on the right hand pane.
    13. You will now see your new skin next to “confluence” in the list – click on you new skin.
    14. A new window will pop up allowing you to customise it, i would suggest for now just leave it on the default settings until you get used to the new skin.

    That is it, your new skin has been changed.

     

    For more Tutorials and Hints & Tips on the Raspberry PI check out our Raspberry PI Blog Section

    If you would like to Buy a Raspberry PI, its accessories or software check out our –

    If you would like help with your Raspberry PI, computer or laptop then please contact us or visit our IT Support Page.

     

     

  • VennerCorp 12:57 on April 21, 2013 Permalink |
    Tags: Hints & Tips, ,   

    How Do I Get F9 F10 F11 F12 On My RT-MWK01 Mini Keyboard?

    The below instructions are applicable to the RT-MWK01 mini keyboard otherwise know as;

    • 2.4GHz Ultra Mini Wireless Keyboard With Touchpad Presenter ComboRT-MWK01 Mini Keyboard.
    • Rii Mini.
    • Wireless Mini Keyboard.
    • This keyboard is also sold under various other different names on amazon.

    It is actually very simple to get the extra missing function keys, you just need to use the blue FN (Function) key and then one of the numeric digit keys. e.g. if you wanted F9 you would press FN + 1.

    • F9 = FN key + 1
    • F10 = FN key + 2
    • F11 = FN key + 3RT-MWK01 Mini Keyboard Help
    • F12 = FN key + 4

    Remember you must hold down the FN (Function) button while pressing the number digit.

     

    If you would like to Buy a RT-MWK01 Mini Keyboard or Raspberry PI, its accessories or software check out our –

     

    If you would like help with your computer or laptop then please contact us or visit our IT Support Page.

     

  • VennerCorp 12:25 on April 21, 2013 Permalink |
    Tags: , Hints & Tips,   

    How Do I add an MPEG-2 license key to my Raspberry PI?

    Before purchasing your License from the raspberry pi shop you will need your Pi’s serial number.  This is quite simple to do.

    Get Your Raspberry PI Serial Number

    • Boot UP your PI.
    • Goto system > system info > network.
    • Note your serial number –  should be something like 000000000ffae29e.

    Once you have your Serial number go to http://www.raspberrypi.com/mpeg-2-license-key/ fill in the form and pay your money. 2-3 days later you will get an email with your new License code.

    Raspberry PI

    In the email you will find a line similar to decode_MPEG2=0x7654321 the  “0x7654321” is your License.

    Add your License to your OpenElec / XMBC Installation

    • Insert your SD card in to your PC or MAC etc.
    • Open up your SD card in your file viewer of choice.
    • Open config.txt.
    • Scroll down until you find # decode_MPG2=0x00000000.
    • Delete the #.
    • Change the 0x00000000 to your new license.
    • Click save.
    • POP the SD card back in your PI and reboot.

    Note – Some versions of XMBC have a field in their settings tab to allow you to input your license directly via the interface.

    That’s it your job is done.

    If you use multiple OS versions on multiple SD cards you will need to add the License to each.

    Test your License

    This process uses SSH, i would suggest you use a program called putty get it from http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html

    Default SSH username and password on openelec is username = root and password = openelec

    Get your IP address from system > system info > network

    • SSH into your Pi.
    • Type “vcgencmd codec_enabled MPG2”  without quotes.

    You will then get either a MPG2=enabled or MPG2=disabled.

     

    For more Tutorials and Hints & Tips on the Raspberry PI check out our Raspberry PI Blog Section

    If you would like to Buy a Raspberry PI, its accessories or software check out our –

    If you would like help with your Raspberry PI, computer or laptop then please contact us or visit our IT Support Page.

     

     

  • VennerCorp 18:52 on April 17, 2013 Permalink |
    Tags: , Hints & Tips,   

    How Do I Install Addons to Open Elec on My Raspberry PI? 

    How Do I Install Addons to OpenElec on My Raspberry PI?

    There are some really good addons available for Openelec  visit http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Category:All_add-ons to look at all the standard addons that are available directly from within openelec.

    Follow the below instruction to put the addons on to your raspberry PI

    Your Pi must be able to connect to the internet in order to install the standard addons as they are pulled / downloaded directly.

    Install Standard Addons

    • Power up your PIRaspberry PI.
    • Navigate to  > Videos  > Video Addon.
    • Scroll down and find “Get More…”  highlight it and press enter / left click.
    • A list will appear, scroll or or down to find the add on you would like to install.
    • Highlight it and press enter / left click.
    • Find “..”  highlight it and press enter / left click.
    • A new window will appear giving you a bit more info on the Addon.
    • Find the install button highlight it and press enter / left click.
    • It will drop you back to the previous list, you will see a download % counter appear next to your chosen Addon.
    • When it has finished you will see the Download % turn to “enabled”.
    • That is it, the Addon is now installed.
    • You can find the your new Addon in Videos  > Video Add-ons.

    The above will work for any Addon, just change the Video for music, program etc.

     Add third party Add-ons.

    • Search the internet for your desired addon e.g. BBC Iplayer.
    • Download the addons Zip file e.g.  iPlayer-v2.4.17.zip
    • Save / Copy your ZIP file to a USB stick.
    • Connect your USB stick to a spare USB port.
    • Power up your PI.
    • Navigate to  > Videos  > Video Add-ons.
    • Scroll down and find “Get More…”  highlight it and press enter / left click.
    • Find “..”  highlight it and press enter / left click.
    • Find “..”  highlight it and press enter / left click.
    • Find “Install from Zip File”  highlight it and press enter / left click.
    • A new window will pop up – Find your USB stick  highlight it and press enter / left click.
      • If you can’t see your USB stick, pop it out and the pop it back in again.
    • Navigate to your Addons ZIP file, highlight it and press enter / left click.
    • You will now be dropped back to the “install from zip file” menu, wait a few seconds and an alert notice will pop up telling you your new Addon has been installed.
    • You can find the your new Addon in Videos  > Video Add-ons.
      • If the Addon is not visible then exit the menu wait a few minutes and go back in, if it is still not visible after 5 minutes, you might need to reboot your PI.

    The above will work for any Addon, just change the Video for music, program etc.

    For more Tutorials and Hints & Tips on the Raspberry PI check out our Raspberry PI Blog Section

    If you would like to Buy a Raspberry PI, its accessories or software check out our –

    If you would like help with your Raspberry PI, computer or laptop then please contact us or visit our IT Support Page.

     

  • VennerCorp 11:55 on April 14, 2013 Permalink |
    Tags: , Hints & Tips,   

    How to wipe SD card before installing OS on raspberry PI

    Before writing an img file to a new SD card or an SD card that has been formatted for use with another type of operating system you will need to wipe it first, otherwise you will at best end up with errors or at worst it just won’t work –  Luckily it is very easy to do.

    Just follow the below instructions on your PC or laptop running windows.Raspberry PI

    (The below assumes your SD card is inserted in your machine)

    • Go to your command prompt.
      • click start – run – type cmd.
      • or start – all programs – accessories – click command prompt.
    • type diskpart.
    • type list disk.
      • Note the number by the SD card you want to wipe.
    • type select (the number you just noted).
    • type clean.
    • type exit.

    That  is it, your SD card is now ready to for you to write your image to.

    If you would like help with your Raspberry PI, computer or laptop then please contact us or visit our IT Support Page.

     

  • VennerCorp 21:18 on April 10, 2013 Permalink |
    Tags: , Hints & Tips,   

    How do i setup wifi on my Raspberry Pi? 

    How do i setup WiFi on my Raspberry Pi?

    Setting up a WiFi connection on your Raspberry Pi is fairly straight forward, but you will need some information before we start.

    1. You will need a supported WiFi USB Dongle.

      Raspberry PI

    2. Your network SSID.
    3. Your encryption type.
    4. Your password / paraphrase.

     

    Now comes the fun bit;

    1. Plug in your WiFi dongle and boot up your Pi.
    2. Navigate to SYSTEM > OpenELEC.
      • If your PI has a network port Select Network 2 otherwise select Network 1.
    3. In the selected Network tab,
      • Set up the followingwifi_dongle
        • Network Technology as WLAN.
        • Network Interface as wlan0.
        • WLAN SSID as your routers or access points SSID.
        • WLAN security  =  the type of security your router or access point is using.
        • WLAN Passphrase = your routers or access points WiFi password.
    4. Reboot your pi.
    5. Go into SYSTEM > System Info > Summary and check that the PI has connected to your router / access point and has been issued with an Valid IP address.
    6. Thats it …….

     

    If it does not work check you setting and make sure you have rebooted your machine, if it still does not work you may need to use an external USB powered hub as your WiFi dongle may require more power than the Pi’s USB ports can supply.

    If you would like help with your Raspberry PI, computer or laptop then please contact us or visit our IT Support Page.

     

  • VennerCorp 10:26 on April 9, 2013 Permalink |
    Tags: cookie law, Cookie Law Compliance, Cookies, , Hints & Tips   

    Googles Cookie Law Compliance Banner 

    As of the 8th of  April 2013 google has introduced a Cookie Law Compliance Banner in-order to comply with a new EU law that became active on 25th of May 2012. This law basically states that all websites in the EU must offer their visitors information on any cookies they use, and provide an option to opt out of having any cookies put on to their machine.

    Companies large and small all over the EU have interpreted the law in different ways – some have even ignored it entirely-  see our post http://www.vennercorp.com/blog/2012/05/28/eu-uk-cookie-law-compliance-solutions-by-large-companies/

    Google has now introduced a nice and simple information banner on all their search results pages – but interestingly they have opted for the “if you don’t want cookies then don’t use our services approach” which considering  how much Google is typically used by everyone it might be hard to do.

    Googles Cookie Law Compliance Banner

    By clicking on the “OK” button, Google stores a cookie on your machine so the banner will be hidden from you in the future.

    If you click the “learn More” button it takes you to Googles cookie page http://www.google.co.uk/intl/en-GB/policies/technologies/cookies/ this describes Googles cookies policy and how / why they use cookies  as well as how to block them if you wish.

     

    For more information on cookie use and the EU LAW please visit our cookie law page http://www.vennercorp.com/blog/2012/05/20/uk-cookie-law-about-to-come-into-effect/

    For more information on our webdesign services check out our website design page or visit our website design quote page

     

     

  • VennerCorp 15:42 on April 7, 2013 Permalink |
    Tags: Hints & Tips, ,   

    What is my external IP Address?

    We have created a very simple web based utility to find out your externally visible IP address.

    To use our “What is my external IP Address” utility please visit http://whatismyip.vennercorp.com  and your IP address will be displayed on the screen.What is my external IP Address?

     

    Please note if you don’t have a fixed or static IP address your IP address will change every time you restart your router / modem / internet connection.

     

    If you would like to look at the rest of our useful Utilities please visit our Internet Utilities page.

     

     

    If you would like help with your computer or laptop then please contact us or visit our IT Support Page.

     

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