Print

[Luke S]

I am starting this FAQ to get people started.  It is lacking a great deal of information so be patient.  It will be updated a lot in the coming days and weeks.

General Questions:
Q) How did this all come about?
A) This hack got attention when this website posted that they have created a Linux cluster out of MSNTV2 box's.

Q) What is a MSNTV2?
A) The MSNTV is a web browser client made to be connected to your TV.  For more information on the original purpose of this device take a look at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSN_TV
http://www.msntv.com/pc/

Q) What operating system does this device run?
A) From the factory it runs Windows CE


General Linux Hacking Questions:
There has been a indepth howto posted on this fourm but has been lost after a recent harddrive crash.  You can get a general how to here.  Give me some time and I may write a new in depth how to.

Q) What is needed to preform this hack
A) A CF card reader
A TTL Serial interface circuit or you can buy a premade one off ebay
A Linux box
A windows box


Hardware Questions:
Q) What are the hardware specs of this device?
A)
CPU: Mobile Celeron 733mhz, 256kb cache
Chipset: Intel 830M
I/O: SMSC LPC47M192-NC
RAM: 128Mb
FLASH: 64mb compact flash card
Network: 100mbit intel pro.
USB: Two USB 2.0 ports
Modem: Conexant CX81801 V.92 Data / Fax
Audio: Sigmatel 9767T chipset
Serial: on board connector, need interface circuit to connect to a computer serial port
IR: Keyboard / Remote

Q) Can I solder in connectors for the unpopulated connector spots on the motherboard?
A) Yes and no.  Some connector spots on the motherboard only need a connector soldered in and others will need more work then just that.  Here is a list of what is know to work and not work.

Hard drive: Working, you need to do is solder on the needed molex power connector and 40 pin IDE header onto the motherboard.

Extra USB ports: Working, just solder up a header.

PCI: Working, just solder in PCI connector

VGA: Surface mount resistors must be soldered in along with the VGA connector.  What resistance values and exactly where has not yet been figured out yet.

All the other unpopulated connectors are not know the status of there working condition.

[Luke S]

This forum doesn't let you edit posts once they have been viewed??  It won't let me edit the FAQ anymore, whats going on?

This post has been edited by Luke S: Aug 9 2006, 03:50 PM

[ruli00]

QUOTE(Luke S @ Aug 9 2006, 11:39 AM)

This forum doesn't let you edit posts once they have been viewed??  It won't let me edit the FAQ anymore, whats going on?

Just keep posting in this thread and later we can have a head mod to edit it for us.

Im looking for a way to use the vga port and ram slot. Just need to find the right resistors.
Anyone if there is a motherboard similar to this?


-ruli00

[Luke S]

The ram upgrade is really not needed and not much use.  128mb is more then enough for anything the CPU can handle.  The VGA mod is no easy mod either, it will require pooling through the Intel 830M data sheets and finding the right resistor configuration then doing a lot of pin tracing and finally soldering very small surface mount resistors.  But once someone finds out the resistor network needed it will become a much simpler task.  Right now the focus should be on creating a more useful Linux distribution then the proof of concept root fs used in the Linux hack in the tutorial.

[Textbook]

Great Idea Luke, this is already helping.  Getting hard drives and PCI cards working is just amazing alone.  So basically, this is pretty close to the ideals of an Xbox.  A slew of hardware that isn't being used like it should be.  That's why we're changing that  

Here's a question you can answer - what type of video output does this use?  I could probably find it on Google, but since you have the FAQ, you should add it here.  I'm just wondering if it's composite/RCA only or if there's other cables like S-Video or Component.  And if there is component, is there also HD?

Hey great idea rulioo with the sig  

[Luke S]

I really wish a mod would turn on the ability for me to edit the main post.  I was going to add a lot more information to it...

Textbook,
The box has composite and S-video out.  The chipset supports VGA and there is an unpopulated VGA solder pad on the board but a resistor network needs to be soldered in to configure it.  The needed resisters and locations are not yet determined.

This post has been edited by Luke S: Aug 9 2006, 08:15 PM

[Luke S]

Someone saved a copy of the more in depth how to and re-posted it on the other forum, check it out.. http://www.toc2rta.c...wtopic.php?t=67

[Luke S]

More mobo pics:
http://www.mill-o-mania.de/pix/
http://firelife.dyn.dhs.org/~panicopticon/msntv/

This post has been edited by Luke S: Aug 10 2006, 01:17 AM

[HSDEMONZ]

Luke has been using multiple accounts, and has had his acocunt closed. Edit function on members posts is for 15 minutes. after that, it's committed.

Moderators, get a pass on that rule. So do people who qualify for an exemption. few do. people who abuse site rule, then expect privs that moderators have like Luke did won't get them.

[wowcolors]

HSDEMONZ,
Sorry, i am not trying to cause problems I just wanted to use a user name people in the MSNTV community know me by.  I have switched back to my original user name and will not make a another account.

-------------------

Another link worth checking out is this... http://intellinuxgraphics.org/  There are open source drives for the graphics chipset in the MSNTV2.

[HSDEMONZ]

I just can't beleive.. that just days after I start up this forum with little or no active interest in it.. (4 people asked for it when I decided to make it) just to find that the most active prick in it is a guy who couldn't abide by this sites rules.. because he wants to now be known by a name he uses on OTHER sites..

Technically.. your Old account is supposed to be banned as well. I'll decided on that later. I will mark your acocunt though as LAST CHANCE.

staff will know that you don't respect the rules of this site.

[HSDEMONZ]

Sorry for the worse than usual spelling, punctuation, etc.

[mcowher]

So...let me understand this...The guy who is, to date, the most active poster on the MSNTV2 forum, posts under 2 different user names, and is banned from the forums?

That's one sure way to help kill interest in this new topic that has a lot of people excited.

[mcowher]

I just read the main XS rules at Main Rules Page  Might help if there was a link to these main rules somewhere "prominent" (I had a hard time finding the page).  I never knew about the multiple accounts rule before this.

Question:  Why is this rule such an issue?  Just looking for some insight.

This post has been edited by mcowher: Aug 13 2006, 07:24 PM

[68HC000]

probably due to the fact that someone who was banned could open up another acount and continue.

If a scammer was banned in the BST,  he could open up another account and continue scamming.

If a scammer wants lots of "references" he could open up multiple accounts and leave positive feedback on his main scamming account.

Theres lots of reasons really.

This post has been edited by 68HC000: Aug 16 2006, 02:17 PM