Mythbuntu and Tivo Premier

I was using Windows 7 for my secondary media server and was very frustrated with its performance when it came to Tivo desktop,  which is the WORST part of Tivo.  Tivo should be able to stream video to another server,  and there are many opensource applications to do this but of course Tivo has other things to focus on like a terrible new interface and a buggy new OS, but I digress.   I love my Tivo but I don't want to have to buy two of them to watch shows in a different room.  So I left Windows 7 and its lackluster performance for Mythbuntu,  now I just needed to get my Tivo programs to Mythbuntu.  Thanks to the work from the Tivodecode Project and Ed Salisbury's Perl Script I was able to replicate the features of TivoToGo in Linux with a much better playback and keep everything in Boxee.  Here is Ed’s Script:

#!/usr/bin/perl
# TiVo Dump
# Copy TiVo programs from a Series3 TiVo
# by Ed Salisbury (ed@edsalisbury.net)
# http://www.edsalisbury.net
# (c)2009 Ed Salisbury, Some Rights Reserved
#
# External Utilities Required:
# * curl
# * tivodecode
#
# External Perl Modules Required:
# * Net::TiVo
# * XML::Simple
# * Text::Unidecode;
#
# Usage:
# tivo_dump
#
# License:
# Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under Creative Commons
#   Attribution ShareAlike 3.0.
#
# You are free:
#   * to Share - to copy, distribute and transmit the work
#   * to Remix - to adapt the work
#
# Under the following conditions:
#   * Attribution. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the
#     author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse
#     you or your use of the work).
#   * Share Alike. If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may
#     distribute the resulting work only under the same, similar or a
#     compatible license.
#   * For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license
#     terms of this work. The best way to do this is with a link to the
#     license's web page (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
#   * Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the
#     copyright holder.
#   * Nothing in this license impairs or restricts the author's moral rights.

use warnings;
use strict;
use Net::TiVo;
use XML::Simple;
use utf8;
use Text::Unidecode;

sub fix_chars($);

# User-Configurable Variables
my $HOST = "";      # Hostname/IP of the TiVo
my $MAK = "";       # The Media Access Key of the TiVo
my $VIDEO_DIR = ""; # Where the programs get saved
my $COPY_SUGGESTIONS = 0; # If you want to copy "Suggested" programs, set this to 1

my $USER = "tivo";
my $TMPFILE = "/tmp/$$.xml";
my $PROGRAMS_FILE = "/home/username/.tivo_programs";
$|++;

# External Utilities
my $CURL = "/usr/bin/curl";
my $TIVODECODE = "/usr/local/bin/tivodecode";

my @PREV;

# Connect to the TiVo
print "Connecting to TiVo at $HOST... ";
my $tivo = Net::TiVo->new(host => $HOST, mac => $MAK);
my @folders = $tivo->folders();
if (@folders)
{
    print "OK\n";
}
else
{
    print "FAIL\n";
    exit();
}

# Load the file that has the previously saved programs
open(IN, $PROGRAMS_FILE);
while ()
{
    chop();
    push(@PREV, $_);
}
close (IN);

# Go through each folder on the TiVo
foreach my $folder (@folders)
{
    foreach my $item ($folder->{'xmlref'}{'Item'})
    {
        foreach my $video (@$item)
        {
            # Only process videos, not folders
            if ($video->{'Links'}{'Content'}{'ContentType'} eq "video/x-tivo-raw-tts")
            {
                # Choose video type based on the icon
                if ($video->{'Links'}{'CustomIcon'} && $video->{'Links'}{'CustomIcon'}{'Url'} eq "urn:tivo:image:suggestion-recording" && !$COPY_SUGGESTIONS)
                {
                    next;
                }
                if ($video->{'Links'}{'CustomIcon'} &&
                   ($video->{'Links'}{'CustomIcon'}{'Url'} eq "urn:tivo:image:in-progress-transfer" ||
                    $video->{'Links'}{'CustomIcon'}{'Url'} eq "urn:tivo:image:in-progress-recording"))
                {
                   next;
                }

                # Get program and episode titles
                my $program_title = $video->{'Details'}{'Title'};

                if ($video->{'Details'}{'EpisodeTitle'})
                {
                    $program_title .= " - " . $video->{'Details'}{'EpisodeTitle'};
                }

                # Get Program ID and Video URL
                my $video_url = $video->{'Links'}{'Content'}{'Url'};
                my $program_id = $video->{'Details'}{'ProgramId'};

                if (!$program_id)
                {
                    next;
                }

                # If previously copied, skip
                if (grep /^$program_id$/, @PREV)
                {
                    print "Skipping $program_title.\n";
                    next;
                }

                # get details XML file
                print "Getting details for $program_title... ";
                my $details_xml = $video->{'Links'}{'TiVoVideoDetails'}{'Url'};

                system("$CURL --digest -s -k -u $USER:$MAK -c /tmp/cookies.txt -o $TMPFILE \"$details_xml\"");
                if (-f $TMPFILE)
                {
                    print "OK\nProcessing details file... ";
                    my $xml = XML::Simple->new();
                    my $doc = $xml->XMLin($TMPFILE);
                    my %meta;
                    my $filepath;
                    my $filename;

                    # Get rating and convert to proper form
                    $meta{'tvRating'} = $doc->{'showing'}{'tvRating'}{'content'};
                    if ($meta{'tvRating'})
                    {
                        if ($meta{'tvRating'} eq "Y_7") { $meta{'tvRating'} = 'x1'; }
                        elsif ($meta{'tvRating'} eq "PG") { $meta{'tvRating'} = 'x4'; }
                        elsif ($meta{'tvRating'} eqfilepath = "$VIDEO_DIR/$series_title";
                        $filename = "$filepath/$series_title - $episode_number - $episode_title";
                    }
                    elsif ($series_title && $episode_title)
                    {
                        $filepath = "$VIDEO_DIR/$series_title";
                        $filename = "$filepath/$series_title - $episode_title";
                    }
                    elsif ($title)
                    {
                        $filepath = "$VIDEO_DIR/$title";
                        $filename = "$filepath/$title";
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        $filepath = "$VIDEO_DIR";
                        $filename = "$filepath/Unknown";
                    }
                    print "OK\n";

                    unless (-d $filepath)
                    {
                        print "Path $filepath doesn't exist, creating... ";
                        mkdir($filepath);
                        if (-d $filepath)
                        {
                            print "OK\n";
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            print "FAIL\n";
                            exit;
                        }
                    }

                    # Get the video with curl
                    print "Getting video... ";
                    system("$CURL --digest -s -k -u $USER:$MAK -c /tmp/cookies.txt -o \"$filename.tivo\" \"$video_url\"");
                    if (-f "$filename.tivo")
                    {
                        my $filesize = (stat("$filename.tivo"))[7];

                        if ($filesize > 0)
                        {
                            print "OK\n";

                            # Convert to MPG
                            print "Converting video to MPG format... ";
                            system("$TIVODECODE -m $MAK -o \"$filename.mpg\" \"$filename.tivo\" > /dev/null 2>&1");
                            if (-f "$filename.mpg")
                            {
                                print "OK\n";
                                unlink "$filename.tivo";
                                open(OUT, ">>$PROGRAMS_FILE");
                                print OUT "$program_id\n";
                                close(OUT);
                            }
                            else
                            {
                                print "FAIL\n";
                                exit();
                            }

                            # Output metadata file
                            print "Outputting metadata... ";
                            open (OUT, ">$filename.mpg.txt");

                            foreach my $key (keys %meta)
                            {
                                if ($meta{$key})
                                {
                                    if ($meta{$key} =~ /^ARRAY/)
                                    {
                                        foreach my $item (@{$meta{$key}})
                                        {
                                            unless ($item =~ /^HASH/)
                                            {
                                                print OUT "$key : " . fix_chars($item) . "\n";
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                    else
                                    {
                                        unless ($item =~ /^HASH/)
                                        {
                                            if ($key eq "originalAirDate")
                                            {
                                                print OUT "$key : " . $meta{$key} . "\n";
                                            }
                                            else
                                            {
                                                print OUT "$key : " . fix_chars($meta{$key}) . "\n";
                                            }
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                            unlink($TMPFILE);
                            close(OUT);
                            print "OK\n";
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            print "FAIL\n";
                        }
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        print "FAIL\n";
                        exit();
                    }
                }
                else
                {
                    print "FAIL\n";
                    exit();
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

# Convert any offending characters
sub fix_chars($)
{
    my ($data) = @_;

    $data = unidecode($data);

    $data =~ s/\:/ -/g;
    $data =~ s/\//-/g;
    $data =~ s/\\/-/g;
    $data =~ s/\?/-/g;
    $data =~ s/\*/-/g;

    return $data;
}

then just add it to your cron
0 0,6,12,18 * * * /usr/local/bin/tivo_dump >/dev/null 2>&1
An then your now playing or now playing and suggestions will all be copied to your Linux box every x hours.

Simple cron script to watch a firefox kiosk

Put this in your crontab -e:

* * * * * /user/cron.sh

then in /user/cron.sh put

#!/usr/bin/bash
TEST=`ps ax | grep firefox | grep -v grep | grep -v /usr/bin/firefox | wc -l`
if [ $TEST = 0 ] ; then
/usr/bin/firefox &
fi


and make sure it is set to chmod 755 /user/cron.sh

How to set an auto update script for your dynamic dns name for asterisk/freepbx

If you have ever setup an asterisk box then you know some changes are in the configuration. One of those challenges is being behind a nat or router. The issue usually arises when you use the ivr and you dont receive DTMF tones to your ivr. I use ViaTalk for service and their support staff clued me into the problem. I had to externhost=my.dyndns.com in your sip_nat.conf does not solve this problem, or at least didnt for me so I had to write my own dynamic dns update script using php only because it was quick but you can do this is bash probably just as easily.




<button><br />#!/usr/bin/php -q<br /><?php<br />// update the exterip of your asterisk/freepbx server<br />// using dynamic dns<br />// by: Doug Dalton<br />// ddalton at shortbus.net<br />// Documentation:<br />// add a cron job :<br />// * * * * * asterisk_extern_ip.sh<br />//edit these variables<br />$your_ddns_name="yourdynamicname.gotdns.com";<br />$your_restart_command='/usr/sbin/rasterisk -rx "reload"';<br />$your_sip_nat_conf="/etc/asterisk/sip_nat.conf";<br />//Dont edit below this line<br />$ip = gethostbyname($your_ddns_name);<br />$conf_file= file_get_contents($your_sip_nat_conf);<br />// Place each line of $userfile into array<br />$lines = explode("\n",$conf_file);<br />$found=false;<br />$write=false;<br />$conf_str="";<br />foreach ($lines as $line) {<br />@list($attr, $var) = explode("=", $line);<br />$attr=strtolower(trim($attr));<br />$var=trim($var);<br />if ($attr=="externip")<br />{<br />$found=true;<br />if ($var!=$ip)<br />{<br />$write=true;<br />$conf_str.="externip=$ip\n";<br />}<br />}<br />else<br />$conf_str.=$line."\n";<br />}<br />if (!$found)<br />{<br />$write=true;<br />$conf_str.="externip=$ip";<br />}<br />if ($write)<br />{<br />if (is_writable($your_sip_nat_conf)) {<br />if (!$handle = fopen($your_sip_nat_conf, 'w')) {<br />echo "Cannot open file ($your_sip_nat_conf)";<br />exit;<br />}<br />if (fwrite($handle, $conf_str) === FALSE) {<br />echo "Cannot write to file ($your_sip_nat_conf)";<br />exit;<br />}<br />fclose($handle);<br />} else {<br />echo "The file $your_sip_nat_conf is not writable";<br />}<br />system($your_restart_command);<br />}<br />?><br /></button>

WAMP the solution for Vista

I needed to install PHP, PhpMyAdmin and MySql on Vista. This was taking forever, Apache 2.2 kept crashing, Pear wouldnt install ... so I looked up apache, mysql, php and windows and came across WAMP (Website). This is a GREAT package that save a ton of time. If you need to install Apache, Mysql, and PHP on a windows server, this is a must have package.

How to prevent abuse of a remote signup page (PHP)

I have a ticket website and a night life mailer that goes out weekly, on the ticket website I want to allow the users to remotely sign up for the nightlife mailer, but I cannot leave this un-encrypted or it will be subject to abuse so my mechanism is a remote post using the following method.

Here is the code on the nightlife site:
$key=$_GET['key'];
$name=urldecode($_GET['name']);
$namestr= str_replace(" ",'',urldecode($_GET['name']));
$email=urldecode($_GET['email']);
$newsletter=$_GET['newsletter'];
if ($key==MD5($namestr.date('jdy')))
{
if (!is_user($email,$newsletter))
{
insert_user ($name,$email,$newsletter,'html');
echo "ok";
}
else
echo "member";
}
else
echo "bad";
BREAK;
Then I just create a function in the ticket website code to post to the URL on the night life website like so :
$nname=$frm['firstname']." ".$frm['lastname'];
$namestr= str_replace(" ",'',$nname);
$key=MD5($namestr.date('jdy'));
$geturl="http://www.nitelife.com/signup.php?key=$key&name=".urlencode($nname)."&email=".urlencode($frm['email'])."&newsletter=1";
$result=file_get_contents ($geturl);
Then test result for ok or bad and preventing false sign-ups from my remote site