mfs_tmfstream tool BETA release

[jonbig]

Here is the source for my mfs_tmfstream tool for extracting TiVo recordings in .tmf format from a drive directly attached to your PC. It is based on tridge's vserver-1.2 source code, which I have included along with a few patches.

Please keep support & change requests here in this thread until the beta period is over.

[contemplativo]

Thank you, jonbig, for providing this tool.

Can anyone help with this set-up issue: after setting up a linux environment on the WinXP box (Topologolinux?), jonbig's mfs_tmfstream will compile, but attempts to access the attached Tivo drive (e.g. with mfs_info) result in error reports of "Not a Tivo Superblock." Same error with the precompiled version. On the other hand, working from a linux boot cd (e.g. mfstools 2.0, turbonet install cd), the Tivo drive is recognized, but is missing elements of the library needed to compile or use commands in the toolset (glibc2.3).

I'm working with a T60.

[jonbig]

Thank you, jonbig, for providing this tool.

Can anyone help with this set-up issue: after setting up a linux environment on the WinXP box (Topologolinux?), jonbig's mfs_tmfstream will compile, but attempts to access the attached Tivo drive (e.g. with mfs_info) result in error reports of "Not a Tivo Superblock." Same error with the precompiled version. On the other hand, working from a linux boot cd (e.g. mfstools 2.0, turbonet install cd), the Tivo drive is recognized, but is missing elements of the library needed to compile or use commands in the toolset (glibc2.3).

I'm working with a T60.

I'm not familiar with Series 1 TiVos, having done all my work with an HDVR2. Have you tried booting from Sleeper's Knoppix Tivo CD?

[contemplativo]

Thanks, jonbig, for the quick reply and suggestion.

Trying Sleeper's Knoppix Tivo CD resolved the glibc problem. But attempts to recognize MFS partitions still lead to the "not a Tivo Superblock" errors. It seems likely that this error stems from using an S1 Tivo.

I wonder if anyone else has succeeded in using mfs_tmfstream with an S1 Tivo. If not, I wonder how difficult it would be for an S1 user to adapt the program.

[jonbig]

Thanks, jonbig, for the quick reply and suggestion.

Trying Sleeper's Knoppix Tivo CD resolved the glibc problem. But attempts to recognize MFS partitions still lead to the "not a Tivo Superblock" errors. It seems likely that this error stems from using an S1 Tivo.

I wonder if anyone else has succeeded in using mfs_tmfstream with an S1 Tivo. If not, I wonder how difficult it would be for an S1 user to adapt the program.

I'm sure people have used the base underlying software from tridge that I used to create mfs_tmfstream on S1 TiVos. What version of the TiVo software was running on your T60? Why were you trying to extract data from the drive? Had the TiVo failed in some way?

I'm afraid that if you aren't a C programmer, you are probably not going to be able to easily diagnose this problem.

[contemplativo]

Things seem to be working now after setting the MFS_DEVICE variable (to "/dev/hdc10" I think), as suggested in alpha's how-to for direct extraction. From your toolset, used mfs_stream to get a list of fsid's, then mfs_export to copy a file over. The transfer seemed to go much faster than one via internet. Very nice.

tmf2ty_cfg.exe choked on the file (some grammatical error was reported). Can't think of why, the file was the right size (about .5 gig for a half-hour show). So that (hopefully minor) kink remains.

You asked why I am extracting and whether my Tivo had failed. Although one of my 5 or 6 full 120 gig drives has lost its telnet/ftp access, the rest are undamaged, running 2.5.1 or 2.5.2. These drives are in removable drive trays that insert into drive bays in the Tivo and PC. So direct extraction seems to be more convenient than transfers via turbonet. Ultimately, I will be converting to mpeg and editing heavily.

[jonbig]

tmf2ty_cfg.exe choked on the file (some grammatical error was reported). Can't think of why, the file was the right size (about .5 gig for a half-hour show). So that (hopefully minor) kink remains.

Can you give me more info on the error so I can see if I need to make a fix?

[AlphaWolf]

It's possible that theres an error associated with your sw version...many developers these days are abandoning all versions below 3.x.

[contemplativo]

Here is the error message from tmf2ty:

C:\mpeg_editing\tmf2ty>tmf2ty_cfg.exe RPM_2Night.tmf
00:00 - entering init
00:00 - savepath.txt found, basepath is "c:/mpeg_editing/ty+/from_tmf/"
00:00 - filename is "RPM_2Night.tmf"
00:00 - file root is "RPM_2Night"
00:00 - file tail is "RPM_2Night.tmf"
00:00 - root tail is "RPM_2Night"
input filename is "RPM_2Night.tmf"
00:00 - entering getxml
Error sourcing /muxfol/tcldev/tmf2ty_cfg.tcl: syntax error in expression "?(ER
▲:`♠"
%

[jonbig]

Here is the error message from tmf2ty:

C:\mpeg_editing\tmf2ty>tmf2ty_cfg.exe RPM_2Night.tmf
00:00 - entering init
00:00 - savepath.txt found, basepath is "c:/mpeg_editing/ty+/from_tmf/"
00:00 - filename is "RPM_2Night.tmf"
00:00 - file root is "RPM_2Night"
00:00 - file tail is "RPM_2Night.tmf"
00:00 - root tail is "RPM_2Night"
input filename is "RPM_2Night.tmf"
00:00 - entering getxml
Error sourcing /muxfol/tcldev/tmf2ty_cfg.tcl: syntax error in expression "?(ER
▲:`♠"
%

That doesn't look like mfs_tmfstream has anything to do with your problem.

[bitst0rm]

Things seem to be working now after setting the MFS_DEVICE variable (to "/dev/hdc10" I think), as suggested in alpha's how-to for direct extraction. From your toolset, used mfs_stream to get a list of fsid's, then mfs_export to copy a file over. The transfer seemed to go much faster than one via internet. Very nice.

tmf2ty_cfg.exe choked on the file (some grammatical error was reported). Can't think of why, the file was the right size (about .5 gig for a half-hour show). So that (hopefully minor) kink remains.

You asked why I am extracting and whether my Tivo had failed. Although one of my 5 or 6 full 120 gig drives has lost its telnet/ftp access, the rest are undamaged, running 2.5.1 or 2.5.2. These drives are in removable drive trays that insert into drive bays in the Tivo and PC. So direct extraction seems to be more convenient than transfers via turbonet. Ultimately, I will be converting to mpeg and editing heavily.

I'm still having trouble with these binaries. I'm using SLeepers Knoppix 3.3, in PC, Tivo Drive is hdc. I'm getting the superblock error (0x00000000). Any tips?

[jonbig]

I'm still having trouble with these binaries. I'm using SLeepers Knoppix 3.3, in PC, Tivo Drive is hdc. I'm getting the superblock error (0x00000000). Any tips?

More info is necessary:

What type of TiVo did you pull the drive from? What the drive failing in the TiVo?

What does Knoppix report about the drive when you boot?

What are you setting the MFS_DEVICE or MFS_DEVLIST environment variables to?

[bitst0rm]

More info is necessary:

What type of TiVo did you pull the drive from? What the drive failing in the TiVo?

What does Knoppix report about the drive when you boot?

What are you setting the MFS_DEVICE or MFS_DEVLIST environment variables to?

Okay, sorry for the Newbish questions, am NOT Linux Guru, but i'm using this project as an excuse to force myself to learn.

1) Original 40GB drive from DSR7000. Drive wasn't failing, just upgraded to bigger drive and want to extract and archive old shows off original

2) TiVo Drive mounted as Secondary Master

3) Booted Sleeper's Knoppix3.3 w/ "knoppix ide=nodma hdc=swapdata"

4) Using your i386 binaries

5) mfsinfo reports the following:
MFS volume set contains 4 partitions
/dev/hdc10
MFS partition size 512MiB
/dev/hdc11
MFS partition size 16162MiB
/dev/hdc12
MFS partition size 512MiB
/dev/hdc13
MFS partition size 21563MiB
Total MFS volume size 38749MiB

5) MFS_DEVICE="/dev/hdc"
MFS_DEVLIST="/dev/hdc10 /dev/hdc11 /dev/hdc12 /dev/hdc13"

6) I run ./mfs_streams or ./mfs_info
Not a TiVo super block! (magic=0x00000000)


Thanks in advance for any advice

[contemplativo]

From your toolset, used mfs_stream to get a list of fsid's, then mfs_export to copy a file over...

tmf2ty_cfg.exe choked on the file (some grammatical error was reported).

I haven't actually tried tmf2ty again, but presumably the reason it choked on my file was because the file was .ty and not .tmf. That's because the file was generated using mfs_export rather than mfs_tmfstream. Oops, I only read the one README describing the use of mfs_export, vplay, etc., (with no mention of the mfs_tmfstream command) and I incorrectly assumed these were modified tmf-outputting versions of the originals.

Now mfs_tmfstream is producing tar files that look right. And the .ty-generating programs are right there if wanted. Thanks, jonbig.

[contemplativo]

5) MFS_DEVICE="/dev/hdc"
MFS_DEVLIST="/dev/hdc10 /dev/hdc11 /dev/hdc12 /dev/hdc13"

6) I run ./mfs_streams or ./mfs_info
Not a TiVo super block! (magic=0x00000000)

bitst0rm, try setting MFS_DEVLIST to /dev/hdc. That works for me, whereas MFS_DEVLIST="/dev/hdc10 /dev/hdc11 /dev/hdc12 /dev/hdc13" causes the super block error.

I have successfully run mfs_tmfstream with MFS_DEVICE="/dev/hdc10", per alphawolf's how-to for direct extraction, although if it's like mfs_streams, it will also run with
MFS_DEVICE="/dev/hdc11"
MFS_DEVICE="/dev/hdc12"
MFS_DEVICE="/dev/hdc13"
MFS_DEVICE="/dev/hdc10 /dev/hdc11 /dev/hdc12 /dev/hdc13"
MFS_DEVICE="/dev/hdc"

Hope this helps.