Series 3 caller ID: NCID

[djl]

If you install my compile of sqlite ( found here) you can use this module to write caller-id information directly to a database. Copy it to the ncid share directory (probably /var/hack/share/ncid). It can then be run with:

ncid --no-gui --program ncid-sqlite

It defaults to a database named cidcall.sqlite in /var. Also, there's an option to automatically ftp the file to an external server each time a new call comes in; just uncomment DOFTP and edit your server information.

[darrin75]

This may be a dumb question, but I have ncidd running, and the caller Id works fine. I am using yac2ncid with yac server running all the time on my pc to send Cid over to tivo. I can only run yac2ncid by telnet, leaving telnet open. Its works fine, but when telnet is shut down, no more yac2ncid. Is there a way to make this run forever unitl a reboot?

[jlc]

Originally Posted by darrin75

I can only run yac2ncid by telnet, leaving telnet open. Its works fine, but when telnet is shut down, no more yac2ncid. Is there a way to make this run forever unitl a reboot?

You need to end your command line starting yac2ncid with a &.

[jlc]

This NCID (Network Caller ID) release fixes problems with the server, SIP gateways, and client. It also adds a new option to the SIP gateway, and a new client output module.

The server has four important fixes:

• a corruption problem when sending log files over 2.000 lines

• a call identification problem for ring and hangup

• a client causing the server to terminate (this is the reason why the server sometimes dies on the TiVo, scripts to automatically restart the server are no longer needed)

• the sending of a call duplicate to clients when both a MESG and NAME line was received from a modem.

The SIP gateway has two important changes:

• a telephone line label was added to call termination information

• a option was added to warn if no SIP packets are received in 90 seconds (for troublesome routers that quit sending SIP Invite packets until reset)

The client has two important changes:

• a call identification problem on ring and hangup for simultaneous calls

• the UTF-8 encoding is set because it is not the default in Windows

The long requested hangup feature was released as a client output module. It uses a modem to hangup the call but works with any NCID gateway. If a call shows a name or number from a blacklist, it will hangup the call and log it. This module requires minicom which is not yet available for the TiVo.

For a complete list of features and the release notes, see http://ncid.sourceforge.net

[SFDave]

I'm running yac on a PC. I'm running tivoncid on my prommed TiVo HD XL. I've tried running yac2ncid and ncidd on both the tivo, and in cygwin on the PC. This works fine when I'm watching live or recorded TV. But if I'm watching YouTube, or streamed video (with Stream, Baby, Stream), or anything else in Showcases, the TiVo will reboot shortly after displaying the CID info. Has anyone else experienced this? Any ideas on how to fix it?

[jlc]

Originally Posted by SFDave

I'm running yac on a PC. I'm running tivoncid on my prommed TiVo HD XL. I've tried running yac2ncid and ncidd on both the tivo, and in cygwin on the PC. This works fine when I'm watching live or recorded TV. But if I'm watching YouTube, or streamed video (with Stream, Baby, Stream), or anything else in Showcases, the TiVo will reboot shortly after displaying the CID info. Has anyone else experienced this? Any ideas on how to fix it?

This is very strange, but more information is needed. You need to specify the version of NCID you are using. If it is not release 0.75, you need to install it for troubleshooting and to make sure the problem still exists in the release. Does the reboot happen when the Caller ID is displayed or after? If after, how long after?

Your description seems to imply the TiVo will reboot if you are watching something over the Internet and you are using TiVoNCID to display a call. TiVoNCID uses text2osd to display the text, so you can test if text2osd is causing the problem by manually displaying text the same was as TiVoNCID. When watching something that will reboot, try:

echo "textosd test" | /tvbin/text2osd --line 1 --xscale 2 --yscale 2

After 10 seconds clear the screen:

/tvbin/text2osd --clear

[SFDave]

I'm running verison 0.75 o NCID, but your idea for testing TEXT2OSD verified that NCID is not culprit. I tested this while playing a YouTube video. The text appeared (along with the "Music, Photos, & Showcases" title and menu superimposed while the video was playing. The "/tvbin/text2osd --clear" command failed to remove it, but pressing pause/play removed it. I let the video play to the end (about 2 minutes). Then the screen flickered a couple of times and the TiVo rebooted. I've also found that if I go to any other menu item (TiVo Central, Live TV, etc.), it will flicker and reboot immediately.

[jlc]

This release has improvements and fixes for the server, gateway, and client. See the NCID homepage for more details.

[jlc]

This NCID (Network Caller ID) release continues with fixes, improvements, a new server feature, and a new client output module.

One problem is solved in this release is ncidd not responding to calls after some period of time on some TiVo's. This is caused by the modem dropping out of Caller ID mode and usually requires ncidd to either restart or re-initialize the modem. The solution is a new server feature.

The new feature for NCID is the ability to work with modems or systems that do not support Caller ID. This feature depends on the modem providing ring indication. NCID will indicate calls, but if no Caller ID is received, it will indicate "RING" for the number and "No Caller ID" for the name. This feature allows NCID to function as a call indicator without using Caller ID. If the modem drops out of the Caller ID mode, NCID will will flag a new call as "No Caller ID". The complete list of features is at http://ncid.sourceforge.net/ncid/ncid.html

The new ncid-initmodem client module will signal ncidd to reinitialize the modem if the server indicates a call with no Caller ID. This module should only be used for modems that drop out of the Caller ID mode. Please note that you will miss Caller ID on one call, but the modem will be fixed for the next call. A list and short decscription of all client output modules is at http://ncid.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/...?ncidmodules.1

The startncid script was improved and should be used to start the NCID programs. The default is to start the server and client. You can modify it start the gateways and to start the ncid-initmodem and ncid-yac client modules. If you use the SIP gateway to obtain the Caller ID, you also need to set your local time zone. All time zones for the US are included.

A new script called initmodem is also included. It can be run from cron to have ncidd re-initialize the modem at specific times, or it can be run manually.

The release notes are at: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ncid...Notes.txt/view

The project home page is at http://ncid.sourceforge.net

[jlc]

This NCID (Network Caller ID) release contains fixes and improvements.

The server feature of responding to ring 2, from a modem not sending Caller ID, was modified to work with telephone systems that send the Caller ID before ring 1. The complete list of features is at http://ncid.sourceforge.net/ncid/ncid.html

The client was also improved and does not display a "line label" inside <> any more. The ncid-page client and ncid-tivo client were modified to properly support messages. A list and short description of all client output modules is at http://ncid.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/...?ncidmodules.1

The release notes are at: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ncid...Notes.txt/view

The project home page is at http://ncid.sourceforge.net

[djl]

John - apologies if this is in the documentation already, but if not you might want to make it clear: the startncid script requires that you have rbautch's busybox installed. The older tivotools package contains an obsolete version of 'ps' that doesn't support aux.

Originally Posted by jlc

This NCID (Network Caller ID) release contains fixes and improvements.

The server feature of responding to ring 2, from a modem not sending Caller ID, was modified to work with telephone systems that send the Caller ID before ring 1. The complete list of features is at http://ncid.sourceforge.net/ncid/ncid.html

The client was also improved and does not display a "line label" inside <> any more. The ncid-page client and ncid-tivo client were modified to properly support messages. A list and short description of all client output modules is at http://ncid.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/...?ncidmodules.1

The release notes are at: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ncid...Notes.txt/view

The project home page is at http://ncid.sourceforge.net

[jlc]

Originally Posted by djl

John - apologies if this is in the documentation already, but if not you might want to make it clear: the startncid script requires that you have rbautch's busybox installed. The older tivotools package contains an obsolete version of 'ps' that doesn't support aux.

Thanks for pointing the problem out. I did not realize the ps in tivotools was not compatible. The startncid script should have used 'pgrep' instead of 'ps'. The next release of NCID will make that change. The version of pgrep in tivotools will work, but I will probably supply a current binary of pgrep.

[djl]

Also noticed (this is with a clean install of 0.78):

• I had to remove the "--messages" parameter in startncid for the YAC Client Module to load
• Since my busybox was not located in the PATH you specify (~line 34) I had to add :$PATH to the end of that statement for it to locate the new ps command

Things are running smoothly now, thanks

Originally Posted by jlc

Thanks for pointing the problem out. I did not realize the ps in tivotools was not compatible. The startncid script should have used 'pgrep' instead of 'ps'. The next release of NCID will make that change. The version of pgrep in tivotools will work, but I will probably supply a current binary of pgrep.

[jlc]

Originally Posted by djl

Also noticed (this is with a clean install of 0.78):

• I had to remove the "--messages" parameter in startncid for the YAC Client Module to load
• Since my busybox was not located in the PATH you specify (~line 34) I had to add :$PATH to the end of that statement for it to locate the new ps command

Things are running smoothly now, thanks

I removed --messages for the next release and also added a comment section to easily add to $PATH if needed as in your case.

You might be interested in using the NCIDpop client instead of the YAC listener on your PC. The link contains screen shots showing the pop-up and preferences windows. One interesting feature on the windows version is that it can play sound files.

[djl]

This is a new module for ncid to give better caller-id output when running on Series 3 units. It uses the venerable 'fly' program to generate a .png file which is then shown on screen by osdwriter. In this way, truetype fonts can be used as well as graphics. (See below for example)
Installation:

• download xybyre's s2osd tools from here (MANY thanks to him for keeping this available after all these years). You only need to install fly: be sure to put it on your path, and to copy the library files to /lib
• copy ncid-fly script to /var/hack/share/ncid
• copy graphic file phone.png to /var/hack/share/pixmaps
• copy a truetype font to /var/hack/share/fonts. I used ahronbd.ttf from my Windows installation (which looks great). If you use a different font, make sure to change the name on line 11 of the script. Other switches, including time onscreen and vertical offset, can be set there as well.
• start ncid-fly with /var/hack/bin/ncid <<IPADDRESS>> --no-gui --program /var/hack/share/ncid/ncid-fly & (only include ip address if ncidd server is running on a different unit)

You can make a phony test call with the command ncid-fly --test.

This is a bit of "back to the future". Most series 2 OSD programs used libosd, but it's not compatible with series 3. Before libosd, there was a lot of work on using this fly method, but it was discarded for being slow and a kludge (if you care, read this thread). Since series 3 units are faster, speed doesn't seem to be an issue with this script, and my feeling is that it's way better than nothing.

Finally, I'm finishing a script called "fly2osd" that will be a drop-in replacement for out2osd. Should be done soon...