How do I open the console directly?

[nubknacker]

Hi,

I am trying to setup Xbian on my pi but for some reason my router will not give it an IP address. I don't know what is wrong with my router so I decided the next best thing would be to go into the Xbian install and just give it a static IP address.

To do this however I need to get into /etc/network/interfaces which means I need a console. I tried pressing Ctrl+C when the system is starting up but it still boots into XBMC. Exiting from XBMC just makes the system hang. Any other ideas on how I can get to the console?

Thanks.

[Koenkk]

You can try editing/reading the file in a linux virtual machine.

[BartOtten]

Are you using Windows, Linux or Mac? If you can mount an ext4-filesystem you are able to remove the XBMC start file.

If you are lucky Alpha 4 will solve it. Only a matter of days before it will be released (if not today)

[nubknacker]

Thanks koenkk and Bart. I could mount the SD card in a VM and edit the files but I'm a bit lazy so I will just wait for the Alpha 4.

[dextrus]

I have a similar problem. My Pi is using a bridged network from my PC and Raspbian has *never* assigned a correct IP address (or been assigned) and I have to configure using static IP's. It seems a bit strange to require network access to configure the network access? Since I have alpha 4 I take it I'm stuffed?

Given no network access I added my memory card to copy over a film...

Firstly, after a few seconds it finds the card, but simultaneously disables the mouse. Thereafter, every 10 or so seconds, it removes the card, and 10 seconds after that, it adds it again and so on..

Finally, assuming I can find a USB card that works, where would I copy the film to?

[CurlyMo]

Just exit XBMC, login as user xbian and configure your network in xbian-config.

[CurlyMo]

I assume it worked?

[dextrus]

No, I'm afraid not. Exit just leaves me with a blank screen. I'll try it with another Pi and power-supply

I still can't figure out how to copy a film from a USB stick to the SD card either and I'm normally quite good at searching. Perhaps it's because I last tested OpenELEC so I am stuck in its ways or something.

[rikardo1979]

you can copy files from XBMC
Go to Settings and you can find File manager under. So you can use this to copy your stuff. All you need to do is to add the sources. It is really simple and intuitive.

[CurlyMo]

Did you press some keys when you saw the black screen. It could be that the console screensaver is active.

[dextrus]

Yes, I pressed keys Curlymo. The screen in question is an LG TV.

Rikardo, given a video file (abcd.mov) on a memory stick, where should I put it on the memory card in order to be able to play the film? I looked into the "add sources" section, but choosing the memory stick the film was residing on was not an option and besides, I don't want the source to be an external source.. If I've got a 16Gb SD card functioning as my OS card, I want to be able to put films on that. Coming from using OpenELEC, it had a "Videos" directory. a "Music" directory, etc..

I feel I'm missing something fundamental here. Should I not be wanting to put source media onto the OS SD card? Is it entirely reliant on networking and finding sources elsewhere?

[CurlyMo]

Are you guys using cec?

[rikardo1979]

@dextrus talking about file manager in this thread would be off topic but here u go
http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Filemanager

[xbert]

Did anyone solve the problem with the blank screen and no command line yet. I have the same problem. Im out of power without my command line! Pressing keys doesnt help. Using Alpha a

[CurlyMo]

This will be fixed in Alpha 5