STV: DigiCasa - Add security to your SageTV install - Last Updated May 14 2005

[Lester Jacobs]

Have you ever wanted to restrict the functionality that guests/kids/your roomate had access to on your SageTV install? I'm always a little bit worried when the kids or guests are using my SageTV in the living room. Have they accidentally deleted one of my shows? Have my favourites been messed up?

To solve that problem I developed the DigiCasa STV which attempts to address adding security to a SageTV install. The STV is based the OriginalV2 (i.e. standard STV) with the neilm Dynamic Menu System plus the neilm importable modules for RSS and IMDB.

The STV supports three security levels; Administrator (full access to the system), Normal (no access to configuration menus) and Restricted (SageTV in view only mode).

The STV is contained in the three files attached. Please download and read the instructions first before using the other two files.

Caution: Although this STV works great for me, your experience might be different. Any use of this STV is strictly at your own risk. Additionally, I consider this STV to be at the beta stage so all of the usual caveats apply.

Updates:
May 14 2005 - Corrected option menu displays for normal and restricted STVs.

Instructions
Full Package
STV Only

[phantomfsoc]

Right on time. I just got the MVP and put Cayars STV just so I could edit the menu and remove certain things so no one in the other room could delete things.
I'm gonna try yours soon since it sounds like what I need. Just one thing, I'm not familiar with Neilms dynamic menus, does that mean you can edit them?

[Lucas]

Yes, the cayars menu functionality is based on Nielm's work.

Great work Lester! This is, in my opinion the best balance of functionality, with top security to boot!.

In fact, I was planning to run the standard STV with the nielm menu module on clients, customised to remove things that confuse others.

Great again!

[dagar]

Sweeeettttt!!! You da man!

[vacajuntaz]

Would be nice to be able to restrict access with a passcode on certain mpg files imported directories..this possible?

[dagar]

nudge, nudge, wink, wink Say no more squire :P (Sorry, couldn't resist)

[Lester Jacobs]

Originally Posted by vacajuntaz

Would be nice to be able to restrict access with a passcode on certain mpg files imported directories..this possible?

Yes, I agree. I would actually like to extend it further and provide access control to not just certain imported files but also to all shows, whether imported or not. There may be favourites or manual recordings that you feel are not appropriate for kids and I'd like to give the ability to restrict access to those.

That type of functionality requires more complicated coding though but I'm already in the process of investigating the best way to handle this.

Cheers
Lester

[Lester Jacobs]

I've updated a few things. Please redownload the most recent version from the first post.

Regards
Lester

[dagar]

Preface: I don't have a clue how a STV is composed

Would it be possible to make this an Import STV?

[Lester Jacobs]

Originally Posted by dagar

Preface: I don't have a clue how a STV is composed

Would it be possible to make this an Import STV?

Technically possible but currently low on my list of things to do. If neilm (the current import plugin master) wants to take a swing at this then he's welcome to.

Cheers
Lester

[dblaine2]

I am a noob and before I give this a try... Can Cayars and this STV co-exist?

[Lester Jacobs]

Originally Posted by dblaine2

I am a noob and before I give this a try... Can Cayars and this STV co-exist?

I don't think it should be a problem. However, I've never tried Cayars' STV so no guarantees. In other words, try it at your own risk.

Cheers
Lester

[perfessor101]

Is there any possibilty of making it so this STV will not set the watched flag for any shows watched under the guest account?
I'm just never sure what the roomy or friends might mess up my Intelligent recordings with

Thanks for your time,
Bobby

He's old school, non PVR inclined ... he just channel surfs until he finds something he wants to watch then channel surfs when the commercials hit ... last time I suggested setting up the living room TV with Sage, his response was ... but I'd never fall to sleep during a commercial

[mattdcknsn]

Thanks for making a STV that has great security. The only reason I cant incorporate this is because there is no Music option for playing audio files.
Is there a way to make an audio portion? Is this doable with Neilm's module import? I am not sure how to do this, but if it is doable I can try and figure it out. Thanks,

[Lester Jacobs]

Originally Posted by mattdcknsn

Thanks for making a STV that has great security. The only reason I cant incorporate this is because there is no Music option for playing audio files.
Is there a way to make an audio portion? Is this doable with Neilm's module import? I am not sure how to do this, but if it is doable I can try and figure it out. Thanks,

This STV is built around Nielm's Dynamic Menu and thus it is easy to add the standard Sage music menu. Just switch to Admin mode and follow the instructions in Neilm's Dynamic Menu system (it's in the "Customisations" sticky at the top of this sub-forum). The only thing you have to be aware of is that you need to add the music option to each of the user levels (admin, normal, guest). From the admin level you can edit the menu of any other level (check the readme file included in the download for the security STV).
Alternatively, you can directly edit the appropriate ".xml" files in the SageTV install directory ( as outlined in the readme included with the download).

Cheers
Lester

[mattdcknsn]

Thanks, I wasnt sure what that was exactly and I just got it up and running stable. I didnt want to start messing around with things I didnt understand completely.

It is working great now. Thanks for the information, and thank you for the great STV.

[salsbst]

Per Lester's comment that a discussion around this STV could help flesh out future multi-user functionality...

What I'd like to see is something where each user is allocated a quota into which their shows must fit, and that each user manages his/her recordings separately. The entire interface would be specific to the current user.

Shows that would be recorded for more than one user are approtioned equally against each user's space constraint. Once a user deletes a recording, their portion of the space constraint would be reallocated to the remaining users who still have the recording.

The current user could be switched by entering in the user name and password of the user to which you wish to switch (NOT by picking from a list).

[Crashless]

Originally Posted by salsbst

...snip...
The current user could be switched by entering in the user name and password of the user to which you wish to switch (NOT by picking from a list).

I like a lot of those ideas, but I disagree with this one. I believe that people want to watch TV quickly, and won't like the idea of 'logging on' to thier television.

I think it might best work by having Sage present a list of users at power up, and have the ability to either have a password, or not.

If it's too obtrusive, people won't use it.

[gplasky]

Another option you could have on a per user basis is deciding if you want to share your favorites. If you don't share they only show up for you in recorded shows. If you share, everyone can play but only the owner can delete.

Gerry

[salsbst]

Originally Posted by Crashless

I like a lot of those ideas, but I disagree with this one. I believe that people want to watch TV quickly, and won't like the idea of 'logging on' to thier television.

I think it might best work by having Sage present a list of users at power up, and have the ability to either have a password, or not.

If it's too obtrusive, people won't use it.

Perhaps the presentation of a list vs. requiring the user name to be typed should be configurable. Listing the user names is an attractive nuisance IMO.