Need some help in installing SageTV on VISTA

[JParedis]

I have been using the try and error method to find out how SageTV could be best installed on VISTA, this with keeping VISTA's UAC active.

I'm convinced a "How to install SageTV with VISTA manual" would be highly appreciated over time. In mean time, I got some questions on this matter.

I got SageTV installed under its standard directory "C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV". UAC will store files SageTV will manipulate - e.g., Wiz.bin and sage.properties -under
"C:\Users\'user'\AppData\Local\VirualStore\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV". This would normally not be a problem for the programs, as UAC handles this.

HOWEVER, in current installation the sage.properties are under its standard directory (not in the VirtualStore) .. I believe that is because I'm running the service under a "Local System Account", which is probably running as an Admin and thus writing not in the VirtualStore but directly under the standard directory. I had a setup before where I was - not sure why - not able to start the service with the SageTVServiceControl (gave an errror on LocalSystem not linked or assigned or something like that). I did create a windows user under which I ran the service, not anymore as admin so all was stored under the VirtualStore.

QUESTION: Under what account should SageTVServiceControl run?

I'm a single user on the HTPC, however would it not be an issue if the Wiz.bin would be stored under the username? If another user would connect, I guess s/he would have to reconfigure SageTV (properties are also stored under specific username).

QUESTION: does the Wiz.bin not store to-be-recorded etc. information, so if this becomes different per user, would that not become a problem for SageTV to handle?

I did once a setup where during installation I did not have SageTV install under its default location, but under C:\SageTV\. This way all files remained in the SageTV subdirectory (as it did with WXP). It does bypass a bit UAC for this specific application, but still ...

QUESTION: is this the way it should be done to avoid problems?

Thanks in advance for the feedback, and if anybody with SageTV-VISTA experience has other warnings/tips, do let me know ... I'm spending lots of time on testing (and must each time at end have a working system to keep the family happy ), and can use any help/input.

Jan

[Tomahawk51]

I agree with the need for some guidance on Vista. It really bothers me that the website says Vista support, yet so many problems are known (MVP, Service Mode).

I built a brand new PC with Vista, and Sage is the only thing that is giving me trouble. It pains me to realize that I probably need to go BACK to XP just for Sage.

[JParedis]

Wel, I got basically everything working. Remaining issues at the moment are:

- The MVP does reboot regularly, this is caused apparently by a TCP process error in VISTA (so we need to wait for an MS fix on this).

- My XMLTV download works fine, but the .bat file I wrote can not copy the EPGDATA.XML into the SageTV directory. Still have to figure out how to give this .bat the required authority.

Maybe we should use this thread to capture all VISTA related issues/questions.

Jan

[nielm]

Originally Posted by JParedis

I had a setup before where I was - not sure why - not able to start the service with the SageTVServiceControl (gave an errror on LocalSystem not linked or assigned or something like that).

Use Window's service control instead of Sage's -- it has a better idea of what it needs to do...

QUESTION: Under what account should SageTVServiceControl run?

Whatever you like
However, if you want network filesystem access, it must run as a 'real' user, meaning no admin rights, meaning Wiz.bin and .properties in the Virtual Store.
A 'real' user also has the advantage that the wiz.bin etc is stored in the same place as if the user ran Sage in non-service mode.

I'm a single user on the HTPC, however would it not be an issue if the Wiz.bin would be stored under the username? If another user would connect, I guess s/he would have to reconfigure SageTV (properties are also stored under specific username).

yes. (but using service mode, the service would only be run by a single user, so a single wiz.bin.

QUESTION: does the Wiz.bin not store to-be-recorded etc. information, so if this becomes different per user, would that not become a problem for SageTV to handle?

yes, so either run as a single user, or use service mode so that you get a 'consistant' wiz.bin/properties

Originally Posted by JParedis

- My XMLTV download works fine, but the .bat file I wrote can not copy the EPGDATA.XML into the SageTV directory. Still have to figure out how to give this .bat the required authority.

If running Sage as a user, or in Service mode as a real user, Copy it to the VirtualStore dir instead

Alternatively run the bat in a scheduled task running as LocalSystem (so that it gets admin rights)

[jhh]

Originally Posted by nielm

Whatever you like
However, if you want network filesystem access, it must run as a 'real' user, meaning no admin rights, meaning Wiz.bin and .properties in the Virtual Store.
A 'real' user also has the advantage that the wiz.bin etc is stored in the same place as if the user ran Sage in non-service mode.

Great and that is exactly what I wanted to do but the service hangs when it doesn't get admin rights. It's an error that has been reported before so I'm not alone there. It appears you can't have it both ways - have a standard sage user without admin rights and run as a service.

So it bothers me a bit to read Vista is supported. I admit that I did get a setup working with Sage running in foreground and the webserver and xmltv program data but I want it as a service so it cannot be switched off by accident.

My setup does not feel right if Sages config files are in one place and add-ins are somewhere else. I guess I'll be installing SageTV in c:\sagetv for the time being (and my 3rd attempt to find out what goes where).

I do see the point of the UAC and all so switching it off is not what I'd like to do.