How do I get boxee to recognize my repository?

[andreslucero]

Trying to get a repository online but I can't get boxee to see it when I enter the URL into App Box > Repositories.

Repo: http://podstreem.com/repository.xml
Apps: http://podstreem.com/index.xml

Any suggestions?

[marcel]

please check out http://developer.boxee.tv/ for more info regarding apps..

[yuvalt]

try adding a blank line at the end of the xml files.

[andreslucero]

Thanks, yuvalt -- you're a genius!

[mwpei]

Trying to get a repository online but I can't get boxee to see it when I enter the URL into App Box > Repositories.

Repo: http://podstreem.com/repository.xml
Apps: http://podstreem.com/index.xml

Any suggestions?

Can I ask how you made this repository and how you setup the repository to have your plugin stored. I have a new version of boxeevpn plugin and I am trying to figure out how to setup a repository so I can share the plugin with others.

thanks in advice for your help.

[FOURFOX65]

Mwpei, Did you ever get your repository built for this?

[yuvalt]

any news on your repository? need any more help?

[mwpei]

any news on your repository? need any more help?

Yes, here is what I did but it is still not working

First I created my site where my repository will be held.
http://www34.websamba.com/boxeeCTV

then I created the following structure (not sure if this is correct)

repository.xml
index.xml
apps
-- boxeevpn
-- boxeeCTV
downloads
-- boxeevpn-2.0.zip
-- ctv-feeds-1.0.zip


The sturcture of my zip files are exactly how they are structured in the apps folder:
boxee-vpn
-- descriptor.xml
-- skin
---- Boxee Skin NG
---- 720p
------ ....
---- media
------ ....

Here is what the descriptor.xml file looks like:


<app>
<id>boxeevpn</id>
<name>BoxeeVPN</name>
<version>2.0</version>
<description>Boxee VPN Controller for Openvpn</description>
<thumb>http://www34.websamba.com/boxeeCTV/apps/boxeevpn/boxeevpn.png</thumb>
<repository>http://www34.websamba.com/boxeeCTV</repository>
<media>video</media>
<copyright>GPL</copyright>
<email>m1j1w1@gmail.com</email>
<type>skin</type>
<startWindow>14000</startWindow>
<platform>all</platform>
<minversion>0.9.9</minversion>
</app>


you can see the contents of the following
http://www34.websamba.com/boxeeCTV/repository.xml
http://www34.websamba.com/boxeeCTV/index.xml


I can add the repository in app box but when I try to download the boxeeVPN plugin I get a "Could not add application" error.

Does anyone have any ideas what I am doing wrong?

[gr8npwrfl]

I have made several repositories to install software that I have downloaded and made my own packages to my own computers

I followed this and it worked great

http://mediakey.dk/~cc/howto-create-your-own-debian-or-ubuntu-package-repository/

[mwpei]

I have made several repositories to install software that I have downloaded and made my own packages to my own computers

I followed this and it worked great

http://mediakey.dk/~cc/howto-create-your-own-debian-or-ubuntu-package-repository/

thanks for the link.

I was assuming that all you needed to do to setup a repository was to setup the correct files and directories on a site that is accessible to others, but from the sounds of this link it seems like you need to have the ability to install some repository generator


Install the tools to be able to create a repository index

sudo aptitude install dpkg-dev


The problem I have is I don't have access to a web server that I can install stuff on, so I guess my question is: can i setup my repository in some other way?

[svuille]

thanks for the link.

I was assuming that all you needed to do to setup a repository was to setup the correct files and directories on a site that is accessible to others, but from the sounds of this link it seems like you need to have the ability to install some repository generator


Install the tools to be able to create a repository index

sudo aptitude install dpkg-dev


The problem I have is I don't have access to a web server that I can install stuff on, so I guess my question is: can i setup my repository in some other way?


Hi all. mwpei, I am running into the same problem. I have now a few applications, still in test phase, but wanted to create my own repository. I just reverse engineered the file/folder structure found on other repositories, without success so far. One problem may be my inability to create a dir.server.com type of address. Perhaps that is a prerequisite. In all cases, the boxee team has promised documentation on the developer page, so it should only be a short wait. Btw, thank you for your VPN 2.0 app, it works very well for me.

[marcel]

We will create a document in the next few days or so...looking forward to trying out your apps...

[mwpei]

Hi all. mwpei, I am running into the same problem. I have now a few applications, still in test phase, but wanted to create my own repository. I just reverse engineered the file/folder structure found on other repositories, without success so far. One problem may be my inability to create a dir.server.com type of address. Perhaps that is a prerequisite. In all cases, the boxee team has promised documentation on the developer page, so it should only be a short wait. Btw, thank you for your VPN 2.0 app, it works very well for me.

I have also been working on my repository with some help from the boxee guys. The biggest issue that I ran into (the was pointed out to me by the boxee guys) is you have to name your apps in a patricular way, that includes the repository id, so if you have an app like boxeevpn and it is in the boxeeatca repository you need to the boxeevpn app to be named boxeeatca.boxeevpn, and the zip file would need to be boxeeatca.boxeevpn-2.0.zip. I am still having issues with getting my repo working so I am hoping the documentation will help me out.

One other thing that I have run into that others maybe able to help me with is a host for my repo, I found a few free hosts but they don't seem to let boxee download the .zip file (I tried both a web host and a file host).

Does anyone have any suggestion for either a free or very cheep host?

thanks,

[svuille]

I have also been working on my repository with some help from the boxee guys. The biggest issue that I ran into (the was pointed out to me by the boxee guys) is you have to name your apps in a patricular way, that includes the repository id, so if you have an app like boxeevpn and it is in the boxeeatca repository you need to the boxeevpn app to be named boxeeatca.boxeevpn, and the zip file would need to be boxeeatca.boxeevpn-2.0.zip. I am still having issues with getting my repo working so I am hoping the documentation will help me out.

One other thing that I have run into that others maybe able to help me with is a host for my repo, I found a few free hosts but they don't seem to let boxee download the .zip file (I tried both a web host and a file host).

Does anyone have any suggestion for either a free or very cheep host?

thanks,


That last part with the file names is a good point. I tried it though, and still getting no joy. Repository shows up fine with thumb when added, application with thumb appear in "new application", but I get the failure to load app message too. I give up for now.

[svuille]

Ok, after proofreading all file/folder names and making sure everything is super tight, I finally got Boxee to install my app.

Not quite though. Everything worked fine in that the relevant source was added to sources.xml and the relevant folder added to the apps folder and the relevant file (only a descriptor.xml). Except... the file descriptor.xml is completely emty (yes, I double checked, within the Zip, the file is perfectly fine).

Any ideas? I used the Os X standard "compress" function right clicking on the folder to create the zip. Could that be the issue?

The repository can be found here

http://www.openix.org/simon/boxee/repository/

Thanks

Simon

[nerdlinger]

Yes, that could be the issue. I used the OS X compress and then used transmit to upload my zip file and then when I downloaded it again it was corrupt.

I downloaded Better Zip and compressed it with normal compression, uploaded it and it worked.

Give Better Zip a try.

[svuille]

that solved it, thanks. Note to all of you, do not use OS X shortcut for zipping your apps.

[digiradio]

Salut Simon

Merci beaucoup pour ce grand travail! C'est formidable d'avoir access aux émissions de TSR avec BOXEE - grace à votre application! J'espère on a bientôt des autres portails qui sont disponibles, surtout arte+7, "France tvod", TF1 Vidéos, M6 Replay, Virgin 17 Wrapper etc.

Est-ce que tu pense c'est un grand truc pour toi de réaliser aussi une application pour SF.tv?

Encore une fois: Grand merci!

A+
Richard

[svuille]

ravi que cela vous plaise.
pour sf.tv c'est assez difficile, je ne trouve rien au format rss et avec ces nouveau players il est difficile de trouver l'adresse sous-jacente aux videos (afin de l'analyser et de la recréer au moyen d'un algorithme.) sf.tv et tsr.ch sont très différents.

[svuille]

En fait pour sf.tv, ces émissions sont disponibles facilement:

http://www.sf.tv/podcasts/index.php

Il serait très facile de modifier mon plug in pour en créer un sur sf.tv

par contre plus difficile pour les émissions pas listées sur cette page.

Salutations

Simon

[xmcnuggetx]

We will create a document in the next few days or so...looking forward to trying out your apps...

Any update on this?

[xmcnuggetx]

anything yet?

[DPK]

You don't need to install anything to your server. Just make sure the files are in the right places, named correctly along with appropriate directories.

You don't need to have a dir.domain.com, boxee will pull your repo if you have a domain.com/whatever sub-directory location. The dir.domain.com location just makes it easier for users to enter into boxee.

[marcel]

@xmcnuggetx not yet have you tried this http://developer.boxee.tv/

[ameno]

You don't need to install anything to your server. Just make sure the files are in the right places, named correctly along with appropriate directories.

I don't think this is altogether true. I am having some issues that I can't explain. I have checked and rechecked my file names. Maybe someone can help me out. It pulls my repository into Boxee and shows it, but the thumbnail for my app doesn't show up in the app box. I have tried other independent repositories, including ones on this post (that's what I modeled from), and they work.

This is for a "skin" app, not RSS. I haven't tried this with RSS, but I have a feeling it would work. Here is where all my files are.

Repository file - http://www.boxxxee.com/repository

Repository file (index.xml) - http://www.boxxxee.com/repository/index.xml

Repository file (repository.xml) - http://www.boxxxee.com/repository/repository.xml

Repository download folder - http://www.boxxxee.com/repository/download

The files are all there and you can download my zip file using the corrent naming convention (file-version.zip).

Can someone who has done a skin app repository successfully check these out and let me know if they see any issues.

[xmcnuggetx]

@xmcnuggetx not yet have you tried this http://developer.boxee.tv/

Yes.. there is documentation on building applications, but nothing on creating your own repository.

[svuille]

Ameno, can you please describe exactly what happens when you try to add your repository to Boxee. Is the repository added to your list of repositories together with its thumbnail and description? Do you see the applications from your repository in the list of new apps? Do you get an error/success message upon installing one of these apps. Does the app then appear in the relevant internet section of boxee?

One common problem which a few of us ran into is that you should NOT use the os X built-in ZIP program to compress your app, but rather use betterzip.

[ameno]

Ameno, can you please describe exactly what happens when you try to add your repository to Boxee. Is the repository added to your list of repositories together with its thumbnail and description? Do you see the applications from your repository in the list of new apps? Do you get an error/success message upon installing one of these apps. Does the app then appear in the relevant internet section of boxee?

The repository is added to my list together with its thumbnail. I see no thumbnail for the application in my "new apps" , so, of course, I can't install it.



One common problem which a few of us ran into is that you should NOT use the os X built-in ZIP program to compress your app, but rather use betterzip.

I'm using WinRar (I've been doing this devel all on Windows with the latest version of Boxee compiled for it). I'm using normal compression. This should be a straight ahead zip compression (very standard).

svuille, your repository works for me. Can you try adding mine to your repositories and see if the app shows for you?

[DPK]

Would you mind posting your app's descriptor.xml file in here? Might be able to tell you what's going on.

[ameno]

Would you mind posting your app's descriptor.xml file in here? Might be able to tell you what's going on.

I'm pretty sure Boxee is not even getting to my descriptor file. The thumbnail is not showing up and that is in the index.xml on the site, not in my descriptor.xml that is zipped up.

Anyway, it looks exactly like it does in http://www.boxxxee.com/repository/index.xml

[DPK]

First guess, try making your thumbnail image a PNG instead of a GIF. I think there's an issue with your repository naming convention also, but I'm not even going to go there unless this is just a case of a thumbnail file format problem.

As a side note, I like your play on words for your app/domain, haha. Well thought out sir.

[ameno]

First guess, try making your thumbnail image a PNG instead of a GIF. I think there's an issue with your repository naming convention also, but I'm not even going to go there unless this is just a case of a thumbnail file format problem.

I used a convention similar to svuille, and his feeds work. I'd be surprised if that was the case (the image). That same image is what I'm using for the repository (shows up), and in the app itself (shows up when I manually add the app no problem). But, I will try it tonight.



As a side note, I like your play on words for your app/domain, haha. Well thought out sir.

Well, I'm anxious to get this up and going. I already have buddies beta testing the app. for those who can do manual installs, feel free to pull it out of the repository and check it out. I have already over 3000 full length, good quality movies with a fully functional (js-enabled) flash player (no buffering, ultra fast forward and back skip, play, pause, etc). What's adult content if you can't skip all the way through a movie to your favorite scene, right? Screw buffering.

I'll try the image tonight. Is there a repository out there currently serving skin-type apps that anyone has gotten to work?

[svuille]

I had a look, and I really don't know. It all looks fine to me, but your app does not appear in my list of new apps, which I interpret as a problem with index.xml

One small glitch I noticed though, but which would become apparent only at the next stage (after you actually have installed the app), is your descriptior file should read <id>com.bx.boxxxee</id>, not <id>boxxxee</id>. As I said, I don't expect this to solve your problem, but fix one you haven't seen yet.

As far as your problem goes, keep looking, it must be a small tiny detail. I took me hours to make it work, always because of small glitches.

[ameno]

I tried changing the image to png, still no dice. I'm going to wholesale copy your repository, svuille, and see if I can get it to work coming off my server and then alter it piece by piece. I'll let you guys know if it works.

[ameno]

OK, got the whole thing working. didn't have to go to the extreme I described in the post above.

I pretty much changed three things, and I think that the last one fixed it.

1. Made sure that the main repository url returned application/xml header as opposed to text/xml
2. Added an ETag header onto the main repository URL. I noticed this existed on all the repositories (all 2 of them) that I could actually find that worked.

And now, here is the most bullshit bug I have experienced in a long time...

3. Made sure there was a carriage return (new line) after the final tag in both the index.xml, the php file that feeds the main repository address and the repository.xml.

WTF???!?!?! Ridiculous. :mad:

For those of us who work with xml-based APIs (particularly those of us who build them), there are all sorts of reasons to not include extra lines in responses the machine is going to read.

If I get the inkling over the weekend, I will make a working demo repository and zip up the whole file structure and post it up here to save developers in the future the hours of pulling out their hair that I experienced.

Also, all this naming convention junk (and image formats) didn't mess me up one bit. Carriage return, that messed me up. I'll also write documentation for my zip file. Hopefully someone from Boxee will post it.

NOTE TO BOXEE GUYS:

Give priority to helping developers set up repositories. Without repositories, apps are 100% worthless, because no one but tech nerds like me will take the time to dig deep into our file system and change around xml files to install apps manually.

If all you need to do is copy and paste a URL and you can have access to a repository full of apps, you open the door to content creators and aggregators doing the work of marketing the Boxee platform FOR YOU. Don't miss out on this opportunity. You have the chance to be the "next cable tv" if you don't fuck this up!

[ameno]

So, I griped in my last post, but Imma back it up with positive action.

I went ahead and did the workup I mentioned in my last post. Now everyone can create their own repositories...

http://forum.boxee.tv/showthread.php?t=9013