Kodi?

[mackadoo]

Has anyone installed Kodi? My screen just goes to the default Retropie "Press A to configure" etc screen but nothing comes up.  I would guess there's a config in the Kodi files necessary because of screen resolution but I have no idea how that works.

[Flavor]

I personally haven't tried it, but I'd love to heard about how it works and what it took to get configured when someone does. Thanks!

[Arg019]

Maybe this will help?

https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/KODI

[ronkerz]

I have it installed and even added it to my emulation station menu but when I try to launch Kodi it gives me a black screen. Turns out Kodi doesn't support the screen. However you can actually use Kodi if you connect it to a Monitor using mini HDMI. Does anyone have other options to watch content on the Freeplay tech screen?

[Flavor]

I can't say for sure, but the likely problem is that Kodi (or something else it's using) changes the HDMI resolution. The fbcp process (https://github.com/TheFlav/rpi-fbcp) that clones the HDMI output to the LCD can't handle on-the-fly HDMI resolution changes.

If you boot your Freeplay Zero/CM3 with HDMI attached and then run Kodi, do you see your TV changing resolution at the same time that the LCD stops updating?

EDIT: I didn't find a fix here, yet, but I was pointed to this thread on the topic. I'll add it here in case someone else wants to walk through it. https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewt...&start=225

[ronkerz]

I can't say for sure, but the likely problem is that Kodi (or something else it's using) changes the HDMI resolution.  The fbcp process (https://github.com/TheFlav/rpi-fbcp) that clones the HDMI output to the LCD can't handle on-the-fly HDMI resolution changes.

If you boot your Freeplay Zero/CM3 with HDMI attached and then run Kodi, do you see your TV changing resolution at the same time that the LCD stops updating?

EDIT: I didn't find a fix here, yet, but I was pointed to this thread on the topic.  I'll add it here in case someone else wants to walk through it.  https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewt...&start=225

fbcp is installed by default on the CM3 image right?

"do you see your TV changing resolution at the same time that the LCD stops updating?" I am unable to test that right now since the mini HDMI cable can't quite reach the port. I need to cut more in the in the shell but I don't want to ruin it. I need a new mini HDMI cable with a longer end to test that again.

[Flavor]

fbcp is installed by default on the CM3 image right?

That's correct. Let me know if you can confirm that the resolution change seems to be the problem.

[HoraceAndTheSpider]

i am 99% sure its the resolution change. the LCD screen, since the LCD stays 'stuck' on the "Launching kodi... press a button to configure" screen... tried changings the screen modes in that option but most just resulted in a black screen.

[Flavor]

I have tested a bit.
If I start fbcp AFTER I run Kodi, then the LCD will work. Kodi is trying to change the resolution, and fbcp doesn't recover from that.
Even if Kodi changes the resolution to the same thing it was before (so like not really changing just resetting), it still happens.
I'll have to try to figure out if there's a way around this.
Otherwise, I got Kodi to work, I guess.

[Flavor]

I have tested a workaround for Kodi on Recalbox.  It is a pretty simple hack, but it works.

I haven't looked at the script you are using to launch Kodi on RetroPie, so I can't give you specifics, but I can give you a general idea.

In the script that runs Kodi, right before you run 'kodi-standalone' (at least that's what I think the executable is called), you would add 2 lines.
sudo service fbcp stop
/home/pi/Freeplay/startfbcp.sh &

You would make /home/pi/Freeplay/startfbcp.sh look like this (and it would need to be executable).

Code:

#!/bin/sh
sleep 3
/etc/init.d/S13fbcp start

The idea is to stop fbcp, start Kodi, wait 3 seconds, start fbcp.  The user won't even notice that it happened, because Kodi takes a few seconds to boot up, anyway.