Minimize Kodi to run full screen X on OSMC Alpha 4

Question

I am running OSMC Alpha 4 on my new Raspberry Pi 2. This comes with Kodi v14 (Helix), which auto-runs at boot.

I can run an X application (xclock for example) after first killing Kodi with pkill mediacenter && pkill kodi. The app displays fine.

However, If I don't first kill kodi, the app does not display on the screen (I am guessing Kodi overwrites the framebuffer or something?).

Is there a way to "minimize" kodi so I can run my X application without killing it first?

I run my X application via sudo xinit /home/osmc/.xinitrc.

#!/bin/bash
# ~/.xinitrc

xset -dpms
xset s off
xset s noblank

matchbox-window-manager &
xclock -g 50x50-0+0 -bw 0

kill $!

I've noticed OSMC runs kodi in a loop via the /usr/bin/mediacenter script, which is why I have to pkill mediacenter AND pkill kodi:

#!/bin/bash

# (c) 2014-2015 Sam Nazarko
# email@samnazarko.co.uk

fb_restore() {
    [ -e /var/run/fb_resolution ] && /bin/fbset $(cat /var/run/fb_resolution)
    /bin/fbset -depth 8 && /bin/fbset -depth 16
    echo 1 >/sys/class/vtconsole/vtcon1/bind
}

export TERM=linux
sudo chown osmc:osmc /sys/class/vtconsole/vtcon*/bind

if [ "$1" = "stop" ]; then
    fb_restore
    exit
fi

sudo chmod a+rw /dev/tty1
sudo /usr/bin/setterm --blank 0 </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1

who | awk '{print $2}' | grep tty1 >/dev/null
if [ "$?" -ne 0 ]; then
    sudo systemctl stop getty@tty1
fi

if [ ! -e /var/run/fb_resolution ]; then
    /bin/fbset | grep geometry | awk '{print "-xres "$2" -yres "$3" -vxres "$4" -vyres "$5}' | sudo tee /var/run/fb_resolution >/dev/null
fi

while true; do
    sudo setcap cap_net_admin,cap_net_bind_service,cap_net_raw=e /usr/lib/kodi/kodi.bin
    /usr/lib/kodi/kodi.bin --standalone -fs --lircdev /var/run/lirc/lircd
    CODE="$?"

    fb_restore
    sudo chmod a+rw /dev/tty1
    sudo systemctl status getty@tty1 >/dev/null; GETTY=$?
    if [ "$GETTY" -ne 0 ]; then
        sudo chvt 1
        /usr/bin/setterm --cursor off >/dev/tty1
        /usr/bin/clear >/dev/tty1
        /usr/bin/ply-image "$CODE"
        read -n 1 -s -t 10 key </dev/tty1
    fi
    if [ "$key" = $'\e' -o "$GETTY" -eq 0 ]; then
        /bin/fbset -depth 8 && /bin/fbset -depth 16
        /usr/bin/setterm --cursor on >/dev/tty1
        sudo systemctl start getty@tty1
        count=30
        while [ $count -gt 0 ]; do
            who | awk '{print $2}' | grep tty1 >/dev/null
            if [ "$?" -eq 0 ]; then
                count=5
            else
                let count=count-5
            fi
            sleep 5
        done
        sudo systemctl stop getty@tty1
    fi
done

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 20 '15 at 15:29

3

you can try:

xbmc-send -a "Minimize"

for other built-in functions: List of built-in functions

answered Mar 20 '15 at 15:29

Emaster

31
2

Unfortunately this didn't work - OSMC still controlled the screen, and I couldn't get my xclock instance to show up. But thanks for the suggestion - I didn't realise those commands existed! – Jess Telford Jun 15 '15 at 00:05

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 15 '15 at 00:04

Sam Nazarko (creator of OSMC / Raspbmc) suggests:

Minimising Kodi is not easy. I think it captures the framebuffer on Raspberry Pi

I suggest stopping Kodi to save resources anyway. The proper way to do this:

sudo systemctl stop mediacenter

And to start again:

sudo systemctl start mediacenter

Minimize Kodi to run full screen X on OSMC Alpha 4

2 Answers2

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