Meizu M6 and linux

I got a Dane Elec Meizu M6 last week, and I just thought I'd share my experience of using it with my linux box in case it's helpful to anyone.

It wasn't clear to me whether the meizu would work with my linux box; it seemed like some people online had managed it, but it wasn't clear how. The en.meizu.com site indicated that it worked with "Windows/OS X/Linux", but also wasn't specific as to how it achieved this compatibility.

When it showed up, I was disappointed to see in the manual that Windows was one of the "system requirements". And when I connected it to my linux box, which runs Debian with a 2.6 kernel, I was unable to execute "cat /proc/bus/usb/devices", which usually lists info on connected USB devices.
However, in the settings of the player I saw that the USB protocol could be set to "MTP" or "MSC". I knew MTP was some Microsoft thing, and was unlikely to work with linux, but apparently MSC is another name for UMS, a very universal format that most flash memory sticks use, and one that linux has no trouble with.

However, even in MSC mode, my linux box would not talk to the player. But what did surprise me was that the meizu _did_ show up as a new drive on my Mac laptop.

I was not ready to give up, so using my Mac laptop, I installed the latest firmware (2.003 I think) that I got from the en.meizu.com site. Wonderfully, it suddenly worked with my linux box. When I executed "dmesg | tail", it was clear that the meizu was being recognized as device /dev/sdb. I made a directory called "/media/meizu", and, as root, I issued "mount /dev/sdb /media/meizu". Sure enough, doing a "ls /media/meizu" showed MUSIC/, VIDEO/, etc directories. Sweet!

I've added a line:
/dev/sdb /media/meizu user,rw 0 0
to my /etc/fstab file, and now I can mount the device as any user, not just root.

I tried using mencoder to convert .avi files into a usable format for the meizu. I found that the mencoder options listed on the "M6 mini player" wikipedia page worked quite well. So I made a shell script "meizucode":

#!/bin/sh
mencoder $1 -o $2 -ofps 18.000 -vf dsize=320:240:2:16,scale=0:0,rotate=1 -ovc lavc -oac lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vbitrate=256:acodec=mp2:abitrate=128 -ffourcc XVID -af volnorm

you can just execute "meizucode movie.avi meizumovie.avi" and it reencodes it for you.

All in all, it seems like a great player, with awesome features for a very good price; and what's more, it works great with linux, provided you use MSC mode, and update the firmware! It's a shame that it doesn't come installed with firmware that would let it talk to linux right away.

Originally Posted by snapster

I got a Dane Elec Meizu M6 last week, and I just thought I'd share my experience of using it with my linux box in case it's helpful to anyone.

It wasn't clear to me whether the meizu would work with my linux box; it seemed like some people online had managed it, but it wasn't clear how. The en.meizu.com site indicated that it worked with "Windows/OS X/Linux", but also wasn't specific as to how it achieved this compatibility.

When it showed up, I was disappointed to see in the manual that Windows was one of the "system requirements". And when I connected it to my linux box, which runs Debian with a 2.6 kernel, I was unable to execute "cat /proc/bus/usb/devices", which usually lists info on connected USB devices.
However, in the settings of the player I saw that the USB protocol could be set to "MTP" or "MSC". I knew MTP was some Microsoft thing, and was unlikely to work with linux, but apparently MSC is another name for UMS, a very universal format that most flash memory sticks use, and one that linux has no trouble with.

However, even in MSC mode, my linux box would not talk to the player. But what did surprise me was that the meizu _did_ show up as a new drive on my Mac laptop.

I was not ready to give up, so using my Mac laptop, I installed the latest firmware (2.003 I think) that I got from the en.meizu.com site. Wonderfully, it suddenly worked with my linux box. When I executed "dmesg | tail", it was clear that the meizu was being recognized as device /dev/sdb. I made a directory called "/media/meizu", and, as root, I issued "mount /dev/sdb /media/meizu". Sure enough, doing a "ls /media/meizu" showed MUSIC/, VIDEO/, etc directories. Sweet!

I've added a line:
/dev/sdb /media/meizu user,rw 0 0
to my /etc/fstab file, and now I can mount the device as any user, not just root.

I tried using mencoder to convert .avi files into a usable format for the meizu. I found that the mencoder options listed on the "M6 mini player" wikipedia page worked quite well. So I made a shell script "meizucode":

#!/bin/sh
mencoder $1 -o $2 -ofps 18.000 -vf dsize=320:240:2:16,scale=0:0,rotate=1 -ovc lavc -oac lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vbitrate=256:acodec=mp2:abitrate=128 -ffourcc XVID -af volnorm

you can just execute "meizucode movie.avi meizumovie.avi" and it reencodes it for you.

All in all, it seems like a great player, with awesome features for a very good price; and what's more, it works great with linux, provided you use MSC mode, and update the firmware! It's a shame that it doesn't come installed with firmware that would let it talk to linux right away.

Ah, that shell script idea was great! Gonna use it on my Mac

That's good news. I'd surely give it a try when my linux box is up and running again.

My FC5 machine automatically mounted the M6. I upgraded to the latest firmware afterwards.

It worked out of the box. There was no need to create mount points or edit /etc/fstab. It didn't require upgrading the firmware either.

The Linux kernel on my dated FC5 installation worked just fine w/ the M6 and the stock firmware it had. I don't recall what version the firmware was, but it didn't start with a '2'

The kernel isn't responsible for mounting in a user friendly way. In the Fedora world, I think this function was moved into the gnome realm - so if you don't start a gnome session, you won't get it automounted.

Maybe the hotplug plumbing in Debian doesn't pick it up and mount it like you're expecting. Have you considered using Ubuntu? I've heard great things about it and stuff like this just working. Since it's a Debian derivative, the migration shouldn't be that bad.

I also stuck the mencoder command (from wikipedia) into a script. Better would be to have a gnome script that will reencode and copy to the M6. That way, Nautilus could be used to visually select the pictures/movies you want to put on the M6.:D I bet something similar could be done on OS X. If Meizu actually gave the vfat filesystem a volume id, we would be set.

Yeah, my linux distro is from a few years ago, and from what I've seen, a lot of good work has been put into making the distros easier to install, and easier to work with hardware.

My script for reencoding videos is all fine and good, but I had two ideas for something that might be better:
(1) Having a special re-encode directory, where I can drop .avi's, and if a cron job notices something there, it reencodes the file.
(2) I have a tv tuner card, and I use freevo to record stuff sometimes; maybe a nightly cron job could meizu-encode anything recorded within the last week that hasn't already been encoded, and could delete any meizu-encoded files older than one week...
I think I still do stuff kinda old-skool. But that's one thing I really like about the meizu: there's a VIDEO/ directory, a PICTURES/ dir, a MUSIC/ dir, etc.; very self-explanatory. However, I should try out some of these new distros and GUI apps. That Amarok player seemed pretty cool.

For people using rhythmbox: simply add an empty file ".is_audio_player" in the root of the meizu and rhythmbox will automatically search and list the music from it when you plug it!

That's the reason why I'm using Vista: Connect the player .... oh, everything is working. It's easier than easy.

eat poop. millions of flies cannot be wrong.

Originally Posted by Hendrik

That's the reason why I'm using Vista: Connect the player .... oh, everything is working. It's easier than easy.

And it works any differently under Linux? I connect the player on Novell OpenSUSE Linux 10.2, and I can immediately access it as USB mass storage. Amarok recognizes the player nicely, it should even work in MTP-mode. (not recommended)

@Bobby: :D Defend your OS, I don't care :D
@mfb: Not for everyone. First post:

When I executed "dmesg | tail", it was clear that the meizu was being recognized as device /dev/sdb. I made a directory called "/media/meizu", and, as root, I issued "mount /dev/sdb /media/meizu". Sure enough, doing a "ls /media/meizu" showed MUSIC/, VIDEO/, etc directories. Sweet!

I've added a line:
/dev/sdb /media/meizu user,rw 0 0
to my /etc/fstab file, and now I can mount the device as any user, not just root.

A lot to do and commands who only a nerd can understand

Dude, it's not like I use linux because it's the easiest OS to hook up my miniplayer to; it's for the zillion other things it does better and free.
Anyway, why is it considered "easier" to do crap like "click on the little thingy, and open another window, and drag the thingy from one window to the other," than just do "cp file.mp3 /meizu/file.mp3"?

Originally Posted by Hendrik

@Bobby: :D Defend your OS, I don't care :D
@mfb: Not for everyone. First post:



A lot to do and commands who only a nerd can understand

Originally Posted by Hendrik

@Bobby: :D Defend your OS, I don't care :D
@mfb: Not for everyone. First post:



A lot to do and commands who only a nerd can understand

The topic starter used a Linux distro from a few years back, probably an antique. And it might be he's running a server-distro or a source-distro.

Commands only a nerd understands? I can now see you haven't used anything else except Windows. (and maybe Mac) Everybody using DOS of Unix had to use the console back in the days, and don't tell me all those people were nerds. Damn, the modern generation seem to shit in their pants when they see anything related to a console.
Strange enough, being 18 I can be considered to be from this modern generation. I however use the console more than anything else. So, I completely agree with the above post of snapster.

Originally Posted by Hendrik

@Bobby: :D Defend your OS, I don't care :D

you got me wrong .. the poop meant vista and its millions of fly-eyed buyers.
And I do not have an OS that is "mine", I use W2k, XP, SuSE, RedHat, Mandriva, Knoppix, and many more. Started with C64/Amiga/DOS/Unix back in the days.

@mfb Oh, I gave Linux several tries .... several distributions ... but it always ended with "damn, this device is not working at all" - even a simple USB memory stick. I searched in several Linux forums, but there was no answer.

@snapster: It's easier, because it's more intuitiv. Clicking on something and dragging it to something else is like taking it in your hands and putting it whereever you want it to be. You don't have to read a manual or look up the right commands to enter in a console. You can find out how it works by trying.

@mfb "back in the days" "modern generation" blablabla ... afraid of seeing a console ...
Fact is: Why using this kind of old stuff? Typing abreviations in a console where you can only see text to do something? Don't get stuck in the past, open your eyes for the future What do you prefer: An old phone with a round dial or are you interested in phones like the M8 with only a touchscreen?



But, whatever, I prefer Vista and XP to any kind of Linux and Mac. You do different, that's OK. Have fun!

Originally Posted by Hendrik

@mfb Oh, I gave Linux several tries .... several distributions ... but it always ended with "damn, this device is not working at all" - even a simple USB memory stick. I searched in several Linux forums, but there was no answer.

I have never, ever heard anyone having problems with an USB stick under Linux. I generally find that hardware is better supported under Linux than under Windows, I don't need to install any drivers it works out of the box and perfect or it doesn't work at all. (If it's the latter, most of it is crappy hardware.)

@snapster: It's easier, because it's more intuitiv. Clicking on something and dragging it to something else is like taking it in your hands and putting it whereever you want it to be. You don't have to read a manual or look up the right commands to enter in a console. You can find out how it works by trying.

Guess how I learned to use the console, that's right by trying. Unix commands are very easy actually. Examples: CoPy, LiSt, conCATenate, MoVe, ReMove. Compare that with DOS's dir for DIRectory structure...

GUI's are more like magic, you click something and out of nowhere something magically apears. CLI's are more like thought patterns, I know what to do and execute it with complete insight in what it does.

@mfb "back in the days" "modern generation" blablabla ... afraid of seeing a console ...
Fact is: Why using this kind of old stuff? Typing abreviations in a console where you can only see text to do something? Don't get stuck in the past, open your eyes for the future What do you prefer: An old phone with a round dial or are you interested in phones like the M8 with only a touchscreen?

If the phone with a round dial works faster, better and simpler than give me the old phone.
I opened my eyes to the past, maybe you should do the same.

It's all a big mix, some things work excellent with a GUI, others are perfect with a CLI.

I'm using FC6 (Fedora Core 6) and it automatically recognized and mounted the M6 almost instantly. I'm using KDE with the automount daemon running. It gets mounted to /media/meizu (or something along those lines).

Then, I installed the included Windows program, Virtualdub, using WINE and it runs just fine. I launch it from a desktop icon. I have converted several videos with it running under FC6 Linux with absolutely no problems. BTW: I also had to install the xvid codec and ffdshow (for windows) using WINE as well. Again, everything works great!


Amarok also recognized the device just fine. If you don't know, Amarok is the absolute best (hands down) media player for Linux. Amarok is a KDE program, and will work just fine under Gnome if you have the latest KDE environment installed.

It will soon be available for Mac and Win32/64.....opps, I shouldn't have said that. GOTO: http://amarok.kde.org

EDIT:
M6 Firmware v2003.2
Linux 2.6.20 kernel
I have not updated the m6....said version was in it when it got delivered last week.

Code:

 #!/bin/sh
mencoder $1 -o $2 -ofps 18.000 -vf dsize=320:240:2:16,scale=0:0,rotate=1 -ovc lavc -oac lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vbitrate=256:acodec=mp2:abitrate=128 -ffourcc XVID -af volnorm

Thanks for this script, imho the easiest one I found and which is working for me so far :D
However, since I own a m6 SL and I think the video capabilities have been improved here, I wonder if anyone could make a script optimized for m6 SL?
Unfortunaty I'm not familiar enough with mencoder or video encoding in general to do my own, so if anyone could do one or perhaps already knows a working one I'd highly appreciate it!
Thanks in advance.

In the command line you've posted, the "-ofps 18.000" is for the FPS. For the SL, you can increase that to 20.000 or maybe above till 25.000. Test it out, but that's the only thing you'd want to change in there.

Thanks, 20.000 works perfectly.

My M6 SL works perfectly in Ubuntu 6.06-- I use the Gnome interface. It shows up as soon as I plug it in. I generally only use the command line when I need to compile and install certain programs. So far, I've been using Media Convert to convert videos/movies to .avis for my M6.