this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2024
40 points (95.5% liked)

Linux

48375 readers
1611 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/19441267

I have a 2nd-gen chromecast, it's factory reset. If i plug it in all it tells me is to install the app to start configuring.

I don't have a google account not do i want to install/use google-related stuff on my phone.

My home router doesn't register any new device, which makes sense since the cast doesn't know the SSID/pass of the WiFi.

Does it try to ping some service/port? Multicast perhaps? Where would it get an IP from without authenticating?

My (wired) PC runs gentoo.

How can i get it to work in these conditions?

top 15 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I don't think you can. On the other hand, if you register a Google account, use a secondary user on your phone to login, install the app and activate the Chromecast, I think you can subsequently use it without the Google account. Delete the secondary user once you're done with the setup. You wouldn't have given Google any useful data and you'd have cost them some.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Oh that's smart. Would it essentially be just a miracast dongle thing?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Well I don't know what OP is planning to use it as, but desktop VLC can cast to Chromecast on the LAN for example.

[–] 0x0 2 points 2 months ago

Mostly this.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Miracast is a separate, older protocol from what Chromecast uses.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Imagine how much more convenient the world would be if the Chromecast protocol was open source

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The newer version is: https://w3c.github.io/openscreenprotocol/

I used to be on that team at Google and when I left they were working on an open source implementation of it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That's awesome if they're implementing it.

My Google home and Chromecast at the moment are necessary evils because when I sit down to watch something I don't want to have to worry about whether it'll work with x or y, whether I'm getting good bitrate etc

Would however be really cool if I was able to cast my screen, cast YouTube etc from my Linux laptop

Have been able to do it in the past using chrome but I already need to keep two browsers installed don't want a third

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Just a thought, but since someone else in the thread said you can stream to Chromecast via VLC, you can desktop capture natively in VLC and stream that to your Chromecast. I can't remember if the native capture can do sound or not, but if not, you can instead use OBS virtual cam (you'll need v4l2loopback for the virtual cam to show up), and open that as a capture device in VLC. You should be able to attach an audio source to that as well. While I haven't personally tested it with audio, I have used OBS virtual cam with VLC before, and it worked flawlessly for me. If you can't find a more elegant solution, then it's worth a shot to try and see if it works

[–] 0x0 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Less ewaste too. Less profits for google though...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

If it's actually possible when my Chromecast stops being usable I'm putting Linux on it and using it to run some light weight projects (someone mentioned you can Linux them)

[–] 0x0 1 points 2 months ago

(someone mentioned you can Linux them)

Source?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

In that line, is there an open standards, no Google required answer to the Chromecast?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

How can i get it to work in these conditions?

Borrow an android phone from some friend/neighbor for an hour...

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Probably not that helpful, but i do know of a few articles installing linux on a Chromecast

https://github.com/frederic/sabrina-custom-os