Overview

To validate lightning refapp on rdk 4.0 (rdk-generic-hybrid-image-raspberrypi) along with video playback, need to do some necessary code customizations/modifications in lightning refapp side for video player implementation provided by lightning-sdk framework and rdk library side for variable setting and url configurations.

Please follow the below instructions to validate lightning refapp on rdk-generic-hybrid-image.

Prerequisites

Before you follow the steps below, make sure you have installed all the required prerequisites in your dev PC - Node.js , npm, Lightning-CLI

• Download and install VSCode IDE (code editor) - https://code.visualstudio.com/download
• Download and install Node.js and npm  - https://nodejs.org/en/download/
• Install Lightning-CLI globally in your dev PC     

$ npm install -g @lightningjs/cli

reference image for Lightning-CLI install

Build instructions

• Create Lightning refapp dev build

  1. pull code from source repo using below command

     $ git clone https://github.com/naseemshekh20/refapp.git

  2. goto refapp directory

     $ cd refapp

  3. checkout to branch refapp-vid-playback-validation-on-rdk-4.0

     $ git checkout refapp-vid-playback-validation-on-rdk-4.0

  4. install the NPM dependencies by running below command

     $ npm install

  5. run copyAssets.sh command to create static folder and copy images, json files etc

     $./copyAssets.sh

  6.  run below command for testing in browser 

     $ lng dev

refer below screenshots for reference

reference images for build instructions-1

reference images for build instructions-2

once npm install complete, you will get message at the end "Do you want us to automatically check for old Lightning-SDK imports and update them in your project files? y/n

press n and hit enter button because on pressing y it gets hanged or stuck, in this case press ctrl+c 

reference images for build instructions-3

reference images for build instructions-4

Running refapp

by default vscode launch generated url on chrome browser in dev pc.

reference image for running app on browser

Create dist (build)

• run below command to make build.

$ lng dist

reference image for dist creation

Or 

• Pre-build refapp code

Download customized pre-build refapp code which has lightning sdk video player integrated: build.zip

Hosting Lighting refapp

1. copy the lighting build app from dist folder.
2. host build folder into any http server.
3. test the hosted application on browser 

Lighting refapp integration 

• To build rdk-generic-hybrid-image-raspberrypi follow below instructions

$ repo init -u https://code.rdkcentral.com/r/manifests -b yocto-dunfell-upgrade -m rdkv-nosrc.xml
$ repo sync -j4 --no-clone-bundle
$ MACHINE=raspberrypi-rdk-hybrid source meta-cmf-raspberrypi/setup-environment
$ bitbake rdk-generic-hybrid-image

or 

• Pre-build rdk-generic-hybrid-image-raspberrypi image

Download pre-build rdk-generic-hybrid-image-raspberrypi image from here: rdk-generic-hybrid-image-raspberrypi-rdk-hybrid.zip

• Flash the image on the SD card

  • Execute the following command to flash the image on the SD card

# sudo dd if=<r-pi sdimg> of=<SD card device> bs=1M 
  
for ex: # sudo dd if=rdk-mc-rpi.sdimg of=/dev/sdb bs=1M

or 

Download and install Balena Etcher to write the Raspberry Pi SD card: https://www.balena.io/etcher/

• Download the pre-build image file from rdk-generic-hybrid-image-raspberrypi-rdk-hybrid.zip link to your PC and extract 
• Flash it to the Raspberry Pi's SD card using Etcher

• Lighting refapp integration into rdk-generic-hybrid-image-raspberrypi

• • Method 1:

1. login into raspberrypi and change directory:

$ ssh root@<<IP address>>

# after login into box 
$ cd /lib/rdk/

2. add startup_app_conf variable into referenceApp.sh config file, if you are not seeing referenceApp.sh file in /lib/rdk then refer below mentioned steps to validate refapp in method 2.

startup_app_conf=/opt/residentapp.conf 

        3. add below line to avoid loading default app  

url="http://192.168.0.106:8080/"
echo $url

        4. replace exting url https://px-apps.sys.comcast.net/lightning_apps/SwitcherApp/dist/index.html in /opt/residentapp.conf with lighting app url which is hosted on server

for example your server providing url http://192.168.56.1:8080

      5. reboot the box 

• Method 2 (Validated on rdk-generic-hybrid-wpe-image_rdk-next):

step 1: login to box $ ssh root@<your box ip>

step 2: copy refapp build into /opt/www

step3: $ cd /lib/rdk

step 4: $ vi residentApp.sh

step 5: configure refapp url into residentApp.sh > find in residentApp.sh line "offlineApp="http://127.0.0.1:50050/lxresui/index.html" and replace with refapp url, Example: "offlineApp="http://127.0.0.1:50050/refapp/index.html"

Note: if you are downloading prebuild refapp from download link: build.zip after extract you will see build/build/<files>, you can copy build folder as it is and in this case url will be "offlineApp="http://127.0.0.1:50050/build/build/index.html".

step 6: After reboot app come up with a splash screen. Lighting application will launch instead of switcher app. Main menu screen is displayed which allows users to launch apps, vod, and play video content.

RefApp Video Playback

• RDK 4.0 (rdk-generic-hybrid-image) Vs LGI  RefApp (rdk-generic-hybrid-refapp-image)

Dependencies

• Lightning RefApp on Accelerator

  • Uses lighting sdk media player to play video, verified video playback using mp4 and HLS streams. 
  • Tested mp4 source: http://clips-media-aka.warnermediacdn.com/cnn/clips/2021-01/79895-97f21462b4db4236abcbd68a581[…]remarks-vpx-primary-58581-79895-1920x1080_8000k.mp4 
  • Tested hls source: //cdn.metrological.com/hls/greenland720.m3u8
  • Lightning (a javascript TV app development framework) refapp is a web based app, which runs on browser (supports WebGL). To run this wpe framwork or rdkbrowser2 is required.
  • sessionmanager, rmfstreamer, spark environment, nodejs and LGI based IP player not required.

• Lightning RefApp on rdk-generic-hybrid-refapp
  
  • uses various native RDK components such as spark, rmfstreamer with sessionmanager, IP players (aamp and Liberty IPplayer) to play QAM source, IP video streams (hls/dash).

 Reference Video