@plainbroke - Are you seeing any errors in the log files? Both the front end log file and the back end log. It could be as simple as an API change.

@sdetweil said in SSD vs Old School Spinning Platter:

@ankonaskiff17 so. ssd technology is write once memory. once that bit is written, it cannot be written again.

Uh, no. The cells that contain the bits do wear out over time, calculated in Total Bytes Written, but they are re-writeable. Writing and rewriting those bits causes wear. And the SSD has some overhead to let you maintain the listed capacity over time. But it is a read/write technology.

There are some write-once SSDs on the market, but you have to specifically purchase them. The few that I found are Windows-only.
How Solid State Drives Work

@1a2a3a said in Complete Walkthrough - Install MagicMirror on a PC - Windows 7/10:

1. so I can use my tv, go into the browser and enter local host:8080 and I’m in? Assuming they are on the same network. Otherwise what would the web link be?

Localhost won’t work on your TV because localhost in that case is the TV’s local host (server). You’ll want to use the IP address of your Raspberry Pi. Likely http://192.168.1.xxx:8080 where xxx is the final numbers for your Pi.

@oraturk75 said in Best monitor or TV:
I really don’t think the Acrylic option is better than the Two Way Mirror but then why it’s more expensive?

I suspect it has to do with the light transmission rates. The SmartMirror glass is 70/30 reflect/transmit, meaning 30% of the light hitting your mirror isn’t reflected (and only 30% of the monitor display will show through) The Two Way Mirror glass is 11% transparent, so even less light will be transmitted through the glass.

(The acrylic is 70/30 as well. Curious.)

@oraturk75 I recently did a budget build for a Magic Mirror and I have some tips.

1. Charity stores and pawn shops are a great place to get decent-enough monitors. I don’t know where you live, but Goodwill stores around here routinely have working LCD monitors for very cheap prices.
2. There is a compromise with going cheap for the glass itself. Two way mirror glass is the best but most expensive option. IMHO, two way mirror plastic (acrylic) is slightly cheaper but prone to warping and funhouse mirror effect. Plate glass with a mirror film is cheapest, but be prepared to spend a lot of time applying the film. But it does work! (Possibly pay a local tint shop to apply the mirror film for you)
3. Easy way to get decorative frames is the crown molding section of your local hardware store. 8 feet of chair rail molding makes a decent enough frame if you want something more detailed than flat wood.

@oraturk75 said in How do I know if a monitor is suitable for a MagicMirror:

I have just seen a post where the guy purchased a naked LCD panel then a separate controller board and a power supply; rather than taking the plastic cover off from a full blown monitor.

I did something like this for another project (Retro arcade in a briefcase). I used an old laptop and ripped the LCD out, bought a controller board off Ebay and then powered it via direct 12v input. It’s definitely possible.

My only caution is that the ribbon cable connecting the controller board to the LCD was easily detached from the monitor. Solvable with a little tape, but do watch for it.

@MMRIZE I just bought a couple of those for a mirror I was building where the monitor I had on hand had rear-facing HDMI ports. They work. But they do add some depth. Also, it constrains you a bit on where you put your Pi if you’re using short HDMI cables.

But yes, they do work.

@vpanse - The MMM-MQTT module is an MQTT client. You need to configure it to connect to a MQTT broker (aka, server) and subscribe to one or more topics. Then you should have your outside client broadcast to the broker.

It’s easy enough to install a MQTT broker on your mirror. I personally use Mosquitto. Like so:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mosquitto -y

That will install mosquitto as a service on your mirror. Then you can point your MMM-MQTT module at the local host on the listener port. Follow the documentation on MMM-MQTT to get you connected to Mosquitto.

@Elkanah - There are several people who have done just what you are describing. It looks very cool. I don’t believe anyone has reported anything about problems with heat. The RPi and the monitor both do not emit a whole lot of heat.
The only issue I can think of is that you may wish to plan on some means of gaining access to the Pi and the back of the monitor for future troubleshooting. Every now and then an SD card goes bad and you’ll need to swap it out. You’ll want some way to get to the Pi without ripping out your wall.

@lhops I think what he means is to type npm start and then see what the mirror logs as it starts the framework and modules. Running the mirror from the command line will output the messages back at you so you can look for problems.

Specifically, look for any line that begins with “error”.