How to install Front Row

I just installed Front Row on my non-front-row mac and it works with my ATI Remote Wonder USB Remote Control. Very nice.

Here’s how I think I got it working, I tried a few things, this is what I think did it:

1. Downloaded FrontRowUpdate.dmg from apple web site, and copied FrontRowUpdate.mpkg from the disk image to the desktop.

2. Downloaded Enabler1.2.1.dmg and ran “Front Row Enabler” and selected “Enable Installation” which I believe hacks FrontRowUpdate that is on my desktop so it can be installed on any mac. (Before this step I tried installing FrontRowUpdate and it said you require a G5 something or other imac to install.)

3. Installed Front row by clicking on the new modified installer on my desktop. Restart.

3. Downloaded FRE.dmg and ran “Front Row Enabler” (this one has a nice icon and is diffferent to the above one) and then clicked the ‘install’ button. This I believe modifies some core services bezel file or something. Restart. DON”T DO THIS STEP EVER AGAIN or it can cause your menu to disappear or something like that.

4. Went to the system preferences and selected keyboard shortcuts in ‘mouse and keyboard’ preference pane and changed it from apple-escape to apple-F4. (Apple-escape clashes with Quicksilver)

5. Then I just programmed my ATI wonder remote so that when I press the TV button it presses apple-F4 and launches Front Row. I also had to set the button ‘C’ on my ATI wonder remote to be escape so I could exit from Front Row.

The Buttons that Control Front Row are right, left, return and escape.

There are good instructions here:
http://whenderson.blogspot.com/2006/03/installing-front-row-121-on-any-mac.html