Run and capture the Skin Lab examples

Developer documentation is maintained in English in both handbook editions. Use the translation menu for another language. Code and receiver screenshots remain in English.

The Handbook Skin Lab opens independent example screens and leaves the selected main skin in place. It supplies synthetic text and artwork; the examples do not depend on live television, network shares, EPG data or credentials.

Install the examples

Download the ZIP from any illustrated example. Extract its HandbookSkinLab folder on your computer and transfer that folder to:

/usr/lib/enigma2/python/Plugins/Extensions/HandbookSkinLab/

The folder must directly contain __init__.py, plugin.py, advanced.py, network.py, panels.xml, screens/ and assets/. Restart the GUI once after installing the new plugin, at a time when no recordings or other receiver work will be interrupted. Open Plugins → Handbook Skin Lab. LEFT/RIGHT moves between the 27 examples: twelve foundations, nine advanced scenes and six network scenes. OK or EXIT closes the screen.

Change one thing

1. Copy an example XML locally before changing it.
2. Change one attribute, such as horizontalAlignment, font or zPosition.
3. Transfer the XML into the plugin’s screens/ directory.
4. Close and reopen that example. The lab reads the XML again for each new screen instance.
5. Compare the result and inspect the Enigma2 log for that screen.

This XML-only loop does not require changing the global skin. Changes to imported Python classes normally require a GUI restart; replacing a file on disk does not replace an already imported Python object.

Capture without television video

While an example is open, run on the receiver:

grab -o -d -p /tmp/skin-example.png

-o captures only the OSD, -d keeps the OSD resolution, and -p writes PNG. Copy the PNG to your computer. Transparent OSD areas remain transparent in the image; a video plane is not added. The lab screens paint a neutral background themselves.

For a later tutorial that needs an all-plane screenshot, stop live playback first and use the receiver bootlogo. Do not include live TV frames in this handbook’s skin demonstrations.

Optional batch capture

The lab’s session service watches a local file under /tmp/handbook-skin-lab/; it opens no network listener. From live TV or the plugin browser, send a JSON request containing known example IDs:

mkdir -p /tmp/handbook-skin-lab
printf '%s' '{"scenes":["hello","coordinates","alignment"]}' \
  > /tmp/handbook-skin-lab/request.tmp
mv /tmp/handbook-skin-lab/request.tmp /tmp/handbook-skin-lab/request.json

The service requires an English locale and refuses unknown IDs or an already-open unrelated dialog. It opens each requested example, uses native grab, closes the example, and returns to the original dialog. Do not operate the remote while a batch is running. PNGs and manifest.json appear in the same temporary directory.

The manifest records the Enigma2 version string, locale, desktop dimensions, image hashes, hashes of the XML files used and shared Python/panel/asset hashes. A complete manifest means the requested captures finished; visual review is still necessary before publishing. Temporary files disappear at reboot.

Remove the lab

Stop the GUI, remove only the HandbookSkinLab plugin directory that you installed, then start the GUI again. The SSH maintenance guide explains GUI stop/start commands. Removing the lab does not require resetting receiver settings or uninstalling the active skin.