HELP

Linux Support
1

Hi
Can anyone help me with this.
Iv got a old desktop PC that im going wire to a tv just to store media on. Windows have far to much crap on board. All i want is a media player. Anyone sent me in the right direction. Thanks

2

Mmm, your problems will be hardware rather than software, what sort of Telly do you have, and what sort of video card / connecting cable?

3

Its LCD TV.
I can wire it up OK.
Its just all the muck thats in windows I want rid off. Ill not be used it for games, internet just music and films.

4

Do you mean you want a Linux Distribution to turn your old PC into a Media Centre?

If so take a look at Mythbuntu
http://www.mythbuntu.org/

You would probably be better off with version 9.10 rather than 10.04 (at least for now)… Mythbuntu as the name suggests is based on Ubuntu, and Ubuntu 10.04 has a few issues ATM.

Mythbuntu 9.10 can be found here:
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/mythbuntu/releases/9.10/release/

or you could use any Linux distribution and load either XBMC and MythTV onto it

5

Yes that something like im looking.
Ill have a read at them and ill get back to you if i need to. Thanks

6

Im back.
Will these installs let me delete windows altogether.
Basically what I want is to turn the the PC on and a media centre appear with nothing else. If thats possible.

7

AFAIK, The Mythbuntu install will allow you to completely wipe your hard drive if you want, then install itself.
(Ubuntu does and Mythbuntu is based on that)

And yes it can start up as a media center, or be used as a PC.

To install XBMC and MythTV, you will first have to install a Linux distribution onto the system for them to run on.

8

thanks ill give that Mythbuntu ago. thanks for help.

you will here from me again. lol

9

Mmm, I’d worry about getting a good picture up first, the software will be a secondary consideration. If you boot your PC from Ubuntu, what sort of picture do you get on your Telly?

For media center type software you have a choice;

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
http://xbmc.org/about/
http://www.mythtv.org/
http://www.moovida.com/
http://enna.geexbox.org/
http://wiki.morphine.tv/tiki-custom_home.php

To name but a few!

10

Oh yes… I forgot GeeXboX

Both Mythbuntu and GeeXboX come as LiveCD’s so will allow you to test drive them without installing, and you can check what kind of picture you get.

bear in mind that they will both be a lot faster once installed to your hard drive.

[EDIT]
It seems XBMC also do a LiveCD