# Best Linux HTPC OS



## g4m3rof1337

What is the best linux HTPC OS?


Links and reviews would be great.


Thanks


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## Irishwhistle

The best ever Linux distro is Ubuntu.

http://www.ubuntu.com

It should work on a HTPC. Ubuntu is the best distro I have *EVER* seen, I have bean running it for a while now and I have not had any problems with it.

~Jordan


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## g4m3rof1337

What additional software will I need to make my HTPC complete?

Like recording stuff.

Since, I wont be using MCE.


Thanks


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## Irishwhistle

g4m3rof1337 said:


> What additional software will I need to make my HTPC complete?
> 
> Like recording stuff.
> 
> Since, I wont be using MCE.
> 
> 
> Thanks



Audio recording?


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## g4m3rof1337

Well...Yeah.


Like recording movies, tv shows, ext. Like what TiVo does.


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## Irishwhistle

If you have TiVo it does not hurt to try it on Wine. If not, I'll look around.

~Jordan


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## tlarkin

http://mythtv.org/

check with your cable provider if they support any PC tuner cards before building the rig.


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## g4m3rof1337

I don't have TiVo.
I have 2wire's latest HomeZone receiver. 


 I downloaded Ubuntu for 64bit AMD and intel.
 I plan on using a dual core Pentium D. 
 1Gb ram.
 Massive Hdd space.
 A decent mobo.
 A decent gpu.
 a nice tv tuner and sound card.
And a nice psu.

 And does this always have to be on?


   How would I set it up?

With the tv tuner and soundcard and stuff. And having a 360 connected and disconnected along with the TV.
I plan on removing the 360 and tv for Xbox LANs. 

Thanks


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## Irishwhistle

tlarkin said:


> http://mythtv.org/
> 
> check with your cable provider if they support any PC tuner cards before building the rig.



I was just about to link that same exact thing. It looks better than messing with Wine, after all Wine is not perfect.

~Jordan


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## tlarkin

mythtv makes a version that runs on your xbox 360 as well.

View the wiki page for installation and set up walk throughs

http://mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_Installation_Guides


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## tlarkin

JordanII said:


> I was just about to link that same exact thing. It looks better than messing with Wine, after all Wine is not perfect.
> 
> ~Jordan



Myth TV is freaking awesome and more powerful than most DVR boxes.  it plays music, rips dvds, has a web based front end for MAME so you can play all your old favorite arcade games.  

I would build one myself but I don't even have cable TV, lol


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## g4m3rof1337

Alright.

Thanks.


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## Irishwhistle

g4m3rof1337 said:


> I don't have TiVo.
> I have 2wire's latest HomeZone receiver.
> 
> 
> I downloaded Ubuntu for 64bit AMD and intel.
> I plan on using a dual core Pentium D.
> 1Gb ram.
> Massive Hdd space.
> A decent mobo.
> A decent gpu.
> a nice tv tuner and sound card.
> And a nice psu.
> 
> And does this always have to be on?
> 
> 
> How would I set it up?
> 
> With the tv tuner and soundcard and stuff. And having a 360 connected and disconnected along with the TV.
> I plan on removing the 360 and tv for Xbox LANs.
> 
> Thanks



Ubuntu will run very smoothly on that. I run it on Pentium 3, 384MB RAM, and a 40Gig HD partition. It actually runs OK on that! There is lots of optional eye candy that will run great on a Gig of RAM. 

~Jordan


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## g4m3rof1337

How does this look?

Case - 
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1389585&CatId=1507

Cpu-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103031


Can I get some links for the rest? 


Thanks

I am flexible on changing the case or cpu.


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## tlarkin

That is the exact CPU I am using on my HP business class desktop at work.  I have 2 gig of ram in there too (but that is because it also has vista business on it).  For the most part Linux runs like a champ on that hardware.

What video card are you going to use?  It seems to me from reading through other technology forums that nvidia makes a better linux driver.  I am having some problems with my x550 ati on my linux box.  I can't get beryl window manager to run right, the xgl keeps crashing, even after I edit the freaking conf file under /etc/X11/xorg.conf but I don't want to hi jack the thread or anything.

From what I have read though your biggest problem may be getting a TV tuner card that:  1)  Supports full HDMI, 2)  Supports your providers equipment and 3)  is compliant with all software you run.

A lot of time cable TV providers will require special firmware on the equipment to run.  They do this for a variety of reasons, they will tell you it is for quality control but honestly it is because they want to charge you for everything, and if they don't give you a choice of buying your own equipment you are then forced to pay.  Just google search how asinine comcast is, they freaking charge you a $2.00/month rental fee for a freaking remote control!  that is just freaking nuts!

Since you seem to be going with a Debian based distro your best friend will the APT, and .DEB packages.  Just follow the instructions on that link I posted earlier you should be okay.


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## g4m3rof1337

I have DSL as my internet and tv provider.


Thanks


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## Irishwhistle

If you get a DDR2 compatible motherboard this RAM should be good:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820150050

CPU: 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115016

CD/DVD Drive:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827101132

Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150202

IDE HD:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148103

Sorry, no Mobo or PSU.

Hope This Helps

~Jordan


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## g4m3rof1337

Can you give me some tips on a mobo and psu.


And is that case good?


Thanks


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## patrickv

JordanII said:


> If you have TiVo it does not hurt to try it on Wine. If not, I'll look around.
> 
> ~Jordan



haha..like it will work ? forget it dudes. Now this is where linux falls, in multimedia, it lacks software to do what that guy asked for.

and Jordan the next time don't ever say ubuntu is the *BEST* distro ever.
No. Ubuntu is the *EASIEST* distro ever, but not the best


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## tlarkin

oh and if any of you have to run IE via WINE on a linux box (like you are accessing a website driven off active x for example) use this link to install IE.  These dudes made it super easy to install WINE and IE 6 SP2

http://www.tatanka.com.br/ies4linux/page/Main_Page


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## tlarkin

patrickv said:


> haha..like it will work ? forget it dudes. Now this is where linux falls, in multimedia, it lacks software to do what that guy asked for.
> 
> and Jordan the next time don't ever say ubuntu is the *BEST* distro ever.
> No. Ubuntu is the *EASIEST* distro ever, but not the best



Umm, mythtv is more powerful than any other media center OS out there.  Look at all its features and what it can do.  I mean it will automatically edit out commericals for you when recording, how freaking pimp is that?


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## patrickv

some few supported crossover software (which i installed) :

adobe photoshop 7, office 03, office 2k, media player classic, VLC,winrar,winzip,quicktime, Quicktime alternative, outlook express (run twice but crashed) ...and some few dozens..lol


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## tlarkin

VLC runs natively on Linux and should replace all your media players.

win rar and win zip can be repalced by gzip which supports those formats

There is also FOSS (free open source software) for the adobe products, but I know designers argue that they aren't the same.

Office can be replaced by open office since it supports all the MS office formats, and is pretty much the same thing.

I am not sure if there is an open source version of a Quick Time application out there, but I am sure the VLC plays QT format files.

For the most part you won't need WINE or windows applications, because there is an open source alternative.  that is not always the case.


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## g4m3rof1337

Wait, is mythtv an OS?
 Or a program that runs on an OS?


 Does 2wire offer any hardware that can help me out? 
 Cause I dont want to pick the wrong tv tuner. 


Thanks


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## patrickv

tlarkin said:


> Umm, mythtv is more powerful than any other media center OS out there.  Look at all its features and what it can do.  I mean it will automatically edit out commericals for you when recording, how freaking pimp is that?



hey tlarkin i wasn't talking at mythtv, i was talking about tivo.
but anyway i know, i've used mythTV.


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## tlarkin

Myth TV is an add on product, you can install it on a variety of Linux distros.

Here is the hardware compatibility and minimal spec sheet

http://www.mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO-3.html

I suggest you read through their website or post on their forums because I am only vaguely familar with this package.  I have installed it once for a friend but I don't use it on a regular basis.


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## tlarkin

patrickv said:


> hey tlarkin i wasn't talking at mythtv, i was talking about tivo.
> but anyway i know, i've used mythTV.



sorry it is hard to figure out what one is commenting on the forums sometimes.

Tivo is nice is you pay for their subscription service which gives you a bunch of features that Myth TV already gives.  I think they charge 15/month for their subscription service, which allows you access to more robust recording and play back tools.


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## Irishwhistle

patrickv said:


> haha..like it will work ? forget it dudes. Now this is where linux falls, in multimedia, it lacks software to do what that guy asked for.
> 
> and Jordan the next time don't ever say ubuntu is the *BEST* distro ever.
> No. Ubuntu is the *EASIEST* distro ever, but not the best



I have used SuSE, Knoppix, and FreeSpire and have had no problem using them but none of them are any match for Ubuntu. I'll say it again, Ubuntu is the best 
*EVER * Linux distro. The Wine thing probably would not work, but, believe it or not, I got MS Word and IE6 installed on there. 

~Jordan


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## patrickv

JordanII said:


> I have used SuSE, Knoppix, and FreeSpire and have had no problem using them but none of them are any match for Ubuntu. I'll say it again, Ubuntu is the best
> *EVER * Linux distro. The Wine thing probably would not work, but, believe it or not, I got MS Word and IE6 installed on there.
> 
> ~Jordan



haha..lol..jordanII you're one funny guy.
its a debian unstable distro dude. yes ubuntu is good but not the best. there's no such thing as best!!. put that in the little head of yours. ubuntu was made easy for *NOOBS* like you. for starters. then upon learning you move to the hard rock ones like knoppix, DEBIAN,suse and RedHat 9.

wine works on ubuntu, works great i've been there and done that.
by the way, i'm a fan of ubuntu, but i don't like it. it's too simple.
so cure your thoughts go here. 
http://www.linuxforums.org/misc/why_ubuntu_got_it_all_wrong.html

you might be pissed about that article...lol


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## patrickv

hey Jordan, have you heard of LINUXMINT. it was born out of ubuntu. its a bit the same you might wanna give it a try. i like MINT much more than ubuntu...


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## patrickv

hey im going to sleep, cacth the arguement later..nite nite !!!


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## Irishwhistle

patrickv said:


> haha..lol..jordanII you're one funny guy.
> its a debian unstable distro dude. yes ubuntu is good but not the best. there's no such thing as best!!. put that in the little head of yours. ubuntu was made easy for *NOOBS* like you. for starters. then upon learning you move to the hard rock ones like knoppix, DEBIAN,suse and RedHat 9.
> 
> wine works on ubuntu, works great i've been there and done that.
> by the way, i'm a fan of ubuntu, but i don't like it. it's too simple.
> so cure your thoughts go here.
> http://www.linuxforums.org/misc/why_ubuntu_got_it_all_wrong.html
> 
> you might be pissed about that article...lol



      Noobs, what do you mean? I said that I have had no problems with FreeSpire, Knoppix, and SuSE. I can install KDE or Enlightenment on Ubuntu. By the way, I have installed *TONS* of software on Linux. Software that is compatible with Linux works on Ubuntu, in other words I keep upgrading Ubuntu to make it better. Could you please explain what you mean by "noob". I know exactly what the word means, but what does that have to do with me? Please explain. 

       Oh, as far as simple goes, it is very possible to put something like KDE on it but, I have no idea why I would want to do that. I dislike KDE *not* because it is to hard, but because it looks ugly and cannot be customized as much as I like. 

        That article is talking about what you get when you first install Ubuntu.That article is written by one person and that person happens to like KDE. It can be upgraded. I don't even use a lot of the "simple" features, believe it or not I actually use a terminal a lot! One last thing, that article means nothing to me. Sorry, but I don't quiet get your point. 


~Jordan


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## tlarkin

the article points out the flaws of ubuntu.  ubuntu got a lot of media and a lot of hype and I ran it for a while on my laptop about a year or maybe 1.5 years ago and I never really understood all the hype personally.  

The author also says that gnome and kde are both dinosaurs, and need a complete revamp.  I agree with a lot of that the author of that article is saying.  gnome lacks a lot of features other OSes GUI offers that should become the standard.  Like a system control panel for hardware/software add/removal, configuration, network properties, etc.  

I prefer KDE over gnome because of many reasons, but again there are tons of projects out there that companies should support like the author mentioned.  If it wasn't for compiz and beryl window managers, gnome and kde would still look like windows 98 in many ways.

Package managers are another issue with Debian distros, and the author was saying that even though APT is there, and it is a great feature it leaves a lot to be desired, meaning it needs improvements to become main stream.


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## Irishwhistle

tlarkin said:


> the article points out the flaws of ubuntu.  ubuntu got a lot of media and a lot of hype and I ran it for a while on my laptop about a year or maybe 1.5 years ago and I never really understood all the hype personally.
> 
> The author also says that gnome and kde are both dinosaurs, and need a complete revamp.  I agree with a lot of that the author of that article is saying.  gnome lacks a lot of features other OSes GUI offers that should become the standard.  Like a system control panel for hardware/software add/removal, configuration, network properties, etc.
> 
> I prefer KDE over gnome because of many reasons, but again there are tons of projects out there that companies should support like the author mentioned.  If it wasn't for compiz and beryl window managers, gnome and kde would still look like windows 98 in many ways.
> 
> Package managers are another issue with Debian distros, and the author was saying that even though APT is there, and it is a great feature it leaves a lot to be desired, meaning it needs improvements to become main stream.



Ubuntu has a graphical package manager and Gnome has all the stuff that you said it does not. Maybe this has just come out in the new versions. I am using Ubuntu 7.04. I don't use Compiz or Beryl and my PC looks like Windows Vista! 

~Jordan


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## tlarkin

JordanII said:


> Ubuntu has a graphical package manager and Gnome has all the stuff that you said it does not. Maybe this has just come out in the new versions. I am using Ubuntu 7.04. I don't use Compiz or Beryl and my PC looks like Windows Vista!
> 
> ~Jordan



gnome and KDE have all that stuff, yes I know, but they don't have the openGL rendering engine, say OS X has (aqua) unless you install beryl or compiz.

The GUIs out for Linux are a bit behind the times.  I hate vista and i think aero is a complete rip off of aqua, but it does look pretty.

Also, the GUIs for Linux lack several things that other OSes have.  No one is saying they are crap, we are saying there is a lot to be desired if Linux wants to be a competitor in the major desktop OS market.


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## g4m3rof1337

So... Should I just use MCE?


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## Irishwhistle

g4m3rof1337 said:


> So... Should I just use MCE?



No!


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## g4m3rof1337

Then what.

Lol


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## Irishwhistle

g4m3rof1337 said:


> Then what.
> 
> Lol



I would just go with Ubuntu. It does everything I need it to do and that would include audio and video and all that stuff. If you don't want Ubuntu just because of what those guys are saying, there is a multimedia edition of DreamLinux. I have not tried it but it ought to work. I still think you should use Ubuntu, just try it, you'll love it! The ISO you downloaded has a live CD on it, just boot the CD and select the first option (I think it was something like "Run or Install Ubuntu") It will *NOT* install Ubuntu on the HD, if you want to install all you have to do is double-click the icon on the desktop. Come on give it a try, it's awesome!  

~Jordan


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## tlarkin

g4m3rof1337 said:


> So... Should I just use MCE?



I am going to be completely honest with you.  MCE will be the easier choice, but myth tv will be more powerful and more robust.  So, you must decide what you want to do, and if you are willing to sacrifice time and perhaps your sanity at some points learning a new OS.

However, there is a proof of concept branch of ubuntu out, called like media edition or something....let me google it real quick.

http://en.ubuntumediacenter.org/

this is basically all the free packages available compiled into one distro, and yes it is based off ubuntu.  I have no experience with it, you may want to try it.

Again, media center edition windows will be easier for you to set up and run.


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## patrickv

Tlarkin is very right. Jordan is just running his mouth about how good ubuntu is.We understand how you feel jordan, its true, ubuntu is good, no doubt, but for you, ubuntu is like some GODESS that you bow to. you're still young and and so far you've experience a good distro, but i will go with tlarkin on MCE.

you have so far been able to do everything with ubuntu thats why you love it that much.
but arguments no more as only g4m3rof1337 can choose what he wants


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## patrickv

and by the way i also gave ubuntu a blue screen of death once.
and i posted it in the forums here, if you want you can search for it.


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## tlarkin

well in all honesty, all Linux distros suck, I can pick out probably 25 things I hate about each linux distro after about a day of using it, LOL.

Well, that is true about every OS in all honesty.  There is no best and there is no ultimate OS no matter what platform.

Ubuntu does not run the internet, and it does not run any kind of enterprise level machine.  Most likely, Debian would at that point.  Ubuntu is not a bad OS at all by any means, but it is meant as an end user OS. The great thing about ubuntu is that it has generated enough hype and enough press to actually make people try out something new.  And for that, Ubuntu, I give you props.


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## patrickv

tlarkin said:


> well in all honesty, all Linux distros suck, I can pick out probably 25 things I hate about each linux distro after about a day of using it, LOL.
> 
> Well, that is true about every OS in all honesty.  There is no best and there is no ultimate OS no matter what platform.
> 
> Ubuntu does not run the internet, and it does not run any kind of enterprise level machine.  Most likely, Debian would at that point.  Ubuntu is not a bad OS at all by any means, but it is meant as an end user OS. The great thing about ubuntu is that it has generated enough hype and enough press to actually make people try out something new.  And for that, Ubuntu, I give you props.



hahah.tlarkin are you serious ?
men...ok i wont ever say linux sucks, no way, because they are capable of doing a lot of thing windows can't but anyways i love linux..just a few of distro's. im currently downloading BLAG linux (what weird name that is !!)
 and the screens say its good.  they have their flaws but they are constatntly getting updated to remove these flaws


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## Irishwhistle

patrickv said:


> Tlarkin is very right. Jordan is just running his mouth  about how good ubuntu is.We understand how you feel jordan, its true, ubuntu is good, no doubt, but for you, ubuntu is like some GODESS that you bow to. you're still young and and so far you've experience a good distro, but i will go with tlarkin on MCE.
> 
> you have so far been able to do everything with ubuntu thats why you love it that much.
> but arguments no more as only g4m3rof1337 can choose what he wants



     I'm afraid that you are wrong. I just happen to like Ubuntu. I am also running Vector Linux and I like it as well. It is not that I worship Ubuntu, it is just that I dislike  a lot of other distros. I never have and I never will worship my computer and any OS.   My favorite distros are Ubuntu and Vector, and at the moment I'm not sure what one I like better, the only reason that I would like Ubuntu better is because it uses Gnome. I do like the speed of XFCE though. No OS is perfect and there are lots of things that I could find bad about any OS, Windows, Mac, Linux, etc. Linux is my favorite though and I have come down to my two favorite. You like what you like and I'll like what I like, OK. I am happy with Ubuntu and I don't see many reasons why I should not be, I don't really care if it's unstable anyway. I am not just "running my mouth off about how good Ubuntu is", I am trying to help g4m3rof1337 make a good choice. Everyone has they're own opinions, I have mine and you have your own. There is no reason to argue because you can not change my opinion and I am not going to try and change yours.

     As far as MCE goes, If you want simplicity and you like Windows better than Linux, go ahead.I would still suggest Linux but, it's your choice.

~Jordan


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