Difference between revisions of "Operating system"

Revision as of 01:23, 7 April 2006

MythTV was originally built on linux, but has been extended to some a couple other platforms, including Macintosh OS X and FreeBSD.

Linux distributions

A linux distro (distribution) is a complete, installable operating system based around the Linux Kernel.

There are some that are especially good for dedicated MythTV boxes (the kind you'd have on a HiFi stand in the lounge), others are especially suited for use as workstation PCs -- though you can use them to run MythTV as well, if you're sufficiently motivated.

Debian

Debian is a widespread distribution, Debian has a huge community and is probably the most 'free' and socially driven distribution - an excellent choice and MythTV is well supported. There are a couple of guides:

• Mythtv Installation Guide for Debian
• www.geocities.com/dlou99/mythtv.html Debian Guide (disabled the link, to bypass the Spam Filter --Gregturn 20:51, 6 April 2006 (UTC))
• Another Debian Guide
• A.M.I.C.U.S. - An automatic MythTV installer with a guide and menu script specifically designed for new users of GNU/Linux and/or MythTV. Minimal hardware requirements and suitable for older/low end PCs. New major release version 0.03

There are also several debian pages in the wiki.

Fedora

Fedora is a very popular distro - especially well supported by the famous Jarod's Guide. Some work is also being done to write a single "kickstart" script based from Jarod's Guide. You can find this script here

You can also check out MythDora (see below) which is a preinstalled Fedora Core distribution with MythTV included.

There is also the Fedora Core 2 Guide

Here is a pointer to some resources: Fedora_Core2

Gentoo

Gentoo - If you are scared of command prompts, Gentoo is not for you. On the other hand the installation is extremely well documented in the Gentoo Handbook. Gentoo is more customizable than other 'binary' distros and each install can be optimized to the specific processor you use.

Gentoo MythTV setup guides:

• Gentoo-Wiki.com Guide (2.6 kernel - VERY complete
• Gentoo Guide (2.6 kernel) - out of date
• Install MythTv system (2.6 kernel)

Official Gentoo MythTV Guide:

• MythTV on Gentoo - currently Incomplete

Kanotix

Kanotix is one of the many Debian based Live CDs, which itself is based on the popular Knoppix Live CD, except Kanotix has the ability to be easily installed on to a harddrive, from which a fully working easy to maintain Debian system is had.

• Kanotix From Scratch

KnoppMyth

KnoppMyth is probably the easiest way to install MythTV. After all - that's what it was made to do. It's mainly oriented towards dedicated Myth boxes (though of course it runs a complete GNU/Linux OS so no worries about serving music or other files). Insert the CD into a 'blank' PC and you'll be running Myth after a few minutes. It's Knoppix-based (a Debian derivative) and, as a special trick, MythFrontend will run from the CD without installing.

• Main Site
• Install Documentation
• Official Forums
• KnoppMythWiki
• KnoppMythWiki Install Guide

Mandrake

Mandrake - Another of the big distributions - and there's a Mandrake Guide too.

• There's also the Setting up MythTV under Mandrake 10.1 Guide
• The MythTV How-To wikibook uses Mandrake as an example

MiniMyth

MiniMyth boots over a network and runs MythFrontend on diskless Via EPIA mainboards that have either CLE266 or CN400 hardware MPEG2 decoders (e.g. Via EPIA M or Via EPIA SP mainboards). This is great for 'satellite' systems - like having one in the bedroom or kitchen...

Although the official site is desperately out-of-date, the forum you can find there is active and very usefull. Yet, this is probably the best place to get started.

http://g-ding.tv/themes/pushbutton/Site_logo.png MythDora

MythDora is a Fedora Core and MythTV "All-In-One" CD. The CD will load a preconfigured Fedora Core 4 installation on your computer as well as install and configure MythTV-0.19. There are extras included with MythDora such as MythBurn, MediaMVP and MythStreamTV for some extra fun.

• Main Site
• Custom Install Documentation
• Official Forums

http://plutohome.com/images/logo.gif Plutohome

Plutois the only all-in-one solution for your home that seamlessly combines media & entertainment, home automation, security, telecom and computing. You can control your whole house with a mobile phone, a touch-screen tablet or a web-interface. A Pluto system is like an appliance - not a computer. It is self-configuring, maintaining and updating. No technical skills are required to use or install Pluto. Pluto is above all simple. The devices are all plug and play. Pluto is also an open platform, offering unlimited expansion potential, and requiring no special cabling. This is Pluto: a complete, comfortable and secure solution for your home.

Red Hat

Red Hat - Now oriented as more of a commercial distribution and philosophically superceded by Fedora, Red Hat nonetheless has it's devotees and a Red Hat 9 guide.

Slackware

Slackware is one of the eldest linux distributions and still going strong. Historically often used for servers. Some of the MythTV users use this for both backend as well as frontend purposes.

• Slackware 9.1 Guide
• Another Slackware 9.1 Guide
• Another Slackware Guide

SuSE

SuSE, a popular distro in Europe and the US. Known for it's YaST installer. The company was recently purchased by Novell.

• 8.2
  • SuSe 8.2 Howto
• 9.1
  • SuSe 9.1 Howto
• 9.2
  • SuSe 9.2 Howto
  • SuSe 9.2/AMD64/2 tuners Howto
• 9.3
  • SuSe 9.3 Howto
• 10
  • Suse Howto wiki here. Yast and RPM. (covers 9.3 and 10.0)
  • SuSe 9.3/10.0 MythTV 0.18/0.19 from YaST and RPM Howto
  • version6.net apt - SuSE 10.0 apt repository where development SVN builds are available

• Possibly deprecated
  • Suse Howto 2f Red Carpet Setup - this article appears to ready for deletion. Could some SuSE user's please check this article's history and verify whether or not it is deprecated? --Gregturn 23:57, 28 February 2006 (UTC)

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a Debian based solution.

• Ubuntu Hoary Installation - A step-by-step guide for setting up MythTV on Ubuntu Hoary (5.04)
• Ubuntu Breezy Installation - Installation guides for setting up MythTV on Ubuntu Breezy (5.10}

Xebian (for Xbox)

Xbox-linux - With this distro you can run MythFrontend on your Xbox (ie you need another 'proper' machine too!). Most are for the Xebian distribution which is based on Debian. Here are some guides:

• MythTV Xbox source code
• Xbox Guide
• MythTV frontend HowTo
• Complete Xebian V1.1.4 MythTV frontend HowTo

Non-linux distributions

FreeBSD

FreeBSD (or any BSD for that matter) isn't really a Linux distro, but Myth runs on it too. (Plus, it's a BSD, which are UNIX-based, and Linux is also UNIX-based.)

• FreeBSD - Stacey Son has provided a FreeBSD port of MythTV

Mac OS X

Yes, Mac OS X is UNIX-based (as is Linux), as I'm sure you already know from Apple's Mac OS X site, and MythTV runs there too!

• Category:MacOS
• Myth on Mac OS X
• Open Darwin is a distribution that runs on Mac hardware
• Mac OS X Frontend build instructions

Microsoft Windows

A Myth frontend has been written using the Microsoft .NET Framework (at http://winmyth.sourceforge.net/). However, it's still pretty flaky.

Native MythTV code works in Cygwin to a limited degree. Hopefully, it will eventually be possible to compile mythtv easily in Windows under Cygwin.