Linux Media Center Edition Version 810
LinuxMCE (Linux Media Center Edition) is a free and open source software platform with a 10-foot user interface designed to allow a computer to act as a home theater PC (HTPC) for the living-room TV, personal video recorder, and home automation system. It allows control of everything in the home, from lighting and climate to surveillance cameras and home security. It also includes a full-featured VoIP-compatible phone system with support for video conferencing. Thats the general overview of LinuxMCE but whats behind the scene? Here are the software components that are integrated into LinuxMCE:
- Kubuntu 8.10……. Operating System
- Motion…………. Surveillance camera
- Pluto………….. Home automation
- MythTV…………. TV/PVR
- Xine…………… Video playback
- Asterisk……….. Telephony
There is a lot of information available about this system but from my experience it left a lot to be desired when trying to install and learn about the system. Its a wonderfully capable system with an ugly UI but so for those of you who are form over function, forget it. But as with most systems, the devil is in the details, and the details are scattered in many places. For my own sanity I needed them in one place.
What you need to know
So you want a media center, and Linux Media Center Edition seems to fit your needs, now what? This is an involved system with lots of steps involved in the process. Sure you could plug away and eventually make it work but, at the expense of time. Lots of time. So lets look at this logically, procedurally before jumping in and maybe save some time in the process.
