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Is Linux MCE better than Pluto?
Mike_Izisys:
Hi,
I new to the whole Linux approach for MC, but I'm really impressed with what you can do vs Microsoft MCE.
At this point I have two options: LinuxMCE or Pluto. Is one better and why?
Thanks
Mike
sharlee_angelo:
linuxmce has new features and bugs solved. so, yes, it's better than pluto right now.
Cj_MaN:
LinuxMCE 1.1 runs on Kubuntu 7.04, so you can use LinuxMCE and kde for browsing the web, talking with friends by IM, working in Open Office etc...
With pluto you can use only pluto, you don't have Gnome or Kde installed.
padrino:
--- Quote from: Mike_Izisys on May 24, 2007, 12:31:23 pm ---Hi,
I new to the whole Linux approach for MC, but I'm really impressed with what you can do vs Microsoft MCE.
At this point I have two options: LinuxMCE or Pluto. Is one better and why?
Thanks
Mike
--- End quote ---
I have used Pluto for quite some time and although LinuxMCE is using some of the yet to be released 2.0.0.45 packages to fix issues I dropped LinuxMCE and went back to Pluto because I have a dedicated hybrid handling Asterisk/MythTV/security/etc. and Pluto is much easier to get going from bare metal. Use the installation CDs and you have Pluto running system in a couple of hours (loading the DB takes some time). Pluto is based on Debian 3.0 so I do need to compile Myth myself right now to get a firewire input (needs newer 1394 packages) however I had to do the same on LinuxMCE so it was no big loss.
I like the effort with LinuxMCE however for those that are running a dedicated box it might be easier to just use Pluto at this point and avoid all of the steps involved in getting Kubuntu and LinuxMCE up and running.
darrenmason:
What do other Pluto Users think?
I am also using Pluto and have been for a while now. I have downloaded everything to do a linuxMCE install and will probably setup a standalone subnet to try it on but I am still a bit hestitant.
I have a few opinions which I would like to hear feedback on;
* I have always considered Pluto an OS distribution in its own right. Sure, it is built on top of a faily standard Debian build but it really is designed and built to be in total control of the machine. I think this works well for the core. I do think it is desirable and certainly possible within the Pluto design to have pieces of Pluto software running all around the network on various devices. This is already done to some success with Orbiter software but could/should extend to any device software. linuxMCE seems to be aiming at having all the devices running on standard OS desktop platform. I think there is a mixture of the two required.
* I think linuxMCE is named inaccurately and is confusing a lot of newcomers. A media centre is highly desirable and is certainly attracting people to the project but the Pluto software, in my opinion, is primarily about integration between devices. Where devices are quite loosely defined as anything electronic. This includes software packages like mythtv, xine, asterisk etc. I think there is limited value in all the overhead of pluto for a standalone machine that is only for media viewing.
* Pluto has a great design (although I would like to see a bit more documentation in this space) but, in my opinion, has a poor implementation. Now I don't want to offend the Pluto developers that are possibly/probably reading this, but after looking at the code I would think that they would agree that the implementation has a high amount of coupling and dependency between objects and has dirtied the code with specific workarounds for certain situations and hardware. I think that this has now caused the project to have an increasing number of 'hard to fix' software bugs causing an unpredictable project schedule and release plan. I believe they have encouraged the linuxMCE fork as hopefully a way to get some of this fixed by the wider community whilst still retaining the control of what they actually use and release.
But instead of complaining about everything I am willing to help out. I am just trying to decide which of the two projects to devote the time to.
To the other past Pluto users that have tried linuxMCE -
once you were up and running again was there much difference?
is it still conceivable to have a big dedicated core machine that sits under the house with all the disks?
has anyone built and run from the lastest SVN code and does this work OK?
Any other experiences worth sharing?
Regards
Darren
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