No network boot, still connect to core

[bonfire89]

Depending on a few things I may be installing Linux mce tomorrow.

I was wondering if computers already running linux are able to connect to the core. Basically... that is to say, act as if they booted over the network...

Reason is, The clients that might exist will likly not be specific to just playing media.

Thanks

-Tory

[Hagen]

You could just network boot them, that would be simplest.
The local install of an MD requires a fresh Kubuntu install.

[bonfire89]

could you install mce without the core? and have it connect to the core installed on another computer.

Sorry if I'm not even using the terminology correctly.. Complete newb here.

Thanks

[darrenmason]

linuxMCE is designed to be a distributed system with potentially lots of networked devices (including PCs).
To do this it needs a PC that runs as the CORE machine and runs the database and message router etc.

Other PCs can then operate as Media Directors - which depend upon the core.

Media Directors can be made to network boot from the CORE. This does not use the local hard drive but instead downloads the linux kernel over the network and then mounts network drives to use as the local operating system drives. The PCs then run everything locally and behave pretty much like normal linux PCs.

So if you have PCs that you want to use as MediaDirectors without upsetting whatever is currently installed on them then you could enable network booting (usually done in bios) and they could boot up as linuxMCE Media Directors. If you rebooted them from their hard drives they would be the same as before.

To do this you need to have one PC that runs the CORE though (and uses local Hard Drives). It is possible to have this CORE machine run as a Media Director as well. This is known as a hybrid installation.

It is not currently possible to just install linuxMCE on an existing PC (running some linux distribution) and use it as a Media Director. The installation on top of Kubuntu 7.04 assumes a fresh install of Kubuntu without any upgrades or changes done.

HTH
Darren

[bonfire89]

ah! So far I believe I have the core installed on one computer. Buuut. Now I know that I need to be setting up "Media Directors".

Thank you very much for the explanation. This defiantly gives me something to go on.


Tory