Linux MCE Windows MCE or just a little help

[lukenn]

Hi guys,

Firstly....i hope i've posted this in the right section, forgive me if i havnt. i used to be a PC user, recently got a mac, and now im looking into making a linux based home media centre....however, i have a few questions if you wouldnt mind me asking.

I managed to get hold of a HP ProLiant ML110 server thats never been used before. All i need to do is install RAM and a HDD (i have a 250Gb SATA drive waiting to go in).....initially i wanted to just install linuxMCE on this machine, and use it to host all my music, photos and home movies etc, but now me and some friends have got into online gaming, and are looking at buying Call Of Duty 4 so we can all play online.....i cant run this on my macbook, because it simply wouldnt handle it, and the only PC i have is this HP that im going to be using for Linux. Can i partition the drive and install linuxMCE on one section and XP on the other? That was only question number one :p . Next, i'll need to upgrade my graphics card in order to run COD4, are nearly all graphics cards nowdays compatible with linux? Will i be able to find the necessary drivers? Specifically im talking about a NVIDIA Geforce 6600 or 7800. The same question regarding a wireless setup. Because of where i'll be placing the PC, it will be running on a wireless connection. Are there any wireless receivers i need to stay away from due to incompatibility with linuxMCE? Lastly, is there anything else i need to know before going ahead with this? any other hardware im missing out? I want to run MythTV so will be buying a TV receiver to go in the back of the PC, so im assuming that should all run smoothly. Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks,

Luke

[royw]

LinuxMCE consists of four parts: the dcerouter (core), media director(s) (where you play media), orbiters (remote controls), shared media (via CIFS, samba, NFS).  The core is intended to be your main router in your home.  It is recommended to have two ethernet ports, one to the internet, one to you home LAN.  The core really wants to be the DHCP server for your LAN (that's how it identifies when MDs, orbiters and shares connected to your LAN).

If you take advantage of this architecture and have other machines on your LAN, then dual booting the core is probably not what you want to be doing.

LinuxMCE also is about home automation.  You can control your lights, security system, VOIP system, air conditioner, sprinklers, etc.  If you take advantage of these features then you probably shouldn't be dual booting.

On the partition question, LinuxMCE wants an entire drive (particularly the DVD installer).  If you still want to dual boot, then I'd suggest separate drives.

From the sound of your post, you may be happier using a mythtv distro.

HTH,
Roy

[lukenn]

yeah that helps a lot, thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed reply :-)

guess i need to think about whats more important now....linuxMCE's setup and functions, or playing games with my friends on the internet :-p