i wan't some info before i try linuxmce

[koenfloris]

Hello

I am willing to experiment with linuxMCE, but i just have a couple of questions before i start

i heard that linuxmce requires very specific hardware. is this true? ( i have a box witch run ubuntu fine, wil it run linuxmce also fine? )

i cannot make any chances to my home-network( i am still living at my parents ), is it possible to just ad linuxmce to the network like any other pc?

i do get the whole core/hybrid/director thing, i only cannot see an "core-installation-cd" or an "Mediadirector-installation-cd". how do i configure whether it will act as core or media director?

i do not have an high-end pc, but i do have a average pc for linuxmce. will this be enough?

i am not planning to use it fully, i just want to experiment with it. is the project ready to run an an avarage pc with does also run ubuntu and kubuntu correctly?

[geekyhawkes]

Which version of ubuntu are you running?  Linux MCE is based on KDE (kubuntu 0810 if you run the alpha or 0710 if you run the formal release).  MCE doesnt require specific hardware, but some bits are easier to get working than other, the wiki has LOTS of information on tested hardware. 

As far as home network changes, Linux MCE will want to be the DCHP controller for the network it is on.  How do you connect to the internet on your home network, and which machine is the dhcp controller (or router?). 

The configuration of MD or Core is taken part during the install phase, currently 0810 is in alpha and doesnt have a DVD release, but either way you need to start with a Hybrid or core before thinking of adding any extra MD's.

You will get some more detailed advise when you give some more details of your PC and home network.  The best place to start is the wiki, layout isnt great in areas but all the information you need is there.

[colinjones]

You should always choose nVidia video hardware if possible. Something in the 6xxx-9xxx range, other products are likely to be an uphill battle. As long as there is an ALSA driver available for your sound hardware for the Linux kernel version (0810 and 0710 use different kernels, 2.6.27 I think, and 2.6.22 respectively) you will be fine there. And 2 NICs that have drivers for Linux (typically an Intel NIC).

Do *not* attempt to circumvent the LMCE network requirements http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Network_Setup worst case, if you are worried, connect the external NIC to your current network, and leave the internal NIC flapping in the breeze! This way you will have the correct network setup, without effecting your current environment, and LMCE will be able to configure itself properly. You just will have to have any media on the core itself, and won't be able to use LMCE to control anything - but that's perfectly fine, as you are just testing, remember?!

To extend and start using it properly, you can then just start pluging things into the internal NIC (with an extra switch, once you go past 1 device)... You will then see how much easier it is to migrate everything to the internal network, as described in the link above.

[merkur2k]

Really if you are just planning on using LinuxMCE in your room and not the rest of the house (for now ) you just do as colinjones says and only connect its external nic. Of course you could then always setup a separate network there just in your room for the internal nic to connect your workstation pc or such to. But for the rest of the house, when that time comes, it has to be how the documentation specifies.
As for how the installation goes, you only install a core or core/hybrid, the one installer does both. Media directors do not require any installation since they boot over the network from the core. All you do is turn it on and set to boot from network, they dont even need a hard drive.
CPU power comes into play depending on what kind of media you want to use. HD video can require considerable CPU power to decode, so slower hardware may not be able to play real high quality video.

[fearingsept]

I created a quick diagram that might help understand how LMCE network MUST be set up if you want it to work correctly. You shouldn't have to change the current network just add on to it.

[rperre]

I have been running my Core by connecting external to my current network (internet side) and have created an additional network with AP on the internal side. This is just easier for me, because I'm still installing, rebooting, etc.. etc.. and it works just fine. This does mean you will need an additional switch/AP but those are cheap. I don't even have my core running at night at this moment, because it's not fully installed yet (still ordering hardware). I also have 2 NAS devices, so 1 on each network, this way all files we need daily are still available and I have a 1.5Tb NAS to fill up on the LinuxMCE network.
You cannot reach all the media from your workstations now, that is the drawback. And the other way, you cannot reach the info on the "workstation NAS" from the linuxMCE network (well not without fiddling).

Whenever I'm satisfied with the setup, and leave the core on 24/7, I will change my network where the Core will be the main DHCP for the whole house, that way I can also reach the Media/etc.. from my workstations.

Picture says a 1,000,000 words......

This is how I have it now, and after you live on your own, or in my case I am done setting up do it as fearingsept picture



Richard

[totallymaxed]

I have been running my Core by connecting external to my current network (internet side) and have created an additional network with AP on the internal side. This is just easier for me, because I'm still installing, rebooting, etc.. etc.. and it works just fine. This does mean you will need an additional switch/AP but those are cheap. I don't even have my core running at night at this moment, because it's not fully installed yet (still ordering hardware). I also have 2 NAS devices, so 1 on each network, this way all files we need daily are still available and I have a 1.5Tb NAS to fill up on the LinuxMCE network.
You cannot reach all the media from your workstations now, that is the drawback. And the other way, you cannot reach the info on the "workstation NAS" from the linuxMCE network (well not without fiddling).

Whenever I'm satisfied with the setup, and leave the core on 24/7, I will change my network where the Core will be the main DHCP for the whole house, that way I can also reach the Media/etc.. from my workstations.

Picture says a 1,000,000 words......

This is how I have it now, and after you live on your own, or in my case I am done setting up do it as fearingsept picture



Richard

Richard,

The topology of your network is fine as long as you are happy to have the two networks separate. We have very much the same topology here at CHT so that we can have a number of LinuxMCE systems all running in parallel;

- Demo System
- Development System
- Testing system 1
- Testing system 2
- Build System
- 810 Test System

Each of the Core's above have their own private LAN side networks on the 2nd NIC. We also have a separate general office LAN too that is on the WAN side of all of the above systems.

All the best

Andrew

Andrew

[Techstyle]

Take a look at my user setup page http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/User:Techstyle.  The UK network setup shows my LMCE network as a sub-network.  This works fine and you don't have to have anything connected to Eth1 on the Core if you don't want but still make sure you have 2 NIC's.  The US setup is what I changed to once I had made the decision that LMCE was the way to go.

[rperre]

andrew,

yes it works great, but I already feel like i'm missing the point with not setting it up the way it NEEDS TO BE. I cannot copy stuff from my main network to the LinuxMCE network, which I don't like. And I cannot play media on my computer that is on the LinuxMCE network :-(  I can probably make it work, but it beats the purpose of the system.

After my setup and tests are over, I will switch the network and make the Core the main Gateway and DHCP handler for everything.

Richard

[colinjones]

Remember this is just for _testing_ - during which you can map across the core boundary if you have to move media around, but once you set this up as a production system, it becomes academic because everything is then internal.