Media PC redo...

Lowell_M

I'm currently running my old desktop PC (3ghz pentium 4 w/ 1 gb ram, 160gb HD) as a media PC. It's running kinda slow nowadays and still has all the crap we had installed on it before I started using it as a media PC.

Now, when I say media PC... All I am doing with it is using it for occasional web access through the TV, and use it as a music jukebox with Itunes. We also use it to show family pictures on the big screen, so I access the laptop that we have all of our photos on.

So.. I am thinking about tinkering with it a little and have considered rebuilding it as a Linux machine. I'm traditionally technically capable but it has been a while since I've messed with a computer and have never built a Linux machine.

Does anybody have any suggestions for what I might use regarding Linux to serve the same purpose as above? I may or may not continue to use Itunes as my media software. If I switch to something else I'll have the pain in the **** of writing all of the songs I ripped in apple lossless to CD and re-ripping them, as well as the songs I've bought in the past on Itunes.

So... wadda ya think I should do?

Face

Before building a new rig upgrade your ram to at least 2 gigs.

Lowell_M

Good point.

ZOOPDOOP22

I 2nd the ram upgrade. If you were to go to Linux I recommend Fedora. However as you suggested it would be a pain with you apple lossless. Based on this I'd backup the music and go with a XP server edition. You could also easily set up a secure server that would stream your music to any connection you had anywhere if you wanted using other software. Not to hard to setup either.

Lowell_M

Is there an Itunes version that will run on Linux or some other way to use itunes on Linux. The nerd in me has always wanted to mess around with a Linux machine for some reason. Otherwise I'll just rebuild the machine from the original XP disks that it came with and just not install all the crap thats on it now.

fatchowmein

a_mattison wrote: »

I may or may not continue to use Itunes as my media software. If I switch to something else I'll have the pain in the **** of writing all of the songs I ripped in apple lossless to CD and re-ripping them, as well as the songs I've bought in the past on Itunes.

For DRM m4a files, I thought you had an option to de-authorize a system and authorize another? Up to 4 machines I think. Don't quote me on it, though, but you may want to hit up the Apple website.

As for Linux, Tom's Hardware likes MythTV but I hear it's difficult to configure if you're new to Linux programming. I have not tried it myself. See link below. There are recommended Linux distro for MythTV somewhere on Tom's site. Good luck.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/mythtv-convergence,1315.html

Edit: I don't think there's an iTunes for Linux.

Lowell_M

fatchowmein wrote: »

For DRM m4a files, I thought you had an option to de-authorize a system and authorize another? Up to 4 machines I think. Don't quote me on it, though, but you may want to hit up the Apple website.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/mythtv-convergence,1315.html

You're right. I just meant if I went with another media software and wanted to move to FLAC.

fatchowmein

One more thing. dbpoweramp music converter is free and has a batch conversion to change all your m4a to flac which will play in linux. But, if you're using iPods, forget about it because you can't play flac on it unless you erase the firmware and install a linux version.

disneyjoe7

Talking about linux what's the difference between Fedora and Slax?

Sami

If you want the latest packages readily available, Ubuntu is a good option for Linux distro.

Linux + MythTV, MediaTomb or fuppes.

OR

Windows + TVersity.