Mythbuntu is a discontinued media center
operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also in ...
based on
Ubuntu
Ubuntu ( ) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed mostly of free and open-source software. Ubuntu is officially released in three editions: ''Desktop'', ''Server'', and ''Core'' for Internet of things devices and robots. All the ...
, which integrated the
MythTV
MythTV is a free and open-source home entertainment application with a simplified "10-foot user interface" design for the living room TV. It turns a computer with the necessary hardware into a network streaming digital video recorder, a digital ...
media center software as its main function, and did not install with all of the programs included with Ubuntu.
Following the principles of fellow
Linux distribution
A Linux distribution (often abbreviated as distro) is an operating system made from a software collection that includes the Linux kernel and, often, a package management system. Linux users usually obtain their operating system by downloading one ...
s
LinHES and MythDora, Mythbuntu was designed to simplify the installation of MythTV on a
home theater PC
A home theater PC (HTPC) or media center computer is a technological convergence, convergent device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer with a software application that focuses on video, photo, audio playback, and ...
. After Mythbuntu had been installed the MythTV setup program begins in which it can be configured as a frontend (a media viewer), backend (a media server), or combination of the two.
Mythbuntu aimed to keep close ties with Ubuntu thus allowing changes to be moved upstream for the greater benefit of the Ubuntu Community.
Due to the close link with Ubuntu, easy conversions between desktop and standalone Mythbuntu installations are possible. The development cycle of Mythbuntu originally followed that of Ubuntu, with releases occurring every six months. Starting with 12.04, Mythbuntu releases tracked Ubuntu's LTS (
long-term support
Long-term support (LTS) is a product lifecycle management policy in which a stable release of computer software is maintained for a longer period of time than the standard edition. The term is typically reserved for open-source software, where i ...
) releases, which release approximately every two years.
On 4 November 2016 the development team announced the end of Mythbuntu as a separate distribution, citing insufficient developers. The team will continue to maintain the Mythbuntu
software repository
A software repository, or repo for short, is a storage location for software packages. Often a table of contents is also stored, along with metadata. A software repository is typically managed by source control or repository managers. Package ...
; the announcement advised new users to install another Ubuntu distribution, then install MythTV from the repository.
Desktop
Mythbuntu uses the
Xfce desktop interface by default, but users can install
ubuntu-desktop,
kubuntu-desktop, or
xubuntu-desktop through the Mythbuntu Control Centre, allowing users to get the default interfaces from those flavors of Ubuntu. The only software that is included in this release is media-related software such as
VLC,
Amunix, and
Rhythmbox
Rhythmbox is a free and open-source audio player software, tag editor and music organizer for digital audio files on Linux and Unix-like systems.
Rhythmbox is designed to work well under GNOME, but can function on other desktop environments. I ...
.
Mythbuntu Control Centre
The Mythbuntu Control Centre provides a GUI which can be used to configure the system. The user can select what kind of system (Backend, Frontend, Both) they wish to have installed. Inside the Control Centre, the user can perform common actions such as installing plugins for MythTV, configuring the
MySQL
MySQL () is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS). Its name is a combination of "My", the name of co-founder Michael Widenius's daughter My, and "SQL", the acronym for Structured Query Language. A relational database o ...
database, setting passwords, and installing
drivers and
codec
A codec is a device or computer program that encodes or decodes a data stream or signal. ''Codec'' is a portmanteau of coder/decoder.
In electronic communications, an endec is a device that acts as both an encoder and a decoder on a signal or da ...
s. MythTV updates can be enabled here as well as switching to the latest release version or development branch of MythTV. Configuration of remote controls and a range of other utilities and small programs are performed all from within this program.
Different applications of Mythbuntu
Complete installation (front-end and back-end)
Mythbuntu can be used to install a full MythTV system on a single device (acting as both a
client
Client(s) or The Client may refer to:
* Client (business)
* Client (computing), hardware or software that accesses a remote service on another computer
* Customer or client, a recipient of goods or services in return for monetary or other valuabl ...
and a
server
Server may refer to:
Computing
*Server (computing), a computer program or a device that provides functionality for other programs or devices, called clients
Role
* Waiting staff, those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers and su ...
). The front-end is the software required for the visual elements (or the
GUI
The GUI ( "UI" by itself is still usually pronounced . or ), graphical user interface, is a form of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and audio indicator such as primary notation, inste ...
) and is utilised by the common user to find, play, and manipulate
media files. The back end is the server where the media files, tuners, and database are actually stored. A combined
front
Front may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film
* ''The Front'', 1976 film
Music
* The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and e ...
-and-back-end system may have an advantage in that it has ''portability'': it is a standalone device that is not dependent on a separate server, such as a
gaming console
A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to a t ...
.
Front-end-only installations
![Front-end myth-tv setup](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Front-end_myth-tv_setup.png)
Alternatively, Mythbuntu can be used to install a MythTV client: a front-end-only system. This might be useful where users already have a central storage server in their home. The central storage device can act as a MythTV server, and the MythTV front-end client software can be installed on devices with low-power hardware. Mythbuntu can also run directly from a CD-ROM (without installation), provided that there is a
network connection to a PC with a MythTV back-end server.
Using a server separate from one or more front-end units offers the ability to use multiple clients with simultaneous access to a single repository of shared media files. The server used would generally have hardware of a relatively high specification and can be kept outside of the main living room or other entertainment area of the home. Another advantage is the ability to move some of the potentially noisy hardware out of the living room, as low-noise, high-performance hardware can be expensive.
Adding Mythbuntu to Ubuntu
Mythbuntu is an Ubuntu derivative that offers an easy single-click conversion from Ubuntu to Mythbuntu.
This means a user no longer needs to type in command line, which can be daunting to new users, or hunt for packages in the various package managers.
Version history
* Mythbuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon (with MythTV .20) was released on Monday, October 22, 2007.
* Mythbuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron (with MythTV .21) was released Thursday, Apr 24, 2008.
* Mythbuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex (with MythTV .21) was released on Thursday Oct 30th, 2008.
* Mythbuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope (with MythTV .21-fixes) was released on Thursday April 23, 2009.
* Mythbuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala (with MythTV .22) was released on Thursday October 29, 2009.
* Mythbuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx (with MythTV .23) was released on Thursday April 29, 2010.
* Mythbuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat (with MythTV .23.1) was released on October 19, 2010.
* Mythbuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal (with MythTV .24) was released on April 28, 2011.
* Mythbuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot (with MythTV .24) was released on October 13, 2011.
* Mythbuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin (with MythTV .25) was released on April 26, 2012.
* Mythbuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr (with MythTV .27) was released on April 17, 2014.
* Mythbuntu 16.04 Xenial Xerus (with MythTV .28) was released on April 21, 2016.
[ ]
* Mythbuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver (with MythTV .29) was released on April 20, 2018.
See also
*
LinuxMCE
LinuxMCE (Linux Media Center Edition) is a free and open source software platform with a 10-foot user interface designed to allow a computer to act as a home theater PC (HTPC) for the living-room TV, personal video recorder, and home automation ...
*
List of free television software
This is a list of free television software, and includes television-related software which is distributed as free software – under a free software licence, with the source code available.
Notable free television software
* Aegisub - subtitle ...
*
XBMC
Kodi (formerly XBMC) is a free and open-source media player software application developed by the XBMC Foundation, a non-profit technology consortium. Kodi is available for multiple operating systems and hardware platforms, with a software 10- ...
References
External links
*
{{Home theater PC (application software)
Free television software
Multimedia software
Ubuntu derivatives
Discontinued Linux distributions
Linux distributions