AVS › AVS Forum › Video Components › Home Theater Computers › HTPC - Linux Chat › Apps, tweaks, tips, and links for your Linux Media HTPC
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Apps, tweaks, tips, and links for your Linux Media HTPC

post #1 of 369
4/23/07 at 12:06pm
Thread Starter 
This thread is inspired by
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=399319

The intent is to be a sticky thread at the top of the Linux area.

It is meant to be a one-stop shop and summary of links to apps, utilities, guides, research and reference that can be used for media-related activities under Linux.

The thread will be periodically updated, like the "Free Killer apps" version- whenever we feel like it (i.e. have the time). Over the next weeks, months and years, it will grow and be re-organized, I'm certain.

Much of the software can be installed from Ubuntu in the Add/Remove Programs applet, or found in the Synaptic Repositories. If you can't find them there, often a download of a simple, small .deb file and double clicking it will install it in Ubuntu, and I presume any Debian based distro.


So, here goes:

Installation and Setup

Ubuntu 6.1 to 7.04 Upgrade Discussion

Ubuntu Myth Guide

Ubuntu Edgy MythTV Installation How-to: Ubuntu Edgy and MythTV and Hauppauge PVR-150 by djlosch

Easy Ubuntu+MythTV Installation Discussion

Ubuntu Edgy Myth Front/Back End Guide

Linux Partitioning 101 Short guide into the wonderful world of Linux partitions.


Application & Media player/codec Installation

Synaptic Package Manager tutorial Simple Package management with Synaptic Package Manager in Ubuntu

Differences between Add/Remove and Synaptic Discsussion

Automatix Graphical interface for automating the installation of the most commonly requested applications in some Debian based distributions like Ubuntu



Optimization

Reduce your Linux memory footprint

Speed up Linux Boot time

Install Knoppix on USB pen drive

Customization

Edit Ubuntu Context menus Change/add right click menu options in Ubuntu


Benchmark Testing

Vistas/XP/Ubuntu Test results

30 Days with Ubuntu


Operating System Technical Reference:

Linux kernal data

Linux Timeline/ Geneology Exellent visual guide to Linux distro pedigree


Software Lists, Tables and Directories:

"Essential" software Ubuntu base software load suggestions, 2006

Table of Equivalent Software Linux <-> Windows equivalents list

List of Windows equivalent apps in Linux What word processor can I use in linux or what sound editing app?

Osalt.com Find open source software alternatives to well-known commercial software

Linux/Windows software equivalents The table of equivalents / replacements / analogs of Windows software in Linux

WIndows to Linux equivalents New to Linux? Need a program?


Graphics Editors

GIMP PhotoShop-like bitmap editor/paint

Gimpshop Make Gimp look and feel like PhotoShop

Picture Viewers/Slideshow

XNview An efficient multimedia viewer, browser and converter.

GQview Image browser that features single click access to view images and move around the directory tree.

GwenView Fast and easy to use image viewer


Browsers

Firefox The cross platform standard

Firefox plug-in repository Use the Search to find Firefox add-ons

20 "Best" Firefox plug-ins Computerworld's List- WARNING- pop-ups

Best Firefox plug-ins Discussion Discussion with more suggestions

Fearless Browser


File Managers:

Endeavour Mark II Total Commander style file manager

X File Explorer MS-Explorer or Commander like file manager for X.


Media Authoring Guides

Tovid DVD Author guide HOWTO: Make DVD Videos Using Tovid: The Video Disc Authoring Suite

FLV conversion Convert YouTube FLV Videos to MPG or AVI

Author DVD with qDVD How to make DVDs with Menus using Q DVD Author

Notebook Options

System 76

Acer


DRM issues

Can You Trust Your Computer?
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 369
4/23/07 at 4:39pm
Thread Starter 
Contributions for the first post at:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...41&postcount=1

Maybe once a year or less, new contributions in the remainder of this thread will be edited into the first post.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 369
4/23/07 at 5:04pm
This is one of the websites I have bookmarked: http://www.linuxlinks.com/
This is probably the section most HTPCers will be looking at: http://www.linuxlinks.com/Software/Multimedia/

This should help people find sticky-worthy software.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 369
4/23/07 at 5:09pm
This is my favorite find from that website:



Video from the website: http://elisa.fluendo.com/screencast/elisa-20070421.ogg

It is called Elisa: http://elisa.fluendo.com/
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 369
4/23/07 at 5:16pm
Some of the basics for video playback:

Video Playback
Mplayer: http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/news.html
Plays a wide array of audio and video codecs. Can be used for DVD as well as video file playback, and has a very broad video and audio filtering system.

Xine: http://xinehq.de/
Also plays many video and audio codecs. One of the favorites for DVD playback as it supports DVD menus. While its number of filtering options (audio and video) are not as broad as Mplayer, it still has many filters and is suitable for many.

VLC: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
If Mplayer can't play it, VLC probably can. Supports almost every common video codec.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 369
4/23/07 at 5:29pm
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MythTV_Feisty

for Feisty

http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php..._AC3_and_SPDIF

For digital sound,

http://ubuntuguide.org/

for how to do a ton of things in ubuntu...

http://pvrhw.goldfish.org/tiki-pvrhwdb.php

Sample hardware people use with myth
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 369
4/23/07 at 5:35pm
A media center UI for Xine: http://oxine.sourceforge.net/

A cool program to add effects to video (meant for webcam use): http://effectv.sourceforge.net/index.html
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 369
4/26/07 at 11:13am
Thread Starter 
HDHomerun on Linux and Myth

http://servers.linux.com/servers/07/...tid=117&tid=39

Digg discussion:

http://www.digg.com/linux_unix/HDTV_..._200_Linux_box
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 369
4/26/07 at 12:31pm
how about the main ubuntu/myth page that has links to different ubuntu versions:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MythTV

also what about knoppmyth (they should be coming out with a new version soon):

http://www.mysettopbox.tv/knoppmyth.html

and mythdora:

http://swik.net/MythDora

don't forget about linuxmce and pluto

http://www.linuxmce.com/
http://plutohome.com/index.php?
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 369
4/26/07 at 12:36pm
also zap2it for guide info:

http://labs.zap2it.com/

you'll need the myth project code to register:

ZIYN-DQZO-SBUT
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 369
4/26/07 at 12:50pm
Derek-

I believe there was talk on the MythTV list (or IRC) that they dont want this code posted anywhere but on the mythtv project page. So maybe we should just link to the page that has the Zap2It code.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 369
4/26/07 at 1:22pm
Nero,

I got it from the ubuntu page, so i guess ubuntu didn't get that email.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 369
4/27/07 at 4:01am
Thread Starter 
CDemu for Linux
http://cdemu.sourceforge.net/

Daemon Tools-like CD-ROM emulator for Linux.
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 369
4/27/07 at 4:06am
Thread Starter 
AcetoneISO
http://kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=44805

A 'Daemon Tools' clone for linux with a lot of features

1) Mount and Unmount ISO,MDF,NRG (if iso-9660 standard)
2) Convert BIN/CUE, MDF, NRG, CCD/IMG, CDI, XBOX, B5I/BWI, PDI, DAA to ISO
3) Burn Your ISO, CUE, TOC images directly in K3b
4) Blank Your CD/DVD ReWritable
5) Verify md5sum of image files and Generate a Md5sum file from ISO
6) Ability to create ISO from Folder and CD/DVD
7) Service-Menu support
8) Play a DVD-Movie ISO with Kaffeine, Mplayer, VLC, Kmplayer
9) Split ISOs in smaller files and Merge them
10) Quick Turbo Mount an ISO file from your Desktop
11) Compress ISO with p7zip and extract
12) Encrypt and Decrypt an ISO
13) Generate a CUE file from a IMG/BIN image
14) Rip a PSX cd to a bin/toc image


Mount ISO image 0.9.1
http://linux.softpedia.com/get/Deskt...age-2216.shtml

Mount ISO Image is an advanced script which allows to perform multiple operations with ISO, NRG (Nero Burning ROM), UDF (DVD), CUE/BIN, CCD/IMG/SUB (CloneCD), XDVDFS (XBOX) images.
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 369
4/27/07 at 12:01pm
Thread Starter 
Comparative review: Ubuntu vs Vista

http://www.informationweek.com/news/...leID=199201179
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 369
4/29/07 at 4:55am
Thread Starter 
Video file editor:

Avidemux
http://fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 369
4/29/07 at 5:07am
Thread Starter 
Common Windows HTPC tools/apps/media players known to work under WINE (free Windows compatibility layer in Linux):

DVD Fab Decrypter
http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=7565

DVD Shrink
http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=2230

HDTV2MPEG2
http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=7393

Foobar2000
http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=3429

TmpegEnc
http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=2653

Tmpg DVD Author
http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=3602
http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=6918


Wine Applications Database- Search to find out if your Windows program has been tested:
http://appdb.winehq.org/

Windows Audio and Video Apps Wine Database
http://appdb.winehq.org/appbrowse.php?iCatId=29
Reply
Reply
post #18 of 369
4/29/07 at 7:48am
Thread Starter 
Myth Wiki
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

recommended MythTV tuner cards
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php...are-MPEG_cards
Reply
Reply
post #19 of 369
4/29/07 at 11:15am
Thread Starter 
DRM:
An Economic Explanation For Why DRM Cannot Open Up New Business Model Opportunities
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070301/005837.shtml
Reply
Reply
post #20 of 369
4/30/07 at 3:09am
Items of slightly less than universal use:

Incomplete Linux driver for the MyHD (needs people to contact Zoran and MIT to ask for specs under NDA): http://myhd.sourceforge.net/

Judder test for Linux (inspired by, though completely different from, the judder test tool for Windows): http://myhd.sourceforge.net/juddertest.php
Reply
Reply
post #21 of 369
4/30/07 at 5:18am
Thread Starter 
DRM:

Criminalising the consumer- Where digital rights went wrong
http://www.economist.com/daily/colum...96421&fsrc=nwl
Reply
Reply
post #22 of 369
5/7/07 at 5:32am
Thread Starter 
Vast Ubuntu & Linux tutorial, guide & tweak repository
http://tweako.com/section/ubuntu

http://tweako.com/section/Linux

DOS Emulation in Ubuntu (DOS gaming)
http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2006/12/...chool-game-on/

DVD Shrink & Decrypter Ubuntu installation guide
http://mrbass.org/linux/ubuntu/dvdshrink/

Windows to Ubuntu Transition Guide
http://pcmech.com/article/windows-to...de/page-10.htm
Reply
Reply
post #23 of 369
5/7/07 at 5:40am
Thread Starter 
Ubuntu Forum Tutorials link list
http://lotusleafslinks.tuxfamily.org...ntuforums.html
Reply
Reply
post #24 of 369
5/7/07 at 5:44am
Thread Starter 
How to flash motherboard BIOS from Linux (no DOS/Windows, no floppy drive)
http://www.linuxinsight.com/how-to-f...ppy-drive.html
Reply
Reply
post #25 of 369
5/7/07 at 5:51am
Thread Starter 
Fine software projects, news and thoughts from the Linux world.
http://www.linuxinsight.com/
Reply
Reply
post #26 of 369
5/7/07 at 5:57am
Thread Starter 
Music Production on Linux
http://www.keyboardmag.com/story.asp...torycode=17973
Reply
Reply
post #27 of 369
5/7/07 at 6:01am
Thread Starter 
Audio software for Linux reference repository
http://www.linux-sound.org/
Reply
Reply
post #28 of 369
5/7/07 at 7:02am
Thread Starter 
Hard disk Benchmarking in Linux
http://www.linuxinsight.com/how_fast_is_your_disk.html
Reply
Reply
post #29 of 369
8/31/07 at 11:48am
Thread Starter 
Bump
Reply
Reply
post #30 of 369
8/31/07 at 11:54am
Thread Starter 
Ubuntu installation tweak tips
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,13...x/article.html
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: HTPC - Linux Chat

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Video Components › Home Theater Computers › HTPC - Linux Chat › Apps, tweaks, tips, and links for your Linux Media HTPC