Apps, tweaks, tips, and links for your Linux Media HTPC - Page 4

Haven't tried Miro in a long time.

For managing the files on an iPod, gtkPod works well. I recommend using Amazon for MP3 music purchases, which are DRM free, better prices, and support Linux with a native download client.

Yes, we should start a gaming-dedicated thread. Once its populated with a lot of Linux gaming links, install HOWTOs (native and Wine), we can make it sticky.

HOWTOs re: setting up game controllers in Linux properly would be nice, plus separate HOWTOS for proper/efficient setup of Mame and other emulators- pre-2000 consoles, 80's computers (ST, Amiga, C64, Atari 8bit, etc), DOS gaming, etc, and how to integrate these well in a media PC.

The 20 Best Free PC Games

I think most/all in this list will run on Linux- native, Java, Flash, or through Wine.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/...40696%2C00.asp

More suggestions in the ensuing diggscussion-
http://digg.com/pc_games/The_20_Best_Free_PC_Games_3

Just google "Linux games" or "top linux games", "top free games", etc for lots more Linux games linx.

Support the Cause

https://usshop.ubuntu.com/category.php?catid=1

I wore this one to work yesterday

https://usshop.ubuntu.com/product.ph...1000TN&catid=1

HOWTO Install Software in Linux-
http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/lin...are-linux.html

HOWTO Install an alsa sound driver patch
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=455147

Beginner's Guide to Linux-

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/fea...t_distribution

Mythbuntu media PC build guide with pics, uses Apevia XM-500 case
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1036042

HOWTO build a 15TB RAID server with unRAID (commercial Linux distro) in a Norco 4020 case

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1110689

Could easily substitute another free distro like freeNAS or Ubuntu Server.

Packard Bell FastMEdia IR remote and receiver key lirc key mappings for Myth-

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1027619

http://ubuntu-install.blogspot.com/

FSTAB automatically edited
Posted by Jeroen
A nice tutorial for automatically editing FSTAB using PySDM

Here a quote of that website:

GUI Fstab Editing with PySDM
Storage Device Manager - Worry-Free Fstab Configuration
Storage Device Manager provides an easy, non-technical GUI method to make changes to mounting options without manually editing any files. It does for mounting partitions what StartUp-Manager does for editing grub's menu.lst. Storage Device Manager (PySDM) allows the full range of options available to those who manually edit fstab while simplifying the steps so that even beginners will feel comfortable making the same changes through Storage Device Manager. You no longer have to wonder if relatime is really the correct spelling.

EDIT 091213: PySDM appears rather old, though it still works- pySDM does not reference drives/partitions by their UUID or Volume Label, the preferred method for referencing drives and partitions in your fstab file. PySDM appears to refer to partions with the /dev/sda1, /dev/sdb2, etc method.

The issue with this method is that if you repartition your drive, add/remove partitions, add/remove hard drives in your system, the /dev/sdXY (X= a,b,c,... and Y = 1,2,3,...) references may all move around, referring to different partitions and drives after the drive/partition editing. For us DIY'ers, this issue can crop up often. For someone who doesn't change their drives/partitions often, the /dev/sdXY fstab referencing method is fine, so pySDM is still useful.

From

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...0#post17699290

Repository link:
https://launchpad.net/~nvidia-vdpau/.../ppa/+packages

"Add that repo to your system and then install the latest NVidia driver using Synaptic (I believe it's a 195 driver now). Be sure to install ALL of the 19x files that you can find.

Once that's done, go to System > Administration > Hardware Drivers and select the latest driver from the list and choose Activate. Then, restart if you get no errors."

I wasn't aware of this Nvidia repo. Thanks shane2943!

EDIT: updated repo per zim2dive's link

The badblocks command/utility is memtest+ for your hard disk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badblocks

http://linux.about.com/library/cmd/b..._badblocks.htm

http://www.linuxguide.it/command_lin...file=badblocks

http://linux.die.net/man/8/badblocks

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1201717

To check the hard drive sda for bad blocks/errors, use

badblocks -svw /dev/sda

on the commandline

This will take a long time on large hard disks.

I like to use the Parted Magic liveCD for booting into linux and using badblocks, since Parted MAgic is such a great all around disk utility distro.

Drive Fitness Test is a nice .iso live CD for hard disk diagnostics/testing

http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

A new-to-me live Linux CD for stress testing/burn-in and diagnostics for your PC-

http://www.stresslinux.org/

http://www.stresslinux.org/software.php

For the noobs, HOWTO add the PPA is on this page-
https://launchpad.net/~nvidia-vdpau/+archive/ppa

The first post is sorely out of date with all the distro updates and new posts since then.

If someone wants to update it, be my guest- just edit it locally then send a PM to Bob Sorel requesting the update to the first post. Just make a new complete post if you do, to overwrite the old one. Just refer to this post. in your PM to Sorel.

Google Chrome browser for Linux-

Point/click install .deb and .rpms for Ubuntu, Fedora and openSuse.

http://www.google.com/chrome/eula.ht...rm=linux&hl=en