[KLUG Members] Big software package, was: Can anyone say...Boogies?

Bruce Smith members@kalamazoolinux.org
Sun, 04 Jan 2004 14:37:41 -0500


> > >I recently installed one _large_ open source application on a major
> > >distro.  This application consists of over 60 RPM's, and was
> > >surprisingly easy to install on top of the distro.
> 
> Hmmm, 60+ packages.... what could that be?
> 
> > >(this large application shall go unnamed for now so Adam doesn't 
> > > start bugging me to do a presentation ...
> > Smart move! :)
> 
> Aw, come on!

I'm superstitious about talking about stuff before I get it working. 
But now I have enough of the package working, so here goes:

I'm building my own "Tivo" (DVR), Linux based of course. 
The package I'm using is MythTV:  http://www.mythtv.org/

I wanted to evaluate the package with the least amount of time and
effort, so I'm using pre-built RPM's (as opposed to compiling everything
myself).  Since the RPM's are for Redhat/Fedora, my base system is FC1.
The packager of the RPM's has very detailed, step by step HOWTO:
http://pvrhw.goldfish.org/tiki-page.php?pageName=rh9pvr250  
which I've been following to get where I'm at now.

I have most things working, except for the IR (remote control), which I
haven't attempted yet.

This being a work in progress / pre-release software, the experience 
was not anything like I expected.  Most of my time has been using and
playing with the package, very little problem solving.  The problems I
did have were due to the fact I skipped reading parts of the howto.

My initial impressions of the software is I am VERY VERY VERY IMPRESSED!
It is much more professional looking and acting that I would have ever
dreamed!  After the software was installed, I NEVER ONCE started a text
editor to configure the software.  All was done via a GUI!  I don't even
know where the config is kept!  :-)

Besides being able to do the DVR stuff (recording/playing TV, pausing
live TV, recording by TV show name), it comes with a web interface so
you can program the recordings remotely via a web browser (instead of
the TV monitor).  It displays news/weather/images/games/web on the TV,
plays DVD's & music, and more!   It downloads 9 days of the TV schedule
off the Internet automatically in a cron job, and displays in a very
nice format for programming and browsing/searching the TV schedule.

Anyway, now you know...  :-)

 - BS