Home File \ Media Server

Nerd Level 0

Well, hauling around USB or external drives is getting to be a PIA for me, and it's not user-friendly for my family.  I'm tired of figuring out on which of the 3 PCs, 2 laptops, external drives, or dozens of USB keys a particular file, movie or whatever might be.

Nerd Level 1

So I will be setting up a file server to store family pictures, music, and movies.  This server will be headless.  Which means I can remote into it from any other client, and not have to attach a monitor, keyboard or mouse to it.  It will go in the utility room next to the router, and modem.  I will also use it as a torrenter.  So if all that works fine, I 'll be happy.

Nerd Level 2

I will then attempt to:

• Use MythTV to PVR my Bell Satellite, or even my over-the-air (OTA) antenna.
• Install XBMC to stream content to various clients.  
• There are also nifty iPhone apps that can be used as remote controls.  Cool huh?
• Make it all user-friendly.

See? Even Mommy can watch TV.

Hardware:
I will put this on a muti-TB drive hosted on a headless server in the utility room.
The box:
Dell Optiplex GX 620
Pentium 4
3.2GHz
3GB RAM
80 GB drive for the OS
1TB drive for the data (for now)

I will be installing:
Ubuntu Server 10.04.3
Samba for sharing to Windows clients
VNC to make it headless
MythTV: For the PVR feature
XBMC for serving content.  It's client interface has good reviews.


Installing Linux:

I downloaded the 10.04.3 version of Ubuntu.  Ubuntu is 'flavour' of Linux.  I went with the 10.04 version because there were issues I read in forums with MythTV.  10.04.3 is the long term support version.  I downloaded the .ISO file.  An ISO file is used for creating CDs.  But burning CDs is so 1996, using a USB key is so much easier.  Creating a bootable USB used to be just as cumbersome, but there is an online utility called the Universal USB Installer.  This creates a bootable USB allowing you to install Linux via the previously downloaded ISO file.  After creating the USB key, plug it into the target system, switch it on, change the boot source, and voila, you are installing Ubuntu.

Note: This is a work-in-progress post.  I will repost when finalized.  


Update: Screw that.  Get a Network Attached Storage device (NAS) and a smart tv.  Even some of the game consoles have home network connectivity now.