[black_eagle]

Why ?? nickr wasn't born with an intimate knowledge of linux. He learnt what he knows, probably by trial and error and a lot of reading. I've learnt loads in the last year. Granted I don't have the knowledge of nick, but I'm slowly getting there.

I don't understand why you would give up at the first hurdle - unless of course you don't want to learn.

[paulsk2]

nah im not giving up yet as i do like a bit of a challenge . i guess once ive actually installed linux and used it a bit i`ll get the hang of it . not knowing anybody that uses it is a bit of a pain cos its much easier to talk to someone than deal with forums (might have to invest in "linux for dummies tho lol )

i think i`ll be going with ubuntu 14.04 . with that i beleive i`ll get a desktop enviroment on which to install mythtv . then samba for the server . just need to look into cloud storage after that

[.:B:.]

Why not go with Mythbuntu in the first place? The thing to keep in mind, for howto's and installation guides, is that your setup needs to be as default as possible. So if a howto is tailored to Mythbuntu, take Mythbuntu, not Ubuntu or any other derivative. There might be small differences, but once in a while there's a big pitfall and it's not always clear if it's all new to you. Then everything looks like a big obstacle The first difference being, when I read the other responses, that Ubuntu is now at 14.04 but will be moving on (it's up to you whether to upgrade to 14.10 e.a.) and Mythbuntu will be based on 14.04 and stay there until the next LTS release comes out (afaict).

As nickr said (not so nicely), following instructions will be pretty much copy/paste in the beginning. If you read what's written and take it slow, do some additional research if necessary, then it will work out just fine. Just keep in mind in the beginning the learning curve might be a bit steep. It gets better after that, and there will be a lot of power at your fingertips.

Hope it works out.

[teeedubb]

Why on earth would you choose Ubuntu for a server install, especially after multiple recommendations of a great server os? Way to much bloat like word processor s, disc burners and that horrible interface.

Mybuntu is lightweight and comes with a bunch of server tcentric devices preinstalled and configured(either that or its got a menu for doing so - mythbuntu control center), such as samba shares and ssh/vnc access. Plus you can install all the software that is available to normal Ubuntu.

If you're not confident using Linux install it inside a virtual machine and setup some of the services you require to get familiar. If you hose the install you've lost nothing.

And don't buy one of those dummies books, best way to learn is to get your hands dirty - just make sure you have backups before you start playing with stuff...

[nickr]

mythbuntu is good because it does install a gui - so a complete newbie can click and play around just like it's windows. But it's a lighter and easier to use gui than you get with a full ubuntu. You can install anything else you want from ubuntu repositories, just like a full ubuntu. So if you want owncloud, it's there:

http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywor...ection=all

At the same time you can learn some command line stuff.

It also comes with the server components you will need to serve media on your LAN, preconfigured to be working. Samba and NFS built in and ready to switch on.

I endorse an initial install to virtualbox or vmware to get yourself familiar.