[mythtv-users] Epia M: diskless frontend or pvr-350-based back/front end?

[Steven]

Op do, 04-11-2004 te 15:35 -0500, schreef Peter Lee:
> Hi All.  I am happily running a 0.16/FC2 combined frontend/backend. 
> It contains a pvr-250 and 360GB of disk.  Over time, I've now managed
> to collect enough parts to build an Epia ME-6000 system, including a
> pvr-350.  My question:
> 
> 1) Should I put the pvr-350 into my current backend, and then build a
> diskless frontend with the Epia M?  Or,
> 
> 2) Should I use the pvr-350 with the Epia, and use this to build a
> second frontend/backend?  I have a spare 40GB drive that I could use
> in this case.
> 
> The advantage of (1) is that I can move my current setup and replace
> it with a diskless/fanless frontend.  But how well does the TV-out
> work on the Epia?  And is minimyth (and the like) up to 0.16 yet?  I
> see that some people have 0.16 for netboot set up, so that seems OK.
> 
> The advantage of (2) seems to be that I wouldn't have to worry as much
> about the unichrome drivers working, and I'd have a setup that could
> work even if the master backend goes away (right?).  On the other
> hand, the recent via epia thread seems to indicate some dma problems?
> 
> Anyway, I was planning to start putting things together this weekend,
> and am still undecided about which way to go.  If you any advice or
> strong opinions about this, let me know...
> 
> Peter

You could even make the EPIA a diskless combined slave backend/frontend.
Using the PVR350 as a second tuner for recording and using it's tv-out
for playback.
But diskless would mean it won't do much if the backend is not there.
All recordings and live-tv buffer would be on the master backend.

I find the easiest, most flexible, way to setup a netbootable system
like that is : 
- setup your system using a harddisk in the machine 
- once you got everything working as you want it to, move the diskimage
over to the server 
- setup your netboot stuff on the server
- Then remove the harddisk from your machine and configure it to do
netbooting

If you want the use the frontend for other things than tv (like DVD or
Divx playback) i'd recommend using the unichrome drivers anyway. It
would not realy make a difference then if you put the pvr in the master
backend or in the epia machine.

Steven