[mythtv-users] newbie questions

[DW]

Hi all,

Just getting started off here w/ myth as a weekend project cuz it's too 
darn hot to go outside. Question: Is it possible to run mythtv off a 
laptop (frontend and backend?) I'm not interested in doing capturing at 
this time (maybe dvd and cd ripping), but I just want to get started to 
play around to use as a multimedia library (my music and maybe dvd) and 
hook it up to my tv. (I have an s-video jack on the laptop) .Once my 
divorce settlement is final and I have the money from sale of house 
(YEAH! Free at last, Free at last!!!!!! :D), then I'll probably look at 
getting the hardware to "do it right" with all the bells and whistles 
and get the capture card, maybe silent hardware, etc.

I brought home an old unused IBM Thinkpad T21 from work to get started. 
It has no built-in wireless, but I have an Orinoco Gold pcmcia card. I 
can't use the built-in ethernet cuz my landlady only has wireless.

If possible, I would like to use a Keyspan remote mouse for menu 
navigation so I don't have to get up and open the lid on laptop whenever 
I need to do something.

I also grabbed a 100GB external USB hard drive I had laying around, so I 
figure I can use that is my library partition.

Just wondering if anybody has any suggestion for getting started with 
this. Like I said, I know I can't do capturing, tv recording or anything 
like that. I guess all I'm look for at this point is a video/audio 
jukebox for watching avi's, mpg's, ripped dvd's, mp3's, maybe my photo 
jpg's as an album.

cheers,
DW