[mythtv-users] Absolute newbie stumped

[Johnny]

> This may sound dumb, but do the appliance distros have a X desktop (KDE or
> whatever) and package managers so you can install packages?
>
> I'm helping friends with Mythboxes, and would love to be able to make it as
> painless as possible.

Mythbuntu isn't really a separate distribution. It is actually just a
set of packages that you can install on any Ubuntu distribution. It
uses Xfce by default but you can you gnome or KDE just as easily if
you like. Mythbuntu's main contribution is the mythbuntu control
centre that provides a nice gui for managing most of the packages,
add-ons, remote controls, and various other mythtv settings in one
central location. I find that these days there is very little need to
go to the command line during setup or for day to day maintenance.
Ubuntu/Mythbuntu is also one of the most popular distros among mythtv
user and elsewhere so if you run into a problem you are usually not
alone and it is easy to find help.

I believe the situation with MythDora is similar but as I don't use it
I can't say for sure. Also just a suggestion I wouldn't be signing up
to help my friends with mythtv unless I already had all of my system
sorted out. If they aren't in a position to be doing the work
themselves perhaps with some pointers from myself, I simply suggest
that mythtv probably isn't for them.