[mythtv-users] Myth in a "viewer only" configuration?

[Joseph A. Caputo]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org
> [mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org]On Behalf Of Grant Totten
> Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2003 3:24 PM
> To: Discussion about mythtv
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Myth in a "viewer only" configuration?
>
>
> Alan Snyder wrote:
>
> >It would be possible to do this if your video card
> >supported two
> >*independent* heads.  Most don't.
> >
> >With an nvidia card, you can specify a mode in your X
> >configuration (see the
> >nvidia README) in which the TV and VGA make up the
> >left half and right half
> >(or vice versa, or maybe even top/bottom) of a wide
> >desktop.  You can then
> >specify the GUI width in Myth so that it fills only
> >the TV.  Your only
> >remaining issue would be that newly started
> >applications could initially
> >display on top of myth until you move them.  In
> >windows, nvidia provides
> >some desktop management capabilities to force
> >applications onto one side or
> >the other.  You may be able to do that as well using
> >nvidia config or window
> >placement switches on X apps.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> Interesting.  I'll be sure to give it a go.  I've started looking
> through the previous postings, to see what kind of issues people have
> been running into.  Thanks.
>
>  From looking at the mailing list archives, it seems I don't need a
> high-end video card to run mythfrontend.  Will an old AGP TNT2 do the
> job on the TV, with an old Matrox Millenium for the VGA side?

Any video card that supports the Xv extensions FOR TV-OUT (some cards
support it but only on the first head) will work for Myth.  If you want to
set up a second card for a second independent X server, basic XFree86
requirements apply.  (NB: my previous comment about setting up 2 X servers
only applies to a 2-video card setup)


> Also, (hope I'm not spawning a distribution flamewar here) if I was
> going to install a "fresh" linux distribution for Myth purposes, which
> is best/easiest?  RH, Debian, Mandrake, etc.?

I believe the main developers (Isaac et al) use Debian.  RH (7.3, 8 & 9) and
Gentoo seem pretty popular here, too.  I use RH8 myself, plus I've done a
frontend-only setup on TopologiLinux (Slackware-based).

-JAC