[mythtv-users] install Myth on an off-the-shelf system

[James Hall]

Incidentally, I have remotely configured a Mythtv box using ssh and vnc. It
took a little coaching over the phone to get it up enough for me to work on
it though. The first time my friend installed the system he promptly forgot
the root/user account passwords because he didn't think he'd need them
again. Then I had to talk him through setting up redirection on his router
to open port 22 and point it at the box. It was fairly smooth sailing from
there. I used knoppmyth (now linhes) as the OS on that system.

It's not up anymore though, he's switched between cable and satellite a few
times and just uses their DVR now.

On Fri, Dec 10, 2010 at 1:37 PM, Brian Wood <beww at beww.org> wrote:

> On Friday, December 10, 2010 11:30:39 am dargllun wrote:
> > Am 10.12.2010 09:26, schrieb okcancel:
> > > I need to *remotely* help a non-technical relative setup Myth.
> > > He will follow basic instructions like point, click, type,
> > > connect keyboard, mouse, network cable, coax cable, etc.
> >
> > May I ask what exact added value your relative is looking for? I mean
> > over a standard HD recorder / PVR box you can buy anywhere?
> >
> > Don't get me wrong, I'm all pro MythTV (obviously) but I've been
> > asking myself a couple of times why I still bother... The answer is
> > of course that it's just one of my hobbies. I just like the tuning
> > (no pun intended) and puzzling, upgrading, breaking and getting them
> > up again. But these are technical, geeky reasons. I believe the main
> > benefit of MythTV recognized by non-technical people would be the
> > commercial skipping function. And maybe the fan-art. But all in all,
> > I'd still wonder if it was worth it. How does the system perform
> > over a longer uptime? How do you handle upgrades (system and
> > mythtv)?
> >
> > I'm sorry if this sounds too negative or even heretical to you or
> > others. Also, I'm happy for all success stories we could read here,
> > hats off to all of you. I also know that if you just leave a running
> > system alone, it's probably pretty stable. (I know I shouldn't be
> > upgrading constantly on all fronts.) I'm not saying it is
> > impossible, but I somehow doubt it's worth the trouble and time.
>
> I have to agree with you, trying to get a non-technical users up and
> running with Myth can be a real trial, especially if they have no prior
> experience with Linux and CLI interfaces.
>
> I agree commercial skip is probably the most visible advantage for non-
> geeks. There are others, but it takes a while to notice and get used to
> them.
>
> But I've come close to losing friends by trying to get them to adopt my
> own personal hobby, which is what Myth is for a lot of us.
>
> I did manage to set up an SD-only machine using an older version of
> Mythdora that is stable and robust enough to be used as an "appliance"
> for my friend, but it was not something I would do again.
>
> The sort of person who learns how to use something by just pushing
> buttons will be in a lot of trouble even if you hand them a perfectly
> working Myth system.
>
>
>
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