I think part of the reason for KnoppMyth's success is, that it is focused on being a PVR. I guess we do such a good job with this, that folks willing add to an install and for upgrades as well. With R6 being built from scratch and the dev team packaging everything ourselves... Other than time and desire, we could also create a meta-package that installs a "complete desktop".

My initial thoughts are a light weight desktop w/ Fluxbox as default and a heavy weight with KDE. Note:KDE is my desktop of choice. So, if someone wanted something GNOME centric they would have to step up and join the dev team. If this were to happen, the ISO would be PVR only. The addition of a more complete desktop would be via our meta-package (installation over the net). If this were to occur, this would be after the initial release of R6.

Thoughts?

I am very happy to keep the focus of KnoppMyth as a PVR "appliance". I want a settop box, just like the URL says. Like my old Series I Tivo, it just sits in my stereo rack and serves up entertainment (but does so much more). I have no interest in a desktop version. But...

On the forum you are surveying the customers you already have, most of whom bought into the PVR nature of the product. You need a way to survey those who passed KnoppMyth by, because they wanted more of a desktop machine and KM didn't fit their needs.

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Just so folks don't get confused, the core focus will always be PVR.

Not really. I know people will/have passed up KnoppMyth because it isn't a "desktop". I don't care about those people, because that isn't the focus of KnoppMyth. R6 is going to be more focused as a Home Entertainment System than any other release.

With all releases to date, we've included development packages, etc. so one could easily compile MythTV for instance. Not a lot of people seem to know or realize this... So, this means this isn't something that is need. With R6 (part of the plan), you'll have to install a meta-package if you want to compile. The package will get all you need and you'll be able to compile. So as you can see, this will lead to a smaller more focus ISO.

What I don't want to lose are the people that choose to extend KnoppMyth to make it more of a desktop.

There is/will be a lot we can do from a development standpoint with R6. Extending it to be more of a "desktop" is just one of those things. But, not to worry, PVR is and will always be "job 1".

Cecil

I'd be interested in it. I don't currently extend my knoppmyth box into a full desktop, but i would try replacing some of my kubuntu machines with it if it had a KDE option.

At the moment, my KnoppMyth box is my primary desktop machine. A motherboard crapped out on me in my main Windows box, so I no longer have that to use for my general desktop stuff. I like the clean feel of fluxbox as a desktop environment and how Debian handles updates to the application menu each time I add a new X11 program into the mix. I'm also a spare time developer so having all that dev stuff in there is quite nice. In some cases, I'm one that also likes to know "how its made". I like that you are considering providing the "option" of adding the functionality of a "desktop" to an install of KnoppMyth for R6. I'm all for options.

If it's an option, and not part of the core, I don't see how it can have a downside. It makes KM appeal to more, and those of us who would like a full desktop as part of the install for various reasons, can add it with ease.

_________________
"The amount of time needed to solve a problem is inversely proportionate to the complexity of the solution" -- Me

KM: R5.5
CPU: Athlon 3800+
Vid: nvidia 7300GT
Snd: Chaintech av-710
Tuner: PVR150
HD: 1000gb sata + 750gb sata + 500gb usb

The Developers only have so much time to spend on Knoppmyth. So one possible downside is that it might unwittingly impede the pvr angle of development. If that is the case, I would vote no.

On the other hand, Knoppmyth is my first exposure to Linux and I'm learning all sorts of stuff and would like more functionality out of my Knoppmyth box. I would like a full desktop, better browser, etc. This could potentially lessen my dependence on Windows. If it wouldn't hurt or slow down the pvr stuff, then I would vote yes, but I would hate to be sitting around thinking "boy, R7 would be out by now if it wasn't for that darned desktop problem they are working on".

So there you have it. I'm a definite maybe!

Glad to hear it. There are plenty (literally hundreds) of
linux distros with full desktops for people who want a distro
that's focussed on providing a desktop. Quite a few of those
distros have MythTv available as a package.

People who want a desktop-focussed distro should choose one of
the existing ones instead of picking one of the very few that
isn't and trying to get it changed.

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Grant

Computers are cheap. My 'working' computers don't 'do' Myth and my Mythboxes (5 last count) do only KnoppMyth....

I voted no. If all it would take was a slightly modified deb or a post install script inside the deb -- then maybe. Otherwise, I agree that it might distract from the focus of knoppmyth's primary goal.

It's looking like it comes down to, how big of an undertaking is this? How is this meta package installer going to work? I'm not a linux expert or even intermediate, but I am a computer programmer, I could possibly lend some man hours to this if it falls into my realm of knowledge and is required.

_________________
"The amount of time needed to solve a problem is inversely proportionate to the complexity of the solution" -- Me

KM: R5.5
CPU: Athlon 3800+
Vid: nvidia 7300GT
Snd: Chaintech av-710
Tuner: PVR150
HD: 1000gb sata + 750gb sata + 500gb usb

Personally I don't like this idea. I have no interest in having my myth box be a "complete desktop", but I have used it to compile the myth source and various other pieces of software I've installed to improve its PVR functionality. I think the capability to compile should remain in the main ISO, and anything else needed for a "complete desktop" should go in the meta-package.

I voted no as I don't want to introduce distractions to the dev team, and it would be bad to have KM classified as a desktop, because then there would be people using it AS a desktop, complaining about this or that being missing or not as good as Ubuntu or whatever, and reviewing it against other desktop distros AS a desktop.
That said, there ARE some things that belong in KM, IMO.
FireFox should be there, so folks with wireless keyboards can press Alt+W (modify the fluxbox keys accordingly...) and settle arguments about whether or not McDreamy is the same guy in the new "Enchanted" movie. I've got IMDB and Wikipedia set as home page tabs....

I see the strength of KM as more than a PVR, but not in the direction of a desktop. I'd use the test: "does it contribute to the multi-media experience?" OpenOffice does not. Other things do.
FireFox, configured with Flash, fits.
So does the follow-on to Democracy Player, Myth2Ipod, and the wonderful PodGet.

Anything to do with slideshows and managing pictures, is a fit.
Games is a fit, and if I get time, I'm going to document some of the public domain ROMs so that they could be installed in the base config. I think XMame would be a lot more popular if people could start with one or two basic games that work, then they can add others and have a better chance of success.

However, does all of this need to be included in the initial install? Not really, no. If the new installer thing works well, you could just download the chunks that you need.

thornsoft -- Well put.



This would be a good thing and I would be grateful as don't have anything in mythgame yet..