[kernel]

...or will Mini do?

My apologies if there is an appropriate thread that has already dealt with this question, but I was unable to find one that specifically addressed this...

If choosing to run XBMC on Linux, when I look at Ubuntu, most of the XBMC documentation either says use the Mini or just a particular version of Ubuntu.

I am assuming there is greater flexibility in using a full OS over Mini, or does Mini allow you to add modules you might need down the road easily? If that is not the case, then which is the generally-preferred package to install, the Desktop or the Server? My understanding is that the install we want won't have a window manager, so that would kind of say Server to me, but I'm not sure I want to install a full OS. I'm sure there's a good preference here, I'm just not as familiar with Ubuntu. I've used Freebsd, RHEL and SunOS before, but never Ubuntu or Debian, so not sure what the desktop/server difference is.

Any guidance in this regard would help, thanks!

[althekiller]

In general, if you have to ask, use desktop.

[kernel]

I guess my question should really be what gives me the most flexibility with regards to XBMC with the possibility of installing MythTV. Are there any inherent advantages to running an HTPC with the server package?

I've installed and maintained unix servers without X, and unix servers with X, just kind of new to the concept of separating install packages as dedicated Desktop and dedicated Server.

It sounds like the Desktop is all the distro I'd ever need from your response, or are you saying Server would be the way to go but since my question sounds like a newb question, you're opting to save the 20 questions later and tell me to go with Desktop now?

[pico]

i am using ubuntu desktop edition as well as server on my 2. htpc...
i never noticed a "performance" or what ever issue on both systems...
i think maybe that if your system is at the border between performance that you will need for your project, and performance that you get from your system, then you should probably choose mini or server edition.
but if you have a performance system like geforce grafix + 4gb ram + core2duo actual cpu, you can easily choose desktop distribution...

only my 2 euro-cent *g*

[Pvt_Ryan]

All 3 are pretty much the same, the difference lies in which packages are and are not installed by default, also the server version's kernel is different to the desktop version.

If you want absolute minimal install use mini.
If you aren't quite that confident but still want a reduced install use server
else use desktop.

You can convert server to desktop by running "sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop" and uninstalling linux-server kernel.

If you are familiar with linux in general then you should have no problem with mini or server.

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=38804 is the mini how to, though iirc there is one in the wiki that is good too (maybe better, but I didn't use it)

[kernel]

This is good info, thanks. I was leaning toward server but wasn't sure, but this pretty much answers where I was coming from.

Thanks!

[Maxim]

You could use mythbuntu, already has MythTV in it, and you can install XBMC just as you would with any other ubuntu distribution.

Mythbuntu is a mix between minimal and Desktop but designed specifically for users interested in MythTV.

http://mythbuntu.org