[bearhntr]

I have searched and searched the forums for a 'tagged' or 'pinned' HOW TO: for installing KODI on UBUNTU.  

The link at the top takes you to the download, the LINUX option takes you to a 'sort of' install guide.  I can follow instructions, but these steps need to be more clear (imho).  I have the LibreELEC installed - but it appears to have some limitations that perhaps the Ubuntu install will not.

My questions:

1)  Can this be installed without the desktop (GNOME, etc.)?  Are there any specifics if installing on UBUNTU that I need to make sure I install?  

2)  Is there a pinned 'How To" some place?  I was planning in installing Ubuntu 20.04 and going from there - with KODI 19.  (replacing my LibreELEC install) 

3)  My hardware is basically a PC (Core i5-9400 CPU, 16GB RAM, 128GB NVMe SSD (boot) and 2x4TB HDD with my movies and music) -- used to run Windows 10 and XBMC (about 3.5 years ago).

[jmgibson1981]

Depends on how much linux experience you have. Anything you know about Windows won't help much in this case.

Personally I set up lightdm to autologin to xfce and kodi autostart off that. Gives me a desktop of needed.

[Klojum]

I have the LibreELEC installed - but it appears to have some limitations that perhaps the Ubuntu install will not.

LibreELEC has a (very) minimal Linux basis with only the bare necessities for Kodi only. It is designed that way. There is also support for Docker, which is a whole different story on its own.

Ubuntu Linux as a full OS requires some basic knowledge, such as that certain software can require the installing of a PPA. Currently Kodi requires that type of installation as well for the latest version of Kodi.

1)  Can this be installed without the desktop (GNOME, etc.)?  Are there any specifics if installing on UBUNTU that I need to make sure I install?  

That's probably not impossible, but highly not recommended for the beginning Linux user. You can set it up to autostart Kodi when booting up. A terminal session is a true Linux user's place to start (press CTRL-ALT-T for a terminal in your Ubuntu OS). Typing in the commands can be just as powerful and often faster than several mouse clicks on a screen. Setting up a new Linux computer can be so much faster via the command line than clicking hundreds of times on your screen. One whole script is enough to set up your PC in a fraction of the time compared without moving your mouse around.

Code:

sudo apt install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:team-xbmc/ppa
sudo apt install kodi

Copy/paste each of these lines separately into your terminal session, and press ENTER after each of them. sudo is activating the root user ('god mode' if you will) so you are allowed access to your computer's system folders and files.

Is there a pinned 'How To" some place?  I was planning in installing Ubuntu 20.04 and going from there - with KODI 19.

You probably already looked at it, Kodi's wiki page on installing on Linux. If you need to install Ubuntu 20.04 first, do so. Know that there is also 22.04, but it's still pretty new. I have Kodi 19.4 running just fine on my Ubuntu 20.04 laptop. Use a separate drive/stick for the OS if you want to testdrive things.

My hardware is basically a PC

Any PC younger than 8 years should be fine in terms of proper igpu video support for Kodi in Linux, so a PC using NVME is more than fine.

[bearhntr]

@Klojum 

  Thanks for the replies.   I am about a "4" on the Linux scale (maybe a 5).  I know enough to get around and can do most things (especially with instructions).  

  Yes... I did look at the WIKI - which is what triggered my questions - LOL   As there is no mention of installing Ubuntu 'without a desktop'  I have a pfSense installation and a HomeAssistant installation - both on Linux (following stepped installation guide) and they neither have a desktop.  You boot them, and it goes to a terminal - then auto-launches the application.   That is what I was looking for in KODI - a set of instructions to do the same.  

  As I stated - I had XBMC setup once before on a Win 10 Pro installation - but there is just SO MUCH FLUFF in that installation which is not needed.  Never could find a way to install on there without the 'desktop'.

  I had found these already:

         sudo apt install software-properties-common
         sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:team-xbmc/ppa
         sudo apt install kodi

  Was just trying to make sure that there was nothing else needed.

[bearhntr]

Depends on how much linux experience you have. Anything you know about Windows won't help much in this case.

Personally I set up lightdm to autologin to xfce and kodi autostart off that. Gives me a desktop of needed.

Thank You --  I am not a 'total dummy' in Linux world.....  LOL   (but I am certainly no expert).  I appreciate the insight, was just hoping to find a 1, 2. 3 ...    set of instructions, and the WIKI is kinda lacking IMHO  [ 
https://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:Install_Kodi_for_Linux ]  -  as is does not mention (desktop is required, etc.)

[DaVu]

I have searched and searched the forums for a 'tagged' or 'pinned' HOW TO: for installing KODI on UBUNTU.  

The link at the top takes you to the download, the LINUX option takes you to a 'sort of' install guide. 

What do you think is missing on the wiki? 

Well, tbh, nothing more than:

Code:


sudo apt install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:team-xbmc/ppa
sudo apt update #optional
sudo apt install kodi


needs to be done to install Kodi on Ubuntu for 99% of all our Ubuntu-Users .

GNOME is a desktop-environment and there's no need to use that if you don't want to and as long as you have installed a x-server for applications which will need a display server. There´s an outdated howto which you could use as a starting point: 

https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=231955

In the end it's installing Kodi on a Ubuntu-server OS and then creating a systemd-service to automatically start Kodi after boot. Unfortunately this HowTo is pretty old and refers to Ubuntu 18.04. Things might have changed a bit since then. So you have to google a bit to get it done on newer OSs. 

Good luck