2010-01-12, 22:13
Well, you can create 2 partitions and install a full version of Ubuntu on one and then a minimal version of Ubuntu on the other. You can choose which one boots automatically, so you could choose the minimal ubuntu install that has XBMC on it (installed by the script above) so it starts automatically. Then, if you wanted to boot into the full version, you simply use the keyboard when the computer first starts, and select the other Ubuntu install instead .
Samba is very easy, you can use the minimal ubuntu install alongside samba with no problem, just choose the samba server option when you install minimal ubuntu. You will then have to edit the samba.conf file, to create you samba file shares, but there are lots of tutorials about how to do this on the web.
With regards for other people to access your folders, you will have to have samba running on the install that you will leave running most of the time. Thus, if you are going to be leaving the XBMC install running most of the time, then install samba on that. You can't run two Ubuntu installs at the same time (just like you can't run Windows XP and Vista at the same time on the same PC) (OK, technically, you can, if you use a virtual machine, but that is a whole different story).
My advice: stick to a full Ubuntu install first. Install XBMC the recommended way on the xbmc home page. Choose XBMC as a start up application, so it starts automatically. Then research into using Transmission BitTorrent client and Samba and get them working (they should be both installed by default iirc). Once you have everything working as you want start doing research into using the command line and learn about ctorrent and samba. Then, when you feel confident, install ubuntu minimal instead, and do it all via the command line.
Samba is very easy, you can use the minimal ubuntu install alongside samba with no problem, just choose the samba server option when you install minimal ubuntu. You will then have to edit the samba.conf file, to create you samba file shares, but there are lots of tutorials about how to do this on the web.
With regards for other people to access your folders, you will have to have samba running on the install that you will leave running most of the time. Thus, if you are going to be leaving the XBMC install running most of the time, then install samba on that. You can't run two Ubuntu installs at the same time (just like you can't run Windows XP and Vista at the same time on the same PC) (OK, technically, you can, if you use a virtual machine, but that is a whole different story).
My advice: stick to a full Ubuntu install first. Install XBMC the recommended way on the xbmc home page. Choose XBMC as a start up application, so it starts automatically. Then research into using Transmission BitTorrent client and Samba and get them working (they should be both installed by default iirc). Once you have everything working as you want start doing research into using the command line and learn about ctorrent and samba. Then, when you feel confident, install ubuntu minimal instead, and do it all via the command line.