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I have been busy experimenting and learning the new world of Linux as a media server. Here are some of my experiences.
1. There is a swack of software out there.
Java based the best is Serviio a free very easy to use (from a terminal) just call the .sh scripts in the bin directory that you find in the tarball.
It works with very little fuss and bother and does not eat up resources.
It is possible to just create desktop launchers to start and stop the server and the Serviio Console as it does not have to run at boot and will run perfectly well with user privileges.
The console interface can be set to different DLNA device settings and supports Samsung series a,b and c TVs, Ps3, Sony Bravia, and many other devices that have peculiar DLNA requirements like the xbox 360.
The Serviio Console can configure most things like directory paths so if you call it under Linux always start your entry with / for example my path /home/eric/Videos and /home/eric/Music and /home/eric/Pictures.
After you set the path then you can configure what that particular path contains. This way there is no confusion when you browse with the media player client on the TV or other device with the remote control.
2. MediaTomb
I felt like King Tut waiting for heaven and earth to move before getting anything to work on this server. It runs as a daemon at boot and has a localhost interface. Hopefully this software will advance as it is a step in the right direction.
3. TVMOBili
This is the most fascinating of all the software available for Linux.(also Windows and Mac) The premise is that there is a market for an Internet gateway to link users.
Although the software is still in beta it does do the trick with Debian and Red Hat based systems.
It runs as a root process so there is still some work to be done but the developers are trying as I write this to change this aspect.
The support is very good and even though their binary is closed they are open to suggestion and integration into other peoples projects.
Considering the fact that most home media devices run a version of Linux or Linux library created firmware, it should come as no surprise that innovation and flexibility in function are happening a much greater pace with Linux based devices.
The really important part of this is that Linux is finally starting to get the serious consideration from multi-media developers that it deserves.
All and all having WMP hog and label all my media content on a Windows Vista machine and then try to control all my streaming media without asking first gives me a case of the trotts. Linux is like a breath of fresh air in comparison. Even if the really good stuff is not totally open source, and most of it is in it's infancy.
1. There is a swack of software out there.
Java based the best is Serviio a free very easy to use (from a terminal) just call the .sh scripts in the bin directory that you find in the tarball.
It works with very little fuss and bother and does not eat up resources.
It is possible to just create desktop launchers to start and stop the server and the Serviio Console as it does not have to run at boot and will run perfectly well with user privileges.
The console interface can be set to different DLNA device settings and supports Samsung series a,b and c TVs, Ps3, Sony Bravia, and many other devices that have peculiar DLNA requirements like the xbox 360.
The Serviio Console can configure most things like directory paths so if you call it under Linux always start your entry with / for example my path /home/eric/Videos and /home/eric/Music and /home/eric/Pictures.
After you set the path then you can configure what that particular path contains. This way there is no confusion when you browse with the media player client on the TV or other device with the remote control.
2. MediaTomb
I felt like King Tut waiting for heaven and earth to move before getting anything to work on this server. It runs as a daemon at boot and has a localhost interface. Hopefully this software will advance as it is a step in the right direction.
3. TVMOBili
This is the most fascinating of all the software available for Linux.(also Windows and Mac) The premise is that there is a market for an Internet gateway to link users.
Although the software is still in beta it does do the trick with Debian and Red Hat based systems.
It runs as a root process so there is still some work to be done but the developers are trying as I write this to change this aspect.
The support is very good and even though their binary is closed they are open to suggestion and integration into other peoples projects.
Considering the fact that most home media devices run a version of Linux or Linux library created firmware, it should come as no surprise that innovation and flexibility in function are happening a much greater pace with Linux based devices.
The really important part of this is that Linux is finally starting to get the serious consideration from multi-media developers that it deserves.
All and all having WMP hog and label all my media content on a Windows Vista machine and then try to control all my streaming media without asking first gives me a case of the trotts. Linux is like a breath of fresh air in comparison. Even if the really good stuff is not totally open source, and most of it is in it's infancy.