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Well, I promised a Linux-based HTPC, built on Fedora, and I’m here to
deliver. Be warned, however, that this project is not for the faint of heart.
Figure 8-1 hints at the complexity. Of course, that’s not to say that a novice
couldn’t follow the steps and end up with an HTPC that is easy and fun to
use. What makes this project complicated is the frequency with which the
many components evolve. During the development of this project, nearly all
of the individual components were revised just enough to require changes
in the procedure outlined here. This project is based on a fantastic open
source program called MythTV that has all the features you’d expect from
a PVR, as well as games, weather, and more; however, it also has a long list
of dependencies.
This project is based largely on the work of Jarod Wilson. Jarod maintains
the definitive guide to installing MythTV on Fedora (see http://wilsonet.
com/mythtv/fcmyth.php) and has been a valuable ally, always willing to help
out. It’s very likely that things have changed somewhat by the time you read
this, but don’t worry—Jarod has you covered.
Fedora was chosen as the platform for several reasons. First, its origin is Red
Hat Linux, arguably the most popular Linux distribution in use. Second,
for our purposes it’s nearly identical to Red Hat Linux with the exception
that it’s still free and Red Hat ...