Based on recent thoughts to migrate to linux, I’ve started thinking about how I’m using all my PC at home. The file/music server is running on a loley 400Mhz PII and it’s being taxed to death, while the HTPC is running an Athlon 2100+ and all it ever does is record a couple of shows a day, and re-encodes them as WMV. Hardly a task worth keeping the macine running 24/7 not to mention the tasks it’s being asked to do are childs play for it.
With thoughts of linux, MythTV come up as an excellent HTPC solution. I also need to minimize the disruption to the house network, since my wife would kill me if the work drive becomes in-accessible, the Coro episodes are not available anymore and there’s no more music to listen to…

And since the linux migration will likely not be a weekend project (I’m thinking months), what I’m thinking is:
– The Sempron 2400+ that is currently my workstation PC gets a dual boot partition with Suse 10.0. This will become the network file server, music server, and MtyhTV backend.
(the MythTV backend/server is the software that does the recording of the show)
This being the most important computer in the network (due to it’s file sharing duties) I need to make sure it’s polished and I know how to set it up and troubleshoot it.
I will be installing Slim Server on it to server music and the MythTV backend to record TV. All this needs to work well before I retire the PC in the computer closet downstairs.
– At the same time I need to think about what I’m gonne do for a frontend PC in the home theatre. The Athlon 2100+ that’s there now will no longer be needed since the server machine (with the MtyhTV backend) will be taking over the TV show recordings from BeyondTV. All that I’ll likely need down there is maybe the Athlon 700 running the KnoopMyth. I don’t want to spend much time on it setting it up. All that computer will be used for will be displaying content from the network.
Maybe at first, I’ll just run Win 2000 and watch shows and movies with media player.
– And for my workstation, I’ll be taking the Athlon 2100+ that’s currently running Beyond TV. It’s really not a big step going from a Sempron 2400 to an Athlon 2100.

This way I can assign more work to the computers that have the capability to do more work.