Hello, I am a Senior in a technical high school in Pennsylvania (CMAVTS/Bloomsburg, PA) and I am doing my Senior Project on building a MythTV box. I have done well with that so far, but unfortunately because I am in the honors class I have to conduct an interview with someone regarding my senior project. I would be very grateful if someone could answer these questions for me. Please forgive the fact that my first post to this forum is a request. Thank you in advance. Also forgive me for asking “newbie” questions. Thanks again.

I only need eight questions answered and I would love you forever.

What is Linux?

What are the general advantages of Linux?

What are some of the problems associated with Linux?

Why would people choose Linux as there operating system for servers? What are its advantages?

Recently Microsoft has been running ads that claim that a Microsoft stack for servers is cheaper than a Linux stack like LAMP (Linux, Apache, MYSQL, PHP, Perl or Python). Is this claim true?

Can Linux ever compete with Windows for the desktop market?

How are new programs, distros or features for Linux developed?

Aside from the cost what are the advantages of MythTv or another Linux based PVR?

Why is it important that MythTV doesn’t use DMR (Digital Rights Management)?

What are the disadvantages of MythTV or other Linux PVRs?

Thank you so much!

Hi! Most of these questions can be researched with the proper Google queries. In fact, if you entered them into Google as-is, your research would be mostly done. After that, if you have questions that you can't find answers for, just let us know.

My personal opinion on some of the questions you listed is that they are only peripherally about MythTV. The fact that MythTV runs on Linux is a bonus, but it's really incidental to the end-user experience. Tivo is a Linux-based PVR distro, too, and most people don't ask if Linux is a viable choice for Tivo.

Most non-geeks only care about what the software does. Is it easy to use? Is it stable? Can they make it do what they want? Will it take away their Fair Use rights? Will they have to pay for it? How do they update it?

I guess I'm not sure what you're trying to learn about MythTV. It's not clear from your questions. If you really do just want to ask what you posted, GIYF (Google Is Your Friend) but if you have a specific set of things you want to know about MythTV, maybe we can help you find the right questions to ask.

_________________
KnoppMyth R5.5
MythiC Dragon v2.0
Join the KnoppMyth Frappr!

Thank you for your tips, I don't think I made it clear enough what I was asking. I was basically saying that I just needed someone to answer these questions, because I am forced to do an interview. I really don't care about the vailditiy or content, its just a requirement for the honors class.
Thank you for taking the time to respond and steer me in the right direction, its unfortinate that I have to ask dumb questions like that, but the paper is pretty restricting.

Well, it may just be a requirement which you could technically fulfill by asking questions that you can find answers to on Google, but how does that help you learn better? School is what you make of it, man

I guess my point is: with only slightly more effort, you could ask questions that are interesting for us to answer and will educate you, your teacher, and anyone else who reads your report. I doubt any of us would take the time to be Google for you, but many of us would help you if you showed interest and enthusiasm. Probably because so many of us are both interested and enthusiastic about learning new things and creating new things.

Also, think a bit about what you're asking and how it comes across. You basically said, "I have to do something I am not interested in doing. Will you do it for me? It will not benefit you, but it will meet the minimum requirements of my honors class." If you can pass an honors class with this outlook, then perhaps it's not a very good honors class. Or maybe it is a good honors class, and you can't fool your teacher this easily.

In any case, as I said before, school is what you make of it. Just a little more effort gives you a lot more knowledge. I think that's a more efficient use of your time, don't you?

_________________
KnoppMyth R5.5
MythiC Dragon v2.0
Join the KnoppMyth Frappr!

Actually I think our young friend is still a bit literal and rules oriented. The assignment probably does require an interview and rather than faking it ... I've answered longer lists of much dumber questions (these are actually quite reasonable) for far worse reasons.

Linux is a open source/friee (as in freedom) software, multi-user "time sharing" operating system. This is basic software that mediates between hardware and application programs, and allows multiple users and applications to run at the same time. The open source/free software part means that the source code is made available pro-bonum for anyone to view and modify with the condition that any improvement they make be offered back to the community. This is a principle with deep roots in western legal traditions "the commons", public infrastructure like roads and schools, the original basis and intent of the American copyright and patent systems, ...


- Security and networking infrastructure are fundamental rather than being "bolted on later" as they are in MS-Windows
- Standards based with true conformance.
- Open and well documented interfaces which allow anyone to write software which works against them.
- Open documented data formats which allow anyone to write an application which shares data with an existing application.
- Cross platform compatiblity. Linux runs essentially the same on Intel x86, Sun Sparc, Power-PC, ... and every thing from the embedded Dragonball (68xxx based) and ARM processors used in PDAs and mobile phones to the biggest IBM mainframes.


- Many hardware vendors either feel that they have something to hide or can't be bothered to support anything other than MS-Windows and do not provide Unix drivers as a result.


As a member of the Unix-like family of operating systems the whole design of Linux and it's ancestry is "server oriented" and inherently multi-user and multi-processing with the builtin protections and security mechanisms to support that. By contrast MS-Windows traces it's lineage back through MS-DOS to CP/M both of which were little more than glorified "bootstrap loaders" with a runtime library. The Unix family of Operating Systems was part of the backbone of the Internet from before it was even called that. MS by contrast nearly missed the boat on first PC networking (where Novell dominated for many years) and later the Internet, and the World Wide Web.


There's an old saying that goes "figures don't lie, but liars figure", meaning that any set of numbers can be "cooked" sufficiently to support almost any conclusion. A large number of whitepapers have been published on this topic reporting different results. The ones funded by Microsoft from supposedly "objective" sources naturally favor their point of view. After all, Bill Gates didn't get to be one of the richest people in the world by paying folks to say negative things about his company.


Can the Boston Red Sox ever hope to break "the curse" and win the World Series? (Oh, wait that already happened... ) At the moment there seems to be an interesting movement away from the desktop to the browser as the major applications support platform. Despite the best efforts of MS to undermine the standards that the WWW is based on they haven't really suceeded. Thus the browser more than anything else may be what replaces the MS-Windows desktop.


- Somebody gets a wild hair and starts working on a project that interests them. If enough other people are interested a community forms around the project and it grows organically. A number of trajectories are possible from that point.
- Someone with a comercial interest (such as IBM or RedHat or ...) establishes a software development project just like anything else in the commercial realm, the only difference being that the software is released as Open Source with a compatible license.


- Control. Nobody is doing to download "upgrades" to your system in the middle of the night which remove features as has happened to Tivo "owners" repeatedly.
- Expandability and flexability. If you want a KnoppMyth based PVR with a Terabyte of storage and 5 tuners it's relatively easy to do.
- Rich functionality. My KnoppMyth box does things no Tivo or ReplayTV box has ever provided.


Most so called DRM is an effort by media companies to use a technical hack to take away consumer "fair use" rights that courts in the US and other countries have repeatedly upheld. That way lies a corporate police state. These are extreme words and may tend to get discounted as a result, but are worth considering none the less. "Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficial ... the greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding." - Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis


They're basically a do it yourself project like making bread from scratch. While with a bit of skill and experience you can make better and more interesting bread than you can find in a supermarket, it does take a certain amount of time and effort.

It is FUN. It gives us techies more fun things to tinker with. Some guys build hotrods, Some build computers.
and Uhm, Technically, isn't TiVo a 'Linux Based PVR?' Would a better term be a homebrew linux based PVR?


Also, it(only speaking for MythTV) is not supported like commercial solutions are, which means if you have a problem, nobody HAS to help you, or necessarily can. It is also not a finished project. It is only in version 0.18.1. It definatly is not for everyone. I consider it more a hobby and a learning experience then a serious solution for a PVR.

Also, Another advantage of Linux is it is FREE. you do not have to pay for it to install on a computer. It will also run on the oldest computers

Some more disadvantages to linux could be the lack of user friendliness to those who do not have time or interest to learn by reading.

Just thought id throw in my 2 cents

I think it best that you allow your assignment to consider a range of perspectives... allow me to provide a more cynical perspective:



Linux is a fat Swedish penguin that learned how to fly.



Knowing how clever you look when people see you typing away like a supernerd, clearly an intellectual step higher than pointing and clicking like a MS nerd.



Just have a read of any Linux how-to guide... Linux is clearly for fat, bearded supergeeks.

For a video-comedy explanation check this out...
http://www.ubergeek.tv/article.php?pid=54



The advantage is that it makes MS look like a bunch of gaylords when people realise that most servers actually run Linux.



It wouldn't be the first time Bill has tried to destroy 'threats' by breaching fair trading/competition laws, starving out competition and the like.



Can David beat Goliath... yes but only in fairy tales.



By lonely fat bearded men who hermitise their bedroom for years on end.



An honest man can only buy so many CD's, DVD's etc. Once he has bought as much as he can afford then he should be allowed to pirate everything else.

MS want us to live in a nazi state. They tried to patent blue scroll bars ffs.

For further reading see "The Future of Ideas" by Lawrence Lessig.



1. The extra-clever things may be there but programmers have little time for the simple user friendly aspect of things.

2. Start playing with Linux and say goodbye to your social life!

(smiley face)

_________________

thats a funny read

Jman6078:

Looks like you have at least 1 set of full responses from TJC -- if you need to "interview" another person to complete your project, let me know and I will also respond to the questions. Good luck with your senior project!


Marc