5 ms·

Real talk -- where is the guerilla, f the system, Linux WM/DE designed for TVs? It just seems weird that this doesn't seem to exist. Like, you get something cl

by jrm4 2y ago

Real talk -- where is the guerilla, f the system, Linux WM/DE designed for TVs? It just seems weird that this doesn't seem to exist. Like, you get something close to it and then it becomes Kodi or something.

TaylorAlexander 2y ago
I am not seeing a distinction between how I interpret what you are looking for and what Kodi appears to be trying to do.
- jrm4 2y ago
  Kodi became it's own deeply complex thing; far from a WM/DE? I suppose I mean something that Linux people would recognize is a DE. A slightly easier and TV-ish interface, but still ships with e.g. apt or pacman or whatnot, etc.
  - lolinder 2y ago
    Your WM/DE doesn't ship with apt or pacman or whatnot, because your WM/DE is just the window manager or desktop environment. The underlying distribution will be Debian or Fedora or Arch or Alpine or whatever, which will provide package management and whatever else you need. Then you install something like Kodi on top of that as the WM/DE: https://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:Install_Kodi_for_Linux?https=1 https://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:Install_Kodi_for_Linux?https=1
  - anonym29 2y ago
    In addition to what lolinder pointed out about a WM being completely unrelated to your package manager choice, I want to reiterate the point made by TaylorAlexander - Kodi is a TV-ish interface that ships with an integrated repository of add-ons that can be installed. What you are describing in the sentences where you're not mentioning a DE is exactly what Kodi is.
jeroenhd 2y ago
I think Plasma Bigscreen is trying to do so: https://plasma-bigscreen.org/ https://plasma-bigscreen.org/ Haven't heard any news about it for a while, but it looks a bit like "Android TV except not Android".
- yjftsjthsd-h 2y ago
  > but it looks a bit like "Android TV except not Android". To the tune of https://xkcd.com/918/ https://xkcd.com/918/ - Well, I guess that's all I really wanted.
- throw10920 2y ago
  If it's anything at all like what KDE Desktop is, then I have very high hopes for it. Kubuntu is one of the best pieces of software that I've ever used. It actually has real UI design thought behind it (unlike GNOME), and is performant (also unlike GNOME).
aquova 2y ago
They do exist, although I think they're mostly supported/promoted in the Raspberry Pi space, like OSMC or LibreElec.
1970-01-01 2y ago
It is weird how FOSS is constantly reinventing this wheel. All the user wants is the ability to play media over the network and via USB. Think VLC on a HDMI stick. Simple and elegant. What we always end up with is a media server for the network, with torrents, RSS feeds, email alerts, weather, and a semi broken media player, almost as an afterthought. We want a hammer but end up with a hammer factory distribution center, warehouse, and a crane specifically designed to move around pallets of hammers.
- koolba 2y ago
  > Think VLC on a HDMI stick. VLC can stream on the local network directly to a chromecast. And surprisingly it actually works.
  - ikr678 2y ago
    I do this now, but single guy who sees me using it will inevitably launch into an extensive explanation of how it is wrong/insufficient and some sort of media management server and phone app ui would be better. The file is on my pc, I want it on my dumb tv. A chromecast was the minimum number of steps to make that happen (an extra long hdmi cable was more expensive than a chromecast at the time) and works every time without internet or ads.
panzi 2y ago
Such a device would necessarily only play pirated content (well, and YouTube) or SD content. All the streamers don't allow desktop Linux browsers to play HD content. (Well, there's a hack for Netflix. Don't tell em.) I would really love the convenience of something like an Amazon fire stick, but as all open source and ad and spyware free.
- Silhouette 2y ago
  This SD-only thing is one of the more annoying things about using Linux on the desktop. Some of the big streaming services don't officially support watching on Linux devices at all right now (except for special cases like Chromebooks maybe). It's pretty hypocritical that big organisations run servers on Linux and often have developers using Linux and yet don't give the same consideration to the Linux community as customers/users. Somehow I suspect this comes down to media industry executives insisting on this or that flavour of DRM - as if that's going to stop anyone who runs a Linux desktop if they really want to find "alternative" sources of the material anyway. There must be enough users running Linux these days who would be willing to pay to support the shows they enjoy and just want the same service as their Windows or Mac using counterparts if they're paying the same money for it?
1vuio0pswjnm7 2y ago
MythTV? No personal knowledge/experience with it but it always sounded like a true DIY project. There should be an open Chromecast. Pocket-sized SoC with HDMI port where one can install whatever Linux kernel and userland. No need for "custom ROMs" from third parties. Once purchaser pays for the computer, they should be able to wipe the pre-installed crapware, if they so choose, e.g., maybe when it gets old, without making the thing useless. WTF can someone do with an old Chromecast. Toss in the garbage?
- fragmede 2y ago
  Use it? Older Chromecasts still work, they're not like Android phones stuck on an old version of Android and can't install newer apps. It's a target device for audio/video. It's fairly limited but that also means old ones are fine. They won't do 4k, but I'm sure there's someone you know that has a TV that isn't 4k and doesn't have a Chromecast that could use it.

by jrm4 2y ago

TaylorAlexander 2y ago

I am not seeing a distinction between how I interpret what you are looking for and what Kodi appears to be trying to do.

jrm4 2y ago
Kodi became it's own deeply complex thing; far from a WM/DE? I suppose I mean something that Linux people would recognize is a DE. A slightly easier and TV-ish interface, but still ships with e.g. apt or pacman or whatnot, etc.
- lolinder 2y ago
  Your WM/DE doesn't ship with apt or pacman or whatnot, because your WM/DE is just the window manager or desktop environment. The underlying distribution will be Debian or Fedora or Arch or Alpine or whatever, which will provide package management and whatever else you need. Then you install something like Kodi on top of that as the WM/DE: https://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:Install_Kodi_for_Linux?https=1 https://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:Install_Kodi_for_Linux?https=1
- anonym29 2y ago
  In addition to what lolinder pointed out about a WM being completely unrelated to your package manager choice, I want to reiterate the point made by TaylorAlexander - Kodi is a TV-ish interface that ships with an integrated repository of add-ons that can be installed. What you are describing in the sentences where you're not mentioning a DE is exactly what Kodi is.

jeroenhd 2y ago

I think Plasma Bigscreen is trying to do so: https://plasma-bigscreen.org/ https://plasma-bigscreen.org/ Haven't heard any news about it for a while, but it looks a bit like "Android TV except not Android".

yjftsjthsd-h 2y ago
> but it looks a bit like "Android TV except not Android". To the tune of https://xkcd.com/918/ https://xkcd.com/918/ - Well, I guess that's all I really wanted.
throw10920 2y ago
If it's anything at all like what KDE Desktop is, then I have very high hopes for it. Kubuntu is one of the best pieces of software that I've ever used. It actually has real UI design thought behind it (unlike GNOME), and is performant (also unlike GNOME).

aquova 2y ago

They do exist, although I think they're mostly supported/promoted in the Raspberry Pi space, like OSMC or LibreElec.

1970-01-01 2y ago

It is weird how FOSS is constantly reinventing this wheel. All the user wants is the ability to play media over the network and via USB. Think VLC on a HDMI stick. Simple and elegant. What we always end up with is a media server for the network, with torrents, RSS feeds, email alerts, weather, and a semi broken media player, almost as an afterthought. We want a hammer but end up with a hammer factory distribution center, warehouse, and a crane specifically designed to move around pallets of hammers.

koolba 2y ago
> Think VLC on a HDMI stick. VLC can stream on the local network directly to a chromecast. And surprisingly it actually works.
- ikr678 2y ago
  I do this now, but single guy who sees me using it will inevitably launch into an extensive explanation of how it is wrong/insufficient and some sort of media management server and phone app ui would be better. The file is on my pc, I want it on my dumb tv. A chromecast was the minimum number of steps to make that happen (an extra long hdmi cable was more expensive than a chromecast at the time) and works every time without internet or ads.

panzi 2y ago

Such a device would necessarily only play pirated content (well, and YouTube) or SD content. All the streamers don't allow desktop Linux browsers to play HD content. (Well, there's a hack for Netflix. Don't tell em.) I would really love the convenience of something like an Amazon fire stick, but as all open source and ad and spyware free.

Silhouette 2y ago
This SD-only thing is one of the more annoying things about using Linux on the desktop. Some of the big streaming services don't officially support watching on Linux devices at all right now (except for special cases like Chromebooks maybe). It's pretty hypocritical that big organisations run servers on Linux and often have developers using Linux and yet don't give the same consideration to the Linux community as customers/users. Somehow I suspect this comes down to media industry executives insisting on this or that flavour of DRM - as if that's going to stop anyone who runs a Linux desktop if they really want to find "alternative" sources of the material anyway. There must be enough users running Linux these days who would be willing to pay to support the shows they enjoy and just want the same service as their Windows or Mac using counterparts if they're paying the same money for it?

1vuio0pswjnm7 2y ago

MythTV? No personal knowledge/experience with it but it always sounded like a true DIY project. There should be an open Chromecast. Pocket-sized SoC with HDMI port where one can install whatever Linux kernel and userland. No need for "custom ROMs" from third parties. Once purchaser pays for the computer, they should be able to wipe the pre-installed crapware, if they so choose, e.g., maybe when it gets old, without making the thing useless. WTF can someone do with an old Chromecast. Toss in the garbage?

fragmede 2y ago
Use it? Older Chromecasts still work, they're not like Android phones stuck on an old version of Android and can't install newer apps. It's a target device for audio/video. It's fairly limited but that also means old ones are fine. They won't do 4k, but I'm sure there's someone you know that has a TV that isn't 4k and doesn't have a Chromecast that could use it.