How to use Ubuntu as a multimedia center or a game console

Ubuntu operating system today can not only be a workhorse for routine tasks, but also serve as the software foundation for building a media center or gaming platform. In this article you will learn how to do it.

Most recently, we introduced you to some popular distributions based on Linux. Most of them are perfectly cope with the main tasks both at home and in offices. However, this is not all, what can a free operating system. Today we want to introduce you to two developments that can help you in building a modern media center or gaming platform. It's about the most popular shell and XBMC latest SteamOS system.

XBMC

XBMC project has come a long way of development, having started as an open development for Xbox and gradually won almost all existing platforms. In Linux, it can be used either as a standalone installation package or set in a separate envelope, booting it from the home screen. Currently, it is the most simple, functional and affordable solution for creating a home multimedia center.

XBMC is used to organize and display a wide variety of multimedia content, including movies, pictures, music. In addition, there is the ability to display weather data, RSS news, launching different games. But that's not all. The fact is that XBMC supports add-ons and scripts system, which created a huge number of users. With their help, you can add support for various popular online services, change themes, connected accessories and more.

Install XBMC in Ubuntu 13.04 and later, as follows.

• For Intel HD owners, AMD graphics cards with a free driver and Nvidia with the proprietary drivers:

  sudo apt-add-repository ppa: aap / xbmc-release. sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install xbmc

• Owners of AMD graphics cards with proprietary drivers:

  sudo apt-add-repository ppa: aap / xbmc-release-fernetmenta. sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install xbmc

SteamOS

The Pro edition by Valve's own game console heard, probably all gamers. This event is very unusual, because it can significantly change the balance of power in the entertainment industry. But most of all pleased with Linux fans, as the new gaming platform is one of the freest in its core distributions (Debian), which means that the penguins can get a significant boost in its development, and to develop new habitats. In any case, knowing the perseverance and success of past Valve, we can hope for it.

In fact, SteamOS - is an operating system built around the company's main product Valve - Steam service. C his help, we promise an easy and convenient access to thousands of free and paid games. All this in the future, but for now SteamOS is still in testing, which implies a rather limited selection of games and the potential for errors. However, the installation steamos, as another desktop shell, made easy, to anything you do not oblige and just easily rolled back.

Installing SteamOS shell in Ubuntu.

1. First, install the Steam client application from the Center or by downloading the .deb file here.
2. Now download and install two more package. When you select a package, pay attention to the capacity of your system.
   • steamOS Compositor
   • SteamOS Modeswitch Inhibitor

After installing these packages logout and login screen, select the shell SteamOS. If you want, then return everything as it was with the command

sudo apt-get remove steamos-compositor steamos-modeswitch-inhibitor