Thanks! From a suggestion from someone else, I'm thinking of separating out the machine that runs Kodi and the rest of the stack. I have an old laptop that's currently running Kodi + server, and a desktop machine that is used for games.
I'm thinking of installing Linux Mint on the desktop machine and using that for games and for the server, and then using LibreELEC on the laptop to run Kodi.
That makes it a bit easier if I decide LibreELEC doesn't work and I want something else.
The games largely won't be Linux native, and will be running on Wine or Proton. Is Mint cutting edge enough? From what I've read it lags Ubuntu for stability reasons.
Thanks, I'm thinking I might go with Linux Mint on the desktop PC for running the server, and playing the games. Then once that's set up, test out libreELEC on the laptop for running Kodi. My only concern would be that the laptop is (old) wifi only, so if it's streaming across the network instead of on the same machine it might be slow. But if it doesn't work out I should be able to easily switch to running Kodi on the desktop and retire the laptop.
I like the idea of separating fontend/backend. I'm not looking to do a hardware change but currently I have a desktop PC and an old laptop both connected to the TV. I was thinking of having the desktop take over as server/HTPC/everything, but I could move the server/games to the desktop and keep Kodi on the old laptop. Refreshing the OS on the laptop will be a lot easier once the server is not tied to it.
I have a PC remote that does TV stuff as well as acts as a keyboard/mouse/Kodi controller. It's a pretty great setup, I just need to stabilise it a bit as it was hacked together in a hurry.
Thanks for the suggestion! Not really "gaming". Think Stardew Valley or the Lego series. For the kids to play. Currently I have a desktop machine running Windows we use for that (also plugged into the TV). I'm thinking of making that machine the new HTPC/server but it would need the ability to play the games too.
Interesting! Linux Mint isn't something I've used before, it sounds like a good option. Thanks for the suggestion 🙂
Interesting, thanks!
Thanks for the suggestions! With these, do you get a full desktop environment or are they quite specific to being that home entertainment experience, more like a smart TV?
Thanks for the suggestion! I presume you're using the Cinnamon desktop? Is Cinnamon it's own thing, not a Gnome/KDE DE?
I wasn't expecting to run Kodi in a container, just the server stuff (Nextcloud, Mediawiki, FreshRSS, Photoprism, etc)
However, the dev also boasts that “the possibilities are endless” and would welcome any companies or individuals who wish to get in contact and discuss commercializing this project or something related to it.
"We're looking for dumb investors that don't understand technology so we can sell them a bridge."
Thanks for the suggestion! That sounds really cool, I got my hopes up for a second, but it looks like 5Ghz wifi is required. It makes sense, for speed/latency reasons, but unfortunately the old laptop plugged into the TV is quite old. At least 10 years old, probably more.
I am expecting to replace my current laptop in the next year or so, so maybe I'll look at this setup at that point.