Overview: The goal of this whole exercise was to make a "media center" computer - one which is meant to play music, video, pictures, and live TV. Another goal was to get acquainted with Ubuntu Desktop. Although I switch between Ubuntu Desktop and Windows 7 often on my main computer, I still didn't have much experience with working exclusively with a Linux desktop distribution. Whenever anything didn't work on Ubuntu on my main computer, I simply took the easy way out and switched to Windows (which, oftentimes, always worked). However, in this case, this computer runs only Ubuntu Desktop - so it took a little getting used to.

Steps: First, I considered what I could do for the least amount of money. I started with an unused office computer which ran:

I decided, first off, that the media server would run Ubuntu 11.10 Desktop. Considering what I started with, what I would use it for, and cost-effectiveness, I decided to upgrade processor families (from Pentium 4 to Core 2 Duo). To do this, I would have to replace the motherboard and the RAM, since very few Core 2 Duo motherboards can run DDR2 RAM. I decided to keep the hard drive, power supply, and case. I would store files on an external hard drive I had lying around, along with my other server. The case was fine as well, because I would be upgrading to another microATX motherboard.

When the parts finally arrived, I followed the basic steps to take the motherboard out of the case and replace it with the new one; I unplugged everything from the computer and disconnected all the cables to the old motherboard. Then, I removed all other attachments - the CPU, the RAM, and the PCI modem. I unscrewed the motherboard from the case, lifted it out carefully, and placed it to the side. Then, I mounted the new motherboard in the case, screwed it in, and installed the CPU, the CPU fan, and the RAM. I've learned the lesson that if you don't test to see if it works often, it will always fail to start right as you finish putting everything in. So I took this opportunity to perform my first test - with only the motherboard, the CPU, and one stick of RAM.

Problem: It didn't work - once again, I got the infamous 'black screen problem' that I've been plagued by on so many computers previously. The monitor was completely void of any kind of output, leading you to question the many, many cases which could result in that outcome. I tried some of the causes in the order of least to most complex: first, I made sure the VGA cable was connected properly. After I verified it was, I reseated the RAM, which turned out to be the case. If that had failed, I would have moved on to reseating the CPU.

After I finished installing all of the hardware, I installed a copy of Ubuntu 11.10 (Desktop edition, 64-bit) and left the updates running overnight. When that was done, I installed all the software to make it a fully functional media center computer, and plugged it into the TV's VGA port (to use the TV as a display).

Problem: The default window system included with Ubuntu 11.10 Desktop, named Unity, can be awful. With the default settings, the window system is slow and clunky to start the program that you want, and the extra graphical effects it showcases can slow down other graphical applications. Once I switched to the much more tolerable Unity 2D (also included), I got the look of Unity (minus 3D graphical effects) without any noticable slowdown.

Now, it runs like a "TV Plus" - you can watch TV on it (over-the-air as well as Internet TV) as well as play movies, music, pictures, and games on a large TV screen.

What I Learned: If something doesn't work, don't rush to conclusions - try everything out in a methodical fashion to gather as much information as possible before making an educated guess. TV tuner cards need antennas to capture over-the-air television. RAM is a tricky little devil that never wants to work when it should.

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