Firstly, crunchbang! is my best choice now, for sure.
Thanks for the great work - also this extremely vivid forum.

I am about to remake an old laptop (~2008, it's an mci vr601) and have a few questions:

1- it has an intel celeron 64bit processor, 2x 1.73GHz, 2GB RAM, some onboard intel graphic card
    and 1280x800 resolution.
    - i heard some talk that installing a 64bit OS is not always the best choice, how about here?

2- which flavor should i choose: statler stable, +backports, or waldorf testing?
    - explanation: i like debian stable, but some software is a bit old and i miss features. also i'm
    thinking of the future here - with stable, will i get problems updating/grading next year?
    i'm hoping to stay with whatever setup i choose for a while.

3- and last, though it's a bit off-topic - does anybody know where i can get information on DIY
    replacing of used hardware, are there forums discussing this? (the situation is that the lcd screen
    of this one has dead pixels, but i have another otherwise shitty laptop with a same size screen
    and would like to know if they are changeable)

hope these questions are ok to ask here.
i know most of it has already been discussed but i can't find the relevant info in the flood of it...
so, thanks in advance!
d.

I don't need a lot, just to send and receive emails really ..

Any tips welcome I really have no idea!!

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Any ideas as to why this is occurring?

mikhou

I have an nVidia GTX 560 with my Samsung 40" Connected VIA HDMI
Yes, The nVidia drivers are installed and working well.

Here are the outputs of the following commands:

# lspci | grep Audio

I get this:

03:00.1 Audio device: nVidia Corporation Device 0e0c (rev a1)

Then this command:

# cat /proc/asound/cards

Gives me This:

--- no soundcards ---

And finally

# alsactl init

Gives me This...

alsactl: init:1743: No soundcards found...

I certainly hope I have given all the information needed.
I am not new to Debian, but I'm certainly not an expert either.

This is the one I want :D
http://dobbie03.deviantart.com/art/My-F … -327206399

I've try to install #! 10 on a new PC, intel 180GO SSD drive + atheros AR8151 Ethernet were not recognized at all. Same problem with Debian 6.0.

So i try with #! 11 the installation just run perfectlty, but i'm now unable to boot on it. it freeze during the system loading. I'm also unable to boot on recovery mode.

I've got the following error :

Waiting for /dev to be fully populated ...
[4.808135] [drm] nouveau 000:01:00:. Unknow i2c port 51
[4.808200] [drm] nouveau 000:01:00: 0x84C7 : failed parsing init table opcode : INIT_I2C_LONG_IF -19

Do you guys know if this can be solve or if its a Hardware problem with no solution.

Thanks for your helps !

Cheers

E

So this is how to "sidtrap" a fresh install.  Couldn't let Arch users have all the fun :)

Grab a Debian based live CD.  I tested using the standard Squeeze live ISO and Ubuntu 12.04.  The latter being handy for users wanting a web browser to follow this guide plus wireless access.  #! should work as well but I did not test it.

The archicture of the Live CD should be the same as intended Sid install achitecture i.e. i686 or AMD64.

This guide reads better for advanced users but post your questions if your lost...  Also if their is anything you feel should be updated make a post about it.  I'll also try and format it a bit better, I just wanted to get it on the forum, then go to sleep.

Boot to your live cd configure an internet connection, open a terminal and su to to root however your live cd allows, e.g.

sudo su

Partitioning

create partitons on your disk.  This is my setup so adjust for yourself.  If you are new or interested about LVM then have a read of el koraco's LVM guide, reserving some disk space is a generally a good idea.

fdisk /dev/sda

Primary partiton 512M, type = Linux
Remaining disk space as Primary partition, type = LVM

Install LVM (only required if you actually use LVM).

apt-get install lvm2

Load the device mapper module.

modprobe dm-mod

Format what will be the /boot partition.

mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda1

Create a Physical Volume.

pvcreate /dev/sda2

Create Volume Group and logical Volumes.  I create random names for my volume groups assigned to a variable.

VG=vg$(tr -cd a-zA-Z0-9 < /dev/urandom | head -c 6)
vgcreate $VG /dev/sda2
lvcreate -n root -L 8G $VG
lvcreate -n log -L 2G $VG
lvcreate -C y -n swap -L 4G $VG
lvcreate -n tmp -L 2G $VG
lvcreate -n home -l +100%FREE $VG
lvremove $VG/tmp

Format and mount the partitions

mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/$VG-root
mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/$VG-log
mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/$VG-home
mkswap /dev/mapper/$VG-swap
swapon /dev/mapper/$VG-swap
mount /dev/mapper/$VG-root /mnt
mkdir /mnt/boot
mkdir -p /mnt/var/log
mkdir /mnt/home
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot
mount /dev/mapper/$VG-log /mnt/var/log
mount /dev/mapper/$VG-home /mnt/home

Bootstrap Sid

Install debootstrap

apt-get install debootstrap

Bootstrap a Sid install (update the URL using your closest mirror).

debootstrap sid /mnt http://mirror.internode.on.net/pub/debian

It will start downloading and installing, hopefully you will receive “Base system installed successfully" at the end. Pat yourself on the back!

Create an fstab

Create an fstab.  In my case I just needed to tail the last 4 lines of /etc/mtab and replace /mnt where nesessary.  Something like...

tail -n 4 /etc/mtab | sed -e 's/mnt//g' -e 's/\/\//\//g' > /mnt/etc/fstab

Otherwise just make it manually.

Manually create a swap entry e.g.

/dev/mapper/vgVSaG9E-swap none swap sw 0 0

Update the fsck order column in the fstab.  Afterwards mine looks like this:

/dev/mapper/vgVSaG9E-root / ext4 rw 0 1
/dev/sda1 /boot ext4 rw 0 2
/dev/mapper/vgVSaG9E-log /var/log ext4 rw 0 2
/dev/mapper/vgVSaG9E-home /home ext4 rw 0 2
/dev/mapper/vgVSaG9E-swap none swap sw 0 0

You could replace with UUID's by running blkid, up to you...

Setup Networking

Edit /mnt/etc/network/interfaces

allow-hotplug eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

Setup Hostname

echo sidbox.example.local > /mnt/etc/hostname

Edit /mnt/etc/hosts

127.0.0.1   localhost.localdomain localhost
127.0.1.1   sidbox.example.local sidbox

Configure The Install

Mount dev,proc and sys to /mnt

mount -o bind /proc /mnt/proc
mount -o bind /dev /mnt/dev
mount -t sysfs /sys /mnt/sys

Enter the sid install

chroot /mnt /bin/bash

Do an apt-get update and verify it works.

apt-get update

Install lvm (if your using it).

apt-get install lvm2

Setup locales

apt-get install locales

Edit /etc/locale.gen and uncomment your required locales, then run

locale-gen
export LANG=en_AU.UTF-8

(Adjust the LANG for yours obviously)

Set time zone and hw clock

dpkg-reconfigure tzdata
hwclock --systohc --utc

install the kernel.

apt-get install linux-image-amd64

At this stage you might like to add contrib and non-free to your /etc/sources.list to install missing firmware e.g.

cat /etc/sources.list
deb http://mirror.internode.on.net/pub/debian sid main contrib non-free

apt-get install firmware-linux firmware-linux-nonfree
apt-get install apt-file
apt-file update
apt-file --package-only search /lib/firmware/ | xargs apt-get install -y

Install and configure grub

apt-get install grub2

Select your device from the debconf prompt and hit OK.  Watch for any errors and troubleshoot them else your install might not boot.

┌──────────────────────────┤ Configuring grub-pc ├───────────────────────────┐  
│ The grub-pc package is being upgraded. This menu allows you to select      │  
│ which devices you'd like grub-install to be automatically run for, if      │  
│ any.                                                                       │  
│                                                                            │  
│ Running grub-install automatically is recommended in most situations, to   │  
│ prevent the installed GRUB core image from getting out of sync with GRUB   │  
│ modules or grub.cfg.                                                       │  
│                                                                            │  
│ If you're unsure which drive is designated as boot drive by your BIOS, it  │  
│ is often a good idea to install GRUB to all of them.                       │  
│                                                                            │  
│ Note: it is possible to install GRUB to partition boot records as well,    │  
│ and some appropriate partitions are offered here. However, this forces     │  
│ GRUB to use the blocklist mechanism, which makes it less reliable, and     │  
│ therefore is not recommended.                                              │  
│                                                                            │  
│ GRUB install devices:                                                      │  
│                                                                            │  
│    [*] /dev/sda (250059 MB; ???)                                           │  
│    [ ] - /dev/sda1 (536 MB; /boot)                                         │  
│    [ ] /dev/dm-0 (8589 MB; vgVSaG9E-root)                                  │  
│                                                                            │  
│                                                                            │  
│                                   <Ok>                                     │  
│                                                                            │  
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

System Customisation

Disable recommends (copy and paste this code bloke if you like)

cat > /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10recommends <<EOF
APT "";
APT::Install-Recommends "false";
EOF

Install desired software - you could do a heap of customisation at this stage if you wanted.

apt-get update
apt-get install ssh less vim

You get the idea...

For ceni users
add aptosid sources. e.g. create /etc/apt/sources.list.d/aptosid.list (update with closest mirrors)

deb http://ftp.spline.de/pub/aptosid/debian/ unstable main fix.main

apt-get update
apt-get install ceni

Say Y to untrusted package or just install the aptosid keyring now.

Last but not least set the root password.

passwd root

You can also create a standard use account, setup sudo etc.

exit from the chroot

exit

then unmount /mnt/sys, /mnt/dev, /mnt/proc, /mnt/home, etc, etc

Reboot your live cd and boot to your new and slick sid system waiting for customisation :)  Configure ceni and off you go!

post boot procedures (to be completed - going to sleep now yawn)
update /etc/apt/sources.list

Intro

    I like to run Gimp Paint Studio which installs a bunch of pre-sets (tools, workspace, brushes etc) which is great for digital painting, but doesn't suit other stuff I like to do.
   
    Previously I installed the various new rc files, then adjusted the Preferences: the problem with that is all the extra brushes, gradients, patterns etc which I wouldn't usually use. I could move them all to my gimp-resources directory and load them as needed with GURM (Gimp Unified Resource Manager), but then I'd have to re-set the workspace as well.
   
    GIMP is notorious for being slow to load after you have added downloaded brushes, gradients, patterns... but at least the new tool filters in GIMP-2.8 make it easier to keep track of them. I still prefer the Gimp Unified Resource Manager (GURM) though, and it really helps the workflow.
   
    So this is how to set up GIMP so that you can start it with whatever preferences you have previously chosen, and also be able to start it with the Gimp Paint Studio workspace, tool presets etc. Then you can use GURM to manage all the resources, so that they don't need to be loaded at startup and clog up the dialogs with stuff you may rarely use....

Setting up the GIMP directories

    1 Create a gimp-resources directory (call it what you like :) ) and copy in all the sub-directories from .gimp-2.x (This also has the advantage that if you re-install or upgrade you just need to point GIMP here instead of having to reinstall your resources again)
   
    I have sub-dirs within that to store my resources so for example:
       
   

gimp-resources
            brushes
                gimp-default-brushes
                clouds
                grunge
                splatter
                water
                vegetation
            gradients
                gimp-default-gradients
                metallic-gradients
                my-gradients
            patterns
                gimp-default-patterns
                my-patterns
            scripts
            plug-ins
            etc
                etc

               
    Some of these are what will appear in the GURM tabbed dialog later...
   
    2 Duplicate the .gimp-2.x directory and rename it eg .gimp-gps, to be used by Gimp Paint Studio.
   
    3 Delete the contents of the subdirs brushes,palettes,gradients,patterns and tool-options in .gimp-2.x (Really! Mind you, I backed them all up first :) )

Setting up Gimp Paint Studio
   

   
    1 Download the latest GPS (June 2012 zip file: GPSv1.5)
   
    2 Copy the contents of the unzipped brushes,palettes,gradients,patterns and tool-options directories into those in .gimp-gps
   
    3 If you want to add some tools to the Toolbox then copy the toolrc file to .gimp-gps This file will add icons for the new tools in the Toolbox.
    Do the same with the file sessionrc if you want to modify the GPS position and rearrange the windows on the Gimp's screen. This will set the layout of GIMP's windows to what the developer reckons is good for digital painting (you can reset them later anyway).

Setting up GIMP Unified Resource Manager

    NB Some have found this script to be buggy, but it works OK for me

    1 Download the zipfile gurm_v07.zip
    2 Follow the README instructions - basically you place the gurm.ini and gurm.py files into plug-ins, and edit the paths to point to your resources.
    The first stanza in my gurm.ini, for example, reads ...
   

[Brush Manager]
    useManager = yes
    gimpPath = /home/damo/.gimp-2.8/brushes
    userPath = /home/damo/graphics/gimp/gimp-resources/brushes
    extensions = .gbr,.vbr,.gih,.abr,
    installedOptions = gimp-default-brushes

   
    NB python scripts MUST go into "plug-ins" NOT "scripts" (and ensure it is executable)!!
   
    3 A tweak I have done is to have "GURM" appear in the GIMP menubar, not buried in an out-of-date Xtns or Filters Menu. Edit the gurm.py file as follows:
        About 4 lines from the end of the script, change

menu="<Toolbox>/Xtns/Languages"

to

menu="<Toolbox>"

       
   
       
Starting different instances of GIMP

    Now for the sneaky bit :) What we want is to be able to run GIMP with the default installation, and also with the GPS presets and workspace. So we need to be able to point each instance of GIMP to its own gimprc settings.
    1 Edit the paths in the ./gimp-gps/gimprc file to point to that dir instead of the installation default
    2 Set the env variable that GIMP looks for on startup to GIMP2_DIRECTORY=~/.gimp-gps when GIMP GPS is run with a script...
   

#!/bin/bash
    ##
    ## set GIMP environment variable to path for Gimp with GimpPaintStudio presets
    export GIMP2_DIRECTORY=~/.gimp-gps
    ## run new instance of GIMP
    gimp-2.8 -n &

    Call it eg gimp-gps, put it in your path, and make executable
   
    3 Set up your launcher or keybinds to start whichever version you choose: here's my Openbox rc.xml for example...
   

<!-- GIMP 2.8 -->
        <keybind key="W-g">
            <action name="Execute">
                <startupnotify>
                    <enabled>true</enabled>
                    <name>GIMP2.8</name>
                </startupnotify>
                <command>gimp-2.8 -n</command>
            </action>
        </keybind>
        <keybind key="W-A-g">
            <action name="Execute">
                <startupnotify>
                    <enabled>true</enabled>
                    <name>GIMP2.8-GPS</name>
                </startupnotify>
                <command>gimp-gps</command>
            </action>
        </keybind>

   
Polishing

    I use different splash screens for each instance of GIMP
   

    You can have any number of images(don't make them too small though) - GIMP will load one at random at startup, if there is more than one. Just put them in splashes (create it if it doesn't exist)

    GPS settings
    The next step is optional but will improve the overall usability of the user interface.
   
        Edit->Preferences->Toolbox Activate the three ticks available there.
   
        Edit->Preferences->Tool Options Under the Paint Options Shared Between Tools, disable the three options (Brush, Pattern, and Gradient).
   
        Edit->Preferences->Image Windows/Mouse Pointers Disable the “Show brush outline” option and make sure you have “checked” or enabled the “Show pointer for paint tools”.This will increase the speed of brushes when you are painting.

Happy GIMPing :).....

--omns :)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please continue to use thumbnails (please try to avoid the large thumbnail imgur.com code) linking to the larger image to help those of us with slow connections. An example of the code needed is below. Most image hosting sites will automatically generate this for you as well. Users have been using postimage.org lately which does a nice job.

[url=http://link.to.your.fullsized.image][img]http://link.to.your.thumbnail.image[/img][/url]

I have a lot of problems with permissions and moving files around, it makes me log in as root and then still wont cut or copy files over. Can't even delete them!

I want to bulk move over some files from my webbook to mp3 player.

HELP

and thank you :)

I hate having to dig around the system for the proper executable to run for a package I just installed (which doesn't always match the package name). When packages are installed, what are they doing to put themselves in other distros' menus?

I can see getting hooked on this Wm; I actually prefer tabbing to tiling, but can't quite get efficient with container management.

Screenshot:

and config:

# This file has been auto-generated by i3-config-wizard(1).
# It will not be overwritten, so edit it as you like.
#
# Should you change your keyboard layout somewhen, delete
# this file and re-run i3-config-wizard(1).
#

# i3 config file (v4)
#
# Please see http://i3wm.org/docs/userguide.html for a complete reference!

set $mod Mod4
set $ALT Mod1

# font for window titles. ISO 10646 = Unicode
#font -xos4-terminus-medium-r-normal--12-120-72-72-C-60-iso8859-1
font -*-gohufont-medium-r-normal-*-14-100-100-100-*-*-iso10646-1

# Use Mouse+$mod to drag floating windows to their wanted position
floating_modifier $ALT

# start a terminal
# bindsym $mod+Return exec i3-sensible-terminal
bindsym $ALT+F1 exec urxvtc

# kill focused window
# bindsym $mod+Shift+Q kill
bindsym $ALT+F4 kill

# startup apps and window decs
default_orientation horizontal
workspace_layout tabbed
new_window 1pixel

# window colours: border background text
client.focused        #0F0F0F #7FB256 #F5F5FF
client.focused_inactive    #0F0F0F #7FB256 #E5E5E5
client.unfocused    #0F0F0F #5697B2 #E5E5E5
client.urgent        #0F0F0F #BC9B54 #E5E5E5

exec xrdb -l /home/doug/.Xdefaults
exec xmodmap /home/doug/.Xmodmap
exec xsetroot -mod 1 1 -fg mediumslateblue -bg lightslategray
exec xset +fp /usr/local/share/fonts/programing/
exec xset fp rehash
exec urxvtd -q -f -o
exec hsetroot -center /home/doug/wallpaper/MoonSky.jpg
exec update-notifier
exec nm-applet
exec xfce4-power-manager

# start dmenu (a program launcher)
# bindsym $mod+d exec dmenu_run
bindsym $ALT+F2 exec dmenu_run -fn "xft:droid sans:bold:pixelsize=11:antialias=true:hinting=slight" -nb "#0f0f0f" -nf "#a6a6a6" -sb "#0f0f0f" -sf "#8f8fed"
bindsym XF86HomePage exec FireFox
bindsym $mod+F14 exec thunderbird-mail
bindsym $mod+Control+l exec geany
bindsym Menu exec thunar
bindsym $mod+Control+g exec gimp
bindsym $mod+F13 exec 'gksudo synaptic'
bindsym XF86AudioRaiseVolume exec amixer sset Master,0 2+
bindsym XF86AudioLowerVolume exec amixer sset Master,0 2-
bindsym XF86AudioMute exec amixer sset Master,0 toggle

assign [class="Chromium"] 2
for_window [class="Chromium"] border 1pixel
assign [class="Navigator"] 2
for_window [class="Navigator"] border 1pixel
assign [class="Firefox"] 2
for_window [class="Firefox"] border 1pixel
assign [class="Thunderbird"] 2
for_window [class="Thunderbird"] border 1pixel
assign [class="Gimp"] 3
for_window [class="Gimp"] border normal
for_window [class="Gimp"] floating enable
assign [class="Gnome-mplayer"] 4
for_window [class="Gnome-mplayer"] floating enable
for_window [class="XFontsel"] floating enable
for_window [title="Event Tester"] floating enable
for_window [title="Xfce-notifyd"] floating enable
for_window [class="Sakura"] floating enable
for_window [class="Sakura"] border normal

# change focus
bindsym $mod+Down focus down
bindsym $mod+Up focus up
bindsym $ALT+Tab focus right
bindsym $ALT+Shift+Tab focus left

# move focused window
bindsym $mod+Shift+J move left
bindsym $mod+Shift+K move down
bindsym $mod+Shift+L move up
bindsym $mod+Shift+colon move right

# alternatively, you can use the cursor keys:
bindsym $mod+Shift+Left move left
bindsym $mod+Shift+Down move down
bindsym $mod+Shift+Up move up
bindsym $mod+Shift+Right move right

# split in horizontal orientation
bindsym $mod+h split h

# split in vertical orientation
bindsym $mod+v split v

# enter fullscreen mode for the focused container
bindsym $mod+f fullscreen

# change container layout (stacked, tabbed, default)
bindsym $mod+s layout stacking
bindsym $mod+t layout tabbed
bindsym $mod+e layout default

# toggle tiling / floating
bindsym $mod+Shift+space floating toggle

# change focus between tiling / floating windows
bindsym $mod+space focus mode_toggle

# focus the parent container
bindsym $mod+a focus parent

# focus the child container
#bindcode $mod+d focus child

# switch to workspace
bindsym $mod+1 workspace 1
bindsym $mod+2 workspace 2
bindsym $mod+3 workspace 3
bindsym $mod+4 workspace 4
bindsym $mod+5 workspace 5
bindsym $mod+6 workspace 6
bindsym $mod+7 workspace 7
bindsym $mod+8 workspace 8
bindsym $mod+9 workspace 9
bindsym $mod+0 workspace 10

# move focused container to workspace
bindsym $mod+Shift+exclam move container to workspace 1
bindsym $mod+Shift+at move container to workspace 2
bindsym $mod+Shift+numbersign move container to workspace 3
bindsym $mod+Shift+dollar move container to workspace 4
bindsym $mod+Shift+percent move container to workspace 5
bindsym $mod+Shift+asciicircum move container to workspace 6
bindsym $mod+Shift+ampersand move container to workspace 7
bindsym $mod+Shift+asterisk move container to workspace 8
bindsym $mod+Shift+parenleft move container to workspace 9
bindsym $mod+Shift+parenright move container to workspace 10

# reload the configuration file
bindsym $mod+Shift+C reload
# restart i3 inplace (preserves your layout/session, can be used to upgrade i3)
bindsym $mod+q restart
# exit i3 (logs you out of your X session)
bindsym $mod+Shift+Q exit

# resize window (you can also use the mouse for that)
mode "resize" {
        # These bindings trigger as soon as you enter the resize mode

        # They resize the border in the direction you pressed, e.g.
        # when pressing left, the window is resized so that it has
        # more space on its left

        bindsym j resize shrink left 10 px or 10 ppt
        bindsym Shift+J resize grow   left 10 px or 10 ppt

        bindsym k resize shrink down 10 px or 10 ppt
        bindsym Shift+K resize grow   down 10 px or 10 ppt

        bindsym l resize shrink up 10 px or 10 ppt
        bindsym Shift+L resize grow   up 10 px or 10 ppt

        bindsym semicolon resize shrink right 10 px or 10 ppt
        bindsym Shift+colon resize grow   right 10 px or 10 ppt

        # same bindings, but for the arrow keys
        bindsym Left resize shrink left 10 px or 10 ppt
        bindsym Shift+Left resize grow   left 10 px or 10 ppt

        bindsym Down resize shrink down 10 px or 10 ppt
        bindsym Shift+Down resize grow   down 10 px or 10 ppt

        bindsym Up resize shrink up 10 px or 10 ppt
        bindsym Shift+Up resize grow   up 10 px or 10 ppt

        bindsym Right resize shrink right 10 px or 10 ppt
        bindsym Shift+Right resize grow   right 10 px or 10 ppt

        # back to normal: Enter or Escape
        bindsym Return mode "default"
        bindsym Escape mode "default"
}

bindsym $mod+r mode "resize"

# Start i3bar to display a workspace bar (plus the system information i3status
# finds out, if available)
bar {
        status_command conky
        position top
        font -xos4-terminus-medium-r-normal--12-120-72-72-C-60-iso8859-1
        # font -*-proggysquaresz-medium-r-normal-*-11-80-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1
    workspace_buttons yes
        colors  {
        background #0F0F0F
        statusline #D5D5D5
        focused_workspace #F5F5FF #7FB256
        active_workspace #E5E5E5 #5697B2
        inactive_workspace #E5E5E5 #5697B2
        urgent_workspace #E5E5E5 #BC9B54
}
}

• Everytime I change the display settings with grandr, I log out and log back in and it resets to default (using dual monitors)

• I'm trying to install wmfs but I have no idea how

• Trying to change the x-www-browser default to /opt/firefox does not work, it gives me a "Permission error" and I don't know how to fix it

I've used Ubuntu and Mint so far but I haven't really learned much.

1. All the media files are located on a server which is connected to the speakers and TV

2. There is a client program installed on all the other PCs that can remotely search in the media library database. And this is where most of the solutions fall short, since I'm looking for something similar to the media library of WinAmp and SongBird. I want to have configurable views (smart views) based on filters; I want to be able to configure the display options; I also need advanced search options

3. The client program can also remote control the playback of the media files (they are played on the server not streamed).

There are several options I could find so far:

• MPD: Closest to what I'm looking for. BUT it doesn't playback video (which is not that big of a deal), search and display options of the clients are quite simple/limited.

• XBMC: Can playback both audio and video, has a nice user interface and there are several remote controls around, BUT none of the remote controls are advanced enough.

• Homebrew: I may have to start my own project; BUT I want to make sure that I'm not missing anything important.

Any suggestions?

Note: Classical music weigh quite heavy in my music collection, so the usual artist -> album -> track hierarchy doesn't suit my needs very well. And that's the main reason I started this search.