Maximum PC

I am building a HTPC, nothing high-end, and I am debating between installing Unbuntu or Windows XP. I needed to know if there is a program for Linux that I can use to backup my DVDs directly to the HDD. I was going to use DVDFab with WindowsXp but I need to know if Linux has a similar product.

Acidrip, K9copy, and Perl DVD::rip are the 3 most common. You can also find alot of lesser known programs at http://sourceforge.net For whatever its worth dvdshrink 3.2 also works fine under wine in linux.

I use AcidRip myself. Also, if you are willing to use the command line, I love handbrake, if you just want to back up dvds (not convert them) I would use k9copy. If this does any good to you then dvdfab is a great app and it works in wine.

If I run a Windows program in Wine will the program run at a lower quality than in Windows. I am not trying to run a massive game, I just want to run the DVDFab backup program, but I do not want the quality of the movie to be lowered.
Does anyone have a good guide for installing Wine. Keep in mind that I am completely new to Linux.

i run about all my games in wine, and i get no difference as if it were actually on a win machine, heres a screenie of steam and vent,


also if u use the Add/Remove button in applications and search Dvd backup or some where along those lines it will show u all the dvd software




if your going to use Ubuntu just go to www.winehq.com and click Get Wine Now, then click Ubuntu there should be a .deb file which is linda like the Linux .exe file it will start the auto installer thru the package manager, then to install a program you open terminal type

cd ~/Desktop
wine filename.exe

and it should start it up

also heres a screenshot of half life 1 ran in wine,



yea it is an old game but it downloaded and finished first on steam so.. yea. it runs perfectly fine with 0 lag too

One more question when you say "finished first on steam" you mean the game server program, correct?


http://www.steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=getsteamnow

yes the game server program...

just scroll up a little more and you will see

To the OP:

Check out MythTV as well as Linux Disto's built around it like Mythbuntu.

Mythbuntu is what I use, and it offers an archieving tool which will back up any DVD to your HDD.

It can either convert it to the format of your choice (AVI / MPG for example) or it can make an ISO. Lots of options available.

Mythbuntu just makes it real easy to get the whole thing going, simply install the OS, run the config, and you're done! Couldn't be easier.

And of course, it's 100% free.

Dan

And as for wine...you should be able to install the whole kit and kaboodle easily using Synaptic.
You could of course also use sudp apt-get install wine...but for a person new to linux...use Synaptic.
Newbie friendly linux distros I'd recommend are Xandros, Ubuntu, and/or PCLinuxOS.

Glenn Condrey