These instructions are for users who want to create a dedicated setup based on XUbuntu using the projects PPA

Install a fresh installation of Xubuntu

There are many good guides to install Xubuntu like this one here so please refer to one of those.

Add the MythQML projects PPA

This project has both stable and development PPAs. Most users should use the stable PPA where the packages are built from the stable branch and the hope is they should be fairly stable but note some features are still not fully functional and subject to change.

To use the stable PPA


                    $ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mythtv-paulh/mythtv-qml

                    $ sudo apt-get update

To use the development PPA


                    $ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mythtv-paulh/mythtv-qml-dev

                    $ sudo apt-get update

NOTE: newer versions of the Apt tools will do the update automatically after adding a repository but doing it again doesn't harm anything.

Install MythQML


                    $ sudo apt install mythfrontend-qml

This will install MythQML and all required dependencies. It's that easy!

The instructions below will make your setup better suited as a standalone HTPC connected to a TV

They remove some stuff from the desktop that you don't need, stop some annoying popups that you don't want and setup your PC to boot straight into the MythQML Launcher.

Disable wayland and Install XFCE4

If you use MythQML in a way that it's intended as a standalone HTPC then there is no need for a fancy window manager so use a lightweight one like XFCE4. If you installed Xubuntu then it comes with XFCE4 as standard. If you are re-purposing any other Ubuntu without XFCE4 then use these instruction to switch to it

First disable wayland if it is enabled.


                sudo nano /etc/gdm3/custom.conf

uncomment


                    #WaylandEnable=false

TO:


                    WaylandEnable=false

Now install XFCE4.


                    sudo apt install xfce4

Reboot your Ubuntu system once the xfce desktop is installed. This will also disable Wayland Then Click on * icon and select Xfce Session.

This is a summary of the instructions found here

Disable compositor

For me running with the compositor turned off in XFCE4 resulted in QML running a lot smoother.
Right click desktop -> Applications -> Settings -> Window Manager Tweaks -> Switch to Compositor Tab. Uncheck 'Enable display composing'

NOTE: I noticed on XUbuntu 20.10 turning the compositor ON resulted in smother animations and playback so YMMV \O/

Check NVIDIA Settings

If you are using an NVIDIA graphics card or builtin graphics make sure 'Sync to VBlank' is turned on to reduce tearing.
Right click desktop -> Applications -> Settings -> NVIDIA X Server Settings. Under OpenGL Settings make sure 'Sync to VBlank' is checked.

Disable screen locker

Having the screen locker kick in is very annoying and undesirable on an HTPC so disable it completely. Right click desktop -> Applications -> Session and Startup. Switch to 'Application Autostart' and uncheck 'Screen Saver/Screen Locker (Launch screen locker program)'
We can disable the update notifier while we are here - Uncheck 'Update Notifier (Check for available update automatically)' and same for Power Manager (Power management for the Xfce desktop).

This is a summary of instructions found here

Start mythlauncher_qml at boot time

Right click the desktop -> Applications -> Settings -> Session and Startup - > Switch to 'Application Autostart'. Add a new program, give it a name (MythLauncher), use mythlauncher_qml for the command, give it a description if you want, Trigger should be 'On Login'.

Disable annoying 'System program problem detected' popup dialog

Having the 'System program problem detected' kick in is very annoying and undesirable on an HTPC so disable it completely. If you want to disable these alerts permanently you need to disable apport. To do so, open the /etc/default/apport file by
sudo nano /etc/default/apport
and change the line enabled=1 to enabled=0

Disable the panels in XFCE4

This is purly cosmetic but I prefer the screen background to be clean of any junk since I want the system to purely be an HTPC and nothing else.
To disable xfce panel and/or Thunar from starting in XFCE:
Start a clean xfce session with no application started.
Open XFCE settings manager > Session and Startup > Session tab.
Set “Never” under Restart Style for xfce4-panel and Thunar. Click Quit Program on each one. DO NOT do this for the desktop though or you will be left without any way to make further changes.
Click Save Session.
Logout and login again to test.
You can also remove the icons on the desktop while we are cleaning it up. Right click and select Desktop Settings, click the Icons tab and untick all the Default Icons.

Post install Instructions

You should now take a look at the post install hints and tips here