VortexBox 2.1 media server supports bigger storage

Under-the-hood upgrades, new experimental features, and support for larger drives are among the notable changes in the 2.1 release of the VortexBox project's media server operating system. VortexBox is a Fedora-based Linux distribution for turning unused systems into media servers. Designed to be easy-to-use, it can automatically rip CDs and DVDs and can stream content to other computers and network media players such as those from as Logitech or Sonos; files can be served to network devices using SMB, AppleTalk, NFS or DLNA.

Described by its developers as "a roll-up of a lot of features and fixes we have been working on since the last release", the first point update to VortexBox 2.0 from November of last year includes the new version of the Fedora 16 Linux kernel with upgraded audio drivers and, for backups, adds support for drives with more than 2.2TB of storage. The Logitech Media Server software for streaming music to Logitech Squeezebox devices has been updated to version 7.7.2, and the new ALSA audio system has better support for USB audio devices.

The developers note that Blu-ray ripping has been improved and is "working well", but is still not 100% complete. Experimental support for "leading edge features", such as playing Direct Stream Digital (DSD) rips and Bluetooth audio device support, have also been added. The Plex Media Server is now available as an optional app for installation in VortexBox 2.1; with Plex, users can stream video to a number of set-top and mobile devices including Roku and Google TV, as well as iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices.

Further details about the update, including a full list of new features, can be found in the announcement and in the change log. VortexBox 2.1 can be downloaded from the project's site as a 698MB ISO image file and is licensed under the GPLv3. Documentation, including a Quick Install Guide, is provided.

(crve)