How do I set up my Ubuntu desktop as a media server/stereo system?

How do I set up my Ubuntu desktop as a media server/stereo system? Naturally, I should connect my speakers up to my desktop computer's nice sound card, and use it to play music. Practically, this has turned out to be very difficult. This may be because I am using Ubuntu on both laptop and desktop, which is not a particularly easy-to-use OS.
Asked by: Guest \| Views: 350

Total answers/comments: 2

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bert [Entry]

"This might seem like a trivial and silly suggestion, considering your requirements, but have you thought about setting up your desktop for auto-login?

A post-login script could then take care of locking your screen, if needed. Your external drives should then pick up too, and use remoting to control it from your laptop."

bert [Entry]

"What feature was missing in MPD? I've used it in the past for just this purpose.

Also, for automounting USB drives in a server setup, there is the USBmount package."