XBian is a program for Windows that allows you to install a compact media center on Raspberry PI, Hummingboard, CuBox-i and other nettop computers. Since the distribution is built upon Debian, it delivers a similar level of flexibility.

Overview

The main advantage of this tool is the balance between lightweight performance and extensive customization options. A standard installation is designed to occupy a two GB SD card, consume minimal RAM and CPU resources, and include XBMC.

The software has comprehensive support for features like AFP, NFS, AirPlay, CEC, Lirc, and PVR. It also enables USB drive automatic connections. This versatility empowers you to transform the utility into a download server, music hub, and more.

Configuration and troubleshooting

It is worth noting that you can quickly access the settings menu from within both XBMC and the shell. These programs provide you with fast and intuitive means to configure their systems. This includes tasks such as network setup, configuring boot options, etc.

When issues arise with your XBian installation, it automatically brings up an emergency application. Essentially, there are two distributions in one. The primary for regular use and a rescue service designed for fixing errors. If you want to play retro games on your nettop PC, you may try a tool like RetroPie.

Features

free to download and use;
compatible with modern Windows versions;
allows you to install XBMC on nettop computers;
you can customize the program to suit your needs;
it is possible to configure various boot options.