Following the principles of fellow Linux distributions LinHES and MythDora, Mythbuntu was designed to simplify the installation of MythTV on a home theater PC.

The front-end is the software required for the visual elements (or the GUI) and is utilised by the common user to find, play, and manipulate media files.

A combined front-and-back-end system may have an advantage in that it has portability: it is a standalone device that is not dependent on a separate server, such as a gaming console.

Mythbuntu can also run directly from a CD-ROM (without installation), provided that there is a network connection to a PC with a MythTV back-end server.

Using a server separate from one or more front-end units offers the ability to use multiple clients with simultaneous access to a single repository of shared media files.