XBMC is an award winning free and open source software for Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, and XBox. Not so familiar with this popular application, here is a quick preview on what all XBMC Media Center can do for you. You may also want to check out the feature additions into XBMC 9.04 Babylon which was released during May 2009.

Here is quick look on the list of changes.

• Updated the web scrapers

• Better WAV handling on 64-bit operating-systems

• XBMC would suspend directly after resume when suspend time > shutdown time

• Full changelog here

Now let's look into the installation Process

Add GPG Key First

• Goto Terminal and simply copy-paste the following. 

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 91E7EE5E

Adding Launchpad Repo

• Goto System->Administration->Software Sources and select the Third party Software tab. Click  ADD. And add the following repo (depending on the version of Ubuntu you use)

For Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty 

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main

For Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid 

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc/ppa/ubuntu intrepid main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc/ppa/ubuntu intrepid main 

For Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy 

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc/ppa/ubuntu hardy main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc/ppa/ubuntu hardy main 

Now Install XBMC

• Goto terminal and get it done. 

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xbmc

• Done.

• Goto Applications > Sound & Video > XBMC and  have a blast. :-)