[mythtv] Please explain the usage (valid arguments) of the mythfilldatabase "--sourceid" option

[Stuart Morgan]

On Tuesday 15 Apr 2014 12:54:54 Fox wrote:
> > If you specify no arguments to mythfilldatabase then it will run once
> > grabbing data for each source in turn.
> 
> Perhaps that's how it's supposed to work, but in my testing, if you specify
> no arguments it only grabs data for source 1 and ignores source 2.  If I do
> what dekarl suggested, then it will grab the data from both sources.

Sorry, I guess I wasn't paying enough attention, if you're using --file then 
you also need to specify the source id. It's assumed that there is a 1:1 
mapping between the file and the source, that two sources using the same data 
are the same source, so it's not currently possible to use the same data for 
two different sources without running the grabber twice.

> The reason for doing it manually is because I'm trying to find a way to
> generate data for free-to-air satellite channels, which are not covered by
> traditional listings, but can be received using cards such as the ones such
> as the ones listed on this page:

Cool

> After this, I would need to actually figure out the format of the xmltv.xml
> file.  But if I can't get the simplest part to work, then there is no sense
> even attempting the hard part, which is actually creating a custom MythTV
> compatible .xml file.

The file format is described here:
http://wiki.xmltv.org/index.php/XMLTVFormat
http://xmltv.cvs.sourceforge.net/xmltv/xmltv/xmltv.dtd?view=markup

However xmltv is a two part standard, the other part is the actual grabber - 
the script invoked by MythTV to import the data:
http://wiki.xmltv.org/index.php/HowtoWriteAGrabber
http://wiki.xmltv.org/index.php/XmltvCapabilities

> I'm only at the initial stages of looking into this and don't have one of
> those cards yet, so would be interested to know if anyone else has
> attempted something like this, or has recommendations for cards that are
> compatible with MythTV, without a lot of headache involved in getting them
> to work.

This project has come and gone in different forms over the years. There were 
existing scripts to do what you are proposing but I'm unable to find their 
current home. A number of other people have also discussed doing what you are 
proposing. The guide data you are talking about is called EIT, and so you are 
looking for an EIT to XMLTV converter/grabber.

-- 
Stuart Morgan