[mythtv-users] I set up my MythTV system the hard way!

[Andy Colson]

Darryl Hirschler wrote:
> I am a Linux and MythTV newbie.  I fooled around with Mythbuntu, and not 
> really sure why I decided to do this, but I decided to abandon Mythbuntu 
> and go at it from scratch.  So I did the following:
> 
>  
> 
> - Set up Ubuntu Linux 7.10 on a freshly-built system
> 
> - I even manually partitioned the drive and made a jfs partition
> 
> - Miraculously the Dvico card AND the Hauppauge HVR-1600 were installed 
> automatically.  However, I know I am only getting partial support for 
> the HVR-1600 and MythTV does not even see it.
> 
> - Downloaded MythTV and installed it using Synaptic Package Manager
> 
> - Setup MySQL (I am also a complete noob at this) and the MythTV database
> 
> - Setup Mythbackend
> 
> - Setup Mythfronted
> 
>  
> 
> I struggled a LOT and learned so much.  I think I read at least ten 
> different guides, none of which was specific enough to my situation.  
> And I still have things I need to work out such as:
> 
>  
> 
> - I still have to configure LIRC for my remote

Lirc took me a while to get going, but it eventually worked.  The lirc 
tools (like mode2 I think it was called) are really handy.  But the 
online help was all I needed (I even found the lircrc files for the 
remote's I wanted to use on line).  I started with the remote you get 
with the PVR-350, but soon gave up because of all the different remotes 
I'd need.  I went out and got a universal remote but it took a while to 
find something the remote and LIRC could agree on.  Then of course I had 
lirc*2, one lirc for the universal remote, and another to change 
channels on my cable box.  (That was a year or so ago, we had an 
electrical storm that fried our cable box and the new one we got had a 
serial interface on back, so now I use one lirc for the remote, and a 
serial connection to the cable box.  (Much more reliable on channel 
changing!))


> 
> - I have to figure out permissions between “mythtv” user, “darryl” user, 
> and “root”.  I am still a little confused by some of this.  Currently, 
> “darryl” can launch myth-backend and start mythtv, but “mythtv” user cannot.

I dont think you need to get that complicated, unless you really want 
to.  as long as you're not running the frontend/backend as root there 
wont be any security issues.  Running them as user darryl would be fine. 
    Unless you really really want a mythtv user I dont think you'd need it.


> 
> - disable the screen saver
> 
> - make it auto-login (to the “mythtv” user?)

I'm using kdm for this and its really easy, one little setting in the kdmrc.

> 
> - make it auto-launch MythTV

I use blackbox for my wm, and just add a call to mythfrontend in my 
.xsession.  The online docs have lots of different options for this.


So if my count is correct, you have three tv cards:

Dvico card
Hauppauge HVR-1600
and a new PVR-500 in the mail?

Wow... that'll be an impressive box.


-Andy