[mythtv-users] Any Debian / Mythtv / Nvidia users here?

stuart stuart at xnet.com
Mon Feb 21 01:18:53 UTC 2011



On 02/20/2011 03:13 PM, Josu Lazkano wrote:
> 2011/2/20 stuart<stuart at xnet.com>:
>> Hi...
>>
>> I've done a bad thing.  I updated my Debian Mythtv boxes with out
>> checking if there were any Nvidia drivers available.  Now both mythtv
>> boxes are broke.
>>
>> I'm not sure where the hold up is (maybe someone can say), but from
>> mining the internet it appears this problem started about the 11th of
>> February (2011) and is centred around not having proprietary Nvidia
>> drivers available (yet).
>>
>> So, I'm asking here what people running Debian Mythtv boxes do.  (Other
>> then avoid updates like the plague.)
>>
>> It's been suggested to wait until new Nvidia drivers float into the
>> repositories (hum, been days w/o any TV in the house), try the
>> experimental Debian repositories or load up the *real* Nvidia Linux Drivers.
>>
>> Well, that is what I used to do.  Load up the *real* Nvidia Linux
>> drivers. Every time my Fedora box got a new kernel I just recompiled my
>> already downloaded Nvidia drivers and off I went.  Simple as that.  But
>> then I moved to Debian for more stability (ha, I mean humm).  Now, I
>> understand, I am not suppose to install the *real* Nvidia drivers
>> because Debian's package manager will have a fit (maybe I should say
>> there is the possibility of the Debian packaging manager not working for
>> future packaged Nvidia drivers).
>>
>> So, I'm just asking, what do people here usually do in such a case.
>>
>> -thanks
>>
>
> Hello, I have a Debian Squeeze system with a Nvidia ION board, I am
> having lots of problems (tunner, remote, vdpau...), so I can tell that
> my config is not the best.
>
> I got MythTV from debian-multimedia repository and latest Nvidia
> official drivers. It works well on HD channels. But as I tell you, I
> am getting more problems, so this will not the best way.
>
> I am interested how is your system to get it working. I am having lots
> of problems with LiveTV and DVB tunners.
>
> Regards.
>
>
>


Hi Josu...

I'm not really sure how well my Debian / Mythtv experience translates 
into advice, but here goes...

I am running two Debian computers. Both have back and (usually) front 
ends running.  Both have two PCI HDTV ATSC tuner cards.  Both have 
nvidia graphics.

First off, having two back ends is probably not such a great thing.  For 
one, I don't know which box can burn a particular show (I am lead to 
believe DVD burning can only work with recordings on the local machine). 
  And, yes, I know I can cross mount the recordings directory.  But I 
don't want to tempt fate.  That is, I am not all that sure I will not 
end up recording a show on an NFS mounted drive (I think back ends can 
auto-magically find NFS mounted recording directories). What a way to 
wipe out your humble home band width.

Second, I have always (did I mention always) been suspicious having two 
back ends causes no end to mysterious program erasures.  More then once 
have I seen programs recorded then immediately erased.  I believe the 
back end which happens to record the show is out of disk space.  I have 
learn not to trust the system status reports (i.e. you have 10 hours of 
recording time left). Its too late to recover missing shows, but when I 
see new shows disappearing, I immediately start manually deleting shows. 
  No telling which machine they are stored on though.  So I just keep 
deleting until I figure both back ends have ample space for new 
recordings.  Which leads me to...

Third, with two back ends, I can never tell, from a front end, where a 
recording resides.  So, if I think I need to free up space on the master 
back end machine, I really have no way of telling which shows I need to 
delete.  I just delete anything that ends up on the bottom of the "I 
must watch this" totem poll.  That usually holds me for a week or two. 
Also, knowing where a show is would make deciding which back end to burn 
DVDs on a bit easier.  As I said it is a trial and error thing when I 
want to drop a recording to a DVD.  I just try and if I can't find it I 
try the other back end.

As far as a remote, I never got enough support to get the remote on my 
turner card to work.  I even kept the wiki up to date on the darn thing 
hoping that might be of help.  I just use a cheep IR keyboard connected 
to the PS/2 port of my PC.  Nothing special to set up.  No LIRC to 
configure.  No JP1 remote reprogramming. It just works. Not to mention 
its darn hard to hide it between the couch cushions.

I think everyone here will agree liveTV is not mythtv's strong point. 
It usually works for me, but I've had times when it hiccups.  It might 
have been when I happened to be using a tuner on the "other" (far) back 
end.  As I don't usually watch liveTV it is difficult to recall what the 
circumstances might have been when it failed.

I'm running Debian unstable and, like you, using the debian multimedia 
repository.  The master back end is on a quad core and the slave back 
end is on a dual core system.  The master back is also running other 
services like CUPS.

-good luck



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