MythTV
MythTV Backend
Description
MythTV is a GPL licensed suite of programs that allow you to build the mythical home media convergence box on your own using Open Source software and operating systems.
HowTo backgrounds
A number of people have been struggling with this so I thought I would start to document what I did to get this working. It is cumbersome but do-able. I also strongly suggest you also use the sme server as a backend and don't implement the frontend on it as i have little confidence in the security of it.
I would suggest moderate and more expert users check this out first to see if I have some errors or holes. If it's close then we can update the wiki. I just didn't want to muck it up before some sanity was applied. In particular, I would like to see if there is any minimization we can do say by removing unnecessary steps or packages.
I had to draw on many sources including: Duncan's how-to (link currently dead); the contrib wiki; mythtv.org (and it's wiki); knoppmythwiki.org; and many more that I have forgotten.
Here goes and good luck.
(Thanks to Christian for this HowTo)
Please add your success/failure stories at the end of this HowTo.
Configure necessary repositories
To be able to install MythTV on SME Server you need to configure the ATrpms and the Dag repository as shown below.
ATrpms
The following command will configure the ATrpms repository on SME Server. ATrpms After adding it to the database we have to update the changes to the configuration file:
signal-event yum-modify
Dag
The following command will configure the Dag repository on SME Server. EDIT NOT COMPLETE!
To create an entry in the database for the epel repository we open put the following commands in a terminal
window or in a shell window:
/sbin/e-smith/db yum_repositories set epel repository \
Name 'SME Server - epel' \ BaseURL 'http://<http://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/7/$basearch' \ EnableGroups yes \ GPGCheck yes \ Visible no \ status disabled
To enable the changes:
signal-event yum-modify
Just to be sure, give yum a fresh start:
yum clean all
After adding it to the database we have to update the changes to the configuration file:
signal-event yum-modify
Installation
You will likely need the following (based on Duncan's How to). I know some are needed but have not confirmed if all are needed.I suspect some of it is only needed if you wish to load up the myth source and use their "config" tool.
Dependencies
As SME Server does not have all software installed for MythTV we need to install some dependencies:
yum install gcc-c++ qt qt-MySQL qt-devel ncurses-devel python-devel zlib-devel dialog subversion signal-event post-upgrade; signal-event reboot
MythTV packages
Note that as of MythTV 0.21, mysql 5 is required. Version 0.20.2 is the last version of mysql 4 which is what SME 7.x is using. Also note that your front end will need to match (for Knoppmyth 0.20.2 is in R5F27. For SME8 and later you can drop the -0.20.2 suffix.
yum install mythtv-themes-0.20.2 mythweb-0.20.2 mythtv-setup-0.20.2 mythtv-frontend-0.20.2 mythtv-backend-0.20.2 --enablerepo=atrpms --enablerepo=dag yum install mythtv-docs-0.20.2 --enablerepo=atrpms --enablerepo=dag yum install libmythavcodec-0.20.2 libmythavformat-0.20.2 libmythavutil-0.20.2 libmythfreemheg-0.20.2 libmythlivemedia-0.20.2 libmythtv-0.20.2 libmythui-0.20.2 libmythupnp-0.20.2 --enablerepo=atrpms --enablerepo=dag
Ensure the service will start properly on boot:
config set mythbackend service status enabled
To use a analogue Hauppauge PVR based card you should also install the ivtv packages so your card gets recognized and loaded:
yum install ivtv-kmdl-`uname -r` --enablerepo=atrpms --enablerepo=dag yum install ivtv --enablerepo=atrpms --enablerepo=dag
To be sure that the drivers are loaded and to not leave SME Server in a unknown state issue the following command:
signal-event post-upgrade; signal-event reboot
MySQL
You will need to set up MySQL. The required mc.sql file is located in the documentation of MythTV. If you did not install all of the packages earlier in this How-to then the easiest way to retrieve this is by issuing this command:
yum install mythtv-docs --enablerepo=atrpms
This should normally install the mc.sql file that holds the database layout in /usr/share/doc/mythtv-docs-$version/database/
To load the database into MySQL import the dump file into MySQL, for the 0.20.2 version this would read:
mysql < /usr/share/doc/mythtv-docs-0.20.2/database/mc.sql
Now grant access to your box and remote front ends within subnet 192.168.1 (change to suit you) to access mysql
mysql -e "grant all on mythconverg.* to mythtv@'192.168.1.%' identified by 'mythtv'" mysql -e "flush privileges"
/sbin/e-smith/config setprop mysqld LocalNetworkingOnly no /sbin/e-smith/expand-template /etc/my.cnf service mysqld restart
From the shell window of your front end, verify that the access worked (see also known problems):
mysql -h smeserveraddress -u mythtv -pmythtv mythconverg
If you have no error then quit. If you do then it is likely a permission or grant error to be resolved.
X11 Forwarding
You need to set up X11 forwarding to another machine (I targeted a CentOS release running on a virtual machine (VirtualBox) on my XP Home machine.
X11 Forwarding is described in the X11 Forwarding on SME section of this wiki.
You will then need to install two more packages, specifically:
yum install xorg-x11-font-utils xorg-x11-xfs signal-event post-upgrade; signal-event reboot
If you would like to view the X11 output of your SME Server on another linux machine (which has X running) and do:
ssh -X root@smeserveraddress /usr/bin/mythtv-setup
and follow the instructions to set up your environment for the backend.
Startup mythtv
- modprobe ivtv (check 'dmesg' for any errors. See this example of a correctly loaded PVR-350)
- 'mythbackend -d' on the console will start mythbackend as a deamon
- Make it all automagically at boot time
- Make tv listings (mythfilldatabase) automagically
Installing Mythweb in an Ibay
(taken from the forums mainly donated by Duncan)
- Create an Ibay (e.g. tvoverview, own admin, read everyone, enable html, access localnetwork without pass) Use any Ibay name you want, just make sure you use it througout the config consistantly. Also make sure you secure access to the Ibay either by SME Server default mechanism (password) or by using htaccess passwords.
- Create custom template
# mkdir -p /etc/e-smith/templates-custom/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf # cd /etc/e-smith/templates-custom/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf # pico 99mythweb
and paste following code into the template:
<Directory /home/e-smith/files/ibays/tvoverview/html>
php_admin_flag allow_url_fopen on
</Directory>
- Allow .htaccess
# /sbin/e-smith/db accounts setprop tvoverview AllowOverride All # /sbin/e-smith/signal-event ibay-modify tvoverview
- edit the mythweb .htaccess file and add
Options FollowSymlinks
and adjust the below variables to the right values valid for your mysql setup:
setenv db_server "127.0.0.1" setenv db_name "mythconverg" setenv db_login "mythtv" setenv db_password "mythtv"
Towards the bottom of the file where it says "RewriteEngine on". Whilst in this file uncomment the line and make it look like:
RewriteBase /tvoverview
Now access http://yourserver/tvoverview and you should be up and running.
Known problems
- MySql
When you encounter the following error: 'Client does not support authentication protocol requested by server; consider upgrading MySQL client' then you need to set the above mysql user password 'old' style. When connecting to the server with a pre-4.1 client program, use an account that still has a pre-4.1-style password. To do this, enter the following on the console:
mysql> SET PASSWORD FOR mythtv@localhost = OLD_PASSWORD('mythtv');
where user and password are the same as used with the 'grant' command. '/usr/bin/mythtv-setup' should start fine now.
- Mythtv-Setup
There are problems reported that the main menu presented by mythtv-setup is present but not visible. If this occurs, menu choices will still work and the sub menu screens will appear properly. But you will need to make your top level choices by feel, memory, or some other reference.
MythTV Frontend
One of the easiest to install frontends for MythTV is KnoppMyth as there seems to be good support including HowTo's to link things together. For instruction on how to install Knoppmyth have a look at this HowTo.
User experience
- Tested with SME Server 7.2 - Works
- Tested with SME Server 7.3 - Works
I decided to use Knoppmyth as my front ends as there seems to be good support including HOW-To's to link things together.
Install Knoppmyth from "http://www.knoppmythwiki.org/?id=KnoppmythDownloads" onto a front end PC.
Follow this HOW TO http://www.knoppmythwiki.org/index.php?page=FrontendOnlyInstall
I would also recommend defining a common file structure for your frontends and backends. I used the SME as my common file store. In theory, the next version of myth will allow you to more easily share directories but for now you will need to follow the following HOW-TO's
However, you won't have much joy using NFS (per their suggestion) and rather than samba you may wish to consider using sshfs as described in: http://ubuntu.wordpress.com/2005/10/28/how-to-mount-a-remote-ssh-filesystem-using-sshfs/ After you make your mounts, adjust your directory structure in the myth frontend to suit your mount structure. - Christian 10:44, 2 December (MST)
old page contents
MythTV is a GPL licensed suite of programs that allow you to build the mythical home media convergence box on your own using Open Source software and operating systems.
MythTV has a number of capabilities. See the MythTV website for details
http://www.mythtv.org/modules.php?name=MythFeatures
http://www.mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO-1.html#ss1.1
A new how-to has been posted MythTV-HowTo here
Requirements
Hardware requirements
http://www.mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO-3.html
Installation
There are a list of required rpms here, http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=38591.msg175160#msg175160
Here are the mythtv/ivtv packages I've got installed on my smeserver (from atrpms).
- libmyth-0.20.2_0-0.20.2-165.el4
- libmythavcodec-0.20.2_0-0.20.2-165.el4
- libmythavformat-0.20.2_0-0.20.2-165.el4
- libmythavutil-0.20.2_0-0.20.2-165.el4
- libmythfreemheg-0.20.2_0-0.20.2-165.el4
- libmythlivemedia-0.20.2_0-0.20.2-165.el4
- libmythtv-0.20.2_0-0.20.2-165.el4
- libmythui-0.20.2_0-0.20.2-165.el4
- libmythupnp-0.20.2_0-0.20.2-165.el4
- myththemes-0.20.2-114
- mythtv-backend-0.20.2-165.el4
- mythtv-frontend-0.20.2-165.el4
- mythtv-setup-0.20.2-165.el4
- mythtv-themes-0.20.2-165.el4
- mythweb-0.20.2-165.el4
- ivtv-0.4.10-114.el4
- ivtv-firmware-20070217-13.at
- ivtv-kmdl-2.6.9-55.0.6.EL-0.4.10-114.el4
- ivtv-kmdl-2.6.9-55.0.6.ELsmp-0.4.10-114.el4
- perl-Video-ivtv-0.13-8.el4.at
If I remember correctly I needed the frontend package in order to load some of the graphical libraries needed to run mythtvsetup. Beyond installing the above (plus dependencies) I enabled X11 forwarding and configured the system from one of the remote frontends.
Usage
Refer to MythTV Documentation ?
Explain a little about setting up the Frontend ?
