[mythtv-users] Best way to re-arrange my setup

[Michael T. Dean]

On 02/08/2014 11:06 PM, Brian Phillips wrote:
> My old myth setup consisted of 2 remote frontend machines and a single,
> headless, backend-only machine.
>
> The backend machine died, but not a horrible death.  It still runs, but
> can't connect to the network.  I figured now is a good time to retire it.  I
> have access to thumb-drive things like database backups and config files to
> my new backend.
>
> I'd like to re-purpose one of my frontends (frontend-B) to be a
> frontend/backend combo, running the master backend.  I've followed the
> instructions here:
> http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Backend_migration#Building_a_new_backend_to_repla
> ce_an_existing_machine
>
> My previous setup (and database settings) consisted of computers with
> hostnames: "frontend-A", "frontend-B", and "backend".  I'd like frontend-B
> to house the re-created backend and I think I have two options.
>
> 1) rename the hostname of "frontend-B" to "backend", and then use the
> mythconverg_restore script to re-name all "frontend-B" settings to "backend"
> settings.

You can't use the restore script to rename a host to an already-used 
host name.

>    This causes collisions in many places, as "backend" already
> exists in the database with several settings.  Though, previously, "backend"
> had no frontend running on it, so the database lacks many settings required
> by frontends.

You'd instead have to just change the host name to backend (or, better, 
just specify backend in a LocalHostName override in config.xml) and then 
customize any frontend-specific settings you want.  You shouldn't have 
to change much of any settings, though, since you (and everyone else) 
should be using mostly defaults.

> 2) leave frontend-B's hostname alone, install a backend, and then delete all
> "backend" settings from the database, recreating my backend settings as
> "frontend-B"

You shouldn't do this because a) the backend configuration is /much/ 
more complex than frontend configuration and b) the recordings are 
associated with backend, so you should keep them on the machine using 
the backend profile.

> Is there one option that's better than another?  Is there a better way to go
> about doing this process?

3) Leave all host names as they are and run the backend in an 
environment whose $HOME/.mythtv/config.xml has a LocalHostName override 
that tells it to use the backend profile.  You can choose to run the 
frontend in a different environment with a different profile name (such 
as frontend-B) or keep things simple and use one profile name for the 
entire host and just configure the (few) frontend settings that aren't 
defaults.

Mike