[mythtv-users] restoring database after reinstall??

[Michael T. Dean]

On 11/30/2016 11:09 AM, Jim Abernathy wrote:
> So I need to confirm a process for restoring my database after an os version upgrade.
>
> I’m running mythvbuntu 14.04 and mythtv 0.28 latest patches.
> My system has a boot drive and 2 drives for recorded TV to decrease the bottleneck during multiple simultaneous recordings.
>
> I’m thinking that the process would be.
>
> 1. backup database and save the backup on my NAS.
> 2. install  mythbuntu 16.04/mythtv 0.28 and fix all the systemd stuff.
> 3. make sure it’s working after a reboot and that TV and recordings will work.
> 4. enable my original recorded TV drives in /etc/fstab.
> 5. restore my database.
>
> This seems to work in my mind. What am I missing??

You restore the database into an empty database, so as long as "make 
sure it’s working after a reboot and that TV and recordings will work" 
does not involve starting any MythTV programs (mythtv-setup, 
mythbackend, mythfrontend), this would be the right procedure.  If you 
plan to start MythTV programs to test your TV/recordings, then you would 
have to configure the MythTV program (from scratch--as you'll have a 
schema with no configuration) and then will have to restore with the 
--drop_database --create_database argument, which will undo any 
configuration you've done (so the testing would have wasted all that 
configuration time).

So, I'd say the steps are:

1. backup database and save the backup on my NAS.
2. install mythbuntu 16.04/mythtv 0.28 and fix all the systemd stuff.
3. ensure the host name, as returned by hostname command, is identical 
to that returned on the old system--if it was short before, it should be 
short now; or if it had a domain before, it should have one now--and/or 
specify a LocalHostName override in the ~/.mythtv/config.xml file with 
the exact hostname (or override value) used on the previous system
4. ensure that no MythTV programs are running (no mythtv-setup, no 
mythbackend, no mythfrontend) and if they are, shut them down and ensure 
they don't get automatically restarted
5. restore the database ( 
https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Database_Backup_and_Restore#Replacing_an_existing_database 
)
6. start mythtv-setup and verify options, then start mythbackend, then 
mythfrontend and test and configure as necessary

FWIW, you'll want to use the --drop_database --create_database 
arguments, as shown in the link above, when restoring to remove any 
database/tables that already exists/that was put in place by your 
package manager.  Even if there is none, it won't hurt to use those 
arguments.

This approach just involves using MythTV to test your capture devices, 
but you can do some outside-of-MythTV testing before the restore, if you 
have and know the tools to do so.  Sometimes when doing an upgrade of 
the OS/kernel/drivers, you will need to delete and re-configure capture 
devices in MythTV, but there's no harm in testing with MythTV using the 
old configuration and, if it doesn't work, deleting and reconfiguring 
the card(s).

Mike