[mythtv-users] Recommended Linux Distro post CentOS

[DaveD]

On 12/15/20 3:14 PM, R. G. Newbury wrote:
> On 2020-12-15 2:39 a.m., Bob Long wrote:
>> Ben wrote on 14/12/20 6:24 pm:
>>> Hey all,
>>>
>>> I figured I'd ask here because the main goals of updating my server 
>>> from CentOS 6 to --- well, no longer CentOS 8 since it's no longer 
>>> going to be what CentOS was...
>>>
>>> I'm wondering who is using what for their home servers for MythTV 
>>> (and Plex) on the same box.
>>>
>>> I also use desktop apps on this same system as well as run some 
>>> VirtualBox VMs (Windows and Raspbian)
>>>
>>> So with that -- I'd like to hear from the group what people have 
>>> been happy with that's LTS-ish like CentOS was.
>
> I have been running mythtv on Fedora since Fedora 4. Until myth v.28 I 
> had always compiled from master as originally there were no good 
> repos, and then because it was easier for testing the imon kernel 
> module (I was an alpha level tester: code by Jarrod Wilson).
> As a bit of a lark, I tried rpmfusion at v28. No problems (only a 
> slight loss of flexibility in removing extensions I did not want: 
> slight size increase as a result but irrelevant really).
>
> Fedora uses the same structural setup as RHEL and Centos, so 
> everything will be exactly where you expect it to be.
> On the odd occasion I find myself delving into a Ubuntu based setup I 
> am always slightly lost as to where things are! Not a big deal, but we 
> do get used to where things are located. Like getting in a rental car 
> and trying to find the windshield wipers in the dark. On the upside, 
> you will *not* have to learn new names for any of the programs or 
> prerequisite libraries you want to install.
>
> One of the recent Fedora kernels was named as a LTS if that is a 
> concern. If your box is a standalone BE/FE then that hardly matters. I 
> have a mythbox running Fedora 28. It's not obsolete although the OS is 
> old.
>
> Moving up to Fedora 32 or 33 will give you a BIG jump in the kernel. 
> Although some denigratre Fedora, it's "cutting edge" is actually 
> incredibly stable for something like mythtv.

I, too, have used Fedora since FC4.  Upgrading every 6 months is a bit 
much, so I get everything working, then leave it alone until I need the 
new technology and then start with a fresh install.  I use CentOS at 
work, but sounds like that may be changing soon. But as Geoff points 
out, it's nice knowing where everything is.

That said, non-Ubuntu distros may not fit into the Ubuntu model and 
require a bit more knowledge that I only learned recently when V31 
forced upgrading to XMLTV format for listings.  Ubuntu (and others?) 
assume a real mythtv user, with login abilities and privileges and, most 
importantly, a home directory where the mythtv user can place 
configuration files that are accessible to mythbackend running as user 
mythtv.  mythtvsetup is run as user mythtv, as well.  Fedora, being a 
RedHat descendant, is more server-like and services (mythbackend) run as 
non-login users with user mythtv's home directory in /var/home and 
configuration in /etc.  This makes setting up the XMLTV stuff a little 
different than procedures described in most of the available 
documentation. Once you understand that and know what structure the 
MythTV apps expect, it's easy to make the Fedora structure fit into the 
Ubuntu mold.

Dave D.