[mythtv-users] Upgrade Madness

[Martin Compton]

I have an existing BE/FE combo machine that is dying.  It is running 
Ubuntu 16 and MythTV v30.

I have a new box that I installed Xubuntu 20 LTS on.  But I then 
discovered that the ppa MythTV requires v31 on focal.

So my question is how to best proceed.  I don't know where in the 
install/upgrade process MythTV upgrades the database schema.  Can I 
install MythTV v31, restore the v30 database, and get MythTV to update 
that database schema?

To further confuse things, I have setup the new json sql-lite schedule 
grabber but not enabled it.  So I'm still using the old method.  Should 
I try to implement that on the dying machine first, so that 
configuration can carry over to v31 which as I understand requires the 
new grabber.

Also, I have to have a working Lirc so I can transmit IR signals to the 
TV and STB.  Could I demote the current backend to be a slave backend 
while I get things working?  Or at least point the old machine to the 
new one's database?

Does anyone have a working MCE USB receiver/transmitter Lirc 
configuration?  I have just started looking at the new version of Lirc.  
Thankfully I know about the script to fix Ubuntu's botch of the Lirc 
package.

Suggestions appreciated.
Martin