[mythtv-users] mythfilldatabase failing after OS upgrade

[James Linder]

> On 7 Jan 2023, at 6:48 pm, Mike Perkins <mikep at randomtraveller.org.uk> wrote:
> 
> On 07/01/2023 09:17, James Linder wrote:
>>> On 7 Jan 2023, at 7:49 am, Hika van den Hoven <hikavdh at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hoi Daryl,
>>> 
>>> Saturday, January 7, 2023, 12:18:00 AM, you wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> On Fri, Jan 6, 2023 at 6:09 PM Mike Perkins
>>>> <mikep at randomtraveller.org.uk> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> On 06/01/2023 21:01, Hika van den Hoven wrote:
>>>>> Hoi Daryl,
>>>>> 
>>>>> There is one thing you always have to remember when you move data like
>>>>> this between old and new systems or even more important, share them
>>>>> between two installation on one physical system.
>>>>> 
>>>>> usernames and groupnames are meaningless to the computer. The computer
>>>>> uses the numerical u(ser)id and g(roup)id. For our benefit as stupid
>>>>> mortals it translates it to a name.
>> Slight Disagreement:
>> userId and groupId on a system are defined in /etc/passwd and /etc/group
>> Files are stored with GID and UID
>> so if on system 1
>> UID 1000 is me
>> UID 1001 is mythtv
>> and on system 2
>> UID 1001 is me
>> UID 1002 is mythtv
>> Files on system1 belonging to me on system2 would belong to 1000
>> Files on system1 belonging to mythtv on system2 would belong to me
>> All easy to comprehend. Of passing interest first UUID of 1000 is abitary. HPUX used to use 500, and you are free to use (say) 789. # chown -R is your friend
> Debian-based systems like Ubuntu reserve UIDs 1-999 for 'system' users, most of which cannot be logged into by a normal user. Some install scripts just use the next available UID, others seem to pick fixed ones from that range, which is one reason we have this mess. UIDs 1-999 can thus be assigned in any arbitrary order to various subsystems.
> 
> The first usable user UID is 1000, and this (for Debian, Ubuntu etc may do something different) is assigned to the user you are prompted to create during installation. This user is often slightly more privileged than subsequent ones.
> 
> I believe, though I do not use them, that other ranges (eg 5000 up) may be used for NIS, LDAP or other externally-created or 'special' user categories.

Mike thanks for comments. I never learn (and will do 100 lines punishment) that debian et al contribute greatly to the chaos by inventing scores of special rules. But in general my post is correct and de-mysifies the chaos, also there are other distros that wont enforce debian's version of the OneTrueWay

James