[mythtv] [mythtv-commits] mythtv/master commit: fd1800a11 by Gavin Hurlbut (Beirdo)

[R. G. Newbury]

On 03/07/2012 07:40 PM, Gavin Hurlbut wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 3:37 PM, Michael Watson
> <michael at thewatsonfamily.id.au>  wrote:
>> Why not place a message in file specified in --logfile of the changes
>> required to fix the setup, and allow backend to carry on without logging.
>
> Simple.  Most people will not look at the logs until something breaks,
> so it may be months before they need the log files, and at that point
> they don't have any.  Better to make part of the upgrade include
> making a conscious decision as to how you want the logs to be stored,
> whether done by the user personally, or by the packagers that bundled
> it up for the user.
>
> There is no need for extra command line arguments to tell you "you
> need to change this" when it will be obvious (and documented).  This
> is where RTF(ine)M comes in handy :)

Both viewpoints to this are to a certain extent correct. The developer 
should not HAVE to tell the user that things have changed. But the user 
properly notes that 'lots of users' (meaning himself *and probably me 
too*) don't RTFM until things are *noticeably* broken.

The answer is to use a mechanism similar to the mythtv-setup schema 
upgrade notice: when the user fires up/tries to fire up the frontend 
with the WRONG command line entries on the backend or frontend, it 
should tell him what to fix, explicitly. And that there will be NO 
logging until that is done. And a 'Do you want to continue?' etc.

In the meantime, the backend *should not break*. It should continue to 
work as previously expected. Whether you want to use a semaphore or 
database setting to control how many times the backend will start, or 
just leave it as a 'nag' before the change must be made is another question.
I can think of circumstances when you would NOT want the frontend to 
fail to run on first launch, but merely announce the requirement for 
change. (Proud mythtv user showing off setup to prospective accolyte: 
'I've just upgraded the box to the new ,25 version.'  And getting it 
running takes 5 minutes of script revision. VERY PROFESSIONAL. And 
completely avoidable.

My $.02 worth (no HST is exigible upon this supply of intellectual 
property pursuant to Schedule VI, Part V, section 10 of the Excise Tax 
Act, Canada).

Geoff


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