[mythtv-users] More hours of messing with mythtv yield zero result

[Steve Peters - Priority Electronics]

>I have Ubuntu Intrepid and installed mythtv by means of apt-get. 
>
>I have spent dozens of hours on this already and there is no end to an
>incredible mess. 
>
>The previous problem was, apparently, that mysql setup was all messed
>up and log on to mysql was not set up properly. But mythtv was saying
>all kinds of nonsense like "check that mysql server is running"
>instead of plainly saying that it could not log on.
>
>Basically nothing works and mythtv produces some incomprehensible
>error messages (or no messages) that never lead to anything
>productive. It is like fighting through a thick forest. 
>
>The latest one, apparently, is that when I do 
>
>/etc/init.d/mythtv-backend start 
>
>it prints a sadly stupid message "No setting found for this machine's
>BackendServerIP".
>
>I just spend 20 minutes googling for this message trying to find just
>where, in what file is that setting set. First of all, the script
>could say that. 
>
>I start that /etc/init.d/mythtv-backend as root. I ran mythtv-setup 
>as user "tv". I changed /etc/default/mythtv-backend user setting to
>tv.  
>
>"tv"'s config.xml has zero mention of "BackendServerIP". 
><Configuration>
>  <UPnP>
>    <UDN>
>      
><MediaRenderer>a7fd99e7-4fe4-4bb8-9029-2d0758b88cbc</MediaRenderer>
>    </UDN>
>    <MythFrontend>
>      <DefaultBackend>
>        <DBHostName>localhost</DBHostName>
>        <DBUserName>mythtv</DBUserName>
>        <DBPassword>crap0</DBPassword>
>        <DBName>mythconverg</DBName>
>        <DBPort>0</DBPort>
>      </DefaultBackend>
>    </MythFrontend>
>  </UPnP>
></Configuration>
>
>I have been a linux user since 1995 and admin many systems at home and
>at work, colocated servers, all sorts of servers, desktops and
>laptops. 
>
>With the possible exception of PulseAudio, mythtv takes the prize for
>being the most user unfriendly system, where finding solutions to most
>obvious problems is almost impossible. 
>
>I will continue messing with it, mostly because I have little choice,
>but I gotta say I have not yet seen anything nearly as bad. 
>
>And no, I am not going to install "mythbuntu" (using then Ubuntu
>Hardy). I tried and it was by far the worst experience. Right now I
>have everything working perfectly except mythtv. With "mythbuntu", I
>had mythtv not working and everything else was in a not so good shape
>either.
>


Igor, you must be doing something wrong, or there must be something unique
about your computer hardware. I could not install any version of ubuntu
after 7.04 on my gateway solo laptop (kind of an oldie laptop) because the
new version of xorg was not compatible with it. Still isn't compatible with
it, I'm hoping for them to fix it in the future. They basically killed linux
for me on that laptop cause it can't upgrade xorg. Anyhow, there could be
something like that going on with your computer.

I was a total linux noob when I started with ubuntu 7.04 and mythtv (before
mythbuntu was even out and you had to build lirc) and I was able to get it
going within a few days.

So it must not be mythtv that is the problem. Now it could very well be some
basic setting during install that is giving you havoc. In fact, I had more
trouble with alsa than with myth. The intrepid release of ubuntu has fixed
practically all of the issues I had in the beginning, and even alsa doesn't
give me any problems anymore.

I would suggest that you completely remove the mysql db and even the
installation of mysql and try to start from (or install) a vanilla install
of intrepid. Without switching to mythbuntu, you can install the mythbuntu
packages on top of regular ubuntu. That will take care of 99% of the config.

The guides on the ubuntu site are very easy to follow, and being a linux
pro, you might be skipping/breezing over some of the things (being a windows
pro, I sure skipped/breezed over a ton of things on there, passing them off
as rookie stuff...wasn't till I followed the directions that I got my
install right).

So I'd try that approach and post back with your first error. I've found
that you gotta fix the first error before moving forward, or you will
probably see more errors ahead.

Also, plz post back your system specs, as that could help too.

-Steve