[mythtv-users] Disk Space / not-deleting-recordings

[Michael T. Dean]

On 04/22/2016 01:21 AM, Blammo wrote:
>
> So I went digging into mysql, and I may have stumbled across the answer:
>
> mysql> SELECT COUNT(1) FROM recorded where recgroup not like "Deleted";
> +----------+
> | COUNT(1) |
> +----------+
> |     1845 |
> +----------+
> 1 row in set (0.00 sec)
>
> mysql> SELECT COUNT(1) FROM recorded where recgroup like "Deleted";
> +----------+
> | COUNT(1) |
> +----------+
> |     1028 |
> +----------+
> 1 row in set (0.00 sec)
>
>
> What now?

Now you know.  And knowing is half the battle...  Everything is working 
as designed.  You're good.  Nothing needs to be done.

When MythTV needs the space, it will remove the Deleted shows from 
disk.  If the space isn't being used for other recordings, there's no 
point in removing the Deleted shows from disk--doing so would only 
prevent you from rewatching--or deciding you want to keep--any of those 
Deleted shows.  Unused storage is a waste.  Storage that's storing shows 
you don't necessarily need any more is actually less wasteful than empty 
storage.  Empty storage can't be watched.  It doesn't provide any 
benefits at all.  It's a bunch of nothing on your disk.  
Previously-watched recordings are far more useful than nothing.

If you really want to have that space empty--and remove useful (if not 
currently important to you) data from the disk so that you have 
terabytes of unwatchable empty space--you can just DELETE one or more of 
the Deleted recordings (equivalent to deleting a file out of the Recycle 
Bin).  Alternatively, you can go to Watch Recordings, select MENU|Change 
Group Filter|Deleted, then MENU (once or twice)|Add this Group to 
Playlist, MENU (once or twice)|Playlist Options|Delete.  Or, if you 
always want to clear out Deleted recordings:

Time to retain deleted recordings (days)
Determines the maximum number of days before undeleting a recording will 
become impossible. A value of zero means the recording will be 
permanently deleted between 5 and 20 minutes later. A value of minus one 
means recordings will be retained until space is required. A recording 
will always be removed before this time if the space is needed for a new 
recording.

in the frontend settings editor under General settings.  Then (as I 
recently said in another post), "your disk won't be filled with 
unnecessary and unwanted data--it will be filled with empty space you 
can't watch when you have a friend over and say, 'Hey, speaking of 
which, I just watched this show that was about exactly that, but I 
deleted it so I can't show it to you. But, look at this--my disk is only 
12% full!'"  But, if they re-air the episode in 5 years, you can call up 
your friend and say, "Hey, I just re-recorded that show I told you about 
in 2016, so want to come over and watch it?"

Mike