[mythtv-users] Debugging mythexternrecorder - any guidance?

[OpenMedia Support]

> On Sun, Jun 7, 2020 at 11:16 AM John P Poet <jppoet at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Sun, Jun 7, 2020 at 12:19 AM OpenMedia Support
>> <support at openmedia.co.nz>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> >> On Sat, May 2, 2020 at 11:46 PM OpenMedia Support
>>> >> <support at openmedia.co.nz>
>>> >> wrote:
>>> >>
>>> >>> I'm still having issues with some local IPTV feeds with the FreeBox
>>> >>> tuner
>>> >>> so I want to try youtube-dl or vlc with mythexternrecorder.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Any tips on how to debug the external recorder as my channel scan
>>> is
>>> > failing for both VLC and youtube-dl configurations
>>> >>>
>>> >>> vlc-nz.conf
>>> >>>
>>> >>> [RECORDER]
>>> >>> # The recorder command to execute.  %URL% is optional, and
>>> >>> # will be replaced with the channel's "URL" as defined in the
>>> >>> # [TUNER/channels] (channel conf) configuration file
>>> >>> #
>>> >>> # %LOGGING% will be replaced with mythtv logging params. For
>>> example:
>>> #
>>> > --verbose general,channel,record --logpath /var/log/mythtv --loglevel
>>> > info --quiet
>>> >>>
>>> >>
>>> >> Do you really have this "info --quiet" by itself on a line, or is
>>> that
>>> >> just
>>> >> a cut and paste error?  If it is really there in your conf file,
>>> that
>>> >> might
>>> >> cause it to not load properly.
>>> >
>>> > That was just a wrap issue with the email posting.
>>> >
>>> >> When you are scanning, the "Scan Type" is "Import from
>>> >> ExtneralRecorder"?
>>> >
>>> > Yes I'm using that type of Import
>>> >
>>> >> If you run mythtv-setup like:
>>> >>
>>> >> mythtv-setup -v chanscan:debug,channel:debug --logpath .
>>> >
>>> > Ok I'll try that out
>>> >
>>> >> You will end up with a log file in the current directory, with good
>>> > information in it.
>>> >>
>>> >> What version of MythTV are you running?  The "fixes/31" version has
>>> some
>>> > nice ExternalRecorder improvements in it, such as LiveTV channel
>>> changes
>>> > now work.
>>> >
>>> > Yes I'm on a reasonably recent fixes/31 branch c/o Ubuntu's PPA
>>>
>>>
>>> I've now managed to debug the external recorder on the command line
>>>
>>> /usr/bin/mythexternrecorder -v all:debug   --conf
>>> /usr/local/share/myPVR/iptv/vlc-nz.conf
>>>
>>>
>>> I can then send commands to check on the configuration
>>>
>>>
>>> 2020-06-07 18:11:54.713814 C  mythexternrecorder version: fixes/31
>>> [v31.0+fixes.202006061417.672d45b~ubuntu18.04.1] www.mythtv.org
>>> 2020-06-07 18:11:54.713841 C  Qt version: compile: 5.9.5, runtime:
>>> 5.9.5
>>> 2020-06-07 18:11:54.713877 I  Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS (x86_64)
>>> 2020-06-07 18:11:54.713882 N  Enabled verbose msgs: all
>>> 2020-06-07 18:11:54.713894 N  Setting Log Level to LOG_INFO
>>> 2020-06-07 18:11:54.724175 I  : Buffer: Ready for data.
>>> 2020-06-07 18:11:54.724245 I  Added logging to the console
>>> 2020-06-07 18:11:54.724269 I  : Command parser ready.
>>> 2020-06-07 18:11:54.724366 I   Channels in
>>> '/usr/local/share/myPVR/iptv/vlc-nz-channels.conf', Tuner: '', Scanner:
>>> ''
>>>
>>> 0:0:ERR:Version 2 API expects serial_no:msg format. Saw '' instead
>>>
>>> 0:0:ERR:Version 2 API expects serial_no:msg format. Saw '' instead
>>> 1:APIVersion:2
>>> 1:OK:2
>>> 2020-06-07 18:12:06.520759 I  : Processing '1:APIVersion:2' -->
>>> '1:OK:2'
>>> 2:Version?
>>> 2:OK:0.6
>>> 2020-06-07 18:12:10.669700 I  : Processing '2:Version?' --> '2:OK:0.6'
>>> 3:Description?'
>>> 3:WARN:Not set
>>> 2020-06-07 18:12:18.549908 I  : Processing '3:Description?'' -->
>>> '3:WARN:Not set'
>>> 4:HasTuner?
>>> 4:OK:No
>>> 2020-06-07 18:12:22.960320 I  : Processing 'HasTuner' --> '4:OK:No'
>>> 5:LoadChannels
>>> 5:OK:2
>>> 2020-06-07 18:12:35.523311 I  : Processing 'LoadChannels' --> '5:OK:2'
>>> 6::FirstChannel
>>> 6:OK:1003,Three,Three,tv.11,
>>> 2020-06-07 18:12:48.981436 I  cvlc "" "" "" "" : NextChannel
>>> Name:'Three',Callsign:'Three',xmltvid:tv.11,Icon:
>>> 2020-06-07 18:12:48.981465 I  : Processing 'FirstChannel' -->
>>> '6:OK:1003,Three,Three,tv.11,'
>>> 7:TuneChannel:1003
>>> 7:ERR:No 'tuner' configured.
>>> 2020-06-07 18:14:01.949287 E  cvlc "" "" "" "" : No 'tuner' configured.
>>> 2020-06-07 18:14:01.949312 I  : Processing 'TuneChannel' --> '7:ERR:No
>>> 'tuner' configured.'
>>>
>>>
>>> So I don't have a valid Tuner and I can't tune or channel scan under
>>> mythtv-setup.
>>>
>>> I'm using a config for VLC based off the examples in the Wiki which
>>> don't
>>> specify a command under TUNER
>>>
>>> https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Example_Configuration_files
>>>
>>> Can someone provide a known working vlc.conf I can used as a template.
>>> I've tried modifying the entry to
>>>
>>> command=echo %URL%
>>>
>>> Which means I get a valid Tuner reponse but I still can't tune in
>>> correctly.
>>>
>>> Steven
>>>
>>
>> Hi Steven,
>>
>> It has been a while since I used mythexternrecorder with that kind of
>> configuration. I just tried it and am getting similar results to you. I
>> will look into it and hopefully get it fixed soon.
>>
>
> I believe I have this fixed in master. I will push it to fixes/31
> tomorrow.
> Then you can leave the TUNER/command empty and it will correctly replace
> the %USR% in the RECORDER/command to  "tune" the channel. Channel scanning
> in mythtv-setup should work as well.
>
> John

Hi John.

Thanks for the fix. I'll take a look when you push to fixes/31 as I'm not
in a position to test against master at present.