Installing MythTV

Introduction

MythTV 0.27.6 is the current version of MythTV; version 0.27.5 is supported in Debian jessie.

System Preparation

System should be prepared as described in Prepare Debian Base Install for MythTV

Software Package Source

Modify apt sources:

$ sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/deb-multimedia.list

Add a mirror to deb-multimedia to your apt sources list:

/etc/apt/sources.list.d/deb-multimedia.list

...

deb http://<mirror/address> jessie main

...

$ sudo aptitude update

$ sudo aptitude install deb-multimedia-keyring

$ sudo aptitude update

$ sudo aptitude dist-upgrade

Channel Changer

If needed, place channel changer script in /usr/local/bin and test it.

Install MythTV

Install mythtv-frontend or mythtv; I also install xine, mplayer, and vlc, though you certainly may omit

$ sudo aptitude install <mythtv-frontend|mythtv mythweb> mythtv-perl \

libcdio-utils libudf0 \

xine-ui vlc smplayer2

If you only installed mythtv-frontend, install the plugins that you want

$ sudo aptitude install mytharchive mythbrowser mythgallery mythgame mythmusic mythnetvision \

mythnews mythvideo mythweather mythzoneminder

If you want all of the plugins, simply invoke

$ sudo aptitude install mythplugins

For a slave backend, after installing mythtv, you will want to remove the mythconverg database.

$ mysql -u root

mysql> drop database mythconverg;

mysql> exit

Add appropriate users to mythtv group for proper access

$ sudo adduser <user> mythtv

Logout and logon again for group membership to be reflected

Configure MythTV Backend

Run MythTV Setup (also available from the application menu)

$ mythtv-setup

1. General

Use proper IP if additional frontends will be connecting; DO NOT use FQDNs!
Change Job Queue CPU Usage to medium if backend-only
Allow all jobs

2. Capture Cards

4. Video Sources (master backend only)

5. Input Connections

Enter change channel command script
Fetch channels and set starting channel

7. Storage Directories

Set default to /var/lib/mythtv or /mnt/myth/tv/1

Get listing data for a couple of days

$ mythfilldatabase --max-days 2

Start backend

$ sudo invoke-rc.d mythtv-backend restart

Check log file to ensure backend started

$ tail /var/log/mythtv/mythbackend.log

Configure Remote Control

Install lircrc

$ cd .mythtv

$ cp <location of valid lircrc> ./lircrc

$ cd ..

$ ln -s .mythtv/lircrc .lircrc

Configure MythTV Frontend

Start frontend (also available from the application menu)

$ mythfrontend

Setup system

Utilities/Setup -> Setup

General
- Audio: set volumes to ~ 90%
- Miscellaneous: Halt is sudo halt; Reboot is sudo reboot
- Remote Control: LIRC daemon socket is /dev/lircd
- Myth Database Logging: Enable logging and automatic cleaning
- Mythfilldatabase: Enable automatic mythfilldatabase
Appearance
- Theme: ~~Paint engine is OpenGL unless bad card~~ Paint engine is Qt
- QT: Popup background is Image
TV Settings
- General (Basic): Enable Avoid conflicts...
- General (Jobs): Enable transcoder
Program Guide
- 2/2: Enable Use select...
Playback
- Playback Profiles: set to VDPAU Normal, VDPAU Slim, VAAPI Normal, or VAAPI Slim
Recording Profiles
- Enable auto-transcode... on all MPEG-2 profiles
- Move all volumes to 100%
- Transcoders: Disable Scale bitrate... (may have to set twice)

Quit mythfrontend

Key Bindings for Common Applications

Add key bindings - could run mythwelcome instead of mythfrontend

For lxde:

$ nano ~/.config/openbox/lxde-rc.xml

~/.config/openbox/lxde-rc.xml:

...

<command>mythfrontend</command>

</action>

</keybind>

<command>lxterminal</command>

</action>

</keybind>

<command>pkill xinit</command>

</action>

< /keybind>

< keybind key="C-A-m">

<command>pkill mythfrontend</command>

</action>

< /keybind>

...

For openbox:

$ sudo nano /etc/xdg/openbox/rc.xml

/etc/xdg/openbox/rc.xml:

...

<command>mythfrontend</command>

</action>

</keybind>

<command>roxterm</command>

</action>

</keybind>

<command>pkill xinit</command>

</action>

</keybind>

<command>pkill mythfrontend</command>

</action>

</keybind>

...

Start MythTV Automatically

Set autostart

For lxde:

$ cd ~/.config

$ mkdir autostart

$ cd autostart

$ ln -s /usr/share/applications/mythtv.desktop

For openbox:

$ nano ~/.config/openbox/autostart

~/.config/openbox/autostart:

# Run the system-wide startup script

. $GLOBALAUTOSTART

# launch mythfrontend; could run mythwelcome instead

( sleep 2 && mythfrontend > ~/.mythtv/mythfrontend.log 2>&1 ) &

Logout of X

Automatic Logon

If running gdm, start gdm config

- Security tab: enable automatic login

If not running gdm, install and configure rungetty, and create .xinitrc and .profile

$ sudo aptitude install rungetty

$ sudo nano /etc/inittab

/etc/system/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service:

...

ExecStart=-/sbin/agetty --autologin <user> %I $TERM

...

You will need to create an xinitrc. Two are provided here: a simple one which uses the X server as configured; the other automatically sets the resolution to 720p.

$ nano ~/.xinitrc

~/.xinitrc:

#!/bin/bash

# Simple xinitrc

xset -dpms

xset s off

exec openbox-session

~/.xinitrc:

#!/bin/bash

# Set resolution to 720p before starting openbox

TEMPFILE=/tmp/xrandr

xrandr --query > $TEMPFILE

XOUTPUT="$( cat $TEMPFILE | grep ' [Cc]onnected' | sed 's/$.*$ [Cc]onnected.*/\1/' )"

[ -z "$( grep 1280x720 $TEMPFILE )" ] && {

xrandr --newmode "1280x720" 74.50 1280 1344 1472 1664 720 723 728 748 -hsync +vsync

xrandr --addmode $XOUTPUT "1280x720"

}

rm $TEMPFILE

xset -dpms

xset s off

xrandr --size 1280x720

exec openbox-session

$ chmod +x ~/.xinitrc

$ nano ~/.profile

~/.profile:

if [ -z "$DISPLAY" ] && [ $(tty) == /dev/tty1 ]; then

while [ 1 == 1 ]

startx

sleep 5

done

Finished

Restart gdm or reboot to test

Installing MythTV

Introduction

System Preparation

Software Package Source

Channel Changer

Install MythTV

Configure MythTV Backend

Configure Remote Control

Configure MythTV Frontend

Key Bindings for Common Applications

Start MythTV Automatically

Automatic Logon

Finished

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